Advice Request Good Linux Distro alternative for Windows 11 for old laptop

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DDE_Server

DDE_Server

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Hi Everyone,


I’m looking for your advice on a suitable Linux distribution that is easy to set up and operate. My old laptop (HP ProBook 4540s) is not compatible with Windows 11 due to processor and TPM restrictions.

Since Windows 10 Pro, which is currently installed, will soon reach end of life (with the last security updates scheduled for September), I’m considering formatting the system and replacing it with a Linux distribution that offers low resource consumption and is actively maintained.

I’ve also looked into registry modifications to bypass the Windows 11 restrictions, but I’m concerned about potential instability issues.
I’d really appreciate your recommendations for the best Linux alternative that balances security, usability, and performance.

Edit :

here is my old laptop specifcation :
1758991176550.png
 
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I think the main factor with stability regarding bypassing the Windows 11 hardware requirements is whether the CPU supports SSE4.2, which yours does. Although Windows 11 requires a minimum of 4 GB of RAM, so if you have less than that it won't work. So if you meet that minimum, the bypass should work.

However, if you still want Linux, Mint of pretty good. Also, Zorin is nice if you want it to look as much like Windows as possible.
 
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KnownStormChaser said:
I think the main factor with stability regarding bypassing the Windows 11 hardware requirements is whether the CPU supports SSE4.2, which yours does. Although Windows 11 requires a minimum of 4 GB of RAM, so if you have less than that it won't work. So if you meet that minimum, the bypass should work.

However, if you still want Linux, Mint of pretty good. Also, Zorin is nice if you want it to look as much like Windows as possible.
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Antimalware18 said:
I'd have to say Linux MINT as it uses a less resourse intensive DE than Ubuntu or Kubuntu. I don't have much experience with any of the others.
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i was thinking about the same option. After checking their official website i have found three ISO options . what do you think the most suitable one for my laptop

1758990212820.png
 
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KnownStormChaser said:
I think the main factor with stability regarding bypassing the Windows 11 hardware requirements is whether the CPU supports SSE4.2, which yours does. Although Windows 11 requires a minimum of 4 GB of RAM, so if you have less than that it won't work. So if you meet that minimum, the bypass should work.

However, if you still want Linux, Mint of pretty good. Also, Zorin is nice if you want it to look as much like Windows as possible.
Click to expand...
you think windows 11 it is applicable to this laptop specification

1758815910108.png
 
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Another vote here for Linux Mint Cinnamon. With 8gb of ram it should work fine. I think the minimum requirement is 4gb. I have tried a few distros and Mint was by far the easiest to install and use. If the computer has Secure Boot, Fast Startup or Device Encryption/Bitlocker you will need to turn those off in Bios first before you install Mint. Mint is very stable, it is maintained and gets updates on a daily basis. There is a great support group at the Linux Mint Forum website. There are good videos on YouTube to help with creating your bootable ISO and installing Mint. The best videos I know of are on the ItsFOSS channel. The Linux mint website also has a very good step-by-step installation tutorial and they have the most complete list of ISO author links.

One of the good things about Mint is you can burn the ISO flash drive, boot the computer from it and try it out before doing a permanent installation. It is not the the complete user experience but it will give you a very good idea of how Mint works and what you can do with it. The best download mirror I found for Mint was on the Mint website list, it was the one from James Madison University. I remember I tried a different one at first that would not boot but the James Madison one works fine.

C.H.
 
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I have the same concern / question and have been asking chatGPT this question for a few months. I have nothing against linux distros mentioned above (I have used most of them). I have been running fedora in VMware since Mar 2023 and has become my favorite distro. So staying in the RHEL lane, chatGPT suggests Rocky as the enterprise version with more stability, although fedora has been very solid for me, but it has almost daily updates. So Rocky is under consideration for my hardware host, but still undecided. I may extend win10 on host, or not... :unsure: I also have a newish Apple mini with their M4 chip for "Apple security" out of the box.
 
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I’d recommend starting with Fedora or Debian (using KDE Plasma) for a personal workstation.
KDE Plasma offers a polished, user-friendly interface that feels quite familiar if you’re coming from Windows. Both Fedora and Debian generally run smoothly out of the box without hardware issues or extra setup. Aside from possibly installing a few video codecs, you’ll have a fully functional, efficient system with no unnecessary bloat.

Personally, I run Fedora 42 alongside Windows 11 in a dual-boot setup on my work laptop.
 
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DDE_Server said:
any recommendations for a good tutorial to configure the bypass ??

i have Windows 10 Pro N installed. can i upgrade to Windows 11 without new license activation ??
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Get rufus (the portable version) from here:

Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

Rufus: Create bootable USB drives the easy way
rufus.ie

This video explains in details how to use rufus to burn W 11 iso on pendrive and how to adjust in settings bypassing W 11 requirements:
 
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Somewhat off topic but I've acquired a year old lappy that I'm going to put Linux on, I've used it in the past as dual boot on a desk PC, I'm seriously considering moving over to Linux hopefully this time for good - I've said it in the past & its not going to be straight away as I have to get to grips with it again - I really don't like the way MS is going- Some issues in the past such as needing 365 etc have now gone so, I will see...
 
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Sorrento said:
Somewhat off topic but I've acquired a year old lappy that I'm going to put Linux on, I've used it in the past as dual boot on a desk PC, I'm seriously considering moving over to Linux hopefully this time for good - I've said it in the past & its not going to be straight away as I have to get to grips with it again - I really don't like the way MS is going- Some issues in the past such as needing 365 etc have now gone so, I will see...
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I did the same and in the end you go back to Windows, i just adapted with the MS way. Everyone already know everything... so dont bother so much anymore.
 
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