Majority of Microsoft’s windows users are running out of time for software upgrades. According to Microsoft, it has given the strongest indication yet to Windows 10 users as the date for the end of support is now penning down to October 14, 2025. After that date, security updates will stop—unless you pay.
Microsoft in its advisory of April 13 has indicated that the free upgrade offer to Windows 11 is still effective. The condition is cheapest and the decision is timely: if you have a personal computer that qualifies, do the upgrade now. In case it doesn’t, a possible hardware recycling or an expensive support extension is the only option.
Over 500 Million Still Using Windows 10—And That’s a Problem
Even though the migration process to Windows 11 from Windows 10 started long ago, the recent Microsoft report showed that the user base of Windows 10 is not decreasing but increasing by 53%. It turns out, it is still around 750 million people, and from that group, about 500 million have the required hardware but they are delaying the upgrades.
How about the remaining 250 million? Their computer performance cannot be compatible with the resource-hungry Windows 11. Microsoft suggests this group of users give up the idea of upgrading their device. They are better off buying a new one or recycling the device.
Windows 11 Is Getting Better—But Still Controversial
The comeback of Recall, the app that takes screenshots of all your work on your computer, to Windows 11 has had the biggest impact. Recall is made in such a way to grant you the capability to reopen, for example, a document, a web page, or an image through a verbal description.
However, privacy advocates see this as a stalker’s heaven. It is now easier and quicker to spy on someone, even with the opt-out setting activated, which is why such people want to stop the use of Recall. By the way, as an alternative to the manual documenting of your habits, Copilot+ PC is being introduced by Microsoft in the hope of assisting those with a bad memory by perceiving users tricks and ways, and it will be powered by AI.
Delaying Upgrades Could Expose Your Device to the Risk of Attacks
There is yet another major reason to move quickly – danger is here in the form of still undetected vulnerabilities.
In the recent Patch Tuesday release, Microsoft fixed one of the two zero-day bugs, namely CVE-2025-29824 which was used in different parts of the world. The company also uploaded a new update on April 11th, which was off-schedule and was directly related to the matter because it alerted all the Windows 10 versions that are out-of-date.
Meaning that if your Windows 10 is either not updated or not in the supported range, you might be attacked already. The company wants all public and private sector customers to perform the update immediately.
Indeed, the Renewal Is Still without Charges—Though It Is Only for a Short While
If your personal computer is eligible for the free upgrade, you can still switch to Windows 11 without any cost. Ensure your qualifications by checking the status with PC Health Check. Once confirmed, you can use the “Windows Update” tab in “Settings” to start the process.
For those, whose systems do not meet Windows 11 requirements, Microsoft offers an Extended Security Update subscription for home users at $30/year (and a higher price for enterprise customers). This might extend the time for users to transit to a new system a little bit, but it is definitely not a long-term solution.
Windows Update Problems: The ‘inetpub’ Folder Surfaces and Flawed Applications
Users have encountered a “inetpub” folder after finishing the update for April. Although it has initially caused confusion, Microsoft has now explained that the creation of this folder is an attempt to deal with the threat caused by CVE-2025-21204 and discouraged users from removing it.
At the same time, an update called KB5002700 broke Outlook, Word, and Excel for users with the 2016 version of Office on Windows 10. Any fix must be manually installed and for it to be effective, users will also need KB5002623.
This is only one problem that shows the issues that Windows 10 users have to face as Microsoft is moving its focus to Windows 11.
What Problems Will Arise in the Future?
Having the 14th of October as a due date, the last moment will bring forward the system upgrades and the support queries. Microsoft is likely to send out more impactful reminders. Some of the features are also being silently taken from Windows 10—e.g., the seconds display on the taskbar clock is a subtle indication that the service will be closed in a short time.
Windows 11’s AI-driven functionalities (for example, Copilot and Recall) have become the main point of the latest version. This is a crystal-clear indication that Microsoft is shaping a future around the idea of having smarter and hands-free businesses. However, that change also brings with it some complications and, indeed, for some, worries.
You are not under obligation to welcome Windows 11 with open arms, but it’s time for you to shift to it if your PC is compatible. Microsoft has given it away for free. However, it will not be for long. Moreover, if you are not willing to update, your system will operate on an insecure operating system, particularly at the time when there are already a great number of security threats taking advantage of these vulnerabilities.
Please go through your system now to be sure. Do not wait until the last minute.
