Don’t trash that old computer.
Getty Images
Updated May 10 with another free option for Windows users.
Microsoft is changing Windows Update. Secure Boot certificates were first issued in 2011 they begin to expire in June. Microsoft will automatically install new certificates on most computers. But for hundreds of millions of Windows 10 users, there are no new certificates. After the June expiration date, you will be at risk.
When Windows 10 expired in October 2025, Microsoft rolled out a free year of extended support. This is available until October. You must register to protect these security updates. You will also receive new Secure Boot certificates.
But for computer owners who lack the extensive security updates, Google offers a free pc upgrade. “Windows 10 has reached the end of support, putting these PCs at risk of obsolescence. This has left many people with a difficult decision: spend hundreds on a new device or continue using an insecure, outdated one.”
As a group of consumers Which explains, you can “transform your old laptop into a faster, free Chromebook.” The team just published a helpful tutorial on “how to turn a free-wearing laptop into a secure, fast machine.”
The site explains that “older laptops that don’t meet the hardware requirements for an upgrade can become unsafe to use online, as well as painfully slow. Instead of letting yours go to waste, consider turning it into a Chromebook. ChromeOS Flex is a free and fast operating system based on the Google Chrome browser.”
And because “ChromeOS is essentially a web browser,” it needs far less RAM and processing power than a Windows laptop, “which means it’ll run faster and use less power — a big plus for older laptops with fewer batteries. Your laptop will be much more secure and less prone to viruses. Its always-online nature ensures your device supports regular security updates.”
Google cut a deal with Back Market to offer ChromeOS Flex on a $3 reusable USB stick. But this device has been sold out almost since its release. That’s why this Which tutorial is timely and useful as the June deadline approaches.
ChromeOS Flex isn’t for everyone. It’s a very basic web-based device that doesn’t have any of the local device capabilities of a Windows PC. But it’s much safer than running a Windows device that no longer receives critical patches.
“By running ChromeOS Flex on an old laptop,” he says, “you’ve saved a computer from becoming part of the e-waste mountain.” And you’ve saved money on a new computer, “if you were thinking of buying a new machine.”
In the context of Windows 10 PCs becoming obsolete and users being pushed to new hardware, there’s an ironic story that’s quickly going viral. Per XDA-Developers, “It’s very easy and very hard to forget that Windows 11 is built on some very old code. It’s easier to forget when you’re using the newer, more polished features in Windows 11. Then you open the Control Panel and it feels like you’ve stepped back a few decades.”
This came about because Microsoft’s Azure CTO did posted a video on X asking “does anyone expect Win32 to still be going strong in 2026?”, explaining why the new operating system’s deep roots in Windows — and the vast ecosystem it’s built on top of — have given it serious staying power. It turns out that ‘heritage’ can still mean substantial.”
But not Windows 10, which is treated very differently.
Meantime, TechRepublic points out that ChromeOS Flex isn’t the only free option for extending the life of an outdated Windows 10 machine. Linux Mint “gives older PCs another operating system to run after Windows 10 ends support. The operating system is free and designed to work well on older hardware.”
And while ChromeOS is a very different proposition from Windows — designed as an interface to Google’s cloud-based platforms, Linux Mint “has a familiar desktop layout, which can make the transition easier for ex-Windows users.”
