Linux a Windows 10/Windows 11 operating system alternative for FREE!
If Microsoft won't allow you to upgrade your pefectly functional computer to Windows 11 now they have ceased to support Windows 10 (since October 2025 no free security updates leaving your Windows PC potentially open to hackers) because of "Hardware Incompatibilities" you are not alone. Microsoft by this action effectively made at least 240 million (and by some counts nearer 400 million) fully functioning PCs/Laptop computers arbitrarily obsolete just because they decided to make a certain chip in computers a mandatory requirement for installation of Windows 11. BUT did you know there is an alternative free Desktop PC operating system called Linux (Pronounced "Lin ux" NOT "Lie Nux") which is reliable, stable and naturally secure, always up to date and has thousands of free Open Source applications including replacements for all of the Microsoft Office suite (and you can even run Microsoft Teams on it via the browser).
Linux will enable you to keep your old hardware and so save you going to the expense of having to buy a new PC or laptop when there is nothing wrong with your old one (and save millions of PCs/Laptops going to the dump or becoming a hackers delight). If buying a new laptop you can even choose one with Linux already installed which should be cheaper as the manufacturer does not then have to pay for a Windows licence. You can also save more money on applications as you can get most of the applications you need for free on Linux. All future Linux upgrades are free as well and in general Linux maintains compatibility with older hardware and devices for longer. Linux doesn't force you to have an online Account/PIN or reveal all of your details to Microsoft (or anyone else). Linux won't evesdrop on your data and reveal it to advertisers and other "3rd Party Partners" or use it for training AI. Linux is a reliable, stable and secure computing platform.
You have probably used Linux already without realising it as varieties of Linux power the majority of the web servers and search engines enabling the internet, the majority of Smart TVs, DVD players, TV Set Top Boxes (Freeview), Sat-Navs, Raspberry Pi computers (used in many schools) and Linux is the basis for Android running Android phones. If you, or your children, have used a Raspberry Pi computer either at home or at school then you have also already used Linux. Many European Governments (e.g. Germany, France, Italy, Denmark) are also moving away from Microsoft Windows and are standardising on Linux and free Open Source software like LibreOffice and even trusting it for use in their Ministeries of Defence and it also powers many scientific institutes Including NASA. Systems and the laptops on the International Space Station use Linux. Linux has even reached other planets as it is used to control Mars exploration vehicles. Most AI (Artificial Intelligence) systems also run on Linux. Even the majority of Microsoft's own Azure Cloud Computing infrastructure actually runs on a version of Linux not Microsoft Windows!!
There are multiple varieties of Linux (known as "Distributions" - All based on the same core but with slightly differing packaging and presentation) and most are completely free to download and install direct from the internet. I used both the openSUSE and UBUNTU distributions of Linux as my main PC operating system as an alternative to Microsoft Windows for years and it is great, less likely to be targeted by Computer Viruses, and naturally more resistant to viruses, and doesn't spy on you the way Microsoft does and it is also very customisable. In many cases your old PC/Laptop will even run faster with Linux than it did with Windows as Linux has less "Bloatware" slowing your machine down and runs more efficiently so will run on less powerful equipment. I would recommend either "Ubuntu" or "Linux Mint" for newcomers to Linux. "Linux Mint" is my current favourite.
Among the literally Thousands of free Open Source Linux applications you can find Libre Office (A Microsoft Office Suite alternative which, among others, can read and write Microsoft Word and Excel documents and also edit PDF documents), GIMP (A Photoshop alternative), Firefox (Web Browser), Chrome (Web Browser), Thunderbird (email reader plus calendar/events/task reminders and news group reader), VLC Media/Video player, Zoom video conferencing (Zoom produce a native version for Linux), DaVinci Resolve (Hollywood Studio level video editing and colour grading used for editing many famous films) to name but a few. You can also play thousands of your favourite games on Linux by installing "Steam" and enabling the built in Proton compatibility layer.
Some of the most popular Linux "Distributions" are:
Did I mention Linux is great and what's more it, and all the thousands of application programs available, is Free! So install Linux and allow your perfectly functional old PC or Laptop to have a second lease of life (and quite often run faster and more efficiently than Windows) rather than wastefully consigning it to Landfill. Of course you can also just as easily run Linux on a brand new PC/Laptop if you want to release yourself from Microsoft Windows or even set your computer up to "Dual boot" so you can choose either Linux or Windows whenever you start it.
So why not give Linux a go today, just download a free copy, create a bootable USB memory stick (you can use the free software "balenaEtcher" to create a bootable USB stick) or DVD from it and install it on your PC or laptop. REMEMBER to back up all data on your PC/Lapop first to an external hard drive, a USB memory stick or to the cloud BEFORE installing Linux as your hard drive will be reformatted during the installation and all data lost so you will have to copy it back to the hard drive from your Backup once Linux is installed. You can just run Linux from a "Live" DVD or USB memory stick to try it out before committing to actually installing it if you wish (but it will run more slowly from those sources due to the speed of the USB/DVD).
You will have to set the BIOS in your device to boot from USB or DVD as appropriate and make sure to back up all of your data first as Linux will reformat your hard drive, and wipe your data, as the first stage of installation. There are a plethora of tutorial videos available on YouTube etc showing you how to install and use Linux but it is pretty straightforward.
I have installed Linux on laptops for several of my friends recently to prevent their laptops, which Microsoft deemed unsuitable for Windows 11, having to be expensively replaced and they are all, despite not being the most computer literate, managing perfectly well and in most cases the laptops are now actually running faster than when they were on Windows 10!
Watch the video below to understand what Microsoft did with Windows 11 and why they might have shot themselves in the foot by alienating users and triggering the biggest sudden surge in migration away from Windows to Linux (already loved by enthusiasts and the scientific community for the last 30 years) ever seen amongst consumers and why it might be a good idea for you to follow suit. Even if you have Windows 11 installed moving to Linux can free you from the constraints and dependency on Microsoft and the constant encroachment on your privacy.