Will Microsoft really make older pre 8th Gen working laptops obsolete electronic waste in Oct 2025

BlueonBlue

I use pre 8th gen intel laptops which are working fine for myself but they cant take win11

Will microsoft really allow all older desktop/laptops that at present cant take win 11 become E waste in oct 2025?
Worldwide thats going to be alot of E waste
Or 
Are they LIKELY to make changes to Win11 closer to the Oct 2025 date so people can still use some pre 8th gen older laptops .
Phones become obsolete quickly so are laptops next ?

Soon everyone will need new laptops phones every couple of years the way things are going .

TadleyBaggie

Just because MS stops support for Windows 10 in 2025 doesn't mean that devices stop working.

400ixl

It is because the older generation of laptops do not have the secure TPM 2 modules required. So unless they drop that requirement or allow emulated modules then yes they will be leaving them on Windows 10 and out of support in 2025.

Always the chance they either have extended support for 22H2 or they bring out a 23H2 version and extend it out by a year. One of these scenarios would be more likely than dropping TPM 2 requirement.

Windows 10 will have been out for 10 years by then and TPM 2 hardware for 8 years. No phone OS has been supported for 10 years, 

Neil_Jones

BlueonBlue said:

I use pre 8th gen intel laptops which are working fine for myself but they cant take win11

Will microsoft really allow all older desktop/laptops that at present cant take win 11 become E waste in oct 2025?
Worldwide thats going to be alot of E waste
Or 
Are they LIKELY to make changes to Win11 closer to the Oct 2025 date so people can still use some pre 8th gen older laptops .
Phones become obsolete quickly so are laptops next ?

Soon everyone will need new laptops phones every couple of years the way things are going .

Almost certainly no changes to Windows 11, its more likely Windows 12 will have replaced it by October 2025 - which will almost certainly kick the hardware requirements further up than the ones for 11 did, so if it can't run 11 now its probably not going to be able to run 12 (if indeed that becomes a thing, though it's just as likely it becomes a major Windows 11 update).

Operating systems have always been optimised for the latest hardware, its nothing new, and there have always been cut off periods for hardware support, the only real reason Windows has a long life span of 10 years is because it is the dominant operating system in the market (desktop wise anyway).  The next dominant, Mac OS, is only supported for three years per major build, and generally supports Mac hardware for the previous eight years or so (For macOS Sonoma the oldest supported machine is from 2017).

Bonhomie

BlueonBlue said:

I use pre 8th gen intel laptops which are working fine for myself but they cant take win11

Will microsoft really allow all older desktop/laptops that at present cant take win 11 become E waste in oct 2025?
Worldwide thats going to be alot of E waste
Or 
Are they LIKELY to make changes to Win11 closer to the Oct 2025 date so people can still use some pre 8th gen older laptops .
Phones become obsolete quickly so are laptops next ?

Soon everyone will need new laptops phones every couple of years the way things are going .

You CAN install Windows 11 on your pre 8th Gen Intel devices. Microsoft has posted a workaround from the beginning, for those wanting to upgrade from within Windows 10: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ways-to-install-windows-11-e0edbbfb-cfc5-4011-868b-2ce77ac7c70e
https://www.pcworld.com/article/542121/microsoft-reveals-how-to-bypass-windows-11s-strict-hardware-requirements.html

What they are actually saying is that they won't actively support anyone on a pre-8th Gen(Intel) device, but you can still install/upgrade to it.
When was the last time that you called Microsoft for help with your device? Don't worry, you can install Windows 11 in many legitimate ways. It's not against any rules.

debitcardmayhem

I had 3 pre 8th gen laptops, all running w11. I gave two away to nieces and all 3 are going strong, with ssd's in them

facade

It depends on what the damage caused by all the stories of shipfulls of perfectly serviceable PCs going to poorer countries to have the metals recovered by environmentally destroying & dangerous processes will cost them, compared to what they will get from the licences on all the new PCs sold to replace them.

As Bonhomie says, Win 11 will run perfectly on most of these machines (I'm running it on a 3rd gen Intel), all they need do is make it official.  Secure boot was a requirement for win 8 certification, which would have been 4th gen intel, and possibly some 3rd.

Things aren't looking good though, Microsoft have recently stopped people using Win 7 keys to install Win 10 & 11.

Bonhomie

facade said:

It depends on what the damage caused by all the stories of shipfulls of perfectly serviceable PCs going to poorer countries to have the metals recovered by environmentally destroying & dangerous processes will cost them, compared to what they will get from the licences on all the new PCs sold to replace them.

As Bonhomie says, Win 11 will run perfectly on most of these machines (I'm running it on a 3rd gen Intel), all they need do is make it official.  Secure boot was a requirement for win 8 certification, which would have been 4th gen intel, and possibly some 3rd.

Things aren't looking good though, Microsoft have recently stopped people using Win 7 keys to install Win 10 & 11.

I don't really understand most of what you have written. They have 'made it official' that you can install Windows 11. They just aren't going to guarantee that everything will work on your older laptop for it's lifetime. What's new? Nothing.
Carry on as normal.
If people were that worried about such things, they wouldn't have carried on utilising Windows 7 for as long as they did. But they did. 
There are always going to be sheep waiting to do as they are told, by Microsoft or whomever. Even if we tell them here, they'll wait until it's done for them(or not).

facade

Bonhomie said:

facade said:

It depends on what the damage caused by all the stories of shipfulls of perfectly serviceable PCs going to poorer countries to have the metals recovered by environmentally destroying & dangerous processes will cost them, compared to what they will get from the licences on all the new PCs sold to replace them.

As Bonhomie says, Win 11 will run perfectly on most of these machines (I'm running it on a 3rd gen Intel), all they need do is make it official.  Secure boot was a requirement for win 8 certification, which would have been 4th gen intel, and possibly some 3rd.

Things aren't looking good though, Microsoft have recently stopped people using Win 7 keys to install Win 10 & 11.

I don't really understand most of what you have written. They have 'made it official' that you can install Windows 11. They just aren't going to guarantee that everything will work on your older laptop for it's lifetime. What's new? Nothing.
Carry on as normal.
If people were that worried about such things, they wouldn't have carried on utilising Windows 7 for as long as they did. But they did. 
There are always going to be sheep waiting to do as they are told, by Microsoft or whomever. Even if we tell them here, they'll wait until it's done for them(or not).

Official in the sense that the message that says

is replaced by the offer to install win 11.

Yes, if you know how to search for how to do it, and are comfortable editing files, or use Rufus to make an installer you can get win 11 to install, a lot of people aren't.

I still think it is just a ploy to sell more new PCs, and with them a lot more licences.

Bonhomie

facade said:

Bonhomie said:

facade said:

It depends on what the damage caused by all the stories of shipfulls of perfectly serviceable PCs going to poorer countries to have the metals recovered by environmentally destroying & dangerous processes will cost them, compared to what they will get from the licences on all the new PCs sold to replace them.

As Bonhomie says, Win 11 will run perfectly on most of these machines (I'm running it on a 3rd gen Intel), all they need do is make it official.  Secure boot was a requirement for win 8 certification, which would have been 4th gen intel, and possibly some 3rd.

Things aren't looking good though, Microsoft have recently stopped people using Win 7 keys to install Win 10 & 11.

I don't really understand most of what you have written. They have 'made it official' that you can install Windows 11. They just aren't going to guarantee that everything will work on your older laptop for it's lifetime. What's new? Nothing.
Carry on as normal.
If people were that worried about such things, they wouldn't have carried on utilising Windows 7 for as long as they did. But they did. 
There are always going to be sheep waiting to do as they are told, by Microsoft or whomever. Even if we tell them here, they'll wait until it's done for them(or not).

Official in the sense that the message that says

is replaced by the offer to install win 11.

Yes, if you know how to search for how to do it, and are comfortable editing files, or use Rufus to make an installer you can get win 11 to install, a lot of people aren't.

I still think it is just a ploy to sell more new PCs, and with them a lot more licences.

So you want them to officially support all of those millions of old devices? It's not going to happen. However, the unofficial channels will remain open, as always.
For example, some will be able to run the upgrade via installation media as opposed to Windows Update.
Of course it may mean they have to do something to create that media as opposed to it being automatically installed for them.
As to the people who don't rather than cannot, that's their problem.

Newcad

Windows 10 is going to be in use for years to come. Just like XP and Win7 are still widely used in business, (and in many homes).

Or if you want to then you can forget MS Windows and put a different Operating System on those machines.
Other OS's will do everything that Windows can.

Linux has long been a favourite to put on old XP and Win 7 laptops to give then a new lease of life. (I've done it myself and it's fairly easy).
Linux Mint is a popular 'flavour' (version) of Linux, there are others:
https://helpdeskgeek.com/linux-tips/linux-mint-a-beginners-guide-and-pro-tips/

ChromeOS Flex is also fast becoming popular for turning an old Windows (or Mac) laptop into a 'Chromebook' like computer.
It can be used on desktops as well.
https://www.androidpolice.com/chrome-os-flex-what-it-is-and-why-you-should-use-it/

There are plenty of other OS's out there, but those are the 2 which are the currently popular Windows replacements.

So older computers can continue to be used, with up-to-date modern Operating Systems, and with Microsoft nowhere in sight.
Old computers only become e-waste if/when YOU choose to throw them out.