You can have both! I have Linux Ubuntu installed on a bootable flash drive. If I want to use Linux instead of Windows, I simply boot with the flash drive and run Linux. When I’m done, I can boot via the hard drive to Windows. This way, you don’t have to alter your hard drive in any way. Two separate bootable sources!
An option, to put off buying during a tariff price-jump is to back level to Windows 10 and pay $30.
Buy yourself a year, and hope things are better?
Seriously, I also had a nice, quite functional 2016 Laptop that was playing games with zero problems, and had also played with some of the ways to force it to Windows 11, but my friends in the field told me it was only going to be a matter of time before the tweaks and tricks became onerous or out-and-out dangerous, so I bit the bullet and bought a new one on an early Black Friday sale 3 months ago, because I was pretty certain Trump was going to be serious about his China tariffs (although I bet it would be higher than the 10%).
I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it to drop it back to 10 and use it for an offline box, since it’s still a solid machine with a dedicated GPU, but I don’t see it getting any actual use in a household with a working laptop and desktop.
-sigh-
Sure, but the OP doesn’t have a viable, future-proof Windows installation.
Another problem with Dell is the power supply (at least in mine) uses non-standard motherboard plugs, so you effectively have to replace motherboard, processor and power supply. And a much newer processor implies newer memory, so effectively you’re transferring your hard drive to a new PC. But then, if it’s not a Dell - does Windows (is it OEM?) still authenticate when you install a new motherboard? Or do you have to buy new Windows too?
I remember people using Windows XP well past end of life. I assume this version of Windows 11 will keep running - just you will have no security upgrades and I assume in future much software may fail to install, etc.?
All of your needs, except the one to run a supported version of Windows. The choices to continue to meet your needs are stop running Windows, or get a newer computer. You’ll need something with at least an 8th gen Intel processor or whatever the AMD equivalent is.
Not at all important, until they suddenly become extremely important. You can’t predict when that is, but you’ll know when it has passed because you’re computer will have a message on it saying you need to send some bitcoins to decrypt your files. Wearing a seatbelt isn’t important until the millisecond before impact.
Sorry that these aren’t very satisfying answers, but the expectation that Microsoft should support old software and hardware indefinitely is not realistic.
The other option, stop using Windows, may or may not be a good one for you. Linux can run into this issue, too. Support for the 386 processor was dropped in 2013.
On a more practical note - many new software simply will not work with, for example, Windows XP. I haven’t tried installing the latest Office on Windows 7, but it is a definite issue that some software relies on newer versions of Windows. (I buy a new tax program each year) Eventually this may become an annoyance.
Be sure instead of relying on Microsoft’s Antivirus to buy a commercial one (I bought Malwarebytes recently) and even so, back up your personal files to removeable media regularly (and then remove it) and be sure you have install files and install keys too… not just for virus issues, but for computer failure risk too.
Most viruses arrive via stupid email message links, and/or downloading questionable programs from the internet. You don’t need an out of date Windows to get caught by a virus. I also instead of Edge/Explorer use Chrome, which is less likely to stop updating security holes based on Windows version.
Linux is the remedy for situations like this. You can boot off a USB stick and confirm it works before you fully commit to it. I second the specific recommendation for Linux Mint.
I’m not sure what the OP’s needs are but it is my observation that many non-techies struggle with Windows issues when actually a Chromebook or iPad would suffice. For example, I replaced my wife’s computer with an iPad and her support issues went away. You don’t need a complex operating system to look at Facebook, YouTube, etc. Even if you are a Microsoft Office user, the basics are covered by Google Docs for free.