Microsoft should continue to provide Windows 10 with security patches beyond 2025, argues the nonprofit organization Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). In October of that year, the tech giant plans to stop monthly updates.
More than 20,000 people have signed the petition aimed at Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Lucas Rockett Gutterman of PIRG talks about the largest number of computers that will lose support at the same time. “Microsoft needs to rethink this decision and continue providing security updates for the millions of people who can’t upgrade their computers, for the sake of both their finances and the environment.”
Tip: Windows 11 adoption disappoints, but that’s only natural
Although Microsoft wanted to make the transition from Windows 10 to 11 as easy as possible, many older devices do not meet the system requirements, especially the requirement to run TPM 2.0. Specifically, it means that the first generation of AMD Ryzen chips and Intel 7th generation CPUs are unsupported – both of those line-ups were released more than six years ago. Any older chip than that also can’t run Windows 11 natively. However, an end user can usually still get the OS to run on such machines via a workaround.
Known territory
PIRG notes that Microsoft’s “ambitious environmental goals” would be nullified by the decision not to continue supporting Windows 10. After all, as of October 2025, organizations would no longer be able to securely deploy the 400 million PCs in question, especially if they connect them to the Internet.
It’s familiar territory for Microsoft. Previous popular Windows versions likewise remained in use long after the initial EOL (end-of-life) date. This EOL status often ended up being postponed, as was the case with Windows XP: in the end, that operating system received 13 years of security updates (until April 8, 2014). PIRG notes that 30 percent of all PCs at the time could still run the OS.
In the case of Windows 10, Microsoft initially stated that it would be the last version of the operating system. The announcement of Windows 11 showed that was a wash. Gutterman is therefore surprised that the tech giant seems to want to force the switch after all. “Not only is this bad for consumers, it’s also bad for the planet, since the outdated computers will add to our growing piles of toxic e-waste.”
Keeping PCs in long-term use has become a priority for many industry players. For example, HP has launched a program to refurbish older but still usable PCs for office environments.
Also read: HP launches refurbishment program for business PCs