Windows

Microsoft needs 500 million PCs to jump to Windows 11. Its new list of compatible CPUs does just the opposite

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Microsoft has a calendar problem and a communication problem. It’s been almost two months since Windows 10 lost official support, leaving millions of users in security limbo. Although Windows 11 has managed recently surpassed its predecessorthe reality is that adoption is still a pending subject for those from Redmond. In this scenario, where clarity is vital for laggards, the company has updated its hardware documentation in the least intuitive way possible. It has wreaked havoc on those trying to figure out if their old PC is valid for upgrading. A labyrinth of compatibility. Until recently, Microsoft’s documentation was explicit: you looked for your exact model and left no doubt. Now, as reported specialized mediathat specificity has disappeared for the list of compatible chips. The new list groups the processors by generic families and redirects to the manufacturer’s website. This forces the user to investigate on their own and also generates certain absurd situations: complete series such as the “Celeron 3000” appear listed as compatible without being so. This family, which was launched a decade ago, only considers one chip as compatible (the Celeron 3867U). Erasing the chosen ones. The confusion now also punishes Microsoft’s own customers. Processors that are compatible have disappeared from the official list, as is the case of the Core i7-7820HQ that the Surface Studio 2 has. This chip was an exception that the firm made for its own hardware (being a Kaby Lake chip it should not fit), but by eliminating the reference, the implicit message for anyone who owns this premium device is that it is no longer suitable. Curiously, the lists dedicated to AMD and Qualcomm (ARM) processors maintain model-by-model detail. The user resists. This change, which given the context should be more intuitive, comes when the market is stubborn. There are an estimated 500 million PCs technically capable of running Windows 11 whose users simply have chosen not to update. The barriers were already high at its launch: from the technical demands of the TPM 2.0 to Microsoft’s obsession with force the online account and its services during installation. Obscuring the basic hardware requirements now only adds more friction to a user base that was already reluctant to abandon the stability of Windows 10. A lifesaver with small print. For those still trapped in the old system, security comes at a price. Microsoft has activated the extended security update program For first-time home users: grants an extra year of patches. Although in Europe regulatory pressure has made this additional year free, It’s just a temporary patch. Those who do not update are already using a vulnerable operating system, exposing themselves to security risks. PCs with Windows 11 are changing from the inside. In the photo, the Surface Pro 12 with Qualcomm ARM chip. Image: Javier Penalva for Xataka ARM is another option. It is certainly paradoxical that, while Microsoft neglects clarity in its traditional platform (x86 chips), it continues to pour resources into its ARM revolution with the Snapdragon X to compete with Apple. The company seeks to energize the sales of computers with Windows 11 relying on AI and Copilot+. But if compatibility management on today’s millions of computers becomes a labyrinth, user confidence in jumping to Windows 11 is eroded. For the more technical, third party tools like Flyoobe They continue to be the escape route to update without restrictions. The exit from the maze. Beyond the information chaos, the roadmap for the user who remains on Windows 10 is clear: the ideal solution is to make the leap to Windows 11, a process that it’s still free. If the hardware resists the official requirements, it is always the “tricks” option to install the system on non-compatible computers. It also opens a new window for Linux: distributions have greatly simplified their use and installation, and thanks to compatibility layers such as Steam Protoneven the old excuse of the lack of video games is no longer a real impediment. In Xataka | The amazing history of ARM, the architecture that triumphs in mobile phones and that was born more than 30 years ago at Acorn Computer

There are 500 million users who could perfectly upgrade to Windows 11. The problem is that they don’t want to

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If you are reading this and still using Windows 10you are at risk. Microsoft a month and a half ago ended the official support period for this operating system that was launched in 2015. The curious thing is that what should be happening is not happening. Dell as an example of what is happening in the world. Dell COO Jeff Clarke recently participated in an interview at The Motley Fool and they asked him for his vision on how the end of Windows 10 would affect the migration of users to Windows 11. That’s when he confessed that all his expectations came crashing down. The end of Windows 10 pointed to the growth of Windows 11. In fact, Clarke explained that before it happened he was very confident that this end of the cycle would lead people to buy a new PC or install Windows 11 on their computers. However, the executive indicated that they have realized that the adoption of Windows 11 is between 10 and 12 points below what happened with previous generations: people are not updating to this operating system as they expected. 500 million users simply skip updating. Clarke’s estimate is that there are about 1.5 billion devices (PCs and laptops) running Windows, and that’s where he made the most disturbing statement: “There are about 500 million PCs capable of running Windows 11 that have not been updated. And we have another 500 million that are four years old and cannot run Windows 11. All of them pose a huge opportunity to upgrade to Windows 11.” And yet, they don’t do it, or what is the same: A third of global Windows users do not have a PC officially compatible with Windows 11 and cannot directly upgrade Another third have a PC compatible with Windows 11 but users simply They have chosen not to do so. If it works, don’t touch it? For many users, including business users, the unwritten rule is often precisely “if it works, don’t touch it.” This is especially delicate in companies, because they may depend on legacy systems and if they update to new versions, conflicts may arise that affect the operations of the business itself. And still… A colossal security hole. Once again, what is really worrying about this is that although these PCs and laptops are working correctly, if they are based on Windows 10 or previous versions of Windows, they are absolutely exposed to all kinds of security flaws. At any time, these PCs could become victims of malware that turns them into members of a botnet, or of ransomware that prevents us from accessing our data unless we pay a ransom. This is already bad for individual users, but for companies the risk is enormous. A ray of hope. Here we just have to wait for users to realize that updating their equipment is important and relatively easy. In fact, on officially compatible devices this is basically a matter of clicking the “Next” button when running the update wizard. If your device is not compatible, there is a trick. On computers that theoretically do not meet the conditions—such as, for example, that do not have native support for TPN 2.0—there are not excessive problems either, because it is possible to “trick” Windows with a command or even with the use of a modified version of Windows 11. Come on, although it seems that you cannot update to Windows 11, the most normal thing is that in reality yes you can. And of course, there is Linux. If for some reason what users don’t want is to upgrade to Windows 11 because they don’t like it, the options are there in the form of Linux distributions. It seems that this path is being chosen by an already notable number of users, and this is demonstrated by the fact that, for example, Zorin OS—a fork of Ubuntu—has seen its distribution Zorin OS 18which arrived just at the time when Windows 10 was no longer officially supported, has been downloaded more than a million times in the last few days. In Xataka | If you have an old PC, there is an effective alternative to Windows 11 requirements and bloatware: this is how Flyoobe works

The hundreds of black dots on train and car windows are not a whim: they are a shield called ‘frits’

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Traveling by car or train means looking around the windows. You probably don’t just look at the landscape, but at all the vehicle interior elementsthe closest being the edge of those windows. A common element on the train and on the car window is a black border with a curious pattern of dots that become smaller as the rows increase. It is not paint or an aesthetic element, but something that fulfills a crucial technical function to protect the integrity of the glass. They are called ‘frit band‘ either ‘frits‘, and it is one of the most important passive safety elements that these vehicles have. The Science of Car Window Blackheads Although it seems like it, these dots are not paint: they are ceramics baked at very high temperatures, which fuses with glass during manufacturing of the same. He process It is most curious, since first the still hot black ceramic paste is applied to the edges of the glass, and then it is baked together with the glass in the tempering and bending process. In Xataka In 2001, Renault launched a car ahead of its time: it was a miserable failure that now has another chance It is a structural element of glass and this process involves a permanent bond that does not wear over time. The dot pattern motif, known as “gradient matrix”it is not a whim either, but a solution to something that could spontaneously break the car window. Black glass absorbs much more heat than clear glass, and this is something you can easily check on a sunny day: the black band will be hotter than the rest of the glass. When the temperature is extreme, and on trips where the moon can being hit by small stonesif there were an abrupt temperature transition between the black border and the transparent area, stress points would be created that could cause cracks. That’s why they pulled out that gradient that works like a processor heatsink: creates a thermal transition zone which distributes heat more evenly. It is something that provides protection to the glass, but they serve something else: to help the bond between the chassis and the glass. On the perimeter of the crystals there is glue that joins the elements, and the ‘frits’ have a rougher texture that allows a better adhesion from glass to chassis. Also, being black, they protect the glue against ultraviolet rays, maximizing its durability and the security of the union of the components. A detail from Jeep, which introduced an Easter egg in these frits In the end, what might seem like a simple aesthetic element fulfills an important safety function. In the train, this adhesion and thermal dissipation, and in the car, added to the above, greater resistance of the moon to shocks. In some cars it has been used to place a nod, and the fact that they are circles and not another geometric element has an aesthetic part, but also functional because it makes us overlook them while driving. It is one more example of all that everyday technology that surrounds us and that perhaps we always wonder if it would have some function, but once that initial curiosity passes, we forget to look. Images | Jeep, Abil Saputra In Xataka |Cars have become gigantic. The problem is that our parking spaces do not (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news The hundreds of black dots on train and car windows are not a whim: they are a shield called ‘frits’ was originally published in Xataka by Alejandro Alcolea .

At Microsoft they are clear that Windows will end up being an agentic operating system. Users have jumped on him

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Microsoft has big plans for Windows and, how could it be otherwise in these times, artificial intelligence is in those plans. The president of Windows has boasted about the next evolution of Windows to an agentic system, but the response from the community has been clear: no. what has happened. They tell it in Windows Central. Pavan Davuluri, current president of the Windows division, has made a post on X in which it states that “Windows is evolving into an agentic operating system, connecting devices, the cloud and AI to drive intelligent productivity and ensure secure work from anywhere.” The news will be announced on November 19, when the Microsoft Ignite event will be held. The answer. “Enough of this nonsense. Nobody wants this. You live in a Twitter bubble where AI will create a ton of wealth and you will die unless you adopt it now,” he says the answer with the most likes. It is not the only one, the majority of users agree that they do not want an agentic system, some ironize that the evolution of Windows is to make users go to Linux and Mac. The positive comments are in the minority, it seems clear that the majority does not want an authentic operating system. Talk to your PC. Recently Microsoft released “Hey Copilot”; Not only is it integrating AI, they also want us to use voice. The problem with this is that experience tells us that We don’t feel like talking to our PC. The figures make clear that we are more accustomed to doing voice searches on mobile phones than on PCs, with 77% compared to 38% of users who speak with PCs. One reason for this is that we use the PC in places where there are more people and we cannot take it to a corner to do the search, but everyone can listen to us. General discontent. The effort to integrate AI into the operating system is not the only reason for rejection by the community. One of the most criticized points recently is that Microsoft forces that you can only use Windows 11 with an online account. The reason is obvious: trying to sell us services like OneDrive and Microsoft 365. Users also reproach Microsoft for first solving the problems. stability issues and constant updates. Decline. Windows continues to dominate the desktop operating system market, but Statcounter data They say there has been a decline. In September Windows had a 70.81% market share and in October the figure fell to 66.25%. We know where those users have gone: the drop coincides with a rebound in MacOS, which went from 8.33% in September to 14.07% in October. There have been other months with similar changes and it is not a very large variation, but perhaps those who talk about migrating to other systems are not so misguided. Image |Windows in Unsplash In Xataka | The unexpected return of Windows 7: it reaches almost 10% of the market when Microsoft prepares to retire Windows 10

Samsung already has its “Safari moment.” The launch of your browser on Windows is the key to having your Apple-like ecosystem

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For years, Galaxy mobile users have had a somewhat fractured experience when it comes to synchronized web browsing between devices. opt for google chrome is the best option for this, although the South Korean’s own browser is considered one of the best alternatives for those who want to escape the clutches of Google. Upon reaching the PC, that history, passwords and bookmarks were trapped on the mobile. Despite has not stopped improving in recent times, more with the arrival of One UI 7, so far it has not landed on Windows. Samsung Internet comes to computers. Samsung officially announced the launch of “Samsung Internet” for PC. At the moment, it is a beta version compatible with Windows 10 (version 1809 or higher) and any build of Windows 11. The company has already made a failed attempt in 2023but this time the launch is final. The key. Let’s be clear: Samsung’s goal is not to steal your gigantic market share to Chrome. Rather, Samsung’s move seeks to replicate the strategy of other Big Tech like Apple with Safari: strengthen its own ecosystem with services out of the box. The goal is for the experience between a Galaxy and a laptop (like a Galaxy Book) to be seamless and frictionless. This is how it works. Synchronization with Samsung Android phones is its crown jewel. When you open it for the first time, it suggests logging in with your personal Samsung account, and so the PC browser automatically syncs: history, bookmarks, passwords saved in Samsung Pass… Until now, this required installing a dodgy Chrome extension, but that’s gone: it’s now a native feature that works without a hitch. Packed with features. Samsung hasn’t skimped on features when moving its browser to Microsoft’s operating system. Much of what makes the smartphone version popular matters: Galaxy AI – Includes navigation assistant to summarize and translate web pages. Privacy: Maintains “Smart Anti-Tracking” and “Privacy Panel”. Secret mode: its own version of incognito mode, which on Android allows you to lock yourself with a fingerprint, is present. Split View: Allows you to view two web pages side by side in the same tab. Does not break the monopoly. As expected, the South Korean has been based on the most predominant engine on the market: Chromium. This is a fundamental advantage for two reasons: compatibility with all websites and, of course, with all extensions in the Chrome Web Store. We have tried it. After downloading the installer, the process is very fast. The first startup asks to sign in with your Samsung account, offers to import bookmarks from other installed browsers, and asks if you want to activate the ad blocker. In less than a minute, the bookmarks from my phone were already on the PC. I was looking for an alternative outside of Google and this Samsung Internet is going to stay on my Galaxy for a while. Galaxy AI on Samsung Internet for PC allows you to translate and summarize web pages After a few hours of use, I have positive feelings. The interface is clean, minimalist and respects One UI design elementsSamsung’s customization layer on Android. Consistency in the design is not broken, and that is not so simple when talking about different operating systems. It feels light and fast, without the burden of extra services that others like Microsoft add to their solutions. And unlike Chrome, synchronization of open tabs between your mobile and PC is almost instantaneous. How to install it. Here comes the important part. Officially, the beta is only available to users in the United States and Korea. However, there is a direct link to the executable file, which they have shared from SamMobile. We have tested it from Spain and it works perfectly, although we have to apply a small fix for it to start: change the language and region of Windows to “English (United States)” and “United States.” Soon, when it arrives globally, it will be executed without major impediments. Cover image | Pepu Ricca for Xataka In Xataka | Change Chrome for a European alternative: step to follow and what you should take into account

free multiplayer, according to Windows Central

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We may be facing the biggest twist in the history of Xbox since its birth almost 25 years ago. The classic concept of the home console, which has shared prominence with PlayStation throughout this time, seems set to be diluted to get closer than ever to that of the PC. A profound transformation that even calls into question the need to pay for multiplayer. That is, at least, what Microsoft’s latest movements, the statements of some of its main executives and what was published by Windows Central. If this strategy becomes consolidated, it could open a new stage of opportunities for the platform, although it would also mark the beginning of new challenges. A new Xbox experience. Everything indicates that Xbox’s next step will be to leave behind the limits that always separated consoles from the PC. The aforementioned media points out that the next generation will be built on a Windows base, with an interface designed for the living room, but with the freedom of being able to jump to the desktop whenever we want. The idea is simple but ambitious: a machine that turns on like a console, feels like a console, but can behave like a full computer if the player wants it. The clues are not few. Phil Spencer had already anticipated a long time ago that the future of Xbox would involve more open experiences, and in his last speech he insisted on it again. He said that those who want to imagine what the next generation will be like only have to look at the Xbox Ally. For her part, Sarah Bond, president of the division, confirmed that they are already working on the new hardware with AMD. “We are totally focused on creating products for the future,” he assured. The ASUS laboratory. In the practical field, the ASUS ROG Ally —and its improved version, the Ally— represent the best experiment yet of the future Microsoft imagines. Both devices run Windows and allow you to use launchers such as Steam or Epic, offering almost total freedom. However, they still do not achieve the essential thing: natively accessing the Xbox catalog. This limitation explains why the company wants to go further, looking for a console that unites both worlds without the player feeling like they are giving up anything. Xbox without tolls. According to the sources consulted, Microsoft would be preparing a historic change: eliminating payment for multiplayer on its next console. The reasoning is simple. If the new hardware will behave like a PC, it would make no sense to charge for something that is free on other platforms. In that more open model, the player could choose where and how to play, without feeling obligated to pay to connect with others. Catalog and backward compatibility. One of the great attractions of this new stage will be being able to play practically everything. According to Windows CentralMicrosoft plans for the next Xbox to support the entire Series X|S library, in addition to backwards compatible titles from previous generations. And not only that: it will also allow you to access PC games through platforms such as Steam or Epic. A system that promises to erase the borders between generations and formats. The challenge of execution. The theory is brilliant, but we’ll have to wait to see how it will turn out in practice. On the ROG Ally, the experience between the Xbox layer and the Windows environment is not always seamless. Windows Central notes that Microsoft is aware of these problems and is working on the next console to eliminate those frictions. If he succeeds, the jump could be as big as he promises. Everything indicates that Microsoft is willing to rewrite what we understand by a console. If it manages to integrate the openness of the PC with the simplicity of the Xbox, it could mark a before and after in its history. But there are still questions in the air: price, calendar and, above all, the response of the players. After a quarter of a century, Xbox seems willing to reinvent itself, and this time the leap promises to be as risky as it is necessary. Images | Microsoft In Xataka | The new record of 40,000 games purchased by a Chinese player on Steam blurs the line between collecting and obsession

Windows XP’s “FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8” was legendary. Windows 95 was even worse

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Recently we knew the origin of the legendary Windows XP activation key. That famous set of digits (“FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8“) that many of us end up memorizing became a singular demonstration that attempts to protect software do not always go well. Microsoft knows a lot about this, because its first systems to protect its operating systems and applications were even worse. The rule of “Let it be divisible by 7”. Microsoft tried to protect illegal copies of Windows 95 with a system that varied depending on the type of license. That system, however, was really weak. One of the most common licenses was the “CD Key”, which asked us for a code made up of 10 characters and two segments: XXX: could be anything from 000 to 998, but with one curious exception: the three numbers could not be the same (111, 222, …). XXXXXXX: The second segment is where a simple algorithm came into action. For the number to be valid, it was enough that it was divisible by seven. Not only that: you could enter 0. Microsoft ended up prohibiting entering all zeros, but it didn’t matter: the rule of being divisible by 7 was still fulfilled. That made coming up with compliant combinations very easy. One of the most used CD Keys was 000-000007, but 111-1111111 was also widely used Office 97 used one more digit. Instead of 10 digits, Office used 11 in two segments. XXXX: could be anything from 0001 to 9991. There were no prohibited numbers but the fourth digit had to be the third + 1 or 2. If the result was greater than 9, it became 0 or 1. XXXXXX: the same requirement as the previous one, although at least in Office 97 it did not seem to be necessary for it to comply with being divisible by 7. Thus, two keys that could work were 0001-0000007 and 1112-1111111. Things got complicated (a little) with the OEM keys. If our computer arrived with Windows 95 preinstalled, it could be that instead of a CD Key what we had to enter was an OEM Key. These keys consisted of four segments: XXXXX: represented the date the key was printed. The first three digits could be anything between 001 and 366, and the last two were the year, which could range from 95 to 03. For example, a key with 19296 as the first segment means that it would have been printed on July 10, 1996. If you wanted maximum compatibility with Windows XP, it was ideal to use 02 as the last two digits. OEM: The second segment simply had those immutable letters. XXXXXXX: the third segment had to be divisible by 7, but with another small condition: the first digit had to always be zero. XXXXX: The last segment was completely random, and could be any number of the appropriate length. Thus, to comply with validity we had keys such as 00100-OEM-0000007-00000, but it was possible to use any other such as 06900-OEM-0694207-80085. How was all this revealed? You could figure out how Windows 95’s key system worked if you’d seen enough of them. However, what really allowed us to understand this entire algorithm was the leak of the Windows NT 4.0 code, which is in fact available at Archive.org. This allowed some users to reveal both on video as in detailed articles How was it possible to discover the “check_retail_key) function of Windows NT 4.0, which was part of the system’s setupx.dll file. In Xataka | Nostalgia does not disappear. So much so that there are people developing a new web browser for Windows XP

The metamorphosis of Windows 11 is coming. One that will make us talk to our PC so that it does things for us

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The PC wants to become a device that is somewhat different from the one we knew. At Microsoft they have been aiming for this metamorphosis for some time, and now those responsible tell us about how the fundamental component of it It will be AI and, more specifically, Copilot. The integration of Copilot into PCs and Windows 11 is being relatively slow, but Microsoft believes it is time to take a significant leap. One that affects not only how we will interact with the PC, but how we will work with it. Or rather, how we won’t work (as much). “Hey, Copilot”: the voice as a substitute (or complement) for the mouse and keyboard The mouse and keyboard transformed our lives and allowed us to get the most out of our machines. For decades they have been the key elements to communicate with machines, but that is gradually beginning to change. At Microsoft they know this and in fact they have been working for some time on a new paradigm in which that mouse and keyboard take a backseat. Instead, what comes to prevail is the voiceand although that transition will probably be slow and gradual, Microsoft is clear about it. According to the company, the PC must transform and be able to do three things: That we can interact with it naturally both with text and voice, and that it understands us That the PC can see what we see and offer guided support based on that information That can perform actions and complete tasks for our benefit To boost this interaction, Microsoft has launched an option that allows us to start talking to our PC by saying the words “Hey, Copilot”. If we have that option activated in the Settings of our Copilot application, we will access that feature whenever we want, which is displayed in Windows 11 with an on-screen microphone in addition to a small sound warning. That solves that first capability that Microsoft talks about. For the second, the Redmond company also has its solution. Is called Copilot Vision and it was presented a few months ago in its previous version. Now Microsoft says that this option will be available “in all markets where Copilot is available,” and will allow Windows AI to access the desktop and applications we are using. Thanks to this option, Copilot Vision will see our screen as we see it and thanks to this it will theoretically be able to help us with any questions. It’s the same idea as OpenAI already raised with Operator and that Anthropic too poses with your Computer Use for a long time. Precisely to strengthen these assistance tasks in real time we have the so-called Highlights, which allow us to ask to Copilot “teach me how (do this in this app)”. We can also give it access to Word, Excel or Powerpoint and help us analyze a presentation or better write a paragraph of the document we are working on. Although Copilot Vision was based on voice interaction until now, Microsoft will soon add the ability to interact with this system in a chat window in case we prefer to use the keyboard and text to complete that interaction. Microsoft’s ambition to make Copilot the center of our experience with Windows 11 is also noticeable in the presence of the “Ask Copilot” button on the taskbar. With this access they want to turn that taskbar into a “dynamic hub” that allows us to do more with less effort. To use this option we will have to activate it proactively in Windows Settings. Copilot Actions: when the computer does everything for you Microsoft is also targeting another of the most promising trends in this segment: the ability for the AI ​​model take control of your browser and even your computer to complete actions for you. This type of feature is now more integrated than ever into Windows 11 with Copilot Actions, “an AI agent that completes tasks for you by interacting with your applications and files, using vision and advanced reasoning to click, write and scroll as a human would do,” they explain at Microsoft. Already we saw those Copilot Actions in a previous version (only for the browser) in April, but now they are making the leap to be able to operate on all the apps on our PC. That means that (if we want) the AI ​​stops being passive—it answers questions, and that’s it—to become a proactive assistant which can carry out tasks such as updating documents, organizing files, sending emails or booking a flight. In order to use this option, the user must give permission for the agent to have access to the data and applications on the PC, something that can undoubtedly cause concern to users who fear that this AI will make mistakes or perhaps leak sensitive data. To avoid this and guarantee that security, Microsoft applies different techniques. To start, it uses agent accounts that are different from the account we use on our device. Agents operate in a contained and protected workspace, which isolates and limits their access. Besides They start their activity with limited permissions and they can only access other resources explicitly when we allow them to, such as when they try to access our files. In fact, in the preview version of Copilot Actions, the agent can only access very specific folders such as Documents, Downloads, Desktop or Pictures. In addition, the agents must be “signed” by a trusted source, something similar to what happens with apps that are distributed in application stores such as the Windows Store, Google Play or the App Store. Microsoft’s ambition is clear, but there is a problem: at the moment in Spain and the European Union we still cannot count on the majority of Copilot options in Windows 11. We will have to continue waiting. In Xataka | The bad news is that Windows 10 will no longer have security patches. The bad news is that too many … Read more

What happens if you still have it installed, what dangers there are, and how to update to Windows 11

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Windows 10 is no longer supported. As of October 14, 2025, Microsoft’s operating system is officially dead. But what exactly does this mean? Well, we are going to answer these questions so you know what to expect if you are still using it. We are going to start the article by explaining to you what the Windows 10 end of supportand then we will go on to tell you what dangers you are exposing yourself to if you are still using it. Then, we will finish by reminding you of the ways you can upgrade to Windows 11, even if your computer is old and does not meet the minimum requirements. What the end of support is and what it entails Windows, like most operating systems, evolves with the release of new versions. And since they do not have unlimited manpower, when they launch a new version, such as Windows 11, the old version is being abandoned to focus efforts on the new one. This happens gradually, so that users have time to change. First, updates that bring new features are abandoned, but security updates continue to arrive. And then directly maintenance is abandonedwhich is when you stop receiving any type of update, even security ones. This is the end of life of the operating system, or as they say, your end of support. We say this because errors and security flaws are no longer even updated. Windows 10 is dead and what is there now is what remains forever. This implies that also bugs and errors stop being fixed. Therefore, if a cybercriminal has discovered a critical vulnerability, it is possible that he did not exploit it so that Microsoft does not notice, and now that it abandons Windows, it begins to use it. What dangers does the end of support have? Windows 10 will no longer be secure and private. It’s that simple. If critical vulnerabilities have recently been discovered that put your users’ data at risk, or if they are discovered in the future, they will no longer be fixed. Your computer will be exposed to hackers. Another problem derived from the end of support is that Apps and new hardware will no longer be supported over time. Windows 10 will now be history, and application developers will stop taking it into account with new updates, which means that there may be many bugs or, in the future, they will stop working. The same thing happens with hardware, with other devices such as cell phones, cameras, or anything. It is possible that you will not be able to use them properly when connecting them to Windows 10, that they may fail, or that they may not even be detected if the device is new. Popular apps like Chrome may continue to work temporarily, but there will come a time when they stop working. After all, Windows 10 is already dead. Therefore, if you still have Windows 10 installed on a computer, it is advisable to switch to Windows 11 or a new version that is released, but always abandon the operating system before the end of support, because Windows 10 will no longer be secureand it will become a dangerous operating system to use. Upgrade to Windows 11 Therefore, if you have a computer with Windows 10, The recommendation is to upgrade to Windows 11. Having original Windows 10, the same license will work for the new version, update is freeand you will simply have to comply with the Windows 11 requirements in the hardware. If you do not have an official Windows license on your PC, you can download the Windows 11 beta for free with the Windows Insider program. Here, you can have beta versions or versions already tested but prior to the finals. In exchange for finding a bug and reporting it, you can use Windows for free. If your computer does not meet the requirements If your computer does not meet any requirements such as support for TPM 2.0, the first thing is to see if you can activate the TPM from UEFI or BIOS of the team. Unless it is a very old computer, it most likely already supports it, although it will not always be activated. If not, there is an official way to bypass the TPM requirement by “tricking” Windows. You will have to use the command prompt and type the following command: reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup /f /v AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMorCPU /d 1 /t reg_dword At Xataka Basics we have also told you other tricks to update. For example, you can use this modified version of Windows 11. To do this, in the Windows terminal type the command “irm “https://christitus.com/win” | iex”, and then a window will open where you have to click on the tab MicroWinand follow the steps to download the ISO and install it. You can also use Flyoobe to install Windows 11 on non-compatible computers, although in this case without Artificial Intelligence functions. To do so, download this tool from official GitHub page. Is a free tool so that anyone can use it, and open source to ensure its security. Lastly, there are a couple of options to expand Windows 10 supportalthough they are temporary patches. Can extend support until 2026 using the Windows Backup tool or Windows Backup. But this expanded support isn’t for everyone, and in any case it only lasts a few months. In Xataka Basics | How to block programs and applications in Windows 11 without installing anything

Windows 10 is as of today an insecure operating system. One that is installed on 4 out of every 10 computers in the world

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Today is the last day that Windows 10 will be officially supported by Microsoft. This means that this operating system will no longer receive security updates, and therefore the computers governed by said version will be exposed to security vulnerabilities that are discovered from now on. Windows 10 is too popular. The problem with this operating system going unsupported is that it is still enormously popular. It is true that Windows 11 has already managed to surpass it in share, but not by much. According to data from Statcounter GlobalStatsIn September 2025, Windows 11 has a 48.94% market share in Windows computers globally, while Windows 10 has a 40.5% share. Four out of ten Windows-based computers will use an insecure operating system. Five, without taking into account that one in ten continue to use even older versions: Windows 7 is installed on 9.61% of Windows computers, for example. Windows 11 is the version of Windows with the largest market share, but not by much. It overtook Windows 10 just a few months ago, and today Windows 10’s share is around 40%. Source: Statcounter GlobalStats. Remembering Wannacry. On May 12, 2017, we woke up to the news of a massive cyber attack that we first believed was had affected Telefónica and that it was actually global. The ransomware responsible for the attack, called WannaCryput companies in check from all over the world. The attack took advantage of a vulnerability called EternalBlue present in several old versions of Windows, including Windows XP, which at that time had a reduced market share (5%) but was relevant: it was still relatively used in companies that were exposed. The attack forced Microsoft to release a specific patch for this operating system, and showed how serious it can be rely on an insecure operating system. Payment lifeguard… To mitigate the problem that millions of users will now face, Microsoft offers two paths. One of them is the paying officer. The company has launched calls extended security updates (ESU, for its acronym in English). Although some requirements must be met (such as using Windows 10 22H2), many users can enroll in this program to continue receiving critical security updates. That, according to Microsoft, will allow time “while they make the transition to Windows 11”, which is the ideal solution for all Windows 10 users. This option is designed for business users but be careful, because said program – which in fact will have a total extension of three years – it’s not cheap: It costs $61 per device for the first year, $122 for the second, and $244 for the third. And entering the program later does not reduce the cost. …and free lifeguard. But Microsoft will also offer one more year of free security updates in Europe and the USA. In fact, in Europe, being able to activate that one-year extension of support for Windows 10 is relatively simple: just log in with a Microsoft account to access that option. It is best that you move to Windows 11. But obviously the best solution to avoid problems is to update your computer to Windows 11. It is possible to perform this update for free on Windows 10 computers according to Microsoft’s FAQ. Normally Microsoft requires that the PC or laptop meet certain requirements, but even in those cases it is possible to “skip” those obligations and install a modified Windows 11 with a little trick. Or give Linux a chance. There are other solutions, of course. One of them is to maintain the current equipment, but install some Linux distribution on it. Although that may put some users off, these distributions have been making it really easy for users to do the same things they do on their Windows computers for some time now. Including video gamessomething that Steam’s Proton platform has made possible. There is joy in the sale of PCs. In the third quarter of 2025, 9.4% more PCs were sold worldwide than in the same period of 2024. Source: IDC. The end of Windows 10 is a joy for PC manufacturers. Especially because this is the perfect excuse to change teams, especially in the business segment. Old PCs with Windows 10 are a huge security risk for these companies, which are especially forced to update their equipment or renew their IT fleet. That is also true for many users who take advantage of this circumstance, and that is causing a boost in sales. We are already seeing it: an analysis from the consulting firm IDC shows how in the third quarter of 2025, 9.4% more PCs were distributed than in the same period of 2024. Image | Clint Patterson In Xataka | If you have an old PC, there is an effective alternative to Windows 11 requirements and bloatware: this is how Flyoobe works

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