Users of Windows 10 will soon find that Microsoft no longer supports their operating system. Unless you want to switch over to the much-maligned Windows 11, your only good—and free—option is to switch to Linux. Here’s how you can get used to your new OS.

Wait, What’s Happening with Windows 10?

First, though, a quick recap as we realize not everybody is as glued to the tech news as we are. Microsoft announced in 2022 that it would end support for Windows 10 in October 2025, which means a few things. The most important is that security updates for the OS will stop, meaning that any computer still running it after that date will be at greater risk from attacks—an issue that really shouldn’t be taken lightly.

However, Microsoft being Microsoft, it will still support Windows 10 if you’re willing to pay. Early indications show this could cost as much as $60 per year per computer, a hefty sum. Note, though, that you’re paying for something you already paid for; when you bought your device, you paid a licensing fee to Microsoft for use of Windows.

Why You Should Switch Over to Linux

Unless you enjoy having to pay extra for something you already spent money on, you probably won’t want to stick with Windows 10 come October. Assuming your computer meets the Windows 11 requirements, you could upgrade to Microsoft’s latest OS. I don’t recommend it, though—when we need to publish articles on how to make Windows 11 less annoying, you know it’s bad. Even if you want it, though, you may not be able to get it. If your computer isn’t supported by Windows 11, your only options are to force an upgrade (which we don’t recommend) or buy a totally new computer.

A choice far easier on the wallet and the environment though is to switch to Linux, the open-source and free OS that will run without issue on your current machine. Linux has made amazing strides the past decade and has become positively user-friendly, without all the annoyances of Windows. In fact, we have a list of things that make Linux better than Windows.

Testing Out Linux

Still, switching to a new operating system, especially one with the reputation that Linux has, can be quite daunting. Thankfully, Linux makes it very easy to test it out, it’s not like you need to wipe your hard drive just to take it for a spin. Take your time trying it out using these methods so when October 2025 is here, you’ll be ready to install.

Picking a Linux Distro

Before you do any testing, you need to figure out which distro, or type, of Linux to use. There are more distros (short for “distribution”) than there are grains of sand, but generally speaking beginners are usually recommended to first try Ubuntu or Linux Mint, two easy-to-use distros that should provide a smooth transition.

If you’d like to explore your options, check out our guide on how to pick the right distro. With that done, let’s start testing.

Try Linux From Your Browser

The simplest way to test out different Linux distros is to do so from your browser. A site called DistroSea lets you try out over 60 different distributions and see how you like them. It’s a pretty nifty idea, and a great way to quickly get an idea of what a distro “feels” like.

However, as we note in our article on how to try out Linux distros from your browser, the experience is superficial and there are some issues with performance. While this is a great way to get an idea of what you want, I wouldn’t base my full decision on it.

Using a VM

There are better ways to see how a distro performs. The first is to set up a virtual machine (VM), a computer within a computer, that lets you simulate a device running Linux. This all may seem complicated, but setting up a VM is pretty easy, and the experience is reliable. I myself use VMs regularly to test out software, like when I put together the rankings for the best VPNs.

We have a summary of the best virtual machines to pick from, but if you’re not familiar with these programs I recommend you start with VirtualBox, a super-simple one that I have used for years without issue. We have a step-by-step guide to help you set up Linux in VirtualBox, which should make things even easier.

Once you’re set up, you can see how you like your new operating system. Since a virtual machine is fully functional, you get the complete experience, albeit usually with some minor performance issues. It’s probably my favorite way to test new distros, especially since once you have VirtualBox set up you can easily set up new machines.

Live Boot with a USB Stick

Finally, Linux also more or less forces you to test it out before installing through its Live Boot system. How it works is simple: you create a bootable USB drive that has the installation files for Linux on it—for most people it’s the best way to install Linux, unless you can burn a CD.

Once you start up your device with the USB in it (you’ll need to make sure the device boots up via the USB), it won’t start up in Windows, but directly into Linux. However, this instance of Linux isn’t running on your hard drive, but on the USB. From here you can mess around with the OS a bit before installing, which on most distros is done via a button that will feature prominently on the desktop.

This method works pretty well, especially if you have already more or less decided to switch to Linux and just want to run some last-minute checks. Note, though, that you want to use a fairly up-to-date USB stick as I have found older ones write information incredibly slowly, which will negatively impact your experience.

Living the Linux Life

Once you’ve played around with Linux for a bit, chances are that you’ll love it—though as card-carrying members of Team Penguin we may be biased. If you have decided to take the plunge, check out our guide on how to install Linux and you may also want to explore how much better you can now control your machine using the terminal.