Windows 10 has been with us for ten years and, by many measures, it is time for it to retire. The complication is that the OS remains wildly popular: until just a few months ago it was the most-used desktop operating system in the world.
Some people stick with it out of habit or reluctance to learn a new interface. But there is another, larger problem: tens or even hundreds of millions of machines cannot upgrade to Windows 11 because of the newer OS’s stricter hardware requirements.
That hardware barrier affects between 200 and 400 million devices that otherwise have capable processors and years of life left, according to Consumer Reports. Those users are effectively locked into Windows 10 even as Microsoft presses customers to move to Windows 11 for better security.
Who is Consumer Reports?
Consumer Reports is a long-standing U.S. nonprofit that has independently tested and rated consumer products since 1936. It buys products through retail channels, refuses samples from brands, and does not accept advertising revenue. The organization runs extensive test labs and publishes results across categories from electronics and appliances to cars and financial services.
Beyond testing, Consumer Reports advocates for consumer rights and influences U.S. policy debates. Its independence and testing infrastructure give its recommendations weight with both the public and industry.
According to Consumer Reports’ internal data, roughly 46.2 percent of all computer users worldwide still run Windows 10. The group says that as many as 200 to 400 million of those users cannot upgrade to Windows 11.
Consumer Reports calls out Microsoft for what it describes as hypocrisy. The company urges customers to upgrade to Windows 11 in the name of cybersecurity, while leaving a large population of Windows 10 users more exposed by effectively freezing them on an older platform.
Consumer Reports presses Microsoft for a solution
The organization has sent a letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella urging the company to address the security gap for people who cannot move to Windows 11. The letter frames the issue as a consumer protection problem and asks Microsoft to consider options that would reduce risk for those users.
Microsoft already provides extended support options for businesses, allowing firms to pay for up to three additional years of Windows 10 support. Consumer Reports suggests Microsoft should consider making comparable security support more broadly available to individual consumers.
Microsoft could also be banking on the idea that, over the next three years, many users will migrate to newer hardware capable of running Windows 11, naturally shrinking Windows 10’s install base. Consumer Reports argues that relying on market turnover alone leaves millions vulnerable in the meantime.
