Microsoft's big lie: Your computer is fine (and you don't need to buy a new one)

Technical.ly

5 days ago

This is a guest post by Tim Allen, principal engineer at Wharton Research Data Services at the University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Technical.ly Readers Council and an organizer of the Philadelphia Python Users Group.
Microsoft has a long history of playing fast-and-loose with the truth. And that's again the case with Windows 10 coming to its supposed 'end of life' this fall.
In the mid '90s, Microsoft claimed Internet Explorer was part of the Windows operating system, leading to one of the most famous antitrust cases in history. The company's claims about 'your privacy being their priority' became laughable when Windows 10 was released and aggressively started collecting user data, including contacts, calendar info, and increased telemetry. At the time, in 2015, the company also said Windows 10 would be the 'final' version of the operating system, continuously updated as a service.
Guess not.
Because now Microsoft is trying to convince millions of users across the world that if they don't upgrade to Windows 11, their computers will become trash, and no longer be viable to use. This couldn't be further from the truth.
Before the turn of the millennium, computer hardware was advancing so quickly that upgrading your machine every few years made sense, because you got so much more power than just a few years prior. That rapid evolution has ended; the average home user (excepting hardcore gamers and crypto miners) should only need a new machine every decade, if not less frequently.
Any computer bought new in 2015 should be perfectly capable of running an operating system, a web browser, email, video meetings and an office suite without feeling slow.
Microsoft suggesting people have to toss their devices is not only discriminatory — not everyone can afford to do this — it's also horrible for the environment. E-waste is one of the world's fastest-growing waste streams, and while some of it is being repurposed, the trash piles are rising a reported 5x times recycling efforts.
So what's a Windows user to do? There are options.
Stopping support for Windows 10 despite its popularity
Microsoft is starting to aggressively nag users to upgrade to Windows 11. The company plans to sunset support for Windows 10, with a stated end date for all updates, including important security patches, on Oct. 14 of this year.
Yet it's still the most popular version being used, per StatCounter:
Windows 10 — 52.94%
Windows 11 — 43.72%
All other Windows versions — 3.34%
Previous Windows upgrades haven't had strict 'requirements' checks; they were more like 'recommendations' or 'suggestions.' That changed with Windows 11: a large portion of Windows 10 users are being told their computers will no longer work, full stop.
Microsoft's proposed solution? To buy a new computer, and send your current one into the landfill, creating unnecessary ' techno-trash.'
The company has also threatened that not upgrading could cause damages to the user's PC that wouldn't be covered by the manufacturer warranty. The campaign exhibits Microsoft's increasing use of deceptive dark UI patterns. Its upgrade prompt provides options for 'Remind me later' and 'Learn more' without an option to 'Never show again.' This further erodes what little trust Microsoft had remaining as a good actor.
But there are ways to mitigate this, even if you already upgraded to Windows 11. They include using tools to remove unnecessary resource hogs (details below), or even maybe making the move to Linux!
Security excuse or forced obsolescence?
The checks Microsoft runs before allowing Windows 11 installation to proceed exclude most PCs manufactured before 2018. The operating system has become so bloated (with crapware and data collection spyware you don't need) that these requirements are far higher than they need to be.
The other two checks are the real problem, however: they are far too aggressive, unless you're storing highly sensitive data on your home machine. And remember, most home users have been running without these features for decades without an issue.
A summary of the requirement checks for Windows 11 installation:
System resources: RAM, CPU and storage are all checked to ensure minimums are met. While these are reasonable checks, the requirements are much higher than they need to be.
Trusted Platform Module (TPM): This is where things get problematic. TPM 2.0 is a relatively new hardware-based security feature; a chip that provides secure storage for cryptographic keys. It is a good security feature, but not necessary for most home users. TPM 2.0 was not consistently standard on computers until 2018, with some manufacturers adopting even later. Because of purchasing and production cycles, that means new computers bought as recently as 2022 might not be able to install Windows 11. Microsoft has shown some signs of backing off this requirement.
Secure boot: This is a problematic feature that may attempt to keep you from installing an operating system other than Windows on a computer, and should not be a requirement. While it offers some nice-to-have security features, it is absolutely not necessary for the average home user.
There are many options for Windows 10 users other than buying a new computer, but I will focus on the two that I believe will allow people to continue to use their machines with the least amount of friction.
Option 1: Give Linux Mint a try
Linux Mint is a desktop version of Linux that is meant to appeal to people familiar with Windows. It comes with everything the average home user needs, and just works.
I would argue, in fact, that switching from Windows 10 to Linux Mint is less jarring than switching from Windows 10 to Windows 11. The user interface is actually more similar.
Linux Mint Cinnamon Edition comes with a familiar start menu, runs Zoom just fine, and has drivers for most common devices. It includes key programs most users will need, like Firefox, and can run any of the popular web browsers (instead of Chrome, try Brave!).
It also comes with LibreOffice. This free, open-source office suite is highly compatible with Microsoft Office. I have yet to see a home user who requires any features that are not included. It comes with Writer (like Word), Calc (Excel), Impress (PowerPoint), Base (Access) and more. It is compatible with the formats Microsoft uses (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx).
One of the biggest features is what Linux Mint does NOT have, and that's all the Microsoft baggage.
There's no data being collected, there's no telemetry, there's no advertising being thrust on lock screens and start menus, and you are in total control of your computer. Linux used to be hard — it used to be made by nerds, for nerds. But that has changed over the past decade, and it is now more accessible than it ever has been. I would argue it's now significantly easier for casual computer users than Windows 11, especially with Microsoft desperately trying to force a dozen things, all named Copilot, down everyone's throats.
Linux Mint will run smoothly on almost any laptop purchased in the past twenty years. To test this, I installed it on a Dynabook Tecra A40-G with a Celeron processor and 4 gigabytes of RAM which you can currently buy on eBay for $68. These specifications could barely handle Windows 7, let alone a modern Windows version. Linux Mint runs smoothly and without lag, even on this underpowered configuration.
There are certain situations where using Linux Mint won't be easy. Certain applications are only made for Windows, or are difficult to run on Linux (for example, Steam VR, if you're into virtual reality headsets). But if you're using email, an office suite of apps, Zoom, and nothing too exotic, it should work well. You can even use your company's Office 365 web versions!
Option 2: Force Windows 11 to Install
You can force the upgrade to install on your machine, even if it would 'fail' the supposed system requirement checks.
Microsoft supports a file called Autounattend.xml, which pre-answers the questions asked during the Windows 11 installation process. It also gives several options that aren't available during the typical installation.
Here is an example of an Autounattend.xml file you could drop in the root of a Windows 11 USB installation key. Want more control? There's a handy program (again, free!) called Rufus that provides a nice interface for you to customize how you want to install a Windows 11 installer on a USB key.
Rufus allows you to remove the checks mentioned above, eliminate the requirement for a Microsoft account, and disable some data collection with a few easy checkboxes.
After installing Windows 11 and running updates, I highly recommend continuing to the next section to run Windows 11 Debloat and O&O ShutUp.
Already have Windows 11? There are options to take back control
A large part of the reason for the requirements around system resources is because of how bloated Windows has gotten.
Microsoft provides a tool to PC manufacturers that allows them to 'customize the Windows experience' for their users. PC manufacturers use this opportunity to preload all kinds of sub-par software for a fee.
This includes unnecessary tools like subscription-based virus scanners and anti-malware programs, usually with a short free trial, as well as other low-rated, even malicious applications that are incredibly hard for the average user to uninstall. Since Windows comes with its own protection, these programs do nothing but use the computer's system resources — and charge the user a monthly fee.
In his trademark bombastic style, Ed Zitron bought the bestselling laptop from Amazon and reviewed just how sluggish an experience this creates. 1 minute and 50 seconds for the setup screen to appear and nearly an hour to get to the Start menu. Linux Mint would run smoothly on that laptop; I know because I have it installed on one that has worse specifications.
Much of this sluggishness, or 'lag,' comes from Microsoft adding ever-more advertising and tracking. If you're stuck on Windows 11, and absolutely don't want to give Linux Mint a try, here are two essential (and free) open-source programs to help:
Windows 11 Debloat: This community-driven project allows users to run one straightforward program to ditch most of the junk. It removes a wide-variety of preinstalled apps, disables telemetry, diagnostic data, activity history and app-launch tracking. It disables targeted ads, ads in the start menu, notifications, file explorer and the lock screen. It disables and removes Bing web search and Cortana from Windows search, Copilot and Windows Recall. You can review a full set of the changes on GitHub.
O&O ShutUp: This handy tool changes Microsoft's thousands of settings to your advantage, rather than Microsoft's advantage. The recommended defaults have never steered me wrong. It is recommended you run this once per month, after the monthly Windows updates are applied.
Is it finally the year of the Linux desktop?
I tried several times over the past decade to use DuckDuckGo for search, rather than Google. The first few times, it didn't stick. But I'm now a DuckDuckGo regular, and rarely fall back to old habits. This isn't so much because DuckDuckGo has gotten much better. It's because Google has gotten much worse.
Windows 11 has hit that same threshold.
There has been a long-running joke in tech communities that 'this will be the year of the Linux desktop,' because it never seems to actually happen. But Windows 11 has become a hostile experience that doesn't respect the user's intelligence or privacy, and the Linux options have blossomed over the past decade. Linux Mint provides such a superior experience, the tide might actually start to turn.
I've been running Windows, macOS, and Linux side by side for 15 years now, as part of my responsibilities as the principal engineer of my team. Part of that role is to ensure our developers can use whatever operating system they like, to be most efficient. This could be an ideal time for you, your family, and your friends to give Linux a try, and Linux Mint is an easier jump from Windows 10 than Microsoft's own product.