I dual-booted Linux for a year, then deleted Windows and never thought about it again

Published Sep 7, 2026, 1:30 PM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. A year ago, I had a problem. My old PC was running Windows 10, and it wasn't compatible with Windows 11. I had signed it up for extended support to give it a few more years of life, but I ultimately knew that I was living off borrowed time. At some point, I'd have to jump ship to another operating system, and I preferred to make the transition as soon as possible instead of waiting for Windows to fall apart on me. I knew I wanted to give Linux a try, but it was also quite an intimidating goal. I had never properly used Linux on my PC before; I had perhaps tried it a handful of times over my three decades of using Windows and quickly rebounded. So, I did the smart thing; I dual-booted Linux and Windows 10, telling myself that I would predominantly use the latter and dabble in the former. Except that didn't quite pan out as I expected. In the beginning, Windows 10 was my haven for when things got hairy And they got hairy pretty often At the start of my Linux adventures, Windows 10 acted as my "nuclear bunker." The Linux partition was where I would tinker with things, see what I liked and disliked, and generally try to port as much of my Windows workflow over. Things would usually go wrong, at which point I would retreat to Windows 10 and blow up my Linux partition. I'd then use Windows 10 exclusively until I had built up the patience again to give Linux another go. The biggest issue I had with Linux is that I didn't know what desktop environment I liked. This was mainly due to me not knowing what a desktop environment was. I just assumed that whatever the operating system looked like on first install was how it would always look. Why would I think any different? Windows didn't come with different flavors of UI; you just installed it, and what you got, you got. This did mean I rebounded pretty hard off Ubuntu when I installed it, slammed face-first into GNOME, and instantly decided it wasn't for me. It was really looking like Linux would be the "shut up and make do" alternative to Windows 10 when my support expired, and I was almost ready to wait until October 2027 came around to see if Linux was any more suitable for me by then. KDE Plasma helped me solidify a home base in Linux I'm not sure where I'd be without it I can't remember how I came across it, but I remember wanting to give KDE Plasma a try. Again, I didn't know what a desktop environment was at this point, so I didn't think to install it on a Linux system or use a Plasma-based spin. Instead, I Googled "which Linux distro is best for KDE Plasma" and began sifting through all the recommendations and debates that Google had found. I kept seeing people state that Fedora KDE was best for stability while still keeping up with new features, so I went for that. It was a rough start, and I had to retreat to my Windows 10 bunker when things got really annoying, but I persevered. I ended up falling in love with KDE Plasma; it was the 'secret sauce' that I was looking for while I was distro-hopping. Of course, that got me asking: what's the difference between Fedora and Fedora KDE? That rabbithole taught me about desktop environments, and that rabbithole taught me that I could bring KDE Plasma to pretty much any distro I wanted. I began distro hopping again, not because I was desperately trying to find a new home, but because I wanted to see which OS best suited my new and shiny KDE Plasma discovery. I would eventually settle on Fedora KDE and used it for a year. I was beginning to shift away During my early days of Fedora KDE, I would encounter a problem, and my mind would immediately use it to justify returning to Windows. Why was I messing around with this open-source stuff, anyway? Why don't I just go back to Windows? Windows was safe and reliable; if I wanted an app, there was a good chance it was compatible with Windows and came with an installer. It had no surprises; it featured near-zero additional setup to get working, and it was familiar. So, every so often, I'd get Linux fatigue and head back to Windows. However, every time I went back, I noticed my desire to stay on Windows was rapidly fading. The UI that I had once loved began feeling clunky and immutable. The Windows Update system, which I was forced to make peace with as a Windows user, now felt annoying to deal with. What do you mean I have to now wait for Windows to update my system before I turn my PC off? I didn't have to do that with Fedora KDE; over there, I had control over when I updated my system. Eventually, the Linux fatigue would wear off, and Windows 10 was delegated to my backup OS. I would boot it up once in a blue moon, perhaps out of curiosity or to run a random app, but that was it. I felt at home with Fedora KDE. Eventually, I pulled the trigger and went Linux-only I didn't need Microsoft anymore Unfortunately, Windows' annoyances went further than the OS; it ended up annoying me as a partition, too. Whenever I wanted to install a new OS, tweak partitions, or otherwise tweak what's on my disk, I had to step around Windows, which refused to play ball with other operating systems. It got to the point where I asked myself, why is Windows even here anymore? All it's doing is taking up space and making it hard for me to tweak my system. So, I backed it up on an external drive, just in case. Then I scrubbed it. Since then, I've felt no need to reinstall Windows 10. I have the drive all to myself, and I can do weird and somewhat reckless Linux things with it without worrying about breaking Windows or needing its permission. And honestly, I've been enjoying my PC a lot more because of it. Windows 10 started as my safe haven, and ended up becoming the thing I was trying to avoid These days, using Windows doesn't even cross my mind. I have everything set up just the way I like it on Linux, and while I had to make some minor sacrifices, it was worth it to build a home in an OS that treated me like a user, and not a customer.