Summary: As Microsoft approaches the End of Windows 10 Support 10 in October, charities that refurbish and distribute older computers face a critical dilemma. With an estimated 240 million PCs unable to meet the rigorous hardware requirements for Windows 11, these organizations must choose between offering potentially insecure Windows 10 systems, sending them to e-waste recyclers, or considering alternative operating systems like Linux.
Windows 11 requires a CPU of at least 1GHz with two cores, a minimum of 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, Secure Boot support, and TPM 2.0 compatibility. The supported Intel CPU list only accommodates processors from the 8th generation (introduced in 2017) and higher, while the AMD list starts from the Ryzen 2000 series.
This exclusion affects numerous relatively recent and powerful computers that, despite having sufficient RAM and storage, do not qualify for the upgrade.
“Installing Windows 10 at this juncture is ill-advised,” stated Chester Wisniewski, director and global field CISO for Sophos, in an interview with Tom’s Hardware. “The signs are evident. Microsoft has internally resolved to phase out this hardware, presumably to deter further usage of Windows.”
Wisniewski emphasizes that Windows 10 and Windows 11 share a substantial codebase, implying that vulnerabilities patched in one version can often be exploited in the other. Recent Patch Tuesdays have seen the resolution of numerous vulnerabilities, some of which were already being exploited by malefactors before patches were available.
In addition to the security concerns, charities using Windows 10 must consider compliance risks.
For example, charity shops employing Windows 10 for electronic point-of-sale systems may encounter compliance difficulties with regulations like GDPR once support ceases. Failing to comply can lead to substantial fines, harming the charity’s reputation and financial health.
The challenge of e-waste is also significant, with only 14 to 40 percent of electronic waste in the U.S. being recycled. This could equate to approximately 1.06 billion pounds of e-waste, comparable to the weight of 320,000 cars. When electronic devices are not recycled, they often end up in landfills, where hazardous materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium can contaminate the soil. This contamination can render the soil unfit for agriculture and pose threats to drinking water supplies and aquatic ecosystems, with the incineration of e-waste also releasing harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
The environmental impact of e-waste extends beyond immediate effects. The UN indicates that the annual economic cost of e-waste is $37 billion, which is projected to rise to $40 billion by 2030 unless e-waste management and policies improve.
Despite these issues, numerous users will persist in using Windows 10. As reported by Statcounter, Windows 10 still holds 58.7 percent of all Windows installations, while Windows 11 accounts for 38.1 percent. The probability that a significant portion of these systems will be upgraded or replaced by October is minimal, with even fewer users likely to enroll in Microsoft’s Extended Security Update program at a cost of $61 annually.
Charities like PCs for People are proactively addressing this issue. CEO Casey Sorensen stated that they ceased distributing Windows 10 a year before the cutoff and now emphasize Linux Mint for older configurations. We will offer Linux laptops that are 6th or 7th gen. Any Windows laptops we distribute will be 8th gen or newer,” Sorensen conveyed to the publication.
PCs for People refurbishes around 140,000 PCs each year, providing affordable solutions to low-income users while sending older devices to recyclers.
Sorensen notes that perceptions of Linux have shifted over the years. “A decade ago, if we provided Linux, people would ask, ‘What is it?'” he shares. Nowadays, many users consider their computers to be primarily internet gateways, making user-friendly Linux distributions like Mint more widely accepted.
Nonetheless, Linux still lacks certain popular platforms, such as Microsoft Office and Slack, although there are alternatives available.
As charities endure the trials posed by obsolete systems, they must weigh the need for secure computing against the environmental consequences of disposal. Regardless of the path they select, it is evident that many users will continue utilizing Windows 10 well beyond its support period, leaving them open to new vulnerabilities.
