New Windows upgrade

[roadster]

There are thousands of bargain second hand machines being ditched by big companies because they think they cannot be upgraded to Windows 11. I bought a Dell Optiplex 3050 core I7 mini for under £100 without disk or memory because I had a spare SSD and only needed to buy some memory. Although I intended to play with linux versions on it I let it boot from my old disk and it came up with Windows 10 which it updated with suitable drivers when booted. It also turned out to already have a windows pro license which Microsoft obviously remembered from its previous corporate life.

Running windows update told me the machine wasn't suitable for Windows 11 because of the "old" processor. Nevertheless I installed windows 11 from the latest Microsoft ISO and there were no problems. It is fully up to date and patches continue to be installed regularly. I didn't need to write the ISO to a memory stick just installed it by mounting the iso directly to windows Explorer. Performance wise its far faster than more modern N series machines such as the N200. For anything which has a TPM module I suspect there are no actual hardware restrictions at all and it seems likely that Microsoft have slackened the rules fearing that a huge number of old unpatched Windows10 machines left in service will be vulnerable to widespread infection.

If you want to try an update safely I suggest using a fresh SSD and booting from the Windows 11 iso written to USB using Rufus software using Rufus off-line and local account options.

[Count Steer]

Yup. The chap that sorted mine said they're averaging 4 machines a day that M$ said 'aren't suitable' for Win11.

Oh, and I asked him about Linux Mint on my laptop and he rattled off the list of installed software on it that I couldn't run with Linux.

[mangocrazy]

Yup. The chap that sorted mine said they're averaging 4 machines a day that M$ said 'aren't suitable' for Win11.

Oh, and I asked him about Linux Mint on my laptop and he rattled off the list of installed software on it that I couldn't run with Linux.

Shirley the point of using Linux is to run 'native' Linux apps rather than try and get Win apps to run using kludgy workarounds like Wine or VMs? There are a bewidering array of apps (all free) that run on Linux, a lot of which are very good in their own right and stand comparison with equivalent Windows apps.

And it doesn't need to be either/or; I can boot into Windows or Linux depending on what I need/want to do.

[Count Steer]

Yup. The chap that sorted mine said they're averaging 4 machines a day that M$ said 'aren't suitable' for Win11.

Oh, and I asked him about Linux Mint on my laptop and he rattled off the list of installed software on it that I couldn't run with Linux.

Shirley the point of using Linux is to run 'native' Linux apps rather than try and get Win apps to run using kludgy workarounds like Wine or VMs? There are a bewidering array of apps (all free) that run on Linux, a lot of which are very good in their own right and stand comparison with equivalent Windows apps.

And it doesn't need to be either/or; I can boot into Windows or Linux depending on what I need/want to do.

The main things I use on it are Office (usually Excel and Word) and Cyberlink Power DVD and Firefox + the occasional photo edit - think I've got both Paintshop Pro and Photoshop Elements.The only aim of this is to continue to use them. So I guess I just want to run what I've got. (Otherwise I'd just scrap it and use my tablet or wife's PC).

I've tried alternatives (including VLC - powerful but crap user interface, Excel is still the best s/sheet - and what I know) and, if I can avoid going on any sort of technical safari these days, I do. Been there done that, got the T-shirt etc. Dual boot? No chance.

[mangocrazy]

Windows is clearly the platform of choice for you. I can't see Linux offering you anything that would suit you as well.

Just hope that MS don't go to a subscription model for their OS, like they're trying to do with Office 365...

[Count Steer]

Windows is clearly the platform of choice for you. I can't see Linux offering you anything that would suit you as well.

Just hope that MS don't go to a subscription model for their OS, like they're trying to do with Office 365...

If our purchased Office suites ever insist we go subscription that's a game changer. Currently you can still buy a lifetime licence. We'd do that on the main machine if we had to. (It used to let me use my Office licence on my tablet...then it didn't...so it got deinstalled).

It was just that friends have gone Linux and said it was fine but I suspect they only use a browser and email.

[mangocrazy]

I'm trying to wean myself off Windows and I'm gradually doing more and more on Linux but, as you say, Word and Excel are best in class, even if MS do keep fucking about with the layout unnecessarily. I think Peak Office was about 2010.

But there are a few apps wher Linux is unqueationably the best. The Gnome Partitioning Editor (GPartEd) is in a class of its own for partitioning hard drives. It's also available as a bootable ISO, which has saved my bacon a few times.

[Rockburner]

I'm trying to wean myself off Windows and I'm gradually doing more and more on Linux but, as you say, Word and Excel are best in class, even if MS do keep fucking about with the layout unnecessarily. I think Peak Office was about 2010.

But there are a few apps wher Linux is unqueationably the best. The Gnome Partitioning Editor (GPartEd) is in a class of its own for partitioning hard drives. It's also available as a bootable ISO, which has saved my bacon a few times.

I think it depends on how much you do in Excel and Word.

These days I do absolutely nothing in Word, even at work I only use it rarely for reading a document someone else has produced. I don't write letters any more (emails and phone calls for virtually everything to do with any company or organisation)

For spreadsheets I migrated my simple needs to Google Docs (yes, yes I know about the implications), and the "Sheets" (iirc) interface works perfectly well, even for more complex calcs and cross-references. I still use Excel at work, for .... reasons.... but I don't really need to, Libre Office or Google Sheets would both serve perfectly adequately.

@Count Steer Unless you're doing seriously complex pivot-table type stuff, you may well find the Excel alternatives are perfectly usable these days.

I've been on Linux (ubuntu) on my home machines for some years now, and the only reason I don't have a linux work machine is probably because I wasn't actively positive about it before the company decided on it's latest collection of hardware (MS Surface v7 laptops: they work....I guess). I had actually been using Ubuntu seamlessly on my older work machines for about 4 years: ostensibly as a testbed for my dev department, but mainly because I could get away with it.... They decision to enforce Windows11 on everyone was a "corporate" decision to have only 1 OS to support across the board. (I had (iirc) zero issues with Ubuntu on my work machine)

[mangocrazy]

I'll definitely give Libre Office another go. Google is already far too intrusive and pervasive. I suspect it's more habit that keeps me using the MS apps. My needs aren't particularly strenuous, so I'm sure the Open Source alternatives will be just fine.

And it means I can feel justifiably smug...

[Rockburner]

I'll definitely give Libre Office another go. Google is already far too intrusive and pervasive. I suspect it's more habit that keeps me using the MS apps. My needs aren't particularly strenuous, so I'm sure the Open Source alternatives will be just fine.

And it means I can feel justifiably smug...

Funnily enough, I'm not consciously aware of any Google interference in my online life. I've taught myself to completely ignore all advertising online (very easy) and turn off all cookies on and website i use (or don't use that website). I also use a few adblock tools.

[Count Steer]

@Count Steer Unless you're doing seriously complex pivot-table type stuff, you may well find the Excel alternatives are perfectly usable these days.

I've got quite a lot of existing stuff in Excel. I tried sending some over to my tablet to try out Sheets and got fed up having to reformat everything. It seemed to be in little more than CSV format and all the column widths and cell depths needed resetting, as did the justification in cells etc etc. It may be that the Android version is simplified. Dunno.

Not convinced that Microsoft is more 'evil empire' than Google these days anyway although they seem to make Windows slightly more annoying/intrusive with each release.

[mangocrazy]

I'll definitely give Libre Office another go. Google is already far too intrusive and pervasive. I suspect it's more habit that keeps me using the MS apps. My needs aren't particularly strenuous, so I'm sure the Open Source alternatives will be just fine.

And it means I can feel justifiably smug...

Funnily enough, I'm not consciously aware of any Google interference in my online life. I've taught myself to completely ignore all advertising online (very easy) and turn off all cookies on and website i use (or don't use that website). I also use a few adblock tools.

I find that uBlock Origin works very well and cuts ads to a bare minimum.

[Rockburner]

@Count Steer Unless you're doing seriously complex pivot-table type stuff, you may well find the Excel alternatives are perfectly usable these days.

I've got quite a lot of existing stuff in Excel. I tried sending some over to my tablet to try out Sheets and got fed up having to reformat everything. It seemed to be in little more than CSV format and all the column widths and cell depths needed resetting, as did the justification in cells etc etc. It may be that the Android version is simplified. Dunno.

Not convinced that Microsoft is more 'evil empire' than Google these days anyway although they seem to make Windows slightly more annoying/intrusive with each release.

Oh fuck, sorry - no don't use the Android version!!

it's utterly pants! It's designed for mobile - so it's "functional", not (in any way) pretty. IE - you can do work, but there's simply not enough screen real-estate for making things look nice.

Use the proper browser UI on a proper computer!

[Rockburner]

I'll definitely give Libre Office another go. Google is already far too intrusive and pervasive. I suspect it's more habit that keeps me using the MS apps. My needs aren't particularly strenuous, so I'm sure the Open Source alternatives will be just fine.

And it means I can feel justifiably smug...

Funnily enough, I'm not consciously aware of any Google interference in my online life. I've taught myself to completely ignore all advertising online (very easy) and turn off all cookies on and website i use (or don't use that website). I also use a few adblock tools.

I find that uBlock Origin works very well and cuts ads to a bare minimum.

I'm finding Privacy Badger and AdBlock work reasonably well.

[Count Steer]

Update: the invoice landed. £90.

Money well spent.

[edulord]

As Tech Support I'm getting a bit hacked off that every other radio programme my customer/wife listens to seems to be intent on scaring the bejaysus out of her due to the perils of not moving to the latest processor hungry release of Windoze on her HP mini tower. She also advises that it won't take the upgrade and therefore, of course, the solution is a new machine.

Is sticking with the old version really such an issue if they no longer release security updates etc? She has some pretty hefty antivirus etc stuff on it. (Also a Microsoft Office suite that will probably insist on becoming subscription based ).

It's not the cost that I mind, it's just that the procedure is a major pain in the (my) gluteus maximus. If push comes to shove I'm likely to get my local tech-heads in and say 'See that? Replace it and clone everything on it onto the new HP one apart, obvs, from the operating system. Make sure it's connected to that, that, that, that and that. Let me know when you're finished'.

If the OS no longer gets security updates, antivirus will not save you. That risk is real. If the machine still runs well, a clean install of a supported Windows version is cheaper and faster than new hardware. Back up data, fresh install, reinstall Office and apps, done. A new PC only makes sense if the hardware cannot support the current Windows version or performance is already bad.