--- title: "Why Switch from Windows to Linux? An Honest Guide for Laptop Owners" id: "1956" type: "post" slug: "why-switch-from-windows-to-linux" published_at: "2026-11-02T04:49:30+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-02T04:49:30+00:00" url: "https://thelinuxlaptop.com/why-switch-from-windows-to-linux/" markdown_url: "https://thelinuxlaptop.com/why-switch-from-windows-to-linux.md" excerpt: "Maybe your laptop failed the Windows 11 check. Maybe you’re tired of needing a Microsoft account to use your own computer. Or maybe you keep hearing Linux has gotten good and want to know if that’s true." taxonomy_category: - "Blog" --- Maybe your laptop failed the Windows 11 check. Maybe you’re tired of needing a Microsoft account to use your own computer. Or maybe you keep hearing Linux has gotten good and want to know if that’s true. It is. Linux isn’t perfect, and it isn’t for everyone, but in 2026 it’s a real option for most people who mainly browse, write, stream, code, and play games. Here’s why people are switching, what you give up, and how to make the move without losing a single file. ## Windows 10 is done, and the clock on ESU is running Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on **October 14, 2025**. Microsoft’s support page says that since then, Windows 10 PCs no longer get technical assistance, feature updates, or security updates unless they’re enrolled in Extended Security Updates (ESU): [https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-support-has-ended-on-october-14-2025-2ca8b313-1946-43d3-b55c-2b95b107f281](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-support-has-ended-on-october-14-2025-2ca8b313-1946-43d3-b55c-2b95b107f281) As of November 2026, Microsoft says the consumer ESU program runs **through October 12, 2027**. You can enroll at no extra cost if you sync your PC settings to a Microsoft account, by redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or with a one-time $30 purchase. Whichever route you take, you only get critical and important security fixes. No new features, no technical support: [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/extended-security-updates](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/extended-security-updates) ESU buys you time. It doesn’t solve the problem, and the program still ends. We cover the details on our Windows 10 end-of-life page: [https://thelinuxlaptop.com/windows-10-end-of-life/](https://thelinuxlaptop.com/windows-10-end-of-life/) ## Windows 11 may not want your laptop Microsoft’s official Windows 11 requirements include a compatible 64-bit processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, and **TPM 2.0**. Microsoft also says Windows 11 Home needs an internet connection and a Microsoft account to finish setup: [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/windows-11-requirements](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/windows-11-requirements) Plenty of working laptops fail that list on the processor or TPM check. Linux doesn’t have those gates, so a laptop Microsoft has written off can keep going with full security updates. ## The reasons people actually switch ### 1. Cost The big Linux distributions are free. Linux Mint says it’s “completely free of charge” ([https://www.linuxmint.com/](https://www.linuxmint.com/) ). Ubuntu’s LTS releases come with five years of free security and maintenance updates ([https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop](https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop) ). Fedora and Zorin OS Core are free too. For comparison, Microsoft’s own store lists Windows 11 Home at $139 and Windows 11 Pro at $199.99 as of November 1, 2026. Most of the software you’ll use on Linux, including the office suite, photo editor, and media player, costs nothing either. ### 2. Privacy and telemetry Windows collects “diagnostic data.” In its documentation, Microsoft says the setting that stops Windows from sending any diagnostic data, called “Diagnostic data off,” is “only available on Windows Server, Windows Enterprise, and Windows Education editions”: [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-windows-diagnostic-data-in-your-organization](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-windows-diagnostic-data-in-your-organization) So on the Home and Pro editions that come on most laptops, “Required diagnostic data” is the lowest setting you can choose. Microsoft also says that optional diagnostic data can include “data about the websites you browse” and that crash dumps “may unintentionally contain personal data.” Mainstream Linux distributions don’t require an online account, and any system reporting they offer is typically opt-in. To be fair, Linux doesn’t make you private by itself. Your browser and the services you sign in to still matter. ### 3. Longer life for older hardware Linux gives you a choice of desktops, and some of them are deliberately light. Linux Mint offers an Xfce edition that it describes as “lighter on resource usage” than its flagship Cinnamon desktop ([https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php](https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php) ). Zorin OS says it has been streamlined to run on computers up to 15 years old ([https://zorin.com/os/](https://zorin.com/os/) ). That’s Zorin’s own claim. One honest caveat: “Linux” isn’t one speed. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS recommends 6 GB of RAM and 25 GB of storage, which is more than some lightweight distros need. If your laptop is old, choose a lighter desktop rather than expecting miracles from any of them. ### 4. Customization On Windows you mostly get the desktop Microsoft gives you. On Linux you choose it. Cinnamon looks and feels like classic Windows, with a start menu, taskbar, and system tray. GNOME is clean and keyboard-friendly. KDE Plasma lets you change nearly everything. Zorin OS even has an Appearance app that can make the desktop look like the one you’re used to from Windows or macOS. You also decide when to install updates and restart. ### 5. Gaming is real now (with one big exception) Valve’s **Proton** is a “compatibility tool for Steam Play based on Wine” that lets many Windows games run on Linux right from Steam ([https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton) ). It’s the same technology that powers the Steam Deck, which runs SteamOS 3, an Arch-based Linux ([https://www.steamdeck.com/en/tech](https://www.steamdeck.com/en/tech) ). In Valve’s October 2026 Steam Hardware & Software Survey, Linux accounted for 3.95% of Steam users, up 0.90 points from the month before ([https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/](https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/) ). The exception is **kernel-level anti-cheat**. Some of the biggest multiplayer games block Linux entirely. The community-run tracker at [https://areweanticheatyet.com/](https://areweanticheatyet.com/) lists Fortnite, Valorant, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, and Battlefield 2042 as “Denied.” If one of those is your main game, keep Windows around with a dual boot, or check the tracker before you switch. ### 6. Security Linux distributions update the whole system from one trusted package manager, including the operating system, the browser, and your apps, so you’re not chasing a dozen separate updaters or downloading installers from random sites. Mainstream distros also work with Secure Boot. Ubuntu, for example, ships a Microsoft-signed “shim” bootloader, so it can boot with Secure Boot turned on ([https://documentation.ubuntu.com/security/security-features/platform-protections/secure-boot/](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/security/security-features/platform-protections/secure-boot/) ). No operating system is immune to attacks, and phishing works the same everywhere. But a fully patched Linux laptop is a far better place to be than a Windows 10 laptop that stopped getting updates. ## The honest tradeoffs Switching has costs. Here they are. - **Adobe Creative Cloud doesn’t run on Linux.** If Photoshop, Premiere, or Illustrator pays your bills, that matters. Good alternatives exist: **GIMP** and **Krita** for images (both have official Linux downloads), and **DaVinci Resolve**, which Blackmagic Design offers for “Mac, Windows and Linux,” for video. - **Microsoft Office desktop apps aren’t available for Linux.****LibreOffice** opens and edits Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, and Microsoft offers free Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in the browser at [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web) . Complex macros and some advanced Excel features may still need real Office. - **Some anti-cheat games won’t work,** as covered above. - **There’s a learning curve.** You’ll install apps from a software store instead of downloading .exe files, and you’ll find settings in new places. Give it a week or two. - **Niche Windows-only software** like tax tools, some printer utilities, or specialized work apps may need a web version, Wine, or a dual boot. ## How to switch: a practical migration plan ### Step 1: Back up everything Copy Documents, Pictures, Desktop, and Downloads to an external drive or cloud storage, and check that the copy actually opens. Export browser bookmarks and passwords, or sign in to your browser’s sync. This step isn’t optional. ### Step 2: Try a live USB Every major distro can run “live” from a USB stick without touching your drive. Ubuntu has a step-by-step guide: [https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/try-ubuntu-before-you-install](https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/try-ubuntu-before-you-install) . Check Wi-Fi, sound, the touchpad, suspend, and the webcam. A live session runs slower than an installed system, so judge compatibility, not speed. ### Step 3: Dual boot or go all in? **Replacing Windows** is simplest: one OS and the whole drive for Linux. **Dual booting** keeps Windows on its own partition for the one app or game you still need. If you dual boot, keep these in mind: - **BitLocker:** Many Windows laptops encrypt the drive with BitLocker. Ubuntu’s install guide says that if BitLocker is on, the installer can’t safely set up Ubuntu alongside Windows and will prompt you to turn BitLocker off first ([https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/install-ubuntu-desktop](https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/install-ubuntu-desktop) ). Before you change anything, save your 48-digit recovery key. Microsoft notes that its support team can’t retrieve a lost key: [https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-6b71ad27-0b89-ea08-f143-056f5ab347d6](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-6b71ad27-0b89-ea08-f143-056f5ab347d6) - **Secure Boot:** Ubuntu boots with it on. If any distro shows a “Secure Boot Violation,” Linux Mint’s guide covers the fixes: [https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/efi.html](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/efi.html) . Also, Microsoft says its original 2011 Secure Boot certificates began expiring in June 2026, which can affect setups that rely on Secure Boot trust, including third-party bootloaders. Keep Windows and your firmware updated. - **Install Windows first.** Linux Mint’s guide recommends it, because Windows can overwrite the boot menu. ### Step 4: Pick a beginner-friendly distro - **Linux Mint:** the closest to classic Windows. Start menu, taskbar, very little to relearn. - **Ubuntu LTS:** the most widely supported, with five years of free updates and a huge help community. - **Zorin OS:** built specifically for people coming from Windows, with layouts that look familiar. - **Fedora Workstation:** newer software and kernels. A great fit if you like being current. ### Step 5: What to expect in your first week - **Day 1:** Run the update tool, then open the software store and install your browser, Steam, Spotify, or whatever else you use. Most of it is a click away. - **Days 2–3:** Move your files back and set up printers, cloud storage, and email. - **Days 4–7:** Learn a couple of keyboard shortcuts, try a few desktop tweaks, and make a list of anything that’s missing. Most of it will have a Linux or web alternative. If something truly doesn’t, that’s what dual boot is for. ## FAQ **Is Linux really free?** Yes. Mint, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Zorin OS Core cost nothing to download and use. Some offer optional paid editions or support. **Can I run Microsoft Office on Linux?** Not the desktop apps. You can use Microsoft 365 in a web browser, or LibreOffice, which opens and saves Office file formats. **Will my Steam games work?** Many will, thanks to Proton. Games that use kernel-level anti-cheat, like Fortnite and Valorant, are blocked on Linux. Check [https://areweanticheatyet.com/](https://areweanticheatyet.com/) before you switch. **Can I keep Windows just in case?** Yes. Dual boot puts Windows and Linux on separate partitions, and you choose one when the laptop starts. **Which Linux is best for Windows users?** Linux Mint or Zorin OS for the most familiar feel. Ubuntu LTS if you want the broadest support. ## Want to skip the setup? If you’d rather not deal with partitions, BitLocker, and Wi-Fi drivers, The Linux Laptop Company sells brand-name laptops with Linux already installed and tested: [https://thelinuxlaptop.com/](https://thelinuxlaptop.com/) All OS packages are guaranteed up to date before your laptop ships. Firmware and BIOS updates are applied when they’re available and compatible with your machine. Need one Windows app? Dual boot is available as an add-on. On dual-boot laptops, we update the Linux side only, so you’ll run Windows Update yourself. Browse Linux laptops: [https://thelinuxlaptop.com/linux-laptops/](https://thelinuxlaptop.com/linux-laptops/) Linux Mint laptops: [https://thelinuxlaptop.com/linux-mint-laptops/](https://thelinuxlaptop.com/linux-mint-laptops/) Ubuntu laptops: [https://thelinuxlaptop.com/ubuntu-laptops/](https://thelinuxlaptop.com/ubuntu-laptops/) Zorin OS laptops: [https://thelinuxlaptop.com/zorin-laptops/](https://thelinuxlaptop.com/zorin-laptops/) Why buy from us: [https://thelinuxlaptop.com/why-us/](https://thelinuxlaptop.com/why-us/) [https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fthelinuxlaptop.com%2Fwhy-switch-from-windows-to-linux%2F&linkname=Why%20Switch%20from%20Windows%20to%20Linux%3F%20An%20Honest%20Guide%20for%20Laptop%20Owners](https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fthelinuxlaptop.com%2Fwhy-switch-from-windows-to-linux%2F&linkname=Why%20Switch%20from%20Windows%20to%20Linux%3F%20An%20Honest%20Guide%20for%20Laptop%20Owners) [https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/facebook?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fthelinuxlaptop.com%2Fwhy-switch-from-windows-to-linux%2F&linkname=Why%20Switch%20from%20Windows%20to%20Linux%3F%20An%20Honest%20Guide%20for%20Laptop%20Owners](https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/facebook?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fthelinuxlaptop.com%2Fwhy-switch-from-windows-to-linux%2F&linkname=Why%20Switch%20from%20Windows%20to%20Linux%3F%20An%20Honest%20Guide%20for%20Laptop%20Owners) [https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/pinterest?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fthelinuxlaptop.com%2Fwhy-switch-from-windows-to-linux%2F&linkname=Why%20Switch%20from%20Windows%20to%20Linux%3F%20An%20Honest%20Guide%20for%20Laptop%20Owners](https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/pinterest?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fthelinuxlaptop.com%2Fwhy-switch-from-windows-to-linux%2F&linkname=Why%20Switch%20from%20Windows%20to%20Linux%3F%20An%20Honest%20Guide%20for%20Laptop%20Owners) ## Recent Posts - [Why Switch from Windows to Linux? 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