Microsoft plans to end official support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, leaving consumers and business users with a few options: Either upgrade to Windows 11, pay for additional updates, or just continue using Windows 10 without any updates (the Extended Security Update program). In other words, after that date, Windows 10 users who don't pay will no longer receive any support services or important security updates from Microsoft.
Of course, Microsoft wants people to choose the first option, especially since Windows 11 has a fairly low market share compared to Windows 10. To achieve its goal, the Redmond company is heavily promoting Windows 11 in Windows 10.
According to new reports, Microsoft has dramatically increased the number of full-screen advertisements on Windows 10 systems to inform users about the OS's end-of-life roadmap. Interestingly, none of these banners mention the Extended Security Updates program, instead focusing on the various benefits of upgrading to Windows 11. The Extended Security Updates program allows regular customers to continue receiving security updates for another year for a small fee of $30 (business and education customers can use the program for up to three years).
For example, ARS spotted a full-screen ad promoting Windows 11's gaming features, but without any specific mention of them. Microsoft simply used vague descriptions like "technology that allows large worlds to load in less time," "higher frame rates," and "more vibrant colors." Of course, there's no obvious "No, thanks" button. Instead, users have to hit "Learn more" or ask for the ad to appear later.
Additionally, some users are seeing ads focused on Windows Backup and how it can help migrate files from Windows 10 to a new Windows 11 computer. There are also cases where ads are advertised for Copilot+ PC promotions. All of this makes it a bit frustrating for those who don't want to/can't afford to upgrade to Windows 11.
In addition to not mentioning the Extended Security Update program, these ads also say absolutely nothing about the hardware requirements that users must meet to be eligible for the Windows 11 update. So it seems like Microsoft's sole goal in this campaign is to force users to buy new computers, even though many people are perfectly fine with the experience they're having.
In fact, these ads are nothing new, and were first seen back in April of this year. The only change seems to be that Microsoft has increased the scope of the rollout.
While there's nothing wrong with letting users know that their operating system is nearing the end of its support period, could Microsoft, for the benefit of the user community as a whole, make those notifications less confusing and more transparent?
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