The countdown to the end of support for Windows 10 continues and although I have converted three of our daily machines (my laptop and two streaming boxes) to Linux mint we are keeping our main two gaming machines (and their respective backup machines) and converting all four to legal, supported, Windows 11.
The CPU and motherboard on the converted machines have to be supported, so anything not on the Microsoft list can only run an unsupported (rufus) type win11 installation or an alternative OS such as Linux. There are complexities involved in both directions, but I should add, complexities with the "new and improved" version of windows.
In the last five years, since Windows 7 (a perfectly fine operating system) was switched for 8.0 and 8.1 and then 10, my life has been a constant game of musical chairs and at times, even though I owned licenses, I had to buy keys to purchase new versions, that is the way the industry wants to do it, sell the same thing to the consumer, over and over.
This is number four and I admit, having been "in the business" now for over thirty years, the hurdles required to transfer license ownership have become taller, and of course, the technical hurdles have also increased in size since both Intel and Microsoft decided that they would phase out old hardware if you wanted to use the latest and greatest version of the OS.
Out with the old, in with the new.
No more MBR, in with GPT, now TPM 2.0 and embedded, now secure boot and "keys" that will somehow keep us all safe (which they will not) and then of course, two more final hurdles involving convincing your Microsoft account that you deserve the upgrade and then of course, waiting for Windows Update to take it's sweet time to give you the Windows 11 update.
That's where I am today.
Waiting.
