ESET recommends installing Linux if your unsupported Windows 11 PC can't update from 10

ESET Germany has published a new blog post about the upcoming end of support for Windows 10 and how it is going to affect around 65% or roughly 32 million PCs there. The security firm has expressed concern over this since the vast majority of desktop PC owners are still on the outgoing OS which will leave them vulnerable. As such, the firm recommends moving to Windows 11.

ESET Germany's IT security expert Thorsten Urbanski says (Google-translated to English):

It's five minutes to twelve to avoid a security fiasco for 2025. We strongly advise all users not to wait until October, but to switch to Windows 11 immediately or choose an alternative operating system if their device cannot be updated to the latest Windows operating system. Otherwise, users expose themselves to considerable security risks and make themselves vulnerable to dangerous cyber attacks and data loss

 

The situation is more dangerous than when support for Windows 7 ended in early 2020.

 

Even before the official date, at the end of 2019, only around 20 percent of users were still using Windows 7. Over 70 percent were already using the new Windows 10. The current situation is extremely dangerous. Cyber criminals know these numbers very well and are just waiting for the day when support ends.

Microsoft is also actively urging users against installing Windows 10 even when someone tries downloading it from an official source, and to entice gamers, the company recently listed all the gaming features one can enjoy on Windows 11.

ESET has also mentioned the costly pricing policy of Microsoft's paid extended support of Windows 10 via its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. It wrote:

Microsoft has already announced that there will be extended, paid support for Windows 10. What is new is that private users can also buy this service. However, the costs are high and double with each year of use.

The blog post also mentions general security tips and again recommends upgrading to Windows 11 but also adds that users on older unsupported hardware could also try Linux:

Always use the latest version of Windows, even if the change is difficult at first. Old versions such as Windows 7 or XP pose a high security risk and should be replaced urgently. The switch from Windows 10 should also be planned. ESET recommends switching to Windows 11 as quickly as possible. Alternatively, a Linux distribution can also be a good option, especially for older hardware.

Microsoft though officially recommends a new PC if you want to update to Windows 11 as it recently also clarified that the system requirements for Windows 11 have not been relaxed. Check out our dedicated piece on how to salvage an old PC that is ineligible for Windows 11.

You can find the blog post here on ESET Germany's official website.

Source

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