Why would microsoft discontinue windows 10?

Unfortunately, There is sad news for Windows 10 about a year and a half away, despite its overwhelming popularity around the world:

Microsoft is discontinuing all versions of Windows 10 and Windows Defender/Microsoft Defender Internet security updates after October 14, 2025. There is an optional pay per year extension for up to three years to still get Windows 10 security updates after October 14, 2025, but unless something changes as of February 21, 2024, all Windows 10 security updates of any kind will stop after October 14, 2025.

Users will need to find some other security update options to keep Windows 10 supported after October 14, 2025. Zero Patch is a small utility scanner that will scan your computer for zero day vulnerabilities and patch them for you without the need for restarts or slow-down times. These patches and this scanner should only be applied after updates for the operating system stop and not before. (This is to avoid conflict with updates that are still on going from the PC manufacturer.) Zero Patch is available for free for home use. Business users have to pay a small stipend.

Other options include moving to Windows 11. The big problem is that the strict TPM 2.0 requirements prevent this from happening for millions of PC's that don't have 8th Generation (and a few 7th generation processing chips.) The new release of Windows 11 24H2 slated for later this year, will allow Windows 11 installs, if your CPU has an instruction set of SSE4A if you use an AMD processor and SSE4.2 if you use an old Intel chip.

However, most computers older than ten years, don't have the TPM requirements, so if that requirement is not lifted, hundreds of millions of Windows 10 users will not be able to upgrade to Windows 11. There are workarounds, but these are not recommended by Microsoft as indicated clearly in Windows 11 installation instructions.

Most people are petitioning Microsoft to extend Windows 10 security updates and make them free for everyone for at least another three years. If this changes, Microsoft Defender and Windows Updates would protect Windows 10 for everyone for a much needed longer period of time.

Hopefully, with Windows 10 dominating 70% Market Share, compared to Windows 11 at only 30%, something will happen later this year to do two things:

1.) A free extension of Windows 10 security updates- This is critical!

2.) Additionally, a way to get authorized versions of Windows 11 onto older Windows 10 PC's that have been in the field for years, so that everyone can stay safe and secure!

Peace,

Jack

Considering the amount of problems my buddies have with windows 11 will say glad to never see it. Do not update this will not scare us.

Hello, Welcome to Microsoft Community.

Thanks for your feedback, Microsoft is not discontinuing Windows 10.

However, they are ending support for certain versions of Windows 10, such as version 1909, which will no longer receive security updates after May 2022.

This is because Microsoft wants to focus on providing support for newer versions of Windows 10, which have better security features and performance improvements. It is important for users to keep their operating system up to date to ensure their security and protect against potential vulnerabilities.

Microsoft also offers free upgrades to newer versions of Windows 10 for eligible devices, so users can continue to receive support and security updates.

You can find our Product Lifecycle Policy in the following articles

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/

Hope the above information is useful to you

Lugoo Bei | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

... it doesn't make sense for me to purchase a new PC when mine works ...

That's the whole point. It doesn't work against the attacks currently coming in from the internet. If Windows can't protect its users from being attacked, nobody and no organization wants to use it.

An analogy: You can read and cook and watch TV perfectly well if you leave the front door to your home unlocked and open. But you won't be safe.

Windows 10 is being overwhelmed. Microsoft needed help from hardware manufacturers, particularly AMD and Intel, to keep its users safe. Windows 11 is designed to work with the additional security measures built in to modern CPUs and motherboards. If your computer doesn't have one of those newer CPUs and motherboards, it can't use Windows 11. That's why my perfectly good Windows 10 PC can't get Windows 11.

The most frustrating thing? It's just a matter of time before attackers figure a way to get past these new security measures, and we'll be right back where we started.

Where to go from here with your Windows 10 PC?

• Move to the cloud: Store your files online (e.g., OneDrive) and only use online apps. This is exactly how Google operates.
• If you're buying a Windows 11 PC do not spend a lot of money. It will be needing to be replaced sooner than you'd wish.
• Buy a Chromebook. They're much safer. (And you can get Microsoft Edge in Google Play.) And less expensive.
• Replace Windows 10 with Linux. And don't let anyone tell you that we're "too old". While you're learning Linux, maybe they'll learn some manners. 😉

I'm already unable to get security updates, as of October 2024. My PC is a 2014 Dell laptop with an Intel i3 processor. It came with Windows 8, which was a piece of ****, so I was thrilled when I was able to upgrade to Windows 10. A decade later, this computer still works fine for everything I need it to do. All I really ever do on it is stream YouTube videos when I'm home and want a bigger screen. I use my 2023 Samsung smartphone for everything else. But because of Microsoft's decision to stop supporting Windows 10, I feel like I'm being forced into buying a new computer when I really don't need one. Maybe I should just buy a TV instead.