Buying new laptop / compatibility with older software

Ommbiance

I want to buy my mum a new laptop for Christmas.  She's currently using a PC she's had for years but it's running Windows 10 with no option to upgrade, so we're a bit worried about it's vulnerability now that OS is unsupported.
Anyway she's got various bits of software on the PC which was installed ages ago using the CD drive. but it seems no laptops have a CD drive nowadays, so she's concerned she won't be able to use them anymore
Is there an easy way to transfer the installed programs to the new laptop? (assuming they're still compatible) without using a CD drive (although I see it's possible to buy plugin CD drives via the USB socket)

Frozen_up_north

Buy a CD/DVD external drive, £12 to £25, eBay or Amazon. You won’t find much modern software on disk, it’s now downloaded from the Internet, so you will use it once then put it away.

Farway

You could check with Google etc on the compatibility of old software she has with W11

Personally, as an older user, I think it would be easiest for her to use a plug-in CD drive as you mentioned, older but she knows how to work it

You could transfer the CDs to USB sticks, and load from there, but it adds one extra faff stage

JSmithy45AD

It's possible that the software is available to download direct from the internet but without knowing what it is it's impossible to say.

Vitor

- so we're a bit worried about it's vulnerability now that OS is unsupported. -

You can get support to Oct 2026 for free. Many threads discuss how on this forum.

A USB CD/DVD drive will be simplest, especially if the s/w has activation keys or similar that came with the CD-ROM 

Eyeful

1. How many bits of various software are we talking about?
2. How often does she actually use these bits of software?
3. Would you be willing to tell us the names of these software?
4. Are those software free or paid for?

5. Over time the software aimed for Windows 10 will likely stop working on Windows11.
Your mum may need to look for alternative software anyway.
May be the software produces already have software aimed at Windows 11.

6  As Vitor has stated you can Windows 10 support fo Oct 2026 for free.

JSmithy45AD

Eyeful said:

1. How many bits of various software are we talking about?
2. How often does she actually use these bits of software?
3. Would you be willing to tell us the names of these software?
4. Are those software free or paid for?

5. Over time the software aimed for Windows 10 will likely stop working on Windows11.
Your mum may need to look for alternative software anyway.
May be the software produces already have software aimed at Windows 11.

6  As Vitor has stated you can Windows 10 support fo Oct 2026 for free.

Win 10 support but not security updates I think?

poseidon1

JSmithy45AD said:

Eyeful said:

1. How many bits of various software are we talking about?
2. How often does she actually use these bits of software?
3. Would you be willing to tell us the names of these software?
4. Are those software free or paid for?

5. Over time the software aimed for Windows 10 will likely stop working on Windows11.
Your mum may need to look for alternative software anyway.
May be the software produces already have software aimed at Windows 11.

6  As Vitor has stated you can Windows 10 support fo Oct 2026 for free.

Win 10 support but not security updates I think?

Windows ESU programme specifically includes security updates. That is its primary purpose.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/extended-security-updates

sausage_time

Last time I used Windows I seem to recall it had various compatibility modes for older software if needed.  Is that not still the case?

Vitor

Apps that run on Windows 10 are almost certain to run on 11 even without compatibility mode tweaks

PHK

Windows 10 had some old libraries that were kept for compatibility reasons with even older software. (eg, software that expected Internet Explorer rendering  libraries  to be present) Most of these have been deprecated for security reasons. Some very old software may not run in Windows 11.