Microsoft is changing Windows Update. For the first time ever, the Secure Boot certificates first issued in 2011 start expiring in June. Microsoft will automatically install new certificates on most PCs. But for hundreds of millions of Windows 10 users, there are no new certificates. After the June expiry date, you will be at risk.
When Windows 10 expired in October 2025, Microsoft put in place a free year of extended support. This is available until October. You need to enrol to secure these security updates. You’ll also get new Secure Boot certificates.
But for PC owners who do not have the extended security updates, Google offers a free PC upgrade. “Windows 10 has reached its end of support, putting those computers at risk of obsolescence. This left many people with a difficult decision: spend hundreds on a new device, or continue using an insecure, outdated one.”
As consumer group Which explains, you can “transform your old laptop into a faster, free Chromebook.” The group has just published a helpful tutorial on “how you can transform a deteriorating laptop into a secure, speedy machine for free.”
The website explains that “older laptops that don’t meet the hardware requirements to upgrade can become unsafe to use online, as well as painfully slow. Instead of letting yours go to waste, consider turning it into a Chromebook. ChromeOS Flex is a free and speedy operating system based on the Google Chrome web browser.”
And because “ChromeOS is essentially a web browser,” it needs much less RAM and processing power than a Windows laptop, “meaning it will run faster and drain less power — a great perk for old laptops with waning batteries. Your laptop will be much more secure and less prone to any viruses. Its always-online nature ensures it regularly delivers security updates while your device is supported.”
Google has cut a deal with Back Market to offer ChromeOS Flex on a $3 reusable USB stick. But that device has been out of stock almost since it launched. That’s why the Which tutorial is timely and useful, as June’s deadline approaches.
ChromeOS Flex isn’t for everyone. It’s a very basic web-based device and doesn’t have any of the local device capabilities of a Windows PC. But it’s much safer than running a Windows device that’s no longer receiving critical fixes.
“By running ChromeOS Flex on an old laptop,” Which says, “you’ve saved a computer from becoming part of the mountain of electrical waste.” And you’ve saved money on a new PC, “if you were considering buying a new machine.”
