The world's most widely used operating system, Windows 10, is coming to an end, as confirmed by Microsoft. This announcement has put millions of users in a difficult financial situation. In a recent update to its product roadmap, Microsoft declared that the current version of Windows 10, 22H2, which was released in October 2022, will be the final feature update. Additionally, Microsoft revealed that it will stop providing support for Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education, including security updates, for mainstream users on October 14, 2025.
According to Microsoft product manager Jason Leznek, it is strongly recommended that users make the transition to Windows 11 as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this may not be a simple task for many Windows users worldwide. Microsoft had previously claimed that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows in 2015, but they released Windows 11 in 2021 with more demanding hardware requirements that exclude many older PCs and laptops. The most contentious of these is support for the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0, which was introduced in mid-2016. David Weston, Microsoft's VP of enterprise and OS security, explained that the TPM is a chip that is either integrated into the PC's motherboard or added separately into the CPU. Its purpose is to safeguard encryption keys, user credentials, and other sensitive data behind a hardware barrier to prevent malware and attackers from accessing or tampering with it.
Adding a TPM module to older PC motherboards may cost around $50, but support for this is erratic, and users will need to examine their computer's specifications.
In addition, Microsoft has struggled to persuade the majority of its user base to upgrade, with Windows 10 accounting for over 70% of the total Windows market share (Windows 11 has just 20%). It remains to be seen whether this will change now that Microsoft has announced the end of Windows 10, but many users still complain that the operating system lacks essential Windows 10 features.
Adding a TPM module to older PC motherboards may cost around $50, but support for this is erratic, and users will need to examine their computer's specifications.
In addition, Microsoft has struggled to persuade the majority of its user base to upgrade, with Windows 10 accounting for over 70% of the total Windows market share (Windows 11 has just 20%). It remains to be seen whether this will change now that Microsoft has announced the end of Windows 10, but many users still complain that the operating system lacks essential Windows 10 features.
Author
-Anurag