Windows 10 has been around for almost nine years and continues to enjoy the status of the most used Windows operating system currently. Microsoft previously announced the end of support date for Windows 10 and even bombarded users with popups to upgrade to Windows 11. It’s now taking more steps to convince users.
Recently, Microsoft updated its official support page, which details the end of support for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7. The other two are already gone, but Windows 10 is still going strong. For those unaware, Windows 10 will reach its end of support on October 16, 2025.
The official page mentions everything about the end of support and how it will impact users. It is a well-crafted web page that informs you about the caveats of not upgrading and how it can impact your system’s security. Windows Latest understands that Microsoft may send users to the Windows 10 support document through an end-of-life banner.
Microsoft wants you to upgrade to Windows 11 or buy a new PC, preferably a Copilot+ PC, which is why the support document has another section for Windows 11’s features.
As shown in the screenshot below, the section compares the two operating systems and suggests where to buy a new Windows PC. It even requests that you use OneDrive to keep your files safe.
After Windows 10 support is withdrawn, your PC will become more vulnerable to malware and security exploits because Microsoft will stop releasing updates. You won’t receive feature upgrades either. However, there is a solution.
If you dearly love Windows 10, you can opt for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which ensures security and critical updates. Sadly, it doesn’t include the feature updates you usually would get despite paying additional money to maintain the operating system.
Windows 10 security updates for businesses are quite expensive:
- For the first year, after October 15, 2025, companies would have to pay $61 per device.
- In the second year, the price doubles to $122 per device.
- In the third year, the price doubles again to $244 per device.
Microsoft hasn’t revealed the pricing for the ESU program for consumers. However, Microsoft previously told Windows Latest that it will share plans for paid Windows 10 updates later this year.
But why are users still on Windows 10?
Upgrading to Windows 11 is not possible for everyone
Windows 11’s system requirements have made some older Windows 10 PCs obsolete.
Due to a lack of hardware components like TPM, Secure Boot, and UEFI, many users cannot upgrade to Windows 11.
There are many workarounds to bypass the system requirements, even official ones, and overall performance isn’t dramatically different on unsupported PCs.
Buying a new PC to migrate to a new OS version isn’t feasible for everyone when the current version can handle all the programs without any problems. Some users are frustrated with Windows 11’s instability, excessive AI addition, and design changes like a locked taskbar and inconsistent fonts.
StatCounter’s report shows that nearly 70 percent of Windows users are still on Windows 10, and the numbers aren’t declining as Microsoft hoped. Maybe the new Copilot+ PCs can finally convince Windows 10 users to make the switch.
