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Can't upgrade your Windows 10 PC? You have 5 options - and just weeks to act


Microsoft will end support for its most popular operating system in less than 30 days. Here's what you should do with your Windows 10 PCs that fail Microsoft's Windows 11 compatibility tests - before that day arrives.

But you do have options, including some new ways to continue getting security updates for an extra year, at no cost, thanks to an announcement Microsoft made in late June. The list price for that subscription is $30 a year, but you can cut the cost to zero by using Microsoft Rewards points earned by using the Bing search engine or the Windows Backup tool. Those upgrade options can't save a device whose CPU lacks support for two specific instruction sets -- POPCNT and SSE 4.2.

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