If there isn't going be a Windows 11 how will Microsoft force me to upgrade my PC?

by Mark Townsend
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19 Sept, 2020
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Should you avoid Feature Updates on older Computers?

Many Customers are surprised that Microsoft first of all offered a free upgrade from Windows 7, 8.0 and 8.1 to Windows 10 and then announced there wouldn't ever be a Windows 11. They therefore wondered how and when they would be forced to buy a new Computer. The first thing to note is that Microsoft sell the Operating System and other Software and not the actual Computer but of course there is an Operating System sold with every new PC. The answer to the initial question is that when your Computer reaches a certain age it may well suffer a major failure like the System Board that makes it more economic to replace rather than repair it. Another answer is that your Computer will gradually get slower as the demands of the Software cause your Hardware to struggle but the real answer is explained below.

Microsoft are now following a similar path to Apple and coincidentally (or maybe not) have chosen Windows 10 to match OS/X. Unlike Windows 7 which only really received security updates and minor feature updates for over 10 years Windows 10 receives a Feature Update every 6 months. It is best to think of this as Windows 10.1, 10.2 etc rather than moving to Windows 11. The version numbers are different in reality by marking the year and month of release so are typically v1909 (September 2019) and v2004 (April 2020). However, the key thing to note is that it is like getting a whole new Operating System for free every six months. So what can be bad about this? Apple release a new version of OS/X once a year and Apple customers will be aware that once your Computer reaches around 10 years old you are no longer offered the latest release on the basis that your Hardware isn't up to running it (not compatible). Once this happens you have a limited amount of time to upgrade your Hardware before being denied access to your Bank Account etc on security grounds because Safari is out of date.

Windows 10 users don't tend to find that they are denied Feature Updates but the more likely scenario is that you apply an update that causes a compatibility issue and then experience problems as a result. The issue can be Hardware or Software related and can be major or minor. Examples range from no driver for a wifi card to no graphics driver and then being confronted by a black screen. There are also examples of Printers no longer working or a Legacy program like Windows Live Mail failing to display messages. So why does this happen? The best explanation is to think of yourself as a manufacturer of one of the components that go inside your Computer. With Windows 7 you could produce a driver and that same driver would almost certainly be fine for 10 years, due to the limited changes. However, with a new version of Windows 10 released every 6 months there is constant demand for you to keep releasing new drivers. Once your product reaches a certain age you will take the decision not to release any further drivers and at that point the next time a Computer with that component upgrades there is more than likely to be a driver issue. If it's a minor component like a wifi card you can just buy a new one but if it's a major component this could be time to upgrade your Computer.

Many of my customers are still using unsupported programs like Windows Live Mail. This product has been unsupported since 2017 and as above I am receiving an increasing number of calls that the program no longer works properly after upgrading to Windows 10 v2004. Customers typically don't want to pay for Microsoft Outlook and if they switch to Windows Mail which is also free they then find there's no way to export old mail and Contacts from Live Mail into Windows Mail whereas you can into Outlook. I also receive calls from people with older printers that were really designed for Windows XP or Windows 7 and are no longer working after a Feature Update.

So how can you avoid these issues? In the early stages of Windows 10 I would have said you can't because Feature Updates just happened but now you can delay Feature updates. If you have a brand new Computer and the latest software there is no need to do this but if you have a 10 year old Computer, 10 year old printer or use unsupported software then I would recommend delaying Feature updates to keep your Computer running for longer. If you search for Windows Updates you will find Feature updates offered to you on an optional basis. If you choose not to download and install these updates you can remain on an older version of Windows 10 that is working fine for you. However, it is important to note that Micosoft only support the latest 3 versions of Windows 10 so that once you are more than 18 months out of date you will be forced to update to the latest version. Some customers are reporting to me that Feature Updates are taking place even when they haven't chosen to do them but I suspect this scenario is triggered by them being more than 18 months out of date.

If you are experiencing issues with Windows updates, software not working or driver problems after an update then Churchdown Computers can help you out with this. Call Mark on 07557 483438, e-mail mark@churchdowncomputers.co.uk or fill out the form at the bottom of the Contact page.