It turns out that convincing us that capturing constant screenshots of everything we do on a PC might not be Microsoft’s biggest challenge over the next year. Albeit it should. Spoiler alert—Recall is a terrible idea, an absolute privacy disaster-slash-nightmare in the making, and one that should be avoided at all costs.
But the bigger challenge than persuading users otherwise looks like being to persuade them to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Users know what they like, and a scarily large 70% of Windows users have not made the switch from the OS that was first seen almost a decade ago and has reached the end of its run.
As XDA Developers says, “Microsoft has a big Windows 10 migration issue on its hands. Right now, the majority of Windows users are using Windows 10… The reason why Windows 10 users aren’t upgrading is that they already know what Windows 11 is capable of, and they’ve made the decision not to use it. As such, being shown the upgrade process or going through a comparison list won’t solve the issue.”
If you’re one of the hold-outs you can expect to be nagged with constant warnings between now and then. As spotted by Windows Latest, “Microsoft is now rolling out two full-screen pop-up banners that remind everyone, including those with supported and unsupported PCs, to upgrade to Windows 11.”
There are two camps this campaign is designed to reach. The first, with PCs capable of making the switch, and the second with those that aren’t. Windows Latest noted that “the banner on an unsupported PC warns that the PC will not receive updates and is not eligible for upgrades,” whereas “if you have a supported PC, you’ll be asked to upgrade to Windows 11 by scheduling the update.”
Microsoft’s warning is clear. “It’s time to upgrade your PC before end of support. End of support for Windows arrives on October 14, 2025. This means your desktop won’t receive technical support or security updates after that date.”
This is a tricky situation. While there will be the usual inertia and swathes of users waiting out the switch as they prefer the older platform, there will be many, many more who don’t have the necessary hardware to make the change. And that’s an issue for Microsoft, those users, and all the systems and platforms they access.
And while this is a boon for PC makers, the prospect of this many PCs running out of runway at the same time has other issues. As Canalys has said, “the end of Windows 10 support could turn 240 million PCs into e-waste… Microsoft’s Windows 11 will help support a struggling PC market as customers prepare for another refresh cycle – but the termination of Windows 10 support could prevent hundreds of millions of devices from getting second lives, leaving many liable to end up in landfill.”
The get-out will be purchasing Microsoft’s extended security updates, but that won’t be cheap. As reported by The Verge, “for businesses, the first year is priced at $61. It then doubles to $122 for the second year and then doubles again in year three to $244. If you enter into the ESU program in year two, you’ll have to pay for year one as well since the ESUs are cumulative.” Consumer pricing will be different.
Whether it’s paying the ESU fee or switching up, you really do need to maintain security updates for your system—as painful as either option might be.