As we know, Windows 10 security stuff ends in a couple of days, and I have been messing about with my old PC to try and install Windows 11, my old LGA775 PC setup was about 16 years old, but even after watching a few videos on how to by-pass all the W11 restrictions, no luck for me.

 

My friend just gave me an old Dell PC, which itself is about 13 years old, but it had an LGA1155 socket with an early i7-2600 CPU. So I pulled the motherboard and CPU out and installed it in my case, which has a graphics card, tower cooling and 600w transformer. There were a few weee problems, as Dell does some strange stuff, but I sorted it in the end.

 

Today, I thought about trying the Windows 11 install again, with this slightly newer set-up, just for a bit of fun, I picked a different video to follow, that was short and sweet, no padding, to find, in a very short time, I now have Windows 11installed, it was surprisingly easy too, so it can be done......... 

Now... for even more fun... research Hackintosh creation.. .. you might be able to run the Mavericks release.... MACOS is great in combination with an iPhone if you have one.

4 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

Now... for even more fun... research Hackintosh creation.. .. you might be able to run the Mavericks release.... MACOS is great in combination with an iPhone if you have one.

No iPhone, mine were well past their sell date, just bought a cheap Galaxy A06, I am well pleased with it.....🫠

@transamIt didn't work with your original setup because the CPU likely does not support SSE 4.2. The i7-2600 does.

Windows 10 support does not end in a couple of days. Free ESU is available to everyone, so available until Oct. '26.

 

1 minute ago, JakeC said:

@transamIt didn't work with your original setup because the CPU likely does not support SSE 4.2. The i7-2600 does.

Windows 10 support does not end in a couple of days. Free ESU is available to everyone, so available until Oct. '26.

 

Yes, I had the one-year extension, I had a Microsoft account and the was up-to-date, but as I said, for a bit of fun.

So my very old PC is now good for the foreseeable future, and cost me, I think, 70 bht for an internal cable for a Dell fan connection.........

Though, I am now considering replacing the Dell motherboard with an ASUS or Gigabyte 1155 socket, that is more user-friendly and clockable, again, just for another bit of fun, plus, the ageing boards are as cheap as chips.....☺️

This is the video I used. My advice is to call it up on another LT/PC so you are free to do the job on the target machine, as the lady talks a bit fast, but it is straight forward....☺️

 

 

On 10/11/2025 at 8:36 PM, JakeC said:

Free ESU is available to everyone, so available until Oct. '26.

From several seemingly reliable websites, I understand that the ESU is only free for Europeans. In other markets, you have to sync your backups to Microsoft One Drive, whatever that means, and if you do, you might have to buy extra One Drive storage to fit the backup.

My 6 year old gaming PC, still powerful enough to run current games at 4K, isn’t eligible for the Windows 11 upgrade. I’ll be looking into 0patch, as I prefer to pay an independent software company than Microsoft. My PC will also be the last gaming PC I’ll buy, as if I buy a new one there’s no guarantee it will be compatible with Windows 12 a few years from now. Gaming consoles for me from now on.

No @CygnusX1 You misunderstood what you read. Europeans don't need to back up settings to OneDrive. It's free for everyone. I'm sure you can find a way to pay if you really want to. 

In addition, you have changed the word Settings for another, Backups. They aren't the same thing. You don't need to back up your files.

There is nothing to stop you from upgrading to Windows 11 on a six year old PC, other than there not being any official support. But there will be support from other users who find any issues of incompatibility of any specific gaming stuff. There aren't likely to be any issues.

Here the word eligible doesn't not mean that you are not allowed to install it. It just means that Microsoft are stating that they are not responsible for any issues if you do. You are free to install and run it.

Thanks for your help, Jake.

 

However, I didn't say that Europeans had to back up their settings to One Drive to get free ESU, I said the opposite, that the ESU is only free for Europeans, meaning they're the only ones who don't have to back up their settings to One Drive to get free ESU for a year.

 

As for backing up only settings rather than all files, you seem to be right. I was confused by au.pcmag.com, who state "sync your Windows backup to Microsoft One Drive". On firing up Windows backup, I discovered that my settings are already backed up to One Drive. 

 

When I open Windows Update, it says "Your PC doesn't currently meet the minimum system requirements to run Windows 11" - so much for a powerful gaming PC. My PC is running Windows 10 22H2, which Microsoft say is necessary to install the ESU. However, they also state that if you go to Windows Update, if your device meets the prerequisites for ESU, you'll see a link to enroll in ESU. I see no such link, only the message that my PC doesn't meet the minimum requirements to upgrade to Win11.

 

I'm also a bit confused when you state that there's nothing to prevent me from upgrading to Win 11, other than there not being any official support. I thought that's the whole issue - no more security updates?

 

I think I'll wait to see if anything changes on my Windows Update after October 14, and if not, will investigate 0patch, which also apparently works for the next few years, not just one year.

 

 

On 10/12/2025 at 9:12 AM, transam said:

This is the video I used. My advice is to call it up on another LT/PC so you are free to do the job on the target machine, as the lady talks a bit fast, but it is straight forward....☺️

This is the best video I have seen for this process and 100% works

@CygnusX1 I don't understand what you are writing. ESU is free for everyone. You seem to be overcomplicating things. Europeans don't have to back up their Settings. Others might, but it's still free.

 

If you haven't received the link for ESU, then you need to remedy that. There is a process that you need to follow to get it to appear, if it hasn't already done so.

I don't want to hijack this thread by going through that here, but you can start another thread and we can take a look at it.

 

 

Lastly, there is nothing to stop you from upgrading to Windows 11. That is the whole point of this thread. There is even a video showing you how to do it. Ignore the message stating that your PC is not eligible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, elfpattaya said:

This is the best video I have seen for this process and 100% works

I thought it might be helpful.............🤗

4 hours ago, JakeC said:

If you haven't received the link for ESU, then you need to remedy that. There is a process that you need to follow to get it to appear, if it hasn't already done so.

I don't want to hijack this thread by going through that here, but you can start another thread and we can take a look at it.

OK, thanks again. Google AI suggests waiting for a few days for the link to appear, and there are also instructions in yourwindowsguide dot com to force the ESU link to appear, which include making a change to the Windows registry. 0patch is looking a lot easier.

I just enrolled in Microsoft extra security until 13 October 2026 for my windows 10 Pro, and it was free

@CygnusX1 Follow your heart, Offer withdrawn. I had readied a guide for you. Two minutes and done. I'll leave you to do it your way. Paying 0Patch vs free official support...hmm.

Paying 0Patch instead of a free upgrade to Windows 11...

It seems that you REALLY want to give 0Patch some money  Don't let me stop you.

 

There is another way to have win 10 licensed till 2031. Win 10 enterprise  IOT LTSC you can get the details from You Tube Cyber cpuTech it is fantastic only 10 items from Microsoft remain zero spyware. The only downside is if you use Adobe for picture management it doesn't care for it. Lic & it will need to be Licensed is about $10.50 in the link Cyber provides. You only need win Pro 10 to upgrade.you don't really need to have an Microsoft acct to do it. PM me & I will give more details if interested. My 12 year old niece just did it so it is fairly a no brainer for anyone with any level of tech Savvy. 

11 hours ago, JakeC said:

Follow your heart, Offer withdrawn. I had readied a guide for you. Two minutes and done. I'll leave you to do it your way. Paying 0Patch vs free official support...hmm.

Paying 0Patch instead of a free upgrade to Windows 11...

It seems that you REALLY want to give 0Patch some money  Don't let me stop you.

My apologies if I seem ungrateful! Please post the guide, it will be useful for others, and maybe 0patch won’t work out for me.

 

In future, I’m going to forget about gaming PCs, just the latest Playstation hooked to my OLED TV, together with a cheap mini PC running Windows, which is all I need for spreadsheets (I don’t have the computer skills to use Linux, though I do use Libre Office for spreadsheets).

@CygnusX1 Start a new topic when you are ready...

18 hours ago, sometime said:

I just enrolled in Microsoft extra security until 13 October 2026 for my windows 10 Pro, and it was free

I think most of us have done that, but the thread is about updating to W11 so you do not have to worry about fluffing around...🤩

3 hours ago, JakeC said:

Start a new topic when you are ready...

I'm not game to do that, have never initiated a topic, and it's not as if we're all that far off topic here, especially by the standards of this forum.

20 hours ago, Beardog said:

You Tube Cyber cpuTech it is fantastic only 10 items from Microsoft remain zero spyware.

So is this some doctored version different to the mainstream enterprise IOT LTSC?

 

I query as I posted in other threads the story -

https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/22/windows_10_ltsc/

 

and a link to downloads which go to January 2032

https://massgrave.dev/windows10_eol#windows-10-iot-enterprise-ltsc-2021

On 10/11/2025 at 4:20 PM, transam said:

As we know, Windows 10 security stuff ends in a couple of days, and I have been messing about with my old PC to try and install Windows 11, my old LGA775 PC setup was about 16 years old, but even after watching a few videos on how to by-pass all the W11 restrictions, no luck for me.

 

My friend just gave me an old Dell PC, which itself is about 13 years old, but it had an LGA1155 socket with an early i7-2600 CPU. So I pulled the motherboard and CPU out and installed it in my case, which has a graphics card, tower cooling and 600w transformer. There were a few weee problems, as Dell does some strange stuff, but I sorted it in the end.

 

Today, I thought about trying the Windows 11 install again, with this slightly newer set-up, just for a bit of fun, I picked a different video to follow, that was short and sweet, no padding, to find, in a very short time, I now have Windows 11installed, it was surprisingly easy too, so it can be done......... 

Windows 10 ends in these days?

Microsoft sent me a message to apply for an extension for at least 1 year. Now I have time to think about to buy a new motherboard or a new laptop

23 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Windows 10 ends in these days?

Microsoft sent me a message to apply for an extension for at least 1 year. Now I have time to think about to buy a new motherboard or a new laptop

Why don't you look at the video and try and update to Windows 11. I have used this method on 3 PCs, one of which is 15 years old.  Just try it if it does not work on your laptop, it will say so, no damage will be done.

Windows 11 is good once you get used to it.

 

 

Helpful(0)

3 minutes ago, elfpattaya said:

Why don't you look at the video and try and update to Windows 11. I have used this method on 3 PCs, one of which is 15 years old.  Just try it if it does not work on your laptop, it will say so, no damage will be done.

Windows 11 is good once you get used to it.

I forget to mention, an update to W11 is not possible. Therefore the protection for 1 year is my limited solution

2 hours ago, topt said:

So is this some doctored version different to the mainstream enterprise IOT LTSC?

 

I query as I posted in other threads the story -

https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/22/windows_10_ltsc/

 

and a link to downloads which go to January 2032

https://massgrave.dev/windows10_eol#windows-10-iot-enterprise-ltsc-2021

It is 100% copy of widows enterprise. I am using it now & it is super stripped down bloatware. It kills all pesky spyware from Microsoft & gives you till 2031 if you use the IOT LTSC verion. Not doctored but you do need to edit 4 items in the registry to make it think that you are an existing enterprise user all that does is change the lastt 22 version that requires you to install win 11 back to 21 . It is a winner.But bit is the same IOT LTSC. All my buds in the states are now using it.

16 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Windows 10 ends in these days?

Microsoft sent me a message to apply for an extension for at least 1 year. Now I have time to think about to buy a new motherboard or a new laptop

Your late, start at my beginning...............🤭

20 hours ago, CygnusX1 said:

I'm not game to do that, have never initiated a topic, and it's not as if we're all that far off topic here, especially by the standards of this forum.

 

Not a particularly thoughtful comment.... Do you imagine anyone looking for a guide as to how to get the Enrol button to appear, is going to search for it in the middle of a topic about Windows 11?

18 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

I forget to mention, an update to W11 is not possible. Therefore the protection for 1 year is my limited solution

 

Unless your PC is fifteen years old, you can upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 and from there to 25H2.

18 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

I forget to mention, an update to W11 is not possible. Therefore the protection for 1 year is my limited solution

Why is it not possible for you....? 🤔

59 minutes ago, transam said:

Why is it not possible for you....? 🤔

The CPU is not on Microsoft list

 Entry denied for download