Windows 10 force upgrade
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Microsoft has begun informing users that Windows 10 version 1903 is reaching the end of support next month and those still running the unsupported operating system will be force upgraded without their permission.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 version 1903 reaches the end of support in December and it will receive the final cumulative update on December 8. As the end of service is December 8 and it’s less than a month away, the software giant wants to make sure that users are automatically upgraded.

In the coming weeks, Microsoft will begin force upgrading those on Windows 10 version 1903 to a newer compatible version, such as version 1909. If your device is not ready for version 2004 or 20H2, you won’t be upgraded beyond version 1909.

If you’re on version 1909, you’ll be force upgraded to version 2004 in May 2021. This is because the tech giant is planning to kill off Windows 10 version 1909 in May and those still using it must upgrade.

Windows 10 end of life

Note that you can now bypass the upgrade block or specify the version of Windows 10 that you’d like to use by making appropriate changes to Group Policy Editor or Registry Editor.

The end of service applies only to those using Windows 10 Home and Pro. Microsoft will support Windows 10 Enterprise and Education users for another year or two.

Similarly, it will be a very gradual rollout and not everyone will be force upgraded to the newest version of Windows.

Windows 10 banner
Windows 10 end of life banner

It’s also worth noting that a large number of users by all accounts are still using Windows 10 version 1903 for some reasons. The majority didn’t get upgraded to version 1909 or version 2004/20H2 due to the mysterious upgrade blocks, which were triggered by a raft of critical and minor bugs and a highly complicated rollout in general.

Later this year, Microsoft is also planning to expand the rollout of Windows 10 version 20H2, otherwise known as October 2020 Update. In the first half of 2021, another service pack style upgrade called Windows 10 21H1 will begin shipping to consumers.

Windows 10 version 21H1 will replace version 20H2 with fixes and improvements. As per reports, Microsoft is holding back the new features for the Windows 10 “Sun Valley” upgrade, which is expected to arrive in the second half of next year.

About The Author

Mayank Parmar

Mayank Parmar is Windows Latest's owner, Editor-in-Chief and entrepreneur. Mayank has been in tech journalism for over seven years and has written on various topics, but he is mostly known for his well-researched work on Microsoft's Windows. His articles and research works have been referred to by CNN, Business Insiders, Forbes, Fortune, CBS Interactive, Microsoft and many others over the years.