Why Microsoft doesn't want to talk about Windows 12

This year is very important for Microsoft. It is the year that the most popular Windows operating system, Windows 10, is reaching end of support. It is used by hundreds of millions of users worldwide and has a comfortable lead over its successor Windows 11.
End of support means that Microsoft won't create patches, security or otherwise, for the operating system anymore. Hold, that is not entirely correct. Customers who pay may extend support by a year if they use it at home, or by three years of they are a business.
For Microsoft, 2025 is the "year of the Windows 11 PC refresh". Microsoft's marketing department sees a clear path for all those Windows 10 customers: upgrade their devices to Windows 11 or, even better, purchase new PCs, ideally Copilot+ PC devices to fuel AI growth on Windows.
If Microsoft would have spent some time talking to its customers, it may have received different paths and answers.
- A few hundred million devices cannot be upgraded to Windows 11, because Microsoft changed the system requirements of Windows 11.
- An unknown number of users is perfectly happy with their Windows 10 PC. They see no reason to buy a new PC with Windows 11.
Microsoft can try to upgrade customer devices forcefully as much as it pleases, but it won't resolve the dilemma for a good chunk of loyal Windows 10 customers.
Where is Windows 12?
Back in 2022, Windows Central reported that Microsoft was switching to a three-year release cycle for Windows again. The source were people at Microsoft reportedly. That would have meant a Windows 12 release in late 2024, but that never happened.
What did happen was that Microsoft replaced Windows leadership in 2023. Panos Panay left for Amazon and Pavan Davuluri took over.
The specifics are muddy, but it is clear that there has been a strategic shift at Microsoft. The company tried to push AI and impress the world with an AI feature that would soon thereafter fall heavily on the company's feet.
Recall, a feature that takes screenshots of activity on Windows, process it with AI, and allow users to have chats with the AI about it, was dubbed a privacy and security nightmare.
Microsoft had to recall it, go back to the drawing board, and is just recovering from the blow. Recall is available again in test builds, in a version that is better but still seen as problematic by some. In all likelihood, Recall won't become a main selling point for Windows AI PCs.
Microsoft has another reason to avoid any mention of Windows 12. Any hint of a future version of Windows might give Windows 10 users the wrong idea about how to proceed. Once Windows 12 is mentioned, many might stay on Windows 10 until the next version of Windows is ready.
To avoid that, Windows 12, if it is in development, is a tightly kept secret at Microsoft.
Closing Words
Expect no mention of Windows 12 this year. Microsoft is focused on getting Windows 10 customers to upgrade to Windows 11 or buy new PCs with that version. The company could hint at the new operating system in 2026, likely near the end, but that is guesswork.


@Tom H, I’m not tech savvy still I’m using Linux for about 7 years now. It takes lot of reading and watching videos on how to … . I could now say what the best distro is and what the best desktop environment is, but there is no such thing. There is probably one out there that suits you best, a distro that gets out of your way and does what you want it to doe.
Ask around maybe friends or family have an old laptop laying about catching dust, ask them pretty please … before you know it you can start distro hopping. Don’t forget Ventoy.
Keep your beloved Windows 7 PC, the room where it sits in will never look the same without it.
Greeting from an old retired man who loves Linux
A digression, but in my opinion “the Linux desktop community” have brought a lot of trouble upon themselves and made many distributions a hard sell to potential converts.
“All” distros includes several desktop environments and includes a hefty mix of applications in need for elements from other desktop environments. Hardly any are clean, and it adds undesireable complexity.
“All” distros includes various non-desktop centric elements like servers and so on.
I’m rather convinced the Linux desktop would have been in a way better place if a few distros dropped everything not relevant for a specific Desktop environment and clean desktop usage.
By the looks of it, “all” distibutions wants to cover all users and all usage segments, and that’s not very appealing to a general audience just wanting to get on with it.
The kitchensink approach is attractive for explorers, but not for a general audience. I have had a beef with that since early SuSE, Ubuntu and RedHat (Debian was never my thing, but the same goes for them). It is understandable for SuSE, RedHat and Debian due to their role in the wider development. For the 2nd tiers feeding from those, I was always disappointed that almost all went generic, and it has to be very confusing for those who wants to dip their toes into the Linux pond.
Android suffers from a similar scenario, and one of the consequences is the eternal stream of app updates to Android devices, way way way beyond what’s happening on a iPhone. Another is the delays updating to a newer version of Android IF the vendor bothers to make it available.
@Paul, thanks for sharing your experience, and happy to learn that 7 years with Linux hasn’t made you change your mind. I guess once the decision is taken, the first point is to choose the Linux distro which will suit the best our nedds, and that is not obvious. But as a technician told me, you can start with a Linux distro which has its environment close to that of Windows in order to make the change smoother … and later on move on to another Linux distro : an OS is not like buying a house :)
Greeting as well from a similar profile to yours apart from loving an OS of which he sees but the silhouette :)
My laptop running Windows 11, Intel i3, 16Gb Ram, 1TB SDD has suddenly been made obsolete by Microsoft. I can not longer update and can not upgrade using an ISO as my CPU is no longer on the list.
Moving to Ubuntu
Microsoft stands to make a lot of money (special deals with hardware manufacturers) by forcing people to but new hardware.
I suspect that Microsoft has “special deals” with manufacturers to force people to buy new hardware.
If something smells like a rat it probably is. Logic makes no sense that they would discontinue an opperating system when over 50% of there customer base use it.
Turn off snooping AI and reduce bloat and fix the start menu which everypne has been saying from day 1 and we will upgrade tomorrow
Windows 10 was the last Windows you’ll ever need, remember?
Turns out it was.
Had 2 periods where I had to use Windows since 2010, forced by document formats and Microsoft servers / contracts. There were nothing I couldn´t have done with a Mac or Linux. Just a strategy from Microsoft. That’s all, but it worked. My siebling, the Professor, was forced to drop her Mac for the same reasons with all software available on both platforms.
No longer the case, and I’m now on M4 and use Arch on the Laptop. Will replace the M4 with an Arch creative workstation – presently planned spec RTX 5080/Ryzen 9950/X870E/196gb (abt 5.000 €) for Blender BIM and DaVinci Resolve next year.
Endeavour OS provides a quite clean, decent and 100% compatible Arch installation, and a well maintained Arch setup is as lean and efficient as Linux gets. No kitchen sink like Windows and many mainstream Linux distribution.
Don’t be fooled by the simple website, you will get a very pleasant entry to Arch, which has some of the very best documentation around.
https://endeavouros.com/
Unless you have specific needs requiring Windows (Adobe/AutoCAD/specific games and so on), it will perform excellently. Arch is the best OS I ever had and I have had dead stable low maintenance setups running without problems for years, (have used everything from *nix, MSdos 4, Windows, SuSE, RedHat, CentOS, *buntu and OSX/MacOS).
HW compatibility you said? Microsoft just introduced the largest incompatibility problem ever ;)
@EU, interesting comment relating interesting experiences but relevant of what frightens non techie-savant users : complexity of the Linux environment as opposed to the simplicity of the Windows ecosystem. Diversity is undoubtedly a requirement for progress but diversity enlightens those who are able to understand diversity topography and discourages those who need a clear perspective, at least to start with : choice is a brain teaser for pros, a brain killer for others. Lastly, pros, in whatever area of knowledge, happen, for some of them, to be obsessed by showing-off and entertaining debates within their closed circles to the detriment of sharing and explaining, clearly (understandable by all audiences), the why and how of their digital choices. One may argument that bringing complexity to the understanding of all is not their responsibility but rather that of Websites, and some Websites do have that in mind, though perhaps more concerned by what a mass of users expect than by what they could be educated with : more readers when explaining the latest Windows features and issues than when reporting anything to do with, i.e., Linux distributions.
Hie Tom, thank you for your response.
First of all, I believe complexity in Linux is something one certainly can achieve, but it is also easily avoidable. Secondly, Windows is far more complex both in structure and maintenance. Third and perhaps most important, to my experience the average Windows user don’t really know that much about Windows, they tend to rely upon someone else to figure things out. Gamers tend to know their stuff pretty well, but the general public not so much. Thing is, you don’t really need to know a lot to use Linux either, and for just getting on with work, there is less maintenance and less trouble.
It’s been a long time since I pushed any OS on someone, anyone is free to use whatever they prefer, and as long as I don’t have anything to do with the PC it is of no consequence to me. I prefer not to deal with anyone elses computers, and that’s from being “the dude” sorting things out in Windows for A LOT of people. A close friend purchased a new W11 laptop abt 6 weeks ago, and he has already been seing the retailer twice with issues. I stay out of it ;)
I don’t use Linux due to some attraction to complexitiy, I want to use my machines and have as little work as possible with maintenance and updates. It’s a very pragmatic choice, almost laziness.
(The choice of Workstation is due to abt half the cost of slightly/way better performance than the anticipated/upcoming top dog Macs (Studio/Pro)), and the choice of Arch is to optimize performance, minimize maintenance and so on.
I understand the fear of the unknown and the established “truth” that Windows is the userfriendly choice, but it really isn’t. But people don’t accept that idea regardless, and I’m fine with that.
I would argue the biggest issue is a mental barrier, and the same goes with transition from W to Mac. I KNOW my friend would be better off with a entry Mac Mini M4 than his more expensive laptop, but trying to sell that notion is just a waste of time. No point in “told you so” after his 2 visits to the retailer. So far ;)
Have a pleasant day,
EU
@EU, I read you loud and clear. Furthermore I may have established my comment on my very own fears and doubts about switching to Linux and consequently advocated an assistance to do so when assistance is never to be an obligation but only a wish : it’s up to each of us to dig, to dig for information and establish our choices independently of others’ recommendations: I agree with you on the fact of not interfering in others’ choices, “knowledge proselytism” so to say hasn’t its place in the arena of freedom.
As far as I’m concerned this fear seems sometimes to lead (me) to a “take me by the hand and show me the path of Linux best distros and convince me Linux is the best alternative to Windows” : fear leads to nothing and I assume some incoherence in its implications here with an otherwise hatred for begging for help :)
Thanks for your clear and friendly response.
Have a pleasant day and, though January 31st is passed, a great New Year :)
P.S. I had written “One may argument” … oh! my … “one may argue” definitely closer to English …
Thanks Tom, people are at different stages and the best anecdote I can come up with was this friend of mine back in the day. His laptop had turned into Windows glue, and I showed him my sanitized Arch setup. He became interested, and together we installed a very lean, fast and to the point setup of Arch. That machine worked perfectly and covered everything he needed. I thaught him all he needed to know.
Then he got hooked, and went ballistic exploring all sorts of distributions of which SuSE probably was the best option at the time (Ubuntu had bugs left unattended for months and sometimes years). But nah, he didn’t stick to that either.
So, his original motivation was to have a well functioning laptop for his usage, and he ended up with Linux as a hobby. That is 2 very different scenarios, and they are not that compatible.
I believe that anecdote describes a common issue with the many who promote Linux desktops to Windows users. They are into it as a hobby, and they are selling that to people who just want a efficient computer allowing them to do whatever they need from the machine. Bound to fail.
From my sphere – Arch – I see something similar. Mastering and using Arch is seen as a measuring stick for competence and complexity a feature. In my opinion, the forum nurtures that to some extent, and it is really unforgiving to the extent that I’m not a member.
That materialises it self best by the unforgiving installation procedure, which puzzles me a bit. What is important with an installation isn’t the procedure, it’s the outcome. Installation is not the point with any operative system. The point is to have a machine performing optimally every day all year.
And the thing is, when done properly (EOS does that), an Arch installation is extremely easy to maintain. One click and the password is what it takes to keep it up to date. (One does have to check for warnings at the Arch site though – and those warnings always tells you exactly what to do).
That is drowned in the “complication noise”, and the simplest becomes terribly difficult by reputation.
No wonder people stay away from Linux ;)
Since 2015 the only versions of Windows fit for use have been LTSC versions. Seven was peak windows and everything that came after was/is a bastardization of computing and software sacrilege. I have been posting this on forums for over 10 years now because it is true. As for 11 installing, I start out with IoT 11, then install WinAero Tweaker and run 30 auto tweaks from my saved teak list. Then finally install StartAllBack, its dev is a genius at reviving prior Windows capabilities and appearance. Those 3 things make Windows into a usable OS… Since Windows 7 ended I have only run LTSC versions of Windows and I have vowed since then that no filthy despicable regular version of Windows would ever touch my bare metal.
Going forward, I will not use any other edition of Windows except for IoT Enterprise LTSC. It gives 10 years of security updates and significantly reduces bloatware installed.
Nothing wrong with Windows–never has been, which is why it’s the dominant OS in the world. European governments/schools tried Linux, mass-deployment–years ago; total disaster. They spent more money and suffered more security breaches than they ever had with Windows.
If an individual consumer is taking the time to learn LInux, and the only complaint with Windows is the UI and some unneeded programs, I think they would easily be able to create a Tiny distro. If all one does is surf the net, watch YouTube, and send an email, it’s easy enough to get by using the Windows PE with Firefox installed and run it from a USB.
Debloat scripts and tools abound; super simple tweakers that make a genuine difference are easy enough to find and run.
I use Linux Mint on an older desktop–love it. But . . . Linux will never replace Windows, and I wouldn’t recommend anyone going the Linux route, except as a neat hobby. I would recommend reading Martin’s articles, scouring GitHub, and learning everything one can about Windows (minor tweaking) because MSFT (Strong Buy) isn’t going away any time soon.
If you’d invested 1,000 in Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) on February 1, 2020, today the investment would be worth:
2,674.58
Annual rate of return: 21.71
Total increase: 167.46
Total profit: 1,674.58
Say you tossed in $1,000. Say it’s 30 years to retirement. Out of the biggies, only TSLA has the advantage. Not even NFLX has done so well.
The reason MS doesn’t want to talk about Windows 12 is because it doesn’t need to. Financially, which is all that matters, MS is doing fine with large cash reserves.
Computer hardware companies support MS with open arms: “Hey, MS! Do us a favor; make the requirements for Windows more stringent so consumers MUST go out and purchase a new computer. Simple capitalism.
Like a lot of people, I get way more than three years of use from a computer. More like about 11 or 12 years in fact. At this point though, I’m giving more and more consideration to keeping my old computer running but air-gapped. I’ll also have another, newer computer for accessing the internet. This will ensure that I remain protected from Microsoft’s schemed to steal all my data by moving it to their servers via OneDrive.
I’m a long time windows user. I didn’t want to let go of windows 7, but had to. Using windows 10, I saw right there and then, bloatware. whew~, I tried windows 11 there for a while, and saw that it was bloated with apps I didn’t want. I had to take my time, and go uninstall these apps, just so, that they could reinstall once again. So the fight was on. Me and these apps. I got so fedup, I couldn’t see! This is when I started looking into linux. All I do is watch youtube, and watch the news on youtube. Send E-Mail and so on. I never was a gamer. So I downloaded and installed KDE Neon Linux. WOW! what a clean system. And very beautiful as well. MicroSoft can have windows 11 and all it’s BloatWare. They Only way I ewill ever go back to using windows, is that the bloatware goes away.
Bloatware, not to mention technical and privacy issues. I’ve read somewhere — for what’s it worth — that western intelligence agencies (specifically in what I had read, the National Scrutiny Agency) were particularly concerned by users of VPNs and by those of Linux OSs. Is it that Linux is (far) less vulnerable to external inquisition than Windows?
–
Many thanks to those of you all that report here and elsewhere their experience with Linux. Moreover I discover daily a trend of pointing out that Linux is filling the gap with Windows in its easiness of use and that the argument of a cumbersome OS is fading. In other words Linux appears to be the place to be, to use and to develop, as I see it.
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@Martin, I think a growing number of readers appreciate articles related to Linux; you do publish them, though scarcely maybe.
Talk about ransomware.
Windows today reminds me of something I have to use,but really do not like using. In the past Windows was just there and didn’t really get in my way. I find myself wrestling with Windows 11 to get it working as I want. Sometimes that does not even work because the options are not there. In some ways I find Windows 10 and more so 11 a regression over the past Windows like 7. I see more form over function now, and being loaded up with features more than customizations. Do I want to see a Windows 12 ? The path Microsoft is on with Windows right has to give me pause on what will come next and will it be better or worse.
I doubt Microsoft would release Windows 12 in 2025 if they are developing it because they are trying to get Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 as Microsoft wants to retire Windows 10 later year
why th not? 12 is a special number. there are 12 months in a year, 12 shios in chinese astrology even though the months are 13, 12 jesus disciples, 12 imams in shi’ite ithna asharia…
joking aside, imo microsoft should just drop the version and use only windows, to focus on the brand name. after all windows has now become a rolling release, breaking stuff faster than arch linux, effectively making customers beta testers lol
While I no longer use Windows, I’ve used it for such a long time that I’m still interested in what they have planned for Windwos 12, only out of sheer curiosity and maybe popcorn material.
I also am curious about things that I don’t like about Windows 8/10/11 that are still present and want to see how they will appear in Windows 12. Here are the things I’m interested in:
– the overall appearance of Windows has been made worse since Windows 8 where they made everything oversized as if designed for a touch screen only, I wish Windows 12 would rescale elements to make them smaller so the screen real estate space is better used and more populated by more things you can see at once
– Windows 8 introduced the ugly, boring, flat, monochrome rectangular look and Windows 10 doubled down upon it and in Windows 11 there are still remnant assets from that time and I wish they would be replaced with rounded assets that have gradients, transparency, maybe even gloss and more colors
– the Settings replacement for Control Panel is still garbage – oversized and the layout feels like a mobile layout for a phone or a tablet – items are placed in a single column so not a lot of things are visible at the same time, but the Control Panel in XP and more specifically Vista and 7 had multiple entries per column with sub-entries and this way you were able to see much more settings at once and I think that was better and I wish to see it come back
– the obvious Start Menu/Taskbar complaint – they are ugly, oversized, lack functionality and the basic customization options are taken away, not only you can’t move the taskbar, but the Start Menu had a customization window in XP/Vista/7 with much more options to customize it than in 8/10/11 and I wish it would go back to that
– until 7, it was possible to patch uxtheme.dll and install custom 3rd party themes, there used to be whole theme packs that you could download from the internet and change everything, all the way to system-wide replacement of system icons down to the last one, you could make your Windows 7 look like XP, Linux, Mac OS, World of Warcraft, Star Wars, whatever… not to mention, the built-in customization was better, now it’s very limited and becomes even more limited… I wish it could come back to that level of customization freedom
– I wish the AI garbage to be removed entirely or you are at least given the freedom to remove it easily without 3rd party tools
– lastly, I’m curious how will they update the UI once again, will it be a small upgrade over 11 or something collossal
I’m pretty sure none of those things will happen and Windows 12 will actually become much worse. Either way, Windows doesn’t affect me anymore as I don’t use it and plan on never using it again so in the end, they can do whatever the f*ck they want with it and ruin it as much as they want, it’s no longer my problem.
They need to stop renaming it and stop redesigning the forking UI!
Just call it “Windows” and stop making major changes that force people into “learning a new os!” People don’t like that shirt. Doesn’t M.$ marketing consult any psychologists?
If they kept the UI freindly and familiar most people wouldn’t give a rats arse about what they changed ‘under the hood’ so long as they could use it without having to learn how all over again.
All they have to to is call the next Windows “Windows 7XP98” and offer the themes from XP – Luna Blue/SIlver/Olive/Royale/Zune, the Classic from 98 and from 7 – Aero and Aero Basic and remove all telemetry and AI garbage and just keep that appearance forever.
But they will never do that. They will just make Windows uglier, more bloated, more restricted and more behaving like a malware virus instead.
Solved it. I bought a 14-inch Mac Pro with 18/512. When the Dells die, they are g-o-n-e and so is Windows.
Well done, Tom.
I decide when I buy a new PC, not Microsoft…
“…The company could hint at the new operating system in 2026, likely near the end, but that is guesswork.”
That would be a pretty boneheaded move. The time to launch Windows 12 would be September 2025, so it gives an upgrade path for people using Windows 10 machines to buy a new computer with Windows 12 on it when Windows 10 stops receiving security updates.
I’m in talks with my IT technician for the acquisition of a new PC running Linux Mint. He suggested this OS to me as my current PC was on the verge of dying and was only saved thanks to a physical cleaning of the CPU, which gave it a new lease on life but also raised the alarm about the machine’s obsolescence. Thus, very soon a new generation PC running Linux. Windows will end here with the PC and its Windows 7. There is no way I will go beyond that with a Windows OS that keeps causing issues and has endless hardware requirements and problems.
I hope your CPU will work some more years for you. Please do not give up and keep your W7 fighting against time. Regards from an old friend.
Tom,
I have been quite pleased with ZorinOS on my ‘not compatible with windows 11″ pc. The OS even installed with Nvidia Drivers. There’s a free “Core” version and a paid “Pro” version. I’m using 17.2 Core.
The Mobo doesn’t have onboard TPM2 and though it does have a slot to add it I didn’t bother. For that PC’s new location I needed WiFi and I quickly learned it had to have a “linux” compatible wifi adapter.
I got this one and it was plug n play.
https://www.amazon.com/FebSmart-Bluetooth-System-2-4GHz-Speed-Bluetooth-AX3000/dp/B082MQGDHK
Note: For install you flash a usb drive with Balena Etcher which can result in the drive being useless for anything else.
Tip: Have all hardware installed before installing the OS as it doesn’t “auto add” requisite software after the fact.
MSI Z87-GD65 GAMING
Intel i7-4790K
32GB G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 1866mhz (4 x 8GB)
Cruciul CT250mx200 SSD mSATA (System Drive)
WD Green WD20EZRX 2TB HDD (Storage)
MSI GTX 980Ti
FebSmart WiFi6 PCIe
Mr. Hawack, as I’ve been using Mint for about 8 years now I would like to mention the only problem I have found. I know of no Linux OS that has PDF creation/editing capabilities. Reading PDF’s is no problem, and if they are downloaded in fillable form it is no problem.
The only website I have ever had trouble with is, oddly, 1 US government site with fillable forms where the fillable lines don’t fit the form outline properly.
Other than this, I think you will be quite happy with Mint.
>I know of no Linux OS that has PDF creation/editing capabilities.
What capabilities do you need? There are many small Linux PDF utilities at least for basic editing functions, and greater capabilities no doubt in paid software if you search online.
LibreOffice Draw is another possible option for a number of operations, although in my experience it can easily crash when editing document with more than a very few pages, possibly due to my low installed memory.
Good for you moving to Linux. Windows 7 was indeed the last good version of Windows. I still miss it along with XP.
Linux Mint is a good distro, it’s in my opinion better than Ubuntu since Ubuntu went commercial and in a way became a bit like Windows – got bloated with a bunch of garbage and it’s overall undesirable from what I understand. Linux Mint is something like a “fork” of Ubuntu and doesn’t have its bloat and bad features.
It also looks a lot like Windows for several reasons:
– to ease in Windows users who aren’t familiar with Linux
– the layout of Windows isn’t really bad and Linux utilizing it only shows how when the backend is good and that layout is on top, it’s an even better overall experience
Some call Linux Mint “a good distro for beginners”, but I don’t really think so. I use Linux for almost a year now and Mint is also my choice, but I don’t plan to change it. I also don’t plan on learning Linux that much, I just want to use it as a casual user and learn things here and there as I use it, not force myself, like it’s some kind of a job or punishment. Maybe that’s why Mint is good for people like you and me, but I also don’t see the benefits of using more specialized distros like Slack or Arch or Gentoo or whatever, unless you have a lot of spare time and you decide to dedicate it to being a computer nerd rather than doing something else in real life with real people, which in my opinion is much more beneficial than being on your deathbed and smiling, because “you learned Linux really well” is one of your life’s “greatest” accomplishments. Linux Mint is a good distro for everyone, it’s not the best, but it’s good enough and for my current needs, it actually IS the best.
Once you get used to Linux, which will take you about a month, then you forget you’re even using it. And from that point on, you will simply marvel at the good decision you made – you are no longer bound and enslaved by the garbage that Windows has become and the OS (Linux) listens to you, it doesn’t change settings you’ve set or reinstall programs/components you’ve removed after each update or restart. It respects you.
Linux is not perfect and has flaws, I can even point out some which I didn’t have on Windows, but that’s a small price to pay.
For example, my PC has 8GB of RAM, on Windows, I never ran out of memory, on Linux if I do something like 30-40 tabs on a browser and run a game through Proton, I can run out of memory and my whole computer freezes, even using CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE to restart the DE (desktop environment) is not working as everything is delayed – I have initiated the action, but the computer is not executing it yet, and I’m forced to restart. Unless I go apesh*t with opening too many programs, this doesn’t happen, so I experience it maybe twice a month. I’ve tried increasing my Swap file size, but it didn’t affect anything. The solution would be to buy more RAM, but I think my PC is fine as it is and plan on using it the way I bought it until it stops working and then just buy a new one instead.
Tom, dust-dust, you must clean PC of dust. Or go it bad quick-quicker, a few times per year – clean away dust and grey man-fur-hair from PC inside, is good, or RAM and chips get hot-crispy go malfunction and die-age faster…
Also fans needs much care smart-smart dust: blades spin good again chop-chop air, not clog-up with things. Maybe get clan slaves to do it, so you don’t get paws dirty with dust – it makes much sneezing and grey desk too. Line nest with soft dust, not PC insides.
My PC runs good, it’s over 14 years old because it’s cleaned of dust, runs solid-stable no need for grumpy Windows 11. My PC is light and quick, fast and stable like rock. 💪
I translated to English my original comment written in French with ‘Kagi Translate” and I noticed too late that it had translated French ‘UC’ (”CU’ is it in English? That is the Central Unit aka ‘tower’ on a PC) by ‘CPU’… I should have chosen a more reliable translation utility. It’s not the CPU which has been cleaned but the whole tower and especially the fans which the technician reported ad dirtier than dirty :) Gosh, smoke and time over 11 years… wondering about my lungs from there on; lol.
Get one with a see through side next time so you can see how dirty it is inside LOL
We live in agricultural area and blow ours out every 2 months.
My surprise was double:
1- How dirty the PC was, as reported by the technician who cleaned it in his workplace. The PC was new 11 years ago but yet I was stunned to learn it was that dirty.
2- The impact of dirtiness on the very life of the PC. Since it’s been cleaned, not only does the PC run flawlessly (when before I encountered, though randomly, total halt of the PC, BIOS reporting fan issue on boot etc…) but totally silently : I hear nothing, no fan, almost as as if the PC was shut down… and that confirms how we get used to our environment, noise in this case, absence of noise which still, almost, bothers me! :)
“If Microsoft would have spend some time…”
Martin, the past tense is “spent.”