You try can Linux out without installing it(via live USB)? Check this guide but use Kubuntu instead of Ubuntu. You can also try it out via virtual machine.
Also try to switch to cross platform open source programs like these so you'll be able to use the same programs when you switch to Linux
oh really? that sucks. i still have a retail license but that started as windows 8 and apparently you can only transfer those once. i'm hoping that when updating to windows 11 microsoft's servers just kinda forget about that.