Microsoft's Support Drop Leaves 400 Million PCs Vulnerable

Microsoft's decision to drop support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, has left around 400 million PCs without active security updates. This issue stems from the company's requirement that all Windows 11 PCs feature TPM 2.0 and UEFI Secure Boot, as well as relatively newer processors. As a result, many users are now ineligible for the upgrade to Windows 11.

The affected PCs will no longer receive critical updates, leaving them unsupported. Microsoft is offering Extended Security Updates (ESU) that will last until October 12, 2027, but eligible users can only get this free if they meet certain requirements.

Environmentalists are worried about the e-waste generation, with PIRG's Electronic Waste Graveyard pegging the number of affected PCs at 400 million. The report suggests that this could generate 1.6 billion pounds of e-waste.

Users have a few options to consider: enrolling in Windows 10's Extended Security Updates, switching to Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC, using alternative operating systems like Linux or ChromeOS Flex, or keeping running Windows 10 with reduced security.