There is a major concern about the huge dump of electronic waste (e-waste) that is going to happen soon as Windows 10 support draws to a close. Market research firm Canalys estimates that around 240 million PCs could go to landfills after October 2025 when the OS reaches the end of support (EOS). There is also an online petition on Pirg going on regarding it.
While Microsoft has continued reminding users on Windows 10 about Windows 11, those that do not meet the system requirements will remain on 10 and thus will no longer be serviced.
A third-party application now seeks to remind users how such a system can still be useful. Things like adding an SSD, which is at least three to five times faster than an HDD, is going to make a system instantly snappy. Much like Neowin recommended, the utility also suggests such users could perhaps try switching to Linux, to see how it is on the other side. Even Microsoft wants you to have a go.
The dev explains why they made it:
This started as a fun application to inform some colleagues that they shouldn't throw away their Windows PC. A fresh install can be sufficient and often even work wonders. If you add a little boost here and there in the form of an SSD, the PC might not need to be discarded at all. Currently, some are already dealing with the end-of-life of Windows 10 in October 2025 and the question of how much electronic waste will be generated.
The utility is dubbed "WhatsPC" and it is available on GitHub. The source code is yet to be published though, and hence it is advised not to install it, yet. The dev adds that the app is based on Chromium/WebView2 (for the front end) and C# (for the backend), and aims to present information about a PC in a simplified way.
Here's what it tells about my system which is running Windows 10 22H2:
(This is for informational purposes only) If WhatsPC app can't help you with your decision to throw away your PC, consider the following.
- Consider using your computer as a small file server.
- Keep your computer as a backup.
- Consider installing a lightweight OS like Linux Lite.
- Explore the option of selling or giving away your computer.
[..]
- Your computer meets the recommended specifications. It should continue to perform well.
- Your hardware is compatible with Linux. You may consider trying a Linux distribution for improved performance.
In case you are wondering, I have Ryzen 5700G (Zen 3), a 6800 XT, and an A520 AM4 motherboard running 2x 16GB DDR4-3600 CL16 memory. My system is Windows 11-ready as it also has TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled.
However, the app does not specifically say anything about it at the moment as to whether my system is eligible for an upgrade to Windows 11. Perhaps future versions will add the information in.
Update: The source code is now live.
50 Comments - Add comment