News Microsoft Will End Sale of Windows 10 Licenses to Consumers This Month

[Admin]

PC users can still download Windows 10 or purchase the operating system on DVD from other retailers... for now.

Microsoft Will End Sale of Windows 10 Licenses to Consumers This Month : Read more

 

[bolweval]

Microsoft would probably get faster adoption if it wasn't so picky choosy of the hardware people are running. There are ways around it, I got it to run on my 2016 XPS 13, but most people won't or want to go though the hassle...

 

[The Historical Fidelity]

I absolutely hate windows 11, it’s too locked down and represents change for the sake of change. I find myself having to learn new ways of finding options, settings, etc. where the old way was already optimized and made sense over the evolution of 95, 98, XP, 7, and 10. Also, none of my independent creator, and crowd source software works with 11. I get nothing but usb driver errors, non-signed driver errors, access privilege issues, etc. almost like Microsoft is trying to destroy the independent software/modder market. It’s sad to see…

 

[digitalgriffin]

I have a 3770k system my son is still using. It is going strong.

I dread the day I can't update it any more. This will force many people over to other systems.

I can swap out the motherboard, CPU, and memory. But what e waste.

I'll also have to reformat my other sons 3900x as secure boot isn't on. That's an Uber pain in the tail.

 

[pug_s]

People can buy Windows 10 pro keys out there from old discarded windows 7 corp pc's out there for about $20. Heck, these keys are upgradable to windows 11 if you like it. My last 2 builds came from pc keys coming out from serial keys coming out from these old pc's. Funny thing is that when I checked the keys, they are retail and not OEM.

 

[salgado18]

Well you can always live under a rock and remain stagnant. Don’t like it? Don’t use it.

my advice is to get a grip on reality and learn when things are out of your control. This is out of your control. Take action and use a different OS and stop complaining about things out of your control

The key to life is adaptability. Evolution teaches us, adapt, or die.

But we can still complain about the things we don't like, in the hopes that our voice is heard and the next versions get better instead of worse, right? We can beg for a Windows 12 that's better than 11, can't we? Because I won't just shut my voice and swallow everything that big companies try to sell me, if I don't like something I'll say it out loud.

Microsoft can stop sales and updates of Windows 10 until there is only 11? Yes, they can, it's out of our control. Can we stay on 10 because 11 is half-functional, making the OS share low enough for Microsoft to notice and change course? Yes, we can, and that is in our control.

Windows 8 eventually became usable, but 7 was still better, more stable and people mostly refused to upgrade until 10 became good enough. 11 may eventually become usable, but I think people will keep on 10 until 11 gets good or 12 comes out.

 

[zecoeco]

I'm still using W10 as my daily driver, and so far it's perfect, performance is really good and so far no issues whatsoever.
I tried to upgrade to W11 so many times, and every time I end up rolling back to W10, mostly for the poor performance I get in W11.
Windows 10 is just noticeably snappier than Windows 11, but I'm sure over the time it'll match W10. However, right now it's basically unnecessary to upgrade.

 

[The Historical Fidelity]

Well you can always live under a rock and remain stagnant. Don’t like it? Don’t use it.

my advice is to get a grip on reality and learn when things are out of your control. This is out of your control. Take action and use a different OS and stop complaining about things out of your control

The key to life is adaptability. Evolution teaches us, adapt, or die.

Props for the most useless reply of 2023! Literally no one cares about your pseudo-intellectual soliloquy.

Microsoft considers you their bread and butter. Just fall in line and consume their bs without incident. It’s people like you that allows businesses to make anti-consumer moves in their respective industry. “Just use a new OS” Maybe I can’t, ever thought of that? Maybe the software I use is only on windows and there aren’t equivalents? Think before you speak…

 

[zecoeco]

Props for the most useless reply of 2023! Literally no one cares about your pseudo-intellectual soliloquy.

Microsoft considers you their bread and butter. Just fall in line and consume their bs without incident. It’s people like you that allows businesses to make anti-consumer moves in their respective industry. “Just use a new OS” Maybe I can’t, ever thought of that? Maybe the software I use is only on windows and there aren’t equivalents? Think before you speak…

But we can still complain about the things we don't like, in the hopes that our voice is heard and the next versions get better instead of worse, right? We can beg for a Windows 12 that's better than 11, can't we? Because I won't just shut my voice and swallow everything that big companies try to sell me, if I don't like something I'll say it out loud.

Microsoft can stop sales and updates of Windows 10 until there is only 11? Yes, they can, it's out of our control. Can we stay on 10 because 11 is half-functional, making the OS share low enough for Microsoft to notice and change course? Yes, we can, and that is in our control.

Windows 8 eventually became usable, but 7 was still better, more stable and people mostly refused to upgrade until 10 became good enough. 11 may eventually become usable, but I think people will keep on 10 until 11 gets good or 12 comes out.

I respectfully disagree with @The Historical Fidelity , and agree with @salgado18
If we're going to use W10 for the next 10 years, then we are taking a huge risk in terms of the security flaws that'll ruddle the whole operating system over the years as it stops getting patches for the never-ending war of cybersecurity, and not to forget the compatibility of the many features that come, and software developers will adapt and require your OS to support it. It's a collaborative thing between software and hardware. For every person out there, there has to be a level of adaptability to make use of the technology you have in the best possible way and keep your device and your data safe. It's not all that bad with W11, and over the time it'll get much better than W10. I know, wheather you upgrade or not, it is your decision, taking in mind your hardware, your data, and your ability to keep up with the latest and adapt. But if you don't adapt, then you are left behind, not now, but in the next 10 years in case you stuck with W10. As for now, Windows 10 is still perfectly fine for at least 5 years.

 

[kanewolf]

Props for the most useless reply of 2023! Literally no one cares about your pseudo-intellectual soliloquy.

Microsoft considers you their bread and butter. Just fall in line and consume their bs without incident. It’s people like you that allows businesses to make anti-consumer moves in their respective industry. “Just use a new OS” Maybe I can’t, ever thought of that? Maybe the software I use is only on windows and there aren’t equivalents? Think before you speak…

Then do what businesses that have this problem do. Buy spare hardware now. You want Win10 forever, then you need Win10 hardware forever. You buy spare motherboards and other specific hardware while you can. These are called "lifetime buys".
I worked for a defense contractor and bought Cray supercomputers on E-Bay for parts for exactly this problem.

 

[BillyBuerger]

Alternatively, online sites like Kinguin offer Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro product keys for well under $30, which is an excellent avenue for DIYers looking to save a few bucks when building a new system.

I'm a bit concerned you're recommended a site like Kinguin for "buying" a windows license. I've had some experience in that past with different sites that do the same. And I heard someone mention buying from from Kinguin recently and they got a message that their key was already activated. These product key for cheap sites are not a good idea. They resell the same key multiple times or pull them from already activated systems. If you're lucky it may "work" but there's a good chance it might not work again if you need to reinstall because it was never a valid license in the first place. Even if it does work, it's still not a legal license and you own nothing. If you want a windows license, get it from Microsoft. It's the cost of owning Windows. If the cost is too much, install Linux or buy an OEM PC where they already include the cost of Windows in the price of the system.

 

[pointa2b]

I held onto XP for as long as I could... and then 7... and now 10. I despise the fact each new version removes more control away from the computer owner, and now requires an MS account? This is why I'm switching to Linux once I run out of runway on 10. I don't want to, its a new interface/workflow to learn all over again. But the fact MS is so out of touch, seemingly ignoring the crowd of people screaming at them to stop going in this direction for the last 10-15 years, there is no other choice. I'm not compromising anymore.

 

[RichardtST]

I respectfully disagree with @The Historical Fidelity , and agree with @salgado18
If we're going to use W10 for the next 10 years, then we are taking a huge risk in terms of the security flaws that'll ruddle the whole operating system over the years as it stops getting patches for the never-ending war of cybersecurity, and not to forget the compatibility of the many features that come, and software developers will adapt and require your OS to support it. It's a collaborative thing between software and hardware. For every person out there, there has to be a level of adaptability to make use of the technology you have in the best possible way and keep your device and your data safe. It's not all that bad with W11, and over the time it'll get much better than W10. I know, wheather you upgrade or not, it is your decision, taking in mind your hardware, your data, and your ability to keep up with the latest and adapt. But if you don't adapt, then you are left behind, not now, but in the next 10 years in case you stuck with W10. As for now, Windows 10 is still perfectly fine for at least 5 years.

Um, no. "Security" is not a valid reason to update and/or upgrade. Vulnerabilities continue to multiply as more and more "security experts" add more and more layers of cr4p to our systems. Attack surface, like entropy, only ever increases. It doesn't matter what OS you are on. I can break into it. Not a problem. In fact, staying in-sync and up-to-date with everyone else means I only have to write one attack and only have to keep that one attack up-to-date. Thank you. Everyone being all the same makes my life easier. One attack, all the systems.

Nah. Microsoft isn't forcing the upgrades for security. They are forcing the upgrades to force out all the open-source software. It has nothing to do with keeping bad guys out. It has everything to do with absolute control of your hardware and what you are allowed to run on it. It is all about control.

My office will start pushing linux desktops if I can't continue installing Win 10. I know this. I'm in charge of Development and IT. I like linux. It is time to start making the switch.

 

[edzieba]

Um, no. "Security" is not a valid reason to update and/or upgrade. Vulnerabilities continue to multiply as more and more "security experts" add more and more layers of cr4p to our systems. Attack surface, like entropy, only ever increases. It doesn't matter what OS you are on. I can break into it. Not a problem. In fact, staying in-sync and up-to-date with everyone else means I only have to write one attack and only have to keep that one attack up-to-date. Thank you. Everyone being all the same makes my life easier. One attack, all the systems.

This is so incredibly incorrect it's comical.
An updated system is vulnerable to unpatched issues between their discovery and exploitation and their patching.
A system that is not updated is vulnerable to known exploits forever. Worse, bad actors will target these unpatched systems disproportionately, as it is both easier to use existing known exploits than to constantly discover new ones, and the same users who fail to follow such basic and trivial security best practices will likely be insecure in other ways, like storing sensitive data unencrypted or being more likely to enter passwords into unverified websites.

 

[RichardtST]

This is so incredibly incorrect it's comical.
An updated system is vulnerable to unpatched issues between their discovery and exploitation and their patching.
A system that is not updated is vulnerable to known exploits forever. Worse, bad actors will target these unpatched systems disproportionately, as it is both easier to use existing known exploits than to constantly discover new ones, and the same users who fail to follow such basic and trivial security best practices will likely be insecure in other ways, like storing sensitive data unencrypted or being more likely to enter passwords into unverified websites.

Keep on doing your updates. Believe what they tell you.
Good boy.

Attackers don't live under a rock. They know very well that everyone everywhere is being forced to upgrade and update and that 99% of their targets are identical. They read all the latest security alerts and are at least as up to date on all the latest vulnerabilities as the guys that find them. Since everyone is being forced to update there is no reason to even bother with old bugs. In fact, because there is a large time window between when a bug is found and reported and when it is actually fixed and pushed, the SVE database itself is great for staying up to date on all the latest and greatest vulnerabilities. Been there. Done that. It's pretty cool. But you know what I'm going to do when my attack on your system doesn't work? Move on. That's what I'm going to do. I don't have time to putz around with old attacks for old systems. My target is the 99% of systems that are up-to-date.

 

[YouFilthyHippo]

Until "Never combine taskbar buttons" comes back, I'm staying on windows 10. Yes I know there is 3rd party sawphtwhere that fixes this, but I want it supported natively. Why that was never included is beyond me. But until it comes back, I ain't switching

 

[DSzymborski]

The everyone insulting each other stops now or the thread does and points will be given out.

 

[mikeebb]

I have a 3770k system my son is still using. It is going strong.

I dread the day I can't update it any more. This will force many people over to other systems.

I can swap out the motherboard, CPU, and memory. But what e waste.

I'll also have to reformat my other sons 3900x as secure boot isn't on. That's an Uber pain in the tail.

With those systems, you are on Windows 10 (or Linux) forever. If you want to keep them forever.

That said: with my motherboard (currently not working, but not because of Windows), I enabled secure boot several years ago. Does not require reformat. Worked seamlessly by itself, but Bitlocker with it got a little cranky under certain circumstances, demanding an unlock code that's only available by logging in to my MS Account on another computer or my phone, then laboriously typing it in.

Even the GPT (vs MBR) disk format change can be done by a tool included with Win10, without reformatting.

In my case, the motherboard and CPU were new enough that Win11 upgrade went off without a hitch. No worse than a feature update in Win10. Yes, I'm unhappy with the taskbar and several other time- and keystroke/click-wasting UI choices MS made, but otherwise I've had no software or driver compatibility issues that weren't already present in Win10. So if you are willing and able to update your hardware, it's a reasonable (and so far free) upgrade from Win10, however you got it.

EDIT: as for open-source, I have 2 pieces of software that I use semi-regularly that are NOT open source or, at least, legitimately freeware (not stolen). All of my software that I used in Win10 also works in Win11, including some stuff (mostly games) that dates from Win98. So Win11 is for pushing people out of open source? I don't think so.

 

[edzieba]

Keep on doing your updates. Believe what they tell you.
Good boy.

Attackers don't live under a rock. They know very well that everyone everywhere is being forced to upgrade and update and that 99% of their targets are identical. They read all the latest security alerts and are at least as up to date on all the latest vulnerabilities as the guys that find them. Since everyone is being forced to update there is no reason to even bother with old bugs. In fact, because there is a large time window between when a bug is found and reported and when it is actually fixed and pushed, the SVE database itself is great for staying up to date on all the latest and greatest vulnerabilities. Been there. Done that. It's pretty cool. But you know what I'm going to do when my attack on your system doesn't work? Move on. That's what I'm going to do. I don't have time to putz around with old attacks for old systems. My target is the 99% of systems that are up-to-date.

An updated system is vulnerable to newly discovered vulnerabilities.
A non-updated system is vulnerable to newly discovered vulnerabilities, and to old and well known vulnerabilities. Not updating does not confer any additional protection, but it does expose much higher risk vulnerabilities (because zero-days may be known only to a handful, but disclosed vulnerabilities are known to everyone).

Nobody goes around just testing a single exploit against targeted systems and giving up if it doesn't work, Metasploit is not new, unknown, or difficult to use.

 

[eye4bear]

I get patches and updates for my Linux Solus KDE home computer just about every week, almost never had issues with them and as a bonus, you do NOT have to restart your computer afterwards. Imagine that it just works. Do I miss MS?, for a few seconds once or twice a month....plus, Linux is FREE....

 

[pug_s]

Props for the most useless reply of 2023! Literally no one cares about your pseudo-intellectual soliloquy.

Microsoft considers you their bread and butter. Just fall in line and consume their bs without incident. It’s people like you that allows businesses to make anti-consumer moves in their respective industry. “Just use a new OS” Maybe I can’t, ever thought of that? Maybe the software I use is only on windows and there aren’t equivalents? Think before you speak…

They don't consider home users like us as their bread and butter, only businesses. I've mentioned that people can buy offhand windows 10 pro keys for cheap and Microsoft does nothing about it because they want home users to use windows at home so we demand using windows at work.

Microsoft makes most of their money off from business with their subscription models like Office 365 and Windows licenses. One of the things Microsoft did is making their On-Prem Exchange Server so buggy and unstable that businesses throw up the towel to migrate to Office 365 exchange. When businesses have to migrate to Office 365 means Microsoft making money from business thru monthly subscriptions.

As for Windows 10 support in 2025, businesses are reluctant to migrate to Windows 11 because of the unfamiliar interface and I think Microsoft will extend support for Windows 10 for at least 2-3 years. Either they make the interface of Windows 11 more business friendly (which they already are with adding the taskbar), or make Windows 12. Either way, Businesses will need several years to transition from one OS to another. It took more than 4 years for the release of Windows 10 to removal of support of windows 7, so they will need several years to release another business friendly OS to replace Windows 10.

 

[OneMoreUser]

Of course they are - not enough people have installed their new spyware.
Sadly they have the power and soon we all will have to eat their blue pills, the alternative is Linux only it is hardly a real alternative.

 

[USAFRet]

"Microsoft Will End Sale of Windows 10 Licenses to Consumers This Month"

You people do realize that Microsoft does this with every single OS.
They stop selling it at some point.

The world is not ending.

Or should they still be selling Win98SE licenses?

 

[punkncat]

The part of this that really irks me is how obfuscated that MS makes finding the official latest release ISO for OS after they stop support. This tends to turn people the direction of unsavory sources.

My personal opinion of the situation is to utilize Linux distro moving forward on unsupported machines.

 

[bigdragon]

Microsoft would probably get faster adoption if it wasn't so picky choosy of the hardware people are running. There are ways around it, I got it to run on my 2016 XPS 13, but most people won't or want to go though the hassle...

I think you're right. A lot more people would let Windows 11 auto-install if Microsoft wasn't so picky about processors in particular. I know I have an i7-7700HQ machine I'd put 11 on if the process was seamless. I don't think Secure Boot or TPM issues are quite as prevalent compared to arbitrary hardware cutoffs. I haven't seen a clear explanation as to why Microsoft drew the line on processor compatibility where they did.

However, I don't think Windows 11 is suited to a content creation or gaming machines. 11 reminds me of Vista and 8 -- lots of questionable UI choices that get in the way or waste space. Too many clicks to get to hidden things. The lack of small taskbar is a dealbreaker in particular.