And so it begins\u2014all change for Windows.<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
Update: Republished on April 5 with initial responses to Microsoft\u2019s new warning.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>, the company is now telling users to stop using those devices and to \u201crecycle Windows 10 PCs\u201d that \u201ccan\u2019t upgrade to Windows 11.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s no hard date, but the number of ineligible PCs is thought to be around 240 million<\/a>, and because they can\u2019t be upgraded to a supported OS there will not be the normal secondary market for those buying new hardware. This means there\u2019s no boon for charities or other good causes<\/a>, and instead this is a recycling or landfill<\/a> choice.<\/p>\n The question, says Windows Latest, is \u201cwhat do you do with your old Windows 10 PCs that are perfectly fine but can\u2019t 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\u2019t miss out on the AI features.\u201d<\/p>\n ForbesGoogle\u2019s Play Store Warning\u2014Do Not Update This AppBy Zak Doffman<\/a><\/p>\n The October 14 deadline does have some caveats. Home and enterprise users will have extended support options for a fee, but that\u2019s strictly limited to 12-months for home users. This Windows 10 cliff edge is coming one way or another.<\/p>\n As PC World<\/a> points out, \u201cof course, these aren\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Microsoft has been escalating the tone of its warnings<\/a> 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\u2019t upgrade won\u2019t pay the $30 fee either, and will just take the risk. That\u2019s a cyber disaster waiting to happen and needs to be avoided.<\/p>\n All PCs that fall off support, Microsoft warns<\/a>, \u201cwill be wide open to data breaches, identity theft, and other serious consequences\u2026 Not fun.\u201d Those security updates, it says, \u201care like locks on your doors \u2014 they help keep the bad guys out.\u201d Failing to do that, \u201ccould be exploited by malware or hackers,\u201d with your unsupported PC \u201can easy target.\u201d<\/p>\n The rate of upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is rapidly increasing<\/a> as October 14 gets closer, but the hard red line for those ineligible devices remains.<\/p>\n And as The Register<\/a> suggests, \u201cwhether 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen it\u2019s time to say goodbye to your old device,\u201d Microsoft now tells users<\/a>, \u201cmake sure to recycle it responsibly. Lower the environmental impact at the end of your device\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n There may be some buyers if you can find them \u2014 albeit hundreds of millions of PCs at once might soften the market. \u201cYou can probably fetch an okay price on sites like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or even OfferUp,\u201d PC World says. \u201cOtherwise, you can donate it to someone in need or reuse some of the parts to build a new computer.\u201d<\/p>\n