If your Windows 10 PC is approaching the end of official support and you don’t want Windows 11 — or your hardware isn’t eligible for Microsoft’s free upgrade — switching to a friendly Linux desktop like Linux Mint is a practical, zero‑cost option that will keep your machine useful and secure for years to come.
Windows 10 reaches end of support on October 14, 2025; after that date Microsoft will stop shipping security patches and feature updates for standard Windows 10 installations. Microsoft recommends upgrading eligible devices to Windows 11 or enrolling eligible systems in the Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, but many home users will prefer a free, privacy‑respecting alternative instead.
Linux Mint is purposely designed for people moving from Windows: it offers a familiar desktop layout (Cinnamon is the most Windows‑like edition), a conservative, stable base, and bundled tools that make the migration straightforward. You can try Mint in a “live” session from a USB stick without touching Windows, verify hardware compatibility, and then choose to dual‑boot or replace Windows entirely. The ZDNet how‑to walkthrough covers this exact path and is the basis for the step‑by‑step process below.
Switching a functioning Windows 10 PC to Linux Mint is straightforward and free if you prepare, verify your install media, and use the live session to test hardware and critical apps first. Follow the steps above, keep reliable backups, and take advantage of Mint’s Timeshift snapshots and Driver Manager to make the transition smooth and safe. Enjoy the new desktop — and the extra years of life you’ll get out of your machine.
Source: ZDNET How to switch your Windows 10 PC to Linux Mint - for free
Background / Overview
Windows 10 reaches end of support on October 14, 2025; after that date Microsoft will stop shipping security patches and feature updates for standard Windows 10 installations. Microsoft recommends upgrading eligible devices to Windows 11 or enrolling eligible systems in the Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, but many home users will prefer a free, privacy‑respecting alternative instead. Linux Mint is purposely designed for people moving from Windows: it offers a familiar desktop layout (Cinnamon is the most Windows‑like edition), a conservative, stable base, and bundled tools that make the migration straightforward. You can try Mint in a “live” session from a USB stick without touching Windows, verify hardware compatibility, and then choose to dual‑boot or replace Windows entirely. The ZDNet how‑to walkthrough covers this exact path and is the basis for the step‑by‑step process below.
Why choose Linux Mint (short version)
- Free: No license fees or subscriptions for the OS itself.
- User‑friendly: A desktop layout and settings that feel familiar to Windows users.
- Live USB testing: Try everything before making any disk changes.
- Good hardware support: Built on an Ubuntu LTS base with broad driver coverage; proprietary drivers available for graphics and Wi‑Fi where necessary.
- Safety nets: Built‑in snapshot tool (Timeshift) and standard backup options make rollbacks easy.
What you’ll need before you start
- A Windows PC (desktop or laptop) with internet access.
- An external backup drive or cloud account to copy important files (do this first).
- A USB stick — 8 GB recommended (4 GB may work for older ISOs but 8 GB is safer for recent releases and if you want persistence).
- Time: allow two hours if you’re comfortable with installs; plan an afternoon if this is your first time.
Minimum hardware guidance (practical)
- RAM: 2 GB minimum (4 GB recommended for a comfortable Cinnamon experience).
- Disk: 20 GB minimum (100 GB recommended for real use).
- Display: 1024×768 or better. These practical minimums are consistent across recent Mint releases and migration guides.
Step‑by‑step migration: verified and annotated
Below is a practical, verifiable workflow that follows the ZDNet instructions but expands each technical claim with authoritative verification and extra troubleshooting notes.1. Back up everything first (do not skip)
- Copy Documents, Pictures, Mail stores, browser profiles and any application data to an external drive or cloud. If you want a full image, use an imaging tool (macrium, Clonezilla, Windows built‑in image, etc.). Treat this as mandatory: installers can go wrong. The ZDNet walkthrough emphasizes backing up before you touch partitions.
2. Inventory essential applications and plan replacements
- Make a list of Windows apps you absolutely need. Many cloud apps (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace) run in browsers on Linux; native alternatives (LibreOffice, GIMP, Inkscape, etc.) cover most needs. For Windows‑only apps you can:
- run a full Windows VM (VirtualBox) under Mint,
- use Wine/Proton/Crossover for many Windows apps and games,
- or keep a dual‑boot Windows partition as a fallback.
3. Download the Linux Mint ISO and verify it
- Download the official ISO for the edition you want (Cinnamon is the default). Mint publishes SHA256 sums alongside each ISO; always verify. Community and official Mint docs explain the process and why verification matters.
- On Windows run either PowerShell’s Get‑FileHash or the built‑in CertUtil to compute a SHA‑256 checksum:
- PowerShell: Get-FileHash C:\path\linuxmint.iso
- CertUtil: certutil -hashfile C:\path\linuxmint.iso SHA256
Compare the output to the sha256sum.txt provided on the Mint download mirror. Using these built‑in commands is standard guidance.
4. Create a bootable USB (recommended tools and caveats)
- Recommended utilities (Windows):
- Rufus — popular, reliable; supports many options (GPT/UEFI vs MBR/BIOS).
- balenaEtcher — cross‑platform and simple, though community concerns about telemetry/metadata have prompted some users to prefer Rufus; choose the tool you trust.
- Ventoy — handy if you plan multiple ISOs on one stick and advanced features such as persistence files.
5. Boot the PC from USB and run Mint in Live mode
- Reboot and enter the BIOS/UEFI or one‑time boot menu (keys vary by vendor — F12, Esc, F2, Del are common). Set the USB as first boot or choose it from the one‑time menu. ZDNet and other guides walk this exact step.
- Choose “Start Linux Mint” from the USB menu. Mint’s live session lets you:
- test Wi‑Fi, audio, display, touchpad, printers and other peripherals,
- browse files on your internal disk (read‑only),
- assess performance without changing disks. If something critical doesn’t work, don’t install yet — this is the time to troubleshoot or pick a different distro.
6. Prepare Windows if you plan to dual‑boot
If you want to keep Windows and install Mint alongside it:- Disable Fast Startup in Windows (it leaves NTFS partitions in a hibernated state and can make Linux unable to mount them safely).
- Suspend or decrypt BitLocker before resizing or writing to disk to avoid locking yourself out. These are standard precautions when dual‑booting.
7. Install Mint: partitioning choices (dual‑boot vs clean)
During installation you’ll be asked how to partition:- “Install alongside” — the easiest route to dual‑boot: Mint will shrink Windows and create partitions for itself. Mint’s installer offers this for most setups.
- Manual partitioning (power users): recommend Ext4 for root “/”, a separate /home if you want to isolate user data, and a swap file (modern Mint uses swap files by default). If you want fast, atomic snapshots, consider BTRFS — but only if you understand subvolume layout. Timeshift works best with its supported layouts.
- Erase disk and use Mint only — clean and simple, but only after a verified backup.
8. Secure Boot and driver notes
- Most Ubuntu‑based distributions (including Mint) support UEFI Secure Boot via the signed shim/GRUB/kernel flow used by Ubuntu. However, Secure Boot is an evolving area — signed boot toolchains and firmware key changes can cause trouble on some hardware; if the Mint installer fails to boot or install with Secure Boot enabled, temporarily disabling Secure Boot in UEFI is a safe fallback. Always verify before assuming perfect Secure Boot compatibility.
- NVIDIA GPUs: historically the biggest source of friction. NVIDIA has released open GPU kernel modules and improved Linux support in recent years, which reduces driver pain for many GPUs — but specifics vary by model and driver release. If you encounter display freezes or black screens while booting the live USB, the temporary boot option “nomodeset” often helps you get to a desktop so you can install proprietary drivers afterward via Driver Manager. For users with recent NVIDIA cards, consult NVIDIA’s open kernel modules and the packaged drivers before installation.
9. First boot and basic post‑install housekeeping
After installation and first boot:- Run Driver Manager and install recommended proprietary drivers (especially for NVIDIA, some Wi‑Fi chips, or printer drivers). Restart if prompted.
- Open Update Manager (shield icon) and apply all system updates — Mint’s update system covers the OS and apps installed via the Software Manager. Kernel updates require a reboot; most other updates do not.
10. Set up snapshots and backups (Timeshift + personal backups)
- Enable Timeshift during setup (Mint prompts you). Timeshift snapshots preserve system files and settings and let you roll back broken updates or misconfigurations. It is not a personal file backup tool — keep your documents on external/cloud backups or use Deja Dup for personal files. Timeshift’s GitHub and documentation explain scheduling and the limitation that user files are excluded by default.
- For personal file backups install a user‑level backup tool (Deja Dup is recommended) and target an external drive or network/cloud storage — don’t keep your backups on the same disk as the system snapshots.
11. Restore or migrate Windows data and accounts
- If you use OneDrive / Microsoft 365, you can access OneDrive via the GNOME Online Accounts integration or use the web versions of Office apps. Mint supports GNOME Online Accounts; to use it, open System Settings → Online Accounts and sign in to Microsoft — GNOME integration will present your OneDrive storage in the file manager. ZDNet and community guides demonstrate this process; if a prompt asks for Tenant/Account ID, the typical consumer sign‑in flow works without extra fields.
Troubleshooting: common problems and verified fixes
- Live USB won’t boot: check UEFI/Legacy mode, try the one‑time boot menu, recreate the USB with Rufus or Ventoy, and re‑verify the ISO SHA256. If using Secure Boot, temporarily disable it while testing.
- Black screen or GPU issues at boot: use the “nomodeset” kernel option to reach a desktop, then install proprietary graphics drivers via Driver Manager. NVIDIA’s open modules reduce friction for many newer GPUs, but check your GPU model against NVIDIA’s documentation if you rely on advanced GPU features.
- Persistent storage problems on USB: persistent overlays are distro‑dependent; Ventoy or Rufus persistence support varies by release — test on your hardware. If persistence is critical, create a persistent image and confirm via the live session.
- Secure Boot key problems: firmware and distribution key rollover events (including expiring Microsoft signing keys) occasionally complicate Secure Boot. If the installer’s signed shim is not accepted by firmware, disable Secure Boot or follow the distro’s MOK enrollment guidance. Ubuntu’s Secure Boot documentation explains how shim/MOK works and why enrollment is sometimes required.
Compatibility notes and real‑world caveats
- Gaming and anti‑cheat: Proton has dramatically improved Windows game compatibility on Linux, but some competitive game anti‑cheat solutions still have limited or optional Linux support. Check ProtonDB and developers’ anti‑cheat statements before assuming parity for competitive titles.
- Enterprise device constraints: company‑managed PCs tied to Active Directory, Intune, or proprietary management tooling may not be practical to migrate without IT involvement. Migration should be coordinated with IT in corporate settings.
- Specialized Windows software (industry CAD/CAM tools, some forensic or vendor‑tied utilities, Adobe Creative Cloud native apps) may not have full Linux equivalents. Options: VM, Wine/Crossover, or keeping a Windows partition. Plan for these ahead of time.
Quick checklist — ready to switch?
- Back up everything (image + file copies).
- Inventory essential apps and confirm Linux alternatives or VM/Wine strategies.
- Download Mint ISO and verify SHA256.
- Create a bootable 8 GB USB with Rufus/Ventoy/BalenaEtcher.
- Boot Live USB, test hardware and apps.
- If dual‑booting: suspend BitLocker, disable Fast Startup, and shrink Windows partition if desired.
- Install Mint (choose “Install alongside” for dual‑boot or erase for clean install).
- First boot: Driver Manager, Update Manager, enable Timeshift snapshots.
Strengths, risks, and final analysis
Strengths:- Revives older hardware: Linux Mint’s modest resource needs make many Windows 10 machines useful again.
- Lower ongoing cost: no license or forced hardware upgrades.
- Control and privacy: open‑source stack with community oversight and fewer telemetry concerns by default.
- Hardware edge cases: very new Wi‑Fi chips or exotic laptop power‑management quirks occasionally require extra work. Test in Live mode first.
- Secure Boot complexity: firmware key rollovers and MOK enrollment occasionally force a firmware or manual key step. If you’re uncomfortable with firmware settings, plan to disable Secure Boot during install.
- Proprietary, Windows‑only software: plan how you’ll run necessary Windows apps before removing Windows (VM/dual‑boot/Wine).
Where to read more (trusted references used to verify this guide)
- Microsoft End‑of‑Support notice for Windows 10 and the ESU program.
- Linux Mint installation and ISO verification guidance (community & docs).
- Timeshift system snapshot project and documentation.
- Ubuntu Secure Boot documentation (explains shim/MOK enrolment and signing).
- NVIDIA open GPU kernel modules project and NVIDIA technical blog for driver changes.
Switching a functioning Windows 10 PC to Linux Mint is straightforward and free if you prepare, verify your install media, and use the live session to test hardware and critical apps first. Follow the steps above, keep reliable backups, and take advantage of Mint’s Timeshift snapshots and Driver Manager to make the transition smooth and safe. Enjoy the new desktop — and the extra years of life you’ll get out of your machine.
Source: ZDNET How to switch your Windows 10 PC to Linux Mint - for free
