- Windows 10 support ends tomorrow (October 14) but millions remain reluctant to upgrade
- Searches for Windows 10 soar despite Microsoft’s push toward Windows 11
- Older hardware and upgrade costs keep users clinging to the aging OS
As we should all know by now, tomorrow (October 14) marks the end of life for Windows 10, unless you’re prepared to pay Microsoft for extended support. That means you’ll stop receiving important security updates and will be at greater risk of hacking and malware.
The truth is, it won’t affect you immediately if you haven’t yet upgraded to Windows 11, switched to Linux, or bought a Mac.
But over time, using Windows 10 will become increasingly risky. A solid antivirus or anti-malware tool will still protect you from many threats, but not all.
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Microsoft has been pushing hard for users to move to Windows 11, but despite the looming cutoff, the new OS hasn’t seen a meteoric surge of willing upgraders and millions of users say they intend to keep using Windows 10.
In Statcounter’s September 2025 snapshot, Windows 11 actually lost share for the second month in a row, falling to 48.94%.
Windows 10, which everyone should, in theory, be scrambling to leave, held steady at 40.5%. It might have been higher if Windows 7 hadn’t put on a surprise spurt.
The problem is that Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements, and for users with older PCs, it may not even be possible to run it.
There are unofficial workarounds, but few people want to cheat the system just to install a new OS.
Microsoft’s answer for those on older hardware is simple: buy a new PC. But that’s not always realistic, especially for anyone on a budget or businesses still heavily reliant on Windows 10 machines.
In the past few days, searches for Windows 10 have soared. Microsoft would hope it’s because users are looking for Windows 11 upgrade guides, but it isn’t.
Search for it on Google and the top result is how to download the Windows 10 disc image (ISO file).
Microsoft would obviously be hoping users see a clear warning about end-of-life support and how to move to Windows 11, not how to grab a Windows 10 ISO so they can install or reinstall the old system.
And if you try the same search on Bing? You’ll get the same story.
After the old system reaches it end of life, that will likely change, but for now users seem more interested in clinging on than moving forward.
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waynewilliams@onmail.com (Wayne Williams)
