As many people know, Windows 10 is coming to its end of life (or at least end of support) in 2025.
Because Windows 11 requires specialized hardware that isn’t built into a lot of existing PCs running Windows 10, there is no Microsoft-based upgrade path for those devices.
The thing is, a lot of those “old” Windows 10 devices are serving their users perfectly well, and there is often no compelling reason for a person to replace their PC just because they can’t upgrade to Windows 11.
ℹ️ If you can afford to replace your PC with a new one, that’s excellent, and I’m not trying to discourage that! However, you can still avoid throwing away your old PC, and you should consider alternatives.
Throwing away a PC or laptop - like in the trash - is a horrible thing to do, because PCs contain toxic elements that are bad for the environment. In many places it might actually be illegal.
Besides which, whether you want to keep and continue to use your old PC or not, someone can probably make good use of it.
️⚠️ If you do need to “throw away” your old PC, please make sure to turn it in to a recycling center for e-waste or hazardous waste center.
I’d like to discuss some possible alternatives to throwing away or recycling your old PC. Things that provide much better outcomes for people and the environment!
It might be that you can continue to use your PC or laptop, or someone else may be able to give it new life.
Here are some options.
Continue Using the PC
Although you may be unable to upgrade to Windows 11, there are alternative operating systems that will breathe new life into your existing PC.
The question you should ask first, is what do you do on your PC? The following may require Windows:
- Windows-only software (like CAD drawing or other software)
- Hard-core gaming
On the other hand, if you use your PC entirely for things like:
- Browsing the web
- Writing documents
- Simple spreadsheets
- Web-based games in a browser
Then you can probably replace Windows with an alternative and continue to be very happy with your PC.
What are these “alternative operating systems”? They are all variations of Linux.
If you’ve never heard of Linux, or have heard it is complicated and only for geeks, rest assured that there are some variations of Linux that are no more complex than Windows 10.
“Friendly” Variations of Linux
Some of the friendliest variations of Linux include:
- Cinnamon Mint - Linux with a desktop that is very similar to Windows
- Ubuntu Desktop - Linux with its own style of graphical desktop that isn’t too hard to learn if you are used to Windows
There are many others, these are just a couple that I’ve used and found to be easy to install and learn.
🛑 Before installing Linux on your PC make sure to copy all the files you want to keep onto a thumb drive or something! Installing Linux will entirely delete your existing hard drive and none of your existing files will be on the PC when you are done.
Once you’ve installed Linux, you’ll need software to do the things you do today.
Browsers on Linux
Linux often comes with the Firefox browser pre-installed. Other browsers that you can install include:
I am sure other browsers are available as well.
Keep in mind that most modern browsers provide comparable features and let you use nearly every web site, so you may be happy with Firefox or whatever comes pre-installed with Linux.
Software similar to Office on Linux
Finally, most people use their PC to write documents, create spreadsheets and do other things that are often done using Microsoft Office.
Some alternatives to Office available on Linux include:
- OneDrive - Microsoft on-line file storage and web-based versions of Word, Excel, and more
- Google Docs - Google on-line file storage and web-based word processor, spreadsheet, and more
- LibreOffice - Software you install on your PC that provides word processing, spreadsheets, and more. File formats are compatible with Word, Excel, and other Office tools.
Other options exist, these are the ones I’ve used and find to be most common.
Donate your PC
Even if your needs can’t be met by running Linux on your old PC, or perhaps installing a new operating system just isn’t for you - please consider that there are people all over the world, including near you, that would love to have access to a free computer.
This might include kids, adults, or seniors in your area who can’t afford a PC (or to have their own PC). In the US, rural and urban areas are filled with young people who could benefit from having a PC to do school work, learn about computers, and more.
🛑 Before donating your PC, make sure to use the Windows 10 feature to reset the PC to factory settings. This will delete all your files from the PC, ensuring that the new owner can’t access any of your information.
Check with your church and community organizations to find people who may benefit from having access to a computer.
Build a Server
If you know people, or are someone, who likes to tinker with computers, there are a lot of alternative uses for an old PC or laptop.
You can install Linux server software on an old PC and then use that server for all sorts of fun things:
- Create a file server for your photos and other media - can be done with a low-end PC that has a large hard drive
- Build a Kubernetes cluster out of discarded devices - requires PCs with at least 2 CPU cores and 8 gigs of memory, though more is better
Here are a couple articles with other good ideas:
- Avoid the Trash Heap: 17 Creative Uses for an Old Computer
- 10 Creative Things to Do With an Old Computer
If you aren’t the type to tinker with computers, just ask around your family and community. It is amazing how many people do enjoy this sort of thing, and would love to have access to a free device that can be used for something other than being hazardous waste.
Conclusion
I worry that 2025 will be a bad year for e-waste and hazardous waste buildup in landfills and elsewhere around the world, as people realize that their Windows 10 PC or laptop can’t be upgraded and “needs to be replaced”.
My intent in writing this post is to provide some options to consider that may breathe new life into your “old” PC. For yourself, or someone else, that computer may have many more years of productivity ahead of it.