I would say don't get a steam deck as your main pc. Better invest in an actual pc, or since you said you can't afford a steam deck right now, maybe go for a dell optiplex at least you can run win10 apps and everything properly. You can buy a used cheap one and maybe drop a gpu in there later.

i was using 7 a year ago,that pc died and now im at 10 on another pc,but one side of me wants to switch to linux,another kind of cant because i share this pc and my brother plays mc win10 edition which cant be run on linux with proton (i think?)...

If you are curious if your PC/Laptop can be upgraded to Windows 10 you can download the Windows 10 Update Assistant and it will let you know.

Below is the link for it. Not sure if it will switch you from the US section of the site or not, not even sure if matters.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

I used Windows 7 for a long time and eventually went to Windows 10 which I found a lot better and used that for years. I just recently started using Windows 11 and like it better than 10.

I've been hoping for a Steam Deck for a while now (even put one on my Christmas wish list) as, along with my computer really not being a good gaming PC (I only use it for work and artwork now), I really been wanting to play some of the newer PC releases that caught my eye.

While I am mainly a Linux user, if/when I need Windows 7, I either use it on a virtual machine, or try to install on an old computer instead (although Vista usually does the trick). And since Steam is not my main platform (I use it mostly due to SG), stuff I bought meant to work on Win7 will still work overall.

i put a win 10 22H2 (latest) on an old pc (LGA 775 CPU, 4GB RAM DDR2 800MHz) and it works great ONLY on SSD, but i got one under 15€

Why not just use Linux? I've been using only Linux for 3+ years now, and now that Proton is so well upgraded, many games run even better than on Windows.

Dunno if anyone has mentioned these simple ideas...
Dual boot?
Virtualization? (I've run Win 7 with VirtualBox under Win 10 with no problem or struggle at all, runs out of the box).

As for me, I was forced to move to Win 10 when I changed to my current computer, as (for some reason I never understood) my Ryzen processon wouldn't run 7 or 8/8.1. So that forced update happened to me 3 years ago. After some period of adaptation Win 10 is not that bad. However the problem is that in both cases the conundrum lies on one word: "forced". I miss my PC DOS 3.1 days.

Honestly try Linux. With Proton and lots of other ways to run windows programs, you might be surprised? You can dual-boot to start slow and also even Dual-boot Win 10 to try both? I'm leaning toward Linux myself after 11. 10 I had no issues with but 11 is just a PITA. I can see M$ turning more and more towards a "F2P" OS. It's free but they spy like crazy (there are ways to block this) and just so much bloat and crap that I feel they are preventing you from removing more and more.

I use Win 7. My PC is about a decade old. It's not worth spending a lot of time messing around with the operating system on a computer that might only last another year or so. My last PC lasted about 10 years.

I used that script to disable Steam updates. Maybe that'll work and maybe not. I have a big collection of game CDs/DVDs, some old consoles, a GOG account, and there's always abandonware sites and the like. I'll keep busy until I get a new PC, which will run Linux.

...if this is a REASON to quit Steam, and also makes you HAPPY, then why not switch to Windows 95 so as not to use this site and social networks or even on DOS - so as to be without the Internet?! and then you can throw away your computer and smartphone altogether and enjoy real life?!😆

But seriously: Windows has been updating from 7 to 10 almost without problems for a long time.
ps: I’ve been using licensed Win11 for more than a year on an ancient, completely incompatible laptop. and everything is fine!😺

Happen to me 4 years ago with Windows Vista, so i have go for the option " Buying another machine to use it on ? ", for a new laptop.

only suffering awaits us

Steam still working, Y2K did not occur :)

At the beginning of December Valve updated the text in the Windows 7 and 8 support post.

Here is the original post.

"As of January 1 2024, Steam will officially stop supporting the Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems. After that date, the Steam Client will no longer run on those versions of Windows. In order to continue running Steam and any games or other products purchased through Steam, users will need to update to a more recent version of Windows.

The newest features in Steam rely on an embedded version of Google Chrome, which no longer functions on older versions of Windows. In addition, future versions of Steam will require Windows feature and security updates only present in Windows 10 and above."

Here's the updated version as of December 1, 2023.

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4784-4F2B-1321-800A

"As of January 1 2024, Steam will officially stop supporting the Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems. After that date, existing Steam Client installations on these operating systems will no longer receive updates of any kind including security updates. Steam Support will be unable to offer users technical support for issues related to the old operating systems, and Steam will be unable to guarantee continued functionality of Steam on the unsupported operating system versions.

In order to ensure continued operation of Steam and any games or other products purchased through Steam, users should update to a more recent version of Windows. We expect the Steam client and games on these older operating systems to continue running for some time without updates after January 1st, 2024, but we are unable to guarantee continued functionality after that date.

This change is required as core features in Steam rely on an embedded version of Google Chrome, which no longer functions on older versions of Windows. In addition, future versions of Steam will require Windows feature and security updates only present in Windows 10 and above.

We strongly encourage all Windows 7/8/8.1 users to update sooner rather than later. Microsoft ended security updates and technical support for Windows 7 in January 2020 and for Windows 8.1 in January 2023. Computers running these operating systems, when connected to the internet, are susceptible to new malware and other exploits which will not be patched. That malware can cause your PC, Steam and games to perform poorly or crash. That malware can also be used to steal the credentials for your Steam account or other services."

I'm still running the May 30 2023 version of the client (ie. the old UI)...and it runs gloriously better than their new Chrome browser (－‸ლ).

It requires a couple hacks to get chat and the store running properly, but the changes are easily do-able...

Old Client Install: https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/6516193260168294059/
Chat Fix: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3045036713
Store Purchase Fix: Rename or delete the following file which is safe to do --> C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\package\steam_client_win32.manifest

Protip for those still on Win 7 using the current Steam version...

If you wish to remove that annoying red warning banner on top, then just enter the following launch option in the Target section of your Steam shortcut, and then restart Steam...

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -pretendeol-w10

Today, september the 15th 2024, Steam run fine on my Windows 7 desktop computer, i Keep going. 😀

I'm stocking up on toilet paper and cans of spaghetti o's to prepare for Windows 10 EOL.