Can’t run Windows 11? Don’t want to? There are surprisingly legal options
Just install OpenBSD and be done with it.
Windows 10 LTSC – the version that won't expire for years
Submitted 11 months ago by Tea@programming.dev to technology@lemmy.world
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/04/22/windows_10_ltsc/
Comments
Mooseford@lemmy.today 11 months ago
OccultIconoclast@reddthat.com 11 months ago
Ahem
LIIIIIIIIIIINUX!
icogniito@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
Yeah. It will get security updates for more time, but support for new hardware and potentially software will start to fall away from this year
interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 11 months ago
We’re not getting new hardware, statistically, you have your last computer, phone and tv.
thatradomguy@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Too late (for me), but seeing how things are going, Windows 11 will probably be my last Windows that ever deal with. Will be moving to Linux.
clashorcrashman@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
I used Linux for many years from 2005 to probably 2013 or so, and I liked it. I decided to go back a couple of years ago, and now I love it.
ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Honestly I’m getting a bit tired of discussions about Windows getting hijacked by people almost aggressively pushing Linux as the go-to alternative. I’m sure Linux is good, but it often feels less like helpful advice and more like proselytizing. I think most users aren’t looking for a whole paradigm shift, they want improvements within the environment they already know, not a completely different system with its own learning curve and compromises.
Mandelbrot@lemmy.world 11 months ago
[deleted]Mpatch@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Yes I am dumb normie. Who has set up for doing things a certain way. I have my cnc plasma tables, my 3d printers and cnc mills. They are essential to my business. I need to be able to run the cad programs, communications and links. I have spent alot of hours already establishing this, learning how to do this. I don’t have time to re learn all this because I “should switch to linux” I don’t have time to learn new cad programs because the ones i use aren’t Linux friendly. Many of us normies just don’t have that spare time to go through the process. I just need something that I know will work.
Doomsider@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Honestly, I am getting a bit tired of Windows (which is pretty much adware garbage at this point) being the only mainstream OS for laptops and desktops.
I am also extremely tired of half-assed status quo defenders like you that always say, “people just aren’t ready”. This is clearly a disingenuous argument born out of a ignorance and apathy.
Lemmy clearly has a Linux slant just as Reddit did before all the Winblows people did exactly what you are doing now. So respectfully get bent.
I find your comments particularly hollow on regards to UI changes as Microsoft is the most guilty party ever for changing the interface and forcing people to relearn everything (hello ribbon bar, Windows 8, Windows 11 lack of start bar configurations, and of course constantly changing where settings are located).
The only cult that is proselytizing is Windows bootlicking losers. The fact that Linux users are passionate about the superiority of owning your software and not giving your money and personal information to a corporation that will sell you out in a second is just common sense.
jdnewmil@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Stick with Windows. Microft will deliver paradigm shifts and you will have no say in the matter. They are already removing options for disabling Copilot, and for all the promised backward compatibility they are letting go of features that lots of old Windows software depended on, as they introduce features similar to ones in Linux. I cannot really fault them for all of these changes, but the difference is actually one of choice and privacy, and not really the one you seem to think it is.
papertowels@mander.xyz 11 months ago
Unfortunately if you take alternatives out of the running you’re kind of just left with impotent rage against one of the biggest companies in the world and their shareholders.
Why would Microsoft ever care about some mildly upset users on Lemmy when they know said users are locked into their product for life?
deathbird@mander.xyz 11 months ago
My advice is to move your computing to an environment that opens options for you and responds to your wants and needs rather than an environment that treats you like a guinea pig to experiment on, or an actual pig to force-fed slop to.
You will never convince Microsoft that you’re tired of their slop if you keep eating it.
Not saying changing OSes is easy, but it is easier than it’s ever been, and the dividends have been worth it for me.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 11 months ago
You’re not going to get “improvements” in Windows, that should be clear by now. Crystal clear, I would think.
Linux IS good, and today, the “paradigm shift” is more like a gentle learning curve with people holding your hand every step.
I’m an old geezer who made the jump a year ago, it really isn’t hard. Literally, the only thing I miss is the big preview window in the file manager. Big previews for all of the major formats is a big plus for Windows, but not one that kept me on their side.
fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 11 months ago
I strongly recommend to people to try linux on an old laptop because that’s something most people can do even if they still need windows for something
EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 11 months ago
You’re not going to get “improvements” in Windows, that should be clear by now.
This is the crux of the issue. Holding out for improvements … that aren’t coming.
I have Windows 11 and am unlikely to change this computer (though who knows), however I absolutely plan on my next build being Linux. I might start tinkering around in a VM.
dogs0n@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
the only thing I miss is the big preview window in the file manager
I may be misinterpreting you, but I think this is a thing with Dolphin. It has a preview pane, which supports all the file types I commonly interact with (F11), which can be dragged to resize bigger or smaller.
I haven’t used any preview thing on Windows, which is why I think I may be misunderstanding.
Anyways if you haven’t tried Dolphin, maybe it has a solution for you (made by kde project, but I believe it should be installable for any desktop environment)
Agent641@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It’s been this way for decades. They don’t realise that by constantly bashing windows, they’re not making Linux better, theyre just demonstrating what sort of bitter snobbery you’ll be dealing with if you switch.
I use Arch btw.
bfg9k@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I just want my games to work man. I have a huge library of weird and old games that I have spent years tinkering with to get them to run reliably on modern windows, I honestly cannot be arsed having to re-fix everything on Linux. WINE is not perfect and Proton doesn’t support everything.
deathbird@mander.xyz 11 months ago
Which games are concerns for you? Genuinely asking.
HeChomk@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Linux isn’t good. Not for home users that want it to just work, imo. Linux will fight you at every step of the way, over every little thing. I’ve tried various versions over the years and I’ve always been put off by how anti-user it is. Want to set a custom dpi? Fuck you. Want to set a custom cursor size or colour? Fine, but fuck you it won’t work in a browser window. Want an on screen keyboard? Fuck you. Want to update or install anything that isn’t in a package store? Fuck you, terminal.
ameancow@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I really feel like the linux thing is far more cultural than practical, and if you don’t actually enjoy fiddling around with settings and software, you’re probably not going to enjoy the community either.
I have no idea what I’m going to do, I can’t afford a new PC nor do I have the desire to buy a new PC just because Microsoft says jump through this new hoop. I’ll probably just do a bypass and ask around the docks for a security key “workaround” from the friendly, local, sailors with eyepatches and peg legs.
ZC3rr0r@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
If your machine has a TPM cup, you can bypass the other requirements to upgrade to 11 with a simple registry edit. Not sure if that’s an option for you, but it saved parents’ older Surface device from the landfill.
mrcleanup@lemmy.world 11 months ago
People always talk about the learning curve and compromises, but Linux is finally in the “shit just works” stage, so it’s not much different than the Mac/PC decision people make every day.
Heck, in a lot of ways it is more similar to Windows than Mac is, so it should be an easier decision. For some reason though, everyone still treats it like… Well… It would be like treating Windows like you still have to know DOS.
That’s just not true anymore.
Newsteinleo@infosec.pub 11 months ago
Have you asked the question “why do so many discussions get hijacked by people saying to switch to Linux”? It’s not because there are a bunch of Linux nut jobs that need to validate their questionable choice by getting other people to make the same choice. It’s because Linux works and it works well. Out of the box, with no command line configuration, Linux will serve most end users computer needs. For those of us that use Linux, this Windows 10 thing is a joke, because its a problem that has a simple solution. There is no need to go through installing a whole different Windows 10 OS when you can switch to Linux and be done.
fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 11 months ago
I’ve been into linux since I was 13 and things are way easier now
ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Then you should have no issue naming a distro that is a 1:1 equal of Windows 10 or maybe even 7, but with none of the enshittification and only upsides.
bss03@infosec.pub 11 months ago
I’m been using Linux full time since 2004, and while I think it is good to let people know it is there, I don’t recommend it to people I’m not willing to personally support. But, I also let them know I just can’t help with Windows problems either, and they should address their complaints to their OS vendor.
I file Debian bugs if I have a problem with my OS, and have received fixes that way. This is better support that I ever received from MS during my first 2 decades of using MS OSes.
TheRealKuni@midwest.social 11 months ago
“I see you’re worried about abuse by priests in the Catholic Church. Can I interest you in Buddhism?”
bss03@infosec.pub 11 months ago
I’m not sure I get the analogy here… Do you think there will be less abuse by priests if there are more Catholics?
kinther@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It may be my perspective comes from western civilization, but do Buddhists have similar child abuse scandals?
agent_nycto@lemmy.world 11 months ago
“Linux is great ha ha you just have to know which one you want and they are all vague and technical ha ha if there’s a problem just program a solution yourself you know programming ha ha we’re not a cult I swear anyway I told my grandma she’s a piece of shit because she didn’t want to switch to Linux even though she doesn’t own a computer I only yelled at her for five hours straight about it”
Though for real I might actually try it out, I like open source stuff and my friend said it’s not hard.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Yeah, if you’re interested, you should give it a shot.
Jaysyn@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I switch to Mint last year. Had a few hiccups, but I have everything working just how I want it now.
Windows problem solved.
DicJacobus@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I have so many old games and programs on my win10 PC that the amount of effort it would take to get everything back to the way it was, would almost argue for just getting a New PC and not bothering with the migration.
I know that its not based in science… but I just dont trust windows OS migration. I did it once from Vista to 7, and something messed up, and had to reformat the entire drive and fresh install, losing everything.
as for getting a new PC , hardware wise, it will cost me several thousand and will probably only be a fraction of an increase of the system I have right now. its just not worth it.
so all in all, I think Im going to just play danger zone, and ride Win10 into the digital apocalypse for a while.
Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
I have on the same windows install gone from 7 to 10 to 11 without much issue. There were several win 10 updates that fucked with my setup more then the upgrade process.
Susurrus@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Some people really will desparately do whatever it takes to cling onto Microsoft’s slop, just so they don’t have to spend an hour or two learning something new.
And if you do actually need Windows for a very specific piece of software or one of those 5 online games - okay, fair enough. But we all know the vast majority are just lazy and ignorant.
redwattlebird@lemmings.world 11 months ago
Jokes on them! I got rid of windows last week and now have Linux Mint on my PC! It’s great! All my games run and I’ve set up my own screenshot shortcut in a way that I want. Installing software through terminal commands is also a lot of fun.
thetrekkersparky@startrek.website 11 months ago
Haha. I too switched to Linux Mint last week. So far no regrets. I’ve actually enjoyed making everything I need to work. Especially because it seems to work better that on the operating system it was designed for. Strange.
Nikelui@lemmy.world 11 months ago
How does Mint work with (old) NVIDIA drivers? I’m going to have to do the switch sometime this year and I am still debating which distro would give me the least troubles running games and applications via Proton / Wine.
mothersprotege@lemm.ee 11 months ago
It’s been working fine with my GTX 1060. I’ll probably get around to trying different distros at some point, but I’m pretty happy with mint. Most of the issues I’ve had with it have been due to its emphasis on stability; that is, it’s slower to incorporate changes than more cutting-edge distros. At least, that’s been my impression—I’m no Linuxologist.
Ecen@lemmy.world 11 months ago
My guess is that they will work just fine! Most distros will work equally well once set up, but some may require an extra step or two for driver installation. From what I’ve seen, Mint is a good starting point overall and is what I’m recommending to friends right now who are using Linux for the first time :)
dirtycrow@programming.dev 11 months ago
ltsc iot is on my gaming pc that I spin up once biweekly. Got the os from massgrave and most of the games from fitgirl.
If it’s a competition of getting work done, Linux is clearly superior. Windows has always just gotten in my way when I’m trying to do something with the OS.
There’s no denying though that you gotta use the right tool for the job. I ain’t forkin my time over to get Linux to work with triple-A pirated games and all that VM and wine shit. I’m just going to install ltsc and forget about it. Just as how I’m not wasting my time on Windows to install software packages, libraries, or whatever the fuck Subsystem is.
Rooty@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I see that we’ve entered the bargaining period.
phoenixz@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Install Linux and be done with the Microsoft bullshit. No windows, no copilot, no shit teams, no outlook, nothing of the nonsense, just software that actually works
asdfbla@lemmynsfw.com 11 months ago
Tell that to my employer
phoenixz@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Send me their mail
deathbird@mander.xyz 11 months ago
My eternal quest to get a working desktop environment running in WSL 😭
communist@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz 11 months ago
Yeah hook me up with their number I’ll do it
ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I’m a developer, and I can’t just skip Windows support, also the “GUI” for debuggers on Linux aee pretty much just separate terminals for gdb, and often I can’t just jank my way out with
printf()from various issues.Vanilla_PuddinFudge@infosec.pub 11 months ago
Valid reason.
However,…Virtual Machine?
cley_faye@lemmy.world 11 months ago
also the “GUI” for debuggers on Linux aee pretty much just separate terminals for gdb, and often I can’t just jank my way out with printf() from various issues
And that is an issue because…?
Miaou@jlai.lu 11 months ago
Is the second point supposed to be a negative rather than an implementation detail?
Anyway, vscode would probably work for you. Or try clion. Like VS, but with decent cmake support, clang integration, better auto complete, simpler tool chain management, faster index, no daily crash/hanging, better git/lab integration, cross platform support… Actually never mind, there is indeed nothing like VS IDE wise. Whatever that means
cortex7979@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I recently switched to PopOS! And it’s been great. Not being pressured into Microsoft applications and using your Microsoft account is great
PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Just the name itself sounds like an an angsty teenage dream. Not really selling it there.
bss03@infosec.pub 11 months ago
I didn’t like the name, but it was a nice option for Nvidia laptops esp. from System76.
I ended up replacing it with Ubuntu; but I can’t remember exactly why. I normally use Debian.
arararagi@ani.social 11 months ago
I don’t know how you got “angsty teen” from a cute name like Pop.
JustARegularNerd@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
That’s about as ‘judging a book by it’s cover’ as it gets.
Ultimately OP isn’t trying to sell it to you, they’re just saying that for them, they’ve been happy with it.
And hey, if you choose your distros based on their name, I’d like to see you sell that idea.
MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Linux mint is another really good windows refugee friendly distro. And if you want a gaming COVID one then bazzite is the one to go for (it’s basically steam OS, but there’s a full fledged desktop version too)
huzzahunimpressively@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I thought what the public health sector gonna do if they don’t allow W11 in old PCs, and later I remember that in Mexico they use W7 with IE, lol. BTW I think they could use Linux, my mum was a nurse there and she only used OpenOffice and a web browser
MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Issue with healthcare IT is they cannot just upgrade willy nilly. They have to make sure that whatever computer they’re changing isn’t responsible for something big and they have to make sure everyone who uses it can use it. You still have some critical system PCs in hospitals that run DOS and sometimes even older.
secret300@lemmy.sdf.org 11 months ago
Switch to Linux
ohshit604@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
My company has decided to dedicate me and another coworker to go computer-2-computer and check if they have TPM 2.0 support.
I’m doing my best to push a Linux switch in our workplace!
Wispy2891@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It’s not just tpm 2.0 support, but simply Intel 8th gen or higher or Ryzen
Intel 6th gen CPUs could totally support tpm 2.0 but they decided to cut them off because $$$
There is no real technical reason, management wanted the line to go up so they had meetings and meetings with the engineering teams in order to find a somewhat reasonable excuse to send to the landfill millions and millions of perfectly usable computers
Psythik@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I would but my DJ year is over a decade old and none of it is compatible with Linux. It won’t even run on a modern CPU without crashing Serato, so I use an old laptop with a 4th gen i5 running LTSC to power my gear; it runs smooth as butter.
Eventually I will get new gear and try to get it working in Linux, but I don’t have thousands to drop right now on updated hardware, so I make do with what I have.
fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 11 months ago
what’s being a DJ like?
Mooseford@lemmy.today 11 months ago
Have you tried something like Mixx and a MIDI controller of some sort? I really don’t know all that much about the minutiae of DJing, but a friend used to DJ parties a lot with just his laptop and Mixx and that was like 20 years ago or somesuch.
chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Why not encapsulate Windows 10 in a VM? You can run it indefinitely as long as you don’t give it Internet.
detun3d@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Yeah, LTSC IoT 21H2 should last even longer, but I’d still avoid getting attached to any PC that has it installed.
Scolding7300@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Why is that?
kepix@lemmy.world 11 months ago
i hate you guys so much. once in their lifetime, theregister writers actually manage to recommend something useful, and you guys start to shit all over the comment section.
for the microsoft forum admins: no, ltsc is fine. you can install a store, but since its running on an early feature version with fresh security updates, xbox gamepass wont like it much. same goes with the cod launcher.
for the neckbeard freedomfighters: linux cannot solve every problem.
ive been using 10 ltsc for 5 year now. still not as great as win7, but nothing ever gonna beat that os. less telemetry, less services, no ms store (but can be installed with 3rd party softwares). runs a ton more smoother on laptops as well. main problem will be getting updates from certain softwares: programs only check for the main build version, and ltsc is going to look like its outdated, your programs might deny your updates (i would say 3 years from now). keep in mind, 11 also has an ltsc version: no bloat in the start menu, no store, less telemetry…but still looks like arse. i would recommend getting an oem key for cheap, or yohoho on the massgrave site, dont support ms with a full price.
shalafi@lemmy.world 11 months ago
neckbeard freedomfighters
LOL, that is delicious.
Been downvoted plenty of times for saying I don’t get 1/10th of the Windows hassle lemmy talks about, probably less. Don’t have the LTSC version of 11, but it’s from a plain Jane ISO, not a factory install, which I would bet is the cause of many people’s pain.
lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
A sensible response. Windows has its pros, and Linux has its cons. I personally dont care for Windows anymore, but that’s because I grew up with Linux in the home alongside Windows.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Exactly. Use what you want. For me, that’s Linux, and for my SO, that’s Windows. It really doesn’t need to be a religious thing.
pewgar_seemsimandroid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 months ago
so end of LTSC is the year of the Linux desktop?
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
The lengths people will go to to avoid upgrading
JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Avoid downgrading. Unless you mean switching to linux.
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Linux
CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 11 months ago
LTSC is supported, yes, but it’s an edge case not intended for desktop (or most server) applications.
If you don’t want to move to 11, install a flavour of Linux. Don’t run LTSC.
aberrate_junior_beatnik@midwest.social 11 months ago
massgrave.dev works just fine with ltsc as well and www.pcrf.net can always use more money
Pirata@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Why even bother at this point? Linux has become so good it’s actually easier and more familiar to use than the clusterfuck that is windows 11.
neonred@lemmy.world 11 months ago
My Linux doesn’t expire for now over 10 years. What’s your sales pitch exactly?