Windows 10 belongs to us now (just like Streets of Rage Remake)

Windows 10 PCs will soon be the community's responsibility, not Microsoft’s.

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The Windows ReadMe - #003
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Thanks for opening this file! This week, we have a change in ownership: Microsoft no longer owns your Windows 10 PC. You do. You don’t need Microsoft’s permission to keep using it.

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This week’s tip
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When I was a kid, I loved the Streets of Rage games. The series was incredibly popular in the ‘90s, but Sega gave up on it after 1994. In 2003, a fan-made project formed, and in 2011, they released Streets of Rage Remake -- a completely unauthorized game that is absolutely incredible and might be better than the originals. Sega panicked and had its lawyers take down the game. It’s a copyright violation, naturally. But you can still download the game and run it on a Windows PC. (And it’s great.)

Windows 10 -- and Windows 10 PCs -- are kind of like Streets of Rage at the turn of the millennium. People love them, but the creator is done with them. Officially, you’re supposed to move on.

This example may seem like a stretch, but it’s really not: This is something we don’t discuss enough. Whether it’s an operating system, a game series, or anything else, companies lose control of the things they release. Sega may have the copyright, but its fans wanted more Streets of Rage, and they made more Streets of Rage even if they had to violate copyright and work on a fan-made project to do it. Microsoft may say that Windows 10 PCs are going away, but people have other ideas, and your PC may have a long life ahead of it anyway.

Let’s be honest about Windows 10

Microsoft launched Windows 10 in 2015. The operating system will be over 10 years old when Microsoft officially “ends support” for it in October 2025. Even many PCs that supposedly can’t upgrade to Windows 11 can do it with a technically allowed but officially “unsupported” upgrade trick.

Plus, Microsoft has backed off: You’ll be able to get another year of updates for your Windows 10 PC for free, taking you to October 2026. All you need to do is use the wizard that will appear in Windows Update on your Windows 10 PC in the coming months.

Yes, Microsoft can’t support older PCs forever. Sure, modern Windows 11 PCs with newer hardware are faster. That’s not the point.

Here’s the point:

Many Windows 10 PCs still work well enough. I have a Windows 10 PC hooked up to my living room TV -- it works fine, and it can still play modern PC games pretty well, too! The idea that I would throw this occasionally used PC in the trash and replace it with something else is completely absurd. Lots of people have Windows 10 PCs like this -- they do the job.

And let’s talk about Redmond’s hypocrisy, too: In a world where companies like Microsoft are constantly harping about sustainability and “reduce, reuse, recycle”, the idea that Windows 10 PCs are all about to be thrown in the dumpster is nuts. (Yes, they can be recycled rather than dumpster’d -- but electronics recycling is pretty gnarly.)

Maybe Windows 10 PCs don’t need Microsoft?

With Microsoft set to abandon Windows 10 like it’s a franchise they’d rather forget, Windows 10 ends up in the hands of the community. Soon, it will no longer be up to Microsoft to keep these PCs working. It’ll be up to the rest of us.

First, let’s talk unofficial upgrades: Community-driven tools like Rufus and Flyoobe will let you install Windows 11 on a variety of Windows 10 PCs -- but not all of them. They’re a solution for PCs that just missed the cutoff, but they won’t help with every Windows 10 PC.

Applications may continue supporting Windows 10. For example, Google hasn’t announced an end-of-support date for Windows 10. Even Microsoft will continue updating Edge on Windows 10 with security patches until at least October 2028, so you’ll still get browser security updates. Many antivirus companies will likely continue supporting Windows 10 with antimalware software.

While I do strongly encourage people to use software that’s getting security updates, the reality is that many people are going to continue using Windows 10 without security updates.

If someone said to me “Isn’t it irresponsible to say it may be kind-of okay for people to run Windows 10 without security updates, in some situations?”, I’d counter with “Isn’t it irresponsible for one of the richest companies in the world to end security support for so many PCs people are still using?”

The good news is that, at that time -- in October 2026 -- there may be more community-driven security solutions.

One potential solution is 0patch. For 25 euros per computer per year, the company says it will deliver in-memory patches that will block the worst security vulnerabilities. I wouldn’t be completely shocked to see an antivirus companies market their software as a failsafe solution for unsupported Windows 10 PCs, too.

The reality of Windows 10 security after it no longer gets updates will be messy. And the best Windows-patching solutions will probably cost money. It takes work to keep up with security flaws. But there is a community solution for your Windows 10 PC -- if you're willing to take another step.

Long term, the real community solution is Linux

Ultimately, running Windows 10 on these PCs will be a losing battle. Microsoft controls the operating system, and only Microsoft can patch it. Microsoft could upgrade Windows 10 with nags and other annoying things. While your Windows 10 PC runs Windows 10, Microsoft is still in charge. And Microsoft says your Windows 10 PC isn’t good enough, and you need to buy new hardware.

Personally, I think you should buy a new PC because you want a new PC. If your current PC serves you well and you don’t want to buy a new PC, you shouldn’t.

That’s why the ultimate solution for old hardware will be swapping to desktop Linux. It’s the full community-supported product experience. This isn’t Linux evangelism! I’m not trying to get you to switch to desktop Linux full time. What I’m saying is that Linux developers are going to keep Windows 10 era PCs functional, with security updates, for many years to come. It’ll be free. And a modern Linux desktop works very well.

Sega Microsoft may not keep Streets of Rage Windows 10 PCs going, but the community will.

Don’t let one company tell you something you love is dead, whether it’s your PC or a favorite franchise. Now then:

⌛ To get another year of Windows 10 updates, look for an “Enroll in Extended Security Updates” wizard in Windows Update sometime soon.

💾 To upgrade your Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 in kind-of-official-but-technically-unofficial way, use Rufus.

🐧 To dip your toes into desktop Linux, you’ll need to choose a distribution. There are lots of options out there! You may want to start with Linux Mint.

🕹️ To play Streets of Rage Remake, download it here.

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What’s new @ Thurrott.com
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The Windows ReadMe is now featured as the official partner newsletter of Thurrott.com on the brand-spanking-new Newsletters page!

Paul Thurrott also announced some membership changes. For $9.99 per year, you can have an advertising-free experience on Thurrott.com.

Also, here’s an update about those SSD failures in the news: Microsoft says it isn’t their problem.

In hardware news, Paul got his hands on the new Pixel 10 Pro XL, unboxed it, set it up, and pondered the original Pixel. (That last one is a Premium article.)

But the biggest news of the week? Google won’t be forced to sell Chrome or Android. (Paul went in-depth on this for Premium subscribers, too.)

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The first Windows ReadMe bonus: NFO file #001
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As promised, I’ve got the first bonus download to share with everyone who generously supported me. (Special thanks to the Power Users who chipped in extra!)

Introducing: The first NFO file. It’s a single-page downloadable keyboard shortcut cheat sheet, and it’s available in two editions:

1. A digital edition you can save on a floppy disk, optimized for reading on CRT monitors and other futuristic displays. (Featuring a special guest appearance from Clippy.)

2. A printer-friendly paper edition you can print with a few drops of black ink. Keep The Windows ReadMe close at hand on your desk! (Dot matrix printer optional.)

Now start up your download manager like it’s 1998, and then click this link:

Stay tuned for more monthly downloads -- and more fun subscriber bonuses to come, like Q&A threads and live streams!