Technology
Attention if your PC is running Windows, the company warns 400 million users not to update to the latest version
400 million users of Windows 10 have to make a choice before October 2025 when support for the operating system will end.
Microsoft will be terminating support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Beyond that date, the Redmond-based technology firm will cease to issue updates for the software to fix bugs, glitches and vulnerabilities.
“While you could continue to use your PC, without continued software and security updates your PC is at greater risk for viruses and malware,” Microsoft warns about unsupported software. Currently, nearly 62% of PCs use the Windows 10 operating system according to Statcounter.
So you should update your PC to Windows 11, the latest version of the operating system, right? Not so fast, warns Microsoft.
Microsoft warns 400 million users not to update to the latest version
Unfortunately, not all PCs, roughly 400 million devices, meet the minimum system requirements to run Windows 11. For those devices, Microsoft doesn’t recommend installing the latest version of the operating system.
“If Windows 11 is installed on ineligible hardware, your device won’t receive support from Microsoft, and you should be comfortable assuming the risk of running into compatibility issues,” states the firm. “Devices that don’t meet these system requirements might malfunction due to compatibility or other issues.”
You can check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11 by downloading and running Microsoft’s PC Health Check app. If your computer is not compatible with Windows 11, you have a couple choices.
One you can install Microsoft’s Extended Security Update (ESU) to maintain Windows 10 for one more year. For those who have a Microsoft 365 subscription, the update is free. Otherwise, the company says that it costs $30. Enrollment in the program will be available closer to the end of support in 2025.
The other option is to upgrade your hardware and purchase a device that is Windows 11 compatible, which launched October 2021. The latest version of Windows has become the standard on all modern PC hardware.
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