A California resident has sued Microsoft for retiring Windows 10 on 14 October 2025. We look at the entire issue in broad coverage in this post.
Keep reading if you are a Windows 10 users likely to be affected by the Windows 10 EOL status in October 2025.
Windows 10 Extended Security Updates are free for retail consumers in Europe, except for people in Switzerland and United Kingdom. For people outside Europe, you could get 1 year of free access to Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 by encashing Microsoft reward points or backing up your computer’s settings to OneDrive. Detailed instructions can be read here.
Windows 10 becomes end of life in October 2025. Which means that the Windows 10 users will not have access to security updates for the operating system, unless they choose to buy a paid subscription of Windows 10 Extended Security Updates.
And, many Windows 10 users are unable to upgrade to Windows 11 due to hardware incompatibilities. So, this leaves a sizeable number of Windows 10 users without security updates (unless they upgrade to the ESU subscription). There are not many alternatives for such users.
For Windows 10 users who cannot update Windows 10 to Windows 11 due to hardware incompatilbilities, the following options are practical:
- Run the computer as it is
They could choose to run Windows 10 computers without security updates. This is technically possible. But, it is seldom recommended because of the inherent security risks of working on an unpatched computer.
- Buy new computer
Windows 10 users could choose to buy a new Windows 11 computer. This is expensive, and not many users worldwide may feel a need to get a new computer because the incumbent operating system becomes end of life.
- Buy Extended Security Updates
Windows 10 users could buy subscription to the Extended Security Updates (ESU) for the operating system for a period between 1 to 3 years. For the duration of the ESU subscription, the computer will get access to Extended Security Updates.
How big is the problem of Windows 10 computer?
According to StatCounter, nearly 43% of Windows users still use Windows 10 on their desktop computers (as of the end of July 2025).
In July 2024, over 60 percent desktops had Windows 10 operating system. In July 2025, this number has reduced to 43%. The graph from Statcounter demonstrates the trend of Windows 10 users over the previous year.
And, the latest trends at the end of August 2025 suggests that 45 percent of Windows operating systems continue to be based on Windows 10 operating system.
To follow up, at the end of September 2025, Windows 10 share of the total Windows operating system market in the world is a little under 41 percent. For reference, you can check the latest update from Statcounter about Windows operating system market share. It remains to be seen how this situation pans out at the end of October.
Source: StatCounter Global Stats – Windows Version Market Share
It looks like a major issue that may become a cybersecurity headache if security updates for Windows 10 cease to be offered from November 2025.
Source: StatCounter Global Stats – Windows Version Market Share
Although the Windows 11 upgrade is free, an estimated 240 million personal computers don’t have the right hardware to run Windows 11. Without security updates for the underlying Windows 10 operating system, they will be increasingly vulnerable to malware and viruses.
According to one market analyst writing in 2023, Microsoft’s shift away from Windows 10 will lead millions of customers to buy new devices and thrown out their old ones, consigning as many as 240 million PCs to the landfill.
Why the Windows 10 lawsuit?
The extent of problem is massive. Nearly 240 million users will have to take action. It is a forced action because most computers would be working fine.
A South California resident, Lawrence Klein, sued Microsoft on Thursday over the software giant’s plan to discontinue support for the old version of its widely used operating system Windows 10.
He says in his complaint filed in San Diego Superior Court, that he owns two laptops, both of which run Windows 10. Both laptops, he says in his complaint, will become obsolete in October, when Microsoft ends support for Windows 10.
Klein says that the end of Windows 10 is part of Microsoft’s strategy to force customers to purchase new devices and to “monopolize the generative AI market.”
“With only three months until support ends for Windows 10, it is likely that many millions of users will not buy new devices or pay for extended support,” Klein writes in his complaint. “These users — some of whom are businesses storing sensitive consumer data — will be at a heightened risk of a cyberattack or other data security incident, a reality of which Microsoft is well aware.”
“In other words, Microsoft’s long-term business strategy to secure market dominance will have the effect of jeopardizing data security not only of Microsoft’s customers but also of persons who may not use Microsoft’s products at all,” he adds.
Klein is asking a judge to order Microsoft to continue supporting Windows 10 without additional charge, until the number of devices running the older operating system falls bellow 10% of total Windows users.
We will keep you posted on the developments about this lawsuit in the coming weeks. There are less than 3 months left for Windows 10 become EOL.
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