🧑💻 The Setup
In 2025, you’d think everyone would’ve moved on to Windows 11 — right?
Well… not quite.
I’m a developer. I care about productivity, speed, and stability. And after testing Windows 11 for a few months, I went back to Windows 10. Not because I hate change — but because my machine, my stack, and my flow work better on it.
⚙️ Why Windows 10 Still Works for Devs (in 2025)
Let me break it down. Here’s why I still prefer Windows 10:
- ✅ No TPM/Secure Boot headaches
- You don’t need to tinker with BIOS or bypass Microsoft’s restrictions.
- ✅ Smooth WSL2 experience
- Zero compatibility issues. No strange lag, network breaks, or memory leaks.
- ✅ Legacy tools just run
- I use older versions of Node, Python, even WinForms stuff. No warnings. No surprises.
- ✅ Faster on older hardware
- Windows 11 felt sluggish on my dev laptop. Windows 10 flies.
- ✅ No forced UI changes
- Rounded corners and centered taskbars? Not my priority.
🧠 Windows 11: Why I Tried (and Dropped)
I really gave it a shot. I installed Win11 on a clean SSD and migrated my tools.
But here’s what went wrong:
- ❌ My IDE (Rider) had rendering glitches
- ❌ Docker Desktop was slower (especially with volume mounts)
- ❌ VS Code remote connections would randomly break
- ❌ Startup time increased by 20–30%
- ❌ Some legacy tools didn’t even launch without compatibility tweaks
Sure, these issues will probably be patched… someday. But I don’t have time to wait. I need my machine to just work — today.
💸 And Let’s Not Forget Cost
Windows 11 Pro costs $199.
In contrast, you can grab a Windows 10 Pro key for under $10 from verified digital resellers like DadKeys.com.
That’s:
- A real, legal license
- Retail (not OEM), so it can be moved
- Fast delivery
- Comes with support and documentation
Perfect if you’re building PCs, using VMs, or reactivating a dev rig.
🔐 “But What About Security?”
Good question. And yes — Windows 11 does have better theoretical security features:
- Hardware-based isolation
- Mandatory Secure Boot
- VBS (Virtualization-based Security)
But honestly? If you:
- Keep your OS updated
- Use a password manager
- Don’t run random .exe files from Telegram
…then Windows 10 is still perfectly safe. Especially with official support through October 14, 2025.
🧰 My Dev Stack on Win10 (Still Works Like a Charm)
Here’s what I use every day — no problems on Windows 10:
- WSL2 with Ubuntu 22.04
- Docker + Compose
- PostgreSQL + Redis
- Node.js 18, Python 3.11
- Visual Studio Code, Rider, GitKraken
- Figma, Notion, Obsidian
- Firefox + Chrome DevTools
- AutoHotkey (can’t live without it)
Every single thing works. Every update is predictable. And I don't lose hours fixing issues introduced by Microsoft's UI redesign.
💬 Final Thoughts
Will I switch to Windows 11 eventually? Maybe.
But until I absolutely need it for a specific feature — or Microsoft kills Win10 support entirely — I’m staying where things work.
🚀 It’s fast.
🧠 It’s stable.
💵 It’s cheap.
🧰 It supports my entire workflow.
🔗 Grab a Key (If You Need One)
Want to legally activate Windows 10 Pro for your own dev machine?
➡️ DadKeys.com offers original retail licenses with fast delivery, 24/7 support, and pricing devs can actually afford.
Let me know what OS you're using and why — curious if others still run Win10 in 2025!
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