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

[punkncat]

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.

IMO, I think MS is taking notes from Apple on this. Windows 10 works on such a wide variety of hardware that the experience isn't uniform. I feel like they are trying to dispel the myths that the OS itself if to blame by setting newer more modern standards by which the new OS environment can run on such to eliminate that disparity.

 

[Volvo_240]

Do they know that you can activate Windows 10 with a Windows 7 key? Heck, you can even activate Windows 11 with a 7 key. I just activated Windows 11 Pro with the Windows 7 Pro key off of my old Dell Precision.

 

[UnkownVoid]

Time to Switch to Linux, Can't stand Microsoft anymore. <Mod edit language>
The amount of times they've busted a Windows update, to the point something wouldn't boot, is staggering.

I will never use Windows 11, because it's the Microsoft <Mod edit language> equivalent of "Removal of Freedom" OS, when Windows 10 is the "End of the line" OS.

It sucks with all these Corporations abusing consumers, with Millions of dollars, and Power over Governments. Hell, the US is about to hit the Debt ceiling again, I wonder why? Couldn't be Corporations Gorging their Bottom line to the point 10 million dollars can be burned as a Bonfire.

 

[zecoeco]

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.

Did you forget that this is NOT an open source OS? So obviously at some point in the future, Microsoft will force you to update your operating system, whether you're the regular consumer, or an organization. Want to control everything in your OS and the security updates? Then go open source with Linux and deploy your own version of it.

We are not here to discuss a controversy of whether Microsoft wants to manipulate and control everything.

 

[digitalgriffin]

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.

Good luck finding 8" floppies.

 

[digitalgriffin]

"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?

While I agree with you, there is a lot of relevent hardware that Microsoft is choosing not to support with windows 11, making good hardware go to e-waste.

I think this will be my last winbox that isn't a dev machine for work purposes. 95% of what I do that isn't dev work is surf the web. I don't have time to play games any more. I can do that from any linux box.

Everything in the future will be Linux. The boys will stay updated for steam games alone. I might switch them over to steam's os.

 

[digitalgriffin]

IMO, I think MS is taking notes from Apple on this. Windows 10 works on such a wide variety of hardware that the experience isn't uniform. I feel like they are trying to dispel the myths that the OS itself if to blame by setting newer more modern standards by which the new OS environment can run on such to eliminate that disparity.

While I tacitly agree with you, it's more about security. Microsoft hates being called the insecure OS. And truth being told, Linux is far more secure.

With technologies like .NET Core and windows on ARM, Microsoft is actually looking to expand their reach into different uArches. .NET core even lets me write linux binaries and test them in docker. Soon .NET Core and regular .NET will be reintegrated together in the next release. This means even desktop apps should be portable across different architectures without issue.

 

[TechieTwo]

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.

It has nothing to do with living under a rock or remaining stagnant. It has to do with the right to use a product that you purchased without it becoming compromised because the company desires to force you to update to what they have decided you should suffer with due to it's design and functional defects.

While adaptability is nice, Just Saying No is a good reality check to corporations who's only goal is to profit by dictating to society what they can and cannot do. Their mentality is especially insulting when they tell you that you are renting their defective operating systems and software that you actually paid to purchase. When they refuse to correct the defects in their products that cause frequent BSODs, loss of data, inoperable PCs and financial losses, they claim they can't produce a quality product because there are millions of lines of code. That's complete nonsense and denial of reality.

You can take it from those who have tried - using a different OS is a lot easier said than done. When a person or company needs to interact with other Windows software/users it's a big deal to try and mitigate the complex process. In addition many Linux distro suppliers are not much better than Microsoft regarding product support so you end up needing to become a computer geek for two operating systems in an effort to learn Linux or some other OS. It's easy to minimize or disregard the hassles when you are not the one dealing with them on a daily basis.

 

[hotaru251]

They stop selling it at some point.

but this does seen earlier than normal.

likely got alternative goal of forcing WIN11 adoption. (as its badly adopted because ppl dont like the changes)

 

[USAFRet]

but this does seen earlier than normal.

likely got alternative goal of forcing WIN11 adoption. (as its badly adopted because ppl dont like the changes)

Its been 8 years.

While it may seem earlier, it isn't.

Retail Sales:
Win 7 - Oct 2009 - Oct 2014 ---- 5 years
Win 8 - Oct 2012 - Jan 2016 -- 4 years (users required to upgrade to Win 8.1
Win 8.1 - Oct 2013 - Oct 2016 -- 3 years

 

[aldan]

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 did.

 

[Tac 25]

three things would make me shift to Windows 11
if any one of these happen, will change the OS of my gaming pc to 11.

1. Is there a game I like that needs Win 11?
2. Does Eset Nod32 require Win 11 to be able to update?
3. Does Nvidia require Win 11 for it's latest drivers?

right now, the answer to those is no. So I stay with Win 10.

 

[drtweak]

Only good thing about most OEMs though is windows is activated though the BIOS. Lots of times you can just erase windows 11, and install windows 10, and it will be fine. If OEMs stop offering 10 that might be the only way. That or grab an old Windows 7 key off some old PC lol

 

[Deleted member 431422]

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.

I'm switching to Ubuntu as well, once Win10 stops getting updates. It was hard to swallow the privacy problems with Win10 and Win11 is even worse. I already have one spyware in my pocket. I don't need one at home.

 

[Deleted member 431422]

While I agree with you, there is a lot of relevent hardware that Microsoft is choosing not to support with windows 11, making good hardware go to e-waste.

I think this will be my last winbox that isn't a dev machine for work purposes. 95% of what I do that isn't dev work is surf the web. I don't have time to play games any more. I can do that from any linux box.

Everything in the future will be Linux. The boys will stay updated for steam games alone. I might switch them over to steam's os.

It has nothing to do with living under a rock or remaining stagnant. It has to do with the right to use a product that you purchased without it becoming compromised because the company desires to force you to update to what they have decided you should suffer with due to it's design and functional defects.

While adaptability is nice, Just Saying No is a good reality check to corporations who's only goal is to profit by dictating to society what they can and cannot do. Their mentality is especially insulting when they tell you that you are renting their defective operating systems and software that you actually paid to purchase. When they refuse to correct the defects in their products that cause frequent BSODs, loss of data, inoperable PCs and financial losses, they claim they can't produce a quality product because there are millions of lines of code. That's complete nonsense and denial of reality.

You can take it from those who have tried - using a different OS is a lot easier said than done. When a person or company needs to interact with other Windows software/users it's a big deal to try and mitigate the complex process. In addition many Linux distro suppliers are not much better than Microsoft regarding product support so you end up needing to become a computer geek for two operating systems in an effort to learn Linux or some other OS. It's easy to minimize or disregard the hassles when you are not the one dealing with them on a daily basis.

Both are valid points. I'd love to see more Linux and in home environment it's possible. However it's a hard reality for companies. Lack of software alternatives, driver issues, etc.

I use Win10 only because of games, and I like to play old games. I had dual boot with Xubuntu and Win10 and everything else than gaming was so much easier on Xubuntu.

I got used to Windows and that's what Microsoft wants. I don't really mind it. Win10 is a good OS. However, they're poking people with the wrong stick. It was hard to stomach privacy issues with Win10 and Win11 requiring TPM is going too far. That and I hate Apple like desktop.

 

[TerryLaze]

However, they're poking people with the wrong stick. It was hard to stomach privacy issues with Win10 and Win11 requiring TPM is going too far. That and I hate Apple like desktop.

Doubtful, MS is selling to big and small businesses/offices and OEMs, and they all want the same things, a secure OS and one that the user can't screw up easily.
If they have to buy new hardware for it they don't mind because they are renewing their hardware on a regular basis anyway.
Home users that go for the $20 key or don't buy one at all and stick with decade old hardware (me included) are not the MS target group, those people are the target group for microsoft game pass.

 

[PEnns]

MS has yet to offer me ONE compelling reason to upgrade to 11.

And no, eye candy is not a good one.

 

[GenericUser]

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.

Every person I've known who has ever bought a windows key on that site, the key didn't work. Anyone who I do a build for gets strongly advised not to buy a key from there, and just get the real thing and skip all the hassle.

 

[bigdragon]

Both are valid points. I'd love to see more Linux and in home environment it's possible. However it's a hard reality for companies. Lack of software alternatives, driver issues, etc.

I use Linux every day in the office at work. While drivers are a problem (particularly video drivers -- I am tired of monitors going into coma mode instead of sleep!), the bigger issue is lack of support from major anti-malware and policy enforcement vendors. The Linux version is usually barebones and very hard to administratively manage. A lot of backup and network functions also have horrified failover mechanisms. Network share go down? Windows keeps going; Linux likes to hang itself. While we can pull up some sort of open source solution to fix these things, we probably won't agree on which is best and the enterprise may have trouble acquiring a support contract and training. These problems do not exist on Windows.

It was hard to stomach privacy issues with Win10 and Win11 requiring TPM is going too far. That and I hate Apple like desktop.

While I agree on the Windows privacy issues and also hate the Apple desktop in Windows 11, I absolutely disagree on the TPM thing. TPM has an insane amount of potential if it were actually used right. No more checking insane numbers of malware identifiers. TPM + IMA on Linux is absolutely amazing for identifying trusted software, although it is an enormous pain to set up and manage right now. That little chip/firmware is also absolutely amazing for inventory tracking. TPM has so many uses beyond the terrible days of DRM.

 

[mikeebb]

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.

Just a snide comment: as a Windows 11 user (it came standard with the laptop, so I installed it on the desktop for consistency of UI), I see the Win11 interface as being closer to original, Fisher-Price-looking XP than 8 or Vista. Not quite as cartoonish, but close.

And having the taskbar locked to the bottom of the screen is annoying. I had to revert to auto-hiding the taskbar to get enough screen space on a standard HD monitor to do useful things. Much preferred 10's ability to drag the taskbar to any side of the screen, and I put it on the left of Win10 screens a long time ago. Not really a dealbreaker, but certainly an annoyance.

Ah well, we adapt. That's what humans do.