New Microsoft warnings are starting to emerge as hundreds of millions risk losing support
It turns out that convincing us that taking constant screenshots of everything we do on the PC might not be Microsoft’s biggest challenge next year. Although it should. Spoiler alert – Recall is a terrible idea, an absolute privacy disaster in the making, a nightmare to be avoided at all costs.
However, the bigger problem than convincing users otherwise appears to be convincing them to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Users know what they like, and a frighteningly large 70% of Windows users haven’t switched from the OS they first saw. almost ten years ago and it reached the end.
As XDA Developers says: “Microsoft has a big problem with Windows 10 migration. Right now most Windows users are using Windows 10… The reason Windows 10 users don’t upgrade is because they already know what Windows 11 can do and choose not to use it. Showing you the upgrade process or going through a comparison list won’t solve the problem.”
If you’re one of the delayers, you can expect to be pestered with constant warnings between now and then. As you noticed Windows latest“Microsoft is now running two full-screen pop-up banners reminding everyone, including both supported and unsupported PCs, to upgrade to Windows 11.”
This campaign aims to appeal to two camps. The first with computers capable of making the transition and the second with those that are not. Windows latest noted that “a bar on an unsupported computer warns that the computer will not receive updates and is not eligible for an upgrade”, while “if you have a supported computer, you will be asked to upgrade to Windows 11 by scheduling an update”.
Microsoft support notice for Windows 10 users
Microsoft’s warning is clear. “It’s time to upgrade your computer before the end of support. End of support for Windows will occur on October 14, 2025. This means that your computer will not receive technical support or security updates after that date.”
This is a tricky situation. While there will be the usual inertia and hordes of users waiting to switch because they prefer the older platform, there will be many, many more who don’t have the necessary hardware to make the switch. And that’s a problem for Microsoft, those users, and all the systems and platforms they have access to.
And while that’s a boon for PC makers, the prospect of so many PCs going off the rails at the same time has other problems. As Canalss said: “End of support for Windows 10 could turn 240 million PCs into e-waste… Microsoft’s Windows 11 will help prop up the struggling PC market as customers prepare for another refresh cycle – but ending support for Windows 10 could prevent hundreds of millions of devices before getting second lives, so many of them may end up in the landfill.”
The output will be the purchase of extended security updates from Microsoft, but this will not be cheap. As he states The Verge“For businesses, the first year price is $61. It then doubles to $122 in the second year and doubles again to $244 in the third year. If you enter the ESU program in year two, you will also have to pay for year one because ESUs are cumulative.” Consumer prices will vary.
Whether it’s paying the ESU fee or switching, you really need to keep security updates for your system – as painful as either option can be.