Update: Republished on April 5 with initial responses to Microsoft’s new warning.
And so it begins. Microsoft is preparing millions of PC owners for the unprecedented device cliff edge that hits on October 14, when support for Windows 10 ends. As reported by Windows Latest, the company is now telling users to stop using those devices and to “recycle Windows 10 PCs” that “can’t upgrade to Windows 11.”
There’s no hard date, but the number of ineligible PCs is thought to be around 240 million, and because they can’t be upgraded to a supported OS there will not be the normal secondary market for those buying new hardware. This means there’s no boon for charities or other good causes, and instead this is a recycling or landfill choice.
The question, says Windows Latest, is “what do you do with your old Windows 10 PCs that are perfectly fine but can’t be upgraded to Windows 11? You keep using them, right? According to Microsoft, you should dump them, recycle the hardware, and buy a Windows 11 PC, preferably a Copilot+ PC, so you don’t miss out on the AI features.”
The October 14 deadline does have some caveats. Home and enterprise users will have extended support options for a fee, but that’s strictly limited to 12-months for home users. This Windows 10 cliff edge is coming one way or another.
As PC World points out, “of course, these aren’t your only options. Microsoft fails to mention that you could conceivably install an operating system other than Windows to keep your PC going for a few more years, for example.”
Microsoft has been escalating the tone of its warnings in recent weeks, as it maintains its stance on closing down workarounds to move ineligible hardware to Windows 11. But it seems likely that most users who can’t upgrade won’t pay the $30 fee either, and will just take the risk. That’s a cyber disaster waiting to happen and needs to be avoided.
All PCs that fall off support, Microsoft warns, “will be wide open to data breaches, identity theft, and other serious consequences… Not fun.” Those security updates, it says, “are like locks on your doors — they help keep the bad guys out.” Failing to do that, “could be exploited by malware or hackers,” with your unsupported PC “an easy target.”
The rate of upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is rapidly increasing as October 14 gets closer, but the hard red line for those ineligible devices remains.
And as The Register suggests, “whether users actually want the operating system is another matter. Windows 11 offers few compelling features that justify an upgrade and no killer application. The looming October 14 support cut-off date is likely to be the major driving factor behind the move to Windows 11.”
“When it’s time to say goodbye to your old device,” Microsoft now tells users, “make sure to recycle it responsibly. Lower the environmental impact at the end of your device’s lifecycle by mailing in your old PC to be responsibly recycled or trade it in for money you can use toward a faster, more secure, new Windows 11 PC.”
There may be some buyers if you can find them — albeit hundreds of millions of PCs at once might soften the market. “You can probably fetch an okay price on sites like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or even OfferUp,” PC World says. “Otherwise, you can donate it to someone in need or reuse some of the parts to build a new computer.”
Unfortunately, XDA Developers is not optimistic about your prospects. “Honestly, it seems pretty dire if you want to get some money back from your Windows 10 machine sale. You’re likely better off installing a different operating system on the computer and continuing to use it than selling it for money off a new Windows 11 machine.”
So, the best bet will likely be discount offers on new machines as retailers recycle the hardware for you. They can’t upgrade the PCs either. Absent a raft of unsupported PCs operating as honey traps for hackers and malware, this one-of-a-kind hardware refresh is coming. That said, the current reception to AI PCs remains lukewarm.
Per The Register, “despite Windows 11’s accelerating market share and the narrowing gap between it and Windows 10, the figures show that, with only a few months remaining until Microsoft discontinues support, there are still many devices running the old operating system.” If you won’t or can’t change PC, my strong advice is to pay the $30. Don’t take the risk of ending security updates given the threat landscape. It’s not worth it, and you can expect more Windows zero-days to turn up between now and October, just to hammer home the point.
