Mastodawn

The Flight Attendant

My elderly mom recently got scammed out of $17,500 by a close friend & had to get all new bank accounts. I'm currently visiting her & setting up all of her automatic bill payments. While using her desktop computer, I realized that it doesn't qualify for Windows 11 so I'm looking at new PCs, comparing them to her old one... It seems like all of the affordable options would be a downgrade in RAM. Lol, her current computer is from 2017 & she still has the original box it came in.

The Flight Attendant 1d ago

Feeling very angry at Microsoft for changing the minimum system requirements for windows. My mom uses her computer for online banking & her medical portal ONLY. There's absolutely zero reason her computer needs to be turned into e waste. Yes, i know linux exists but i don't personally feel comfortable putting a new OS on my 83 year old mother's PC rn. There's nothing wrong with her current computer other than Microsoft wants more money.

@CosmicTraveler Microsoft has a great protection racket going, for sure.

What about buying a shitty but barely Win11 compatible PC on eBay used? Lots of orgs unload old computers via eBay to recoup costs of upgrading.

The Flight Attendant 1d ago

@unsafelyhotboots Thanks, i will look into eBay

Nonya Bidniss 1d ago

@CosmicTraveler I'm still using Win10 on my laptop & desktop, ran a script that makes it still get security updates. I need a new desktop computer though, looking at this one (the $500 version) and would install Linux on it, perhaps dual boot with the pre-loaded Win11 with local user only (no MS account). https://www.geekompc.com/geekom-it13-mini-pc/

GEEKOM IT13 2026 Edition Mini PC with 13th Gen Intel i9

GEEKOM IT13 2026 Edition mini PC is powered by Intel 13th CPU. On sale NOW! Choose i9-13900HK 2026 edition for top performance, ideal for gaming & daily uses.

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The Flight Attendant 1d ago

@Nonya_Bidniss Thanks, yes shopping for a new computer is like a whole new world. I didn't know these mini computers existed until yesterday. Unfortunately I'm only looking at the old fashioned kind that have the correct ports for her 9 year old monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers & printer... I guess they probably make converters but that seems a lot more complicated

Nonya Bidniss 1d ago

@CosmicTraveler It'd probably be easier to set her up with modern peripherals but that's technology obsolescence for you. And it's hard to switch gadgets when you get older, I feel it myself.

Tyrone Slothrop 1d ago

@CosmicTraveler I don’t mean to be That Guy, but this is a rare case where I have first-hand experience.

I’ve had some elderly relatives on Debian for almost a decade now.

They really only use the web browser, including for mail (ISP webmail offering) and banking. Once I told them where the browser was, they were off to the races.

Tyrone Slothrop 1d ago

@CosmicTraveler I don’t mean to be That Guy, but this is a rare case where I have first-hand experience.

I’ve had some elderly relatives on Debian for almost a decade now.

They really only use the web browser, including for mail (ISP webmail offering) and banking. Once I told them where the browser was, they were off to the races.

Justin Fitzsimmons 1d ago

@CosmicTraveler you could try using massgrave to activate the windows 10 ESU to extend the life for a few more years https://massgrave.dev/tsforge#windows-esu

TSforge Activation | MAS

Overview

The Flight Attendant 1d ago

@smn Thank you! 🙏 I think this is exactly what I've been looking for

David Prieto (valerian32)1d ago

@CosmicTraveler woo cool pc. Is it viable to keep windows 10 or install Linux mint?

The Flight Attendant 1d ago

@d_prieto it currently has windows 10 and I got an extension until October of 2026. I was considering trying Linux but I don't think I visit often enough to keep it updated.

David Prieto (valerian32)1d ago

@CosmicTraveler totally understandable.

Peach “Fuzz” Fae 1d ago

@CosmicTraveler @d_prieto With very little work Mint can be set to update itself automatically or be triggered to update by you remotely (SSH). Windows started as a standalone product. Linux was built to be networked and remotely administered from the earliest days. If you can manage an install of Linux you have enough savvy to set up a remote admin. There are great tutorials on the 'tubes...
BTW, I'm responding to you on my main system, a PC from 2007 running Mint.

Melissa BearTrix 1d ago

@CosmicTraveler

I've heard that you should be able to ... I think there is a trick to get windows 11 on ... Otherwise Linux Mint is a very good swap over to windows

Hugz & xXx

The Flight Attendant 1d ago

@MelissaBearTrix Thanks 🙏 i am interested in a registry hack to bypass the windows 11 system requirements and continue using this PC with Windows 11 if anyone has easy to follow instructions

@CosmicTraveler I’m sorry that sounds like one awful thing after another

@CosmicTraveler just as meta commentary, I love how half of the comments in this thread are "have you thought about Linux?" When the next post explicitly says "... and I don't want to switch her to Linux ..."

Us Linux stans slaying it in the comments.

The Flight Attendant 20h ago

@unsafelyhotboots I wish I felt comfortable enough with Linux to try it again. I've only personally ever used Linux once on a laptop around 2007 and it eventually just stopped working & I gave up. I really like the idea of Linux. But now that my mom has been scammed financially, if anything ever happened with her online banking I would feel like it's my fault. And all she has ever used is Windows. But i knew where i was posting this- so that's why I made the 2nd post 😂

@CosmicTraveler Linux has come a long way since then, but agreed on the wisdom of not using your 80 something mom as the guinea pig.