Gentle reminder to everyone that support for #windows10 ends in about 90 weeks. Many computers can’t upgrade to Win 11 so here are your options:

  1. Continue on Win 10 but with higher security risks.
  2. Buy new and expensive hardware that supports Win11.
  3. Try a beginner friendly #Linux distro like #linuxmint. It only takes about two months to acclimate.

@nixCraft @linux @windowscentralbot

  • Skull giver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl
    41·
    9 months ago

    Windows Hello isn’t just face ID (though that is where it originated in most consumer laptops). It’s an authentication system that uses the TPM to store credentials, for use with biometric authentication but also password authentication. This is what you’re using if you enable a “PIN” (which accepts letters, thanks Microsoft) to unlock your desktop. Rather than using a simple password, the password is used to unlock a TPM secret, which is then validated. That means it’s nearly impossible to brute force a login screen password without physically altering the device (i.e. opening the chassis and probing the connection between the TPM and the CPU).

    It’s also the technology backing WebAuthn/FIDO passkeys that are requested to be stored on-device rather than in an account (the highest level of assurance), similar to how passkeys work on Android and iOS.

    I’m not sure if Microsoft implemented all this for TPM 1.2, which most older devices ship with, but there’s a good chance they don’t bother or break support during an update because TPM 2.0 is a requirement for Windows 11

    The mechanism behind it is mostly documented on Microsoft’s developer website.

    • sfxrlz@lemmy.world
      3·
      9 months ago

      thanks for explanation. I hope my Install doesn’t randomly break because Microsoft decided it should do so. I’d hate to throw windows away for some lightweight foss distro /s

      Edit: only reason for not having moved yet is just my lazy ass

      • Skull giver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl
        3·
        9 months ago

        I don’t think Microsoft will intentionally break anything, but with the increasing adoption of passkeys you may find that some stuff doesn’t work in the future (probably with vague error messages).

        I recognise your laziness, it took me a few years of dual blotting before I switched completely. With WSL2, I’m not sure if I would still go through the effort to dual boot had I started now. On the other hand, Linux has improved a lot since I first installed it, so who knows…

        • sfxrlz@lemmy.world
          2·
          9 months ago

          Yeah I have been down that hole too it’s mostly all the online logins and sessions that I have collected over years of using that os(windows) and pc and some old data that I don’t really want to wipe but also don’t really wanna go through the hassle of copying the important stuff off of windows.

          Also some of the games that I played used to have such obnoxious anti cheat systems that I couldn’t imagine the hassle to get them to work to be worth it but thanks to the steam deck adoption has increased immensely since I last tried gaming on Linux.

          Wsl2 doesn’t quite do the trick for me it just makes me want the whole package but I use it for programming because I don’t know windows shell commands for shit and everything is tied into windows/ms at work^^

          • Skull giver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl
            1·
            9 months ago

            For your file transition: there’s a tool out there that will convert an NTFS filesystem into BTRFS, which you can install Linux to. I’m not 100% sure what the risk for data loss is, but for basic data disks it could be a quick and easy solution.

            You could on theory install Linux, copy the files from your Windows home to your /home, and then get rid of all the Windows folders. You may even be able to keep some programs installed and run them under Wine if you’re lucky!