What do we want? Windows 10 support! When do we want it? Until 2030!
- Reference: 1760450565
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/10/14/protest_outside_microsoft_brussels/
- Source link:
Support ends today, October 14, for many versions of the operating system, and millions of devices are unable to upgrade to Windows 11 due to Microsoft's hardware requirements. If customers cannot upgrade, they may decide to sign up for Extended Security Updates (ESUs) to keep their devices protected.
One of the groups behind the protest, the Right to Repair Europe coalition, said the protest was all about "exposing perfectly functional PCs rendered obsolete by the company's decision to end free and automatic Windows 10 updates."
[1]
The Register understands that the protest was relatively small and very civil.
[2]
Protesters outside Microsoft's Brussels office (pic: Right to Repair Europe)
[3]In September , the coalition urged Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy, to end software-driven obsolescence by introducing rules that guarantee long-term security and software updates. This would mean 15 years of software updates for PCs.
Campaigners for free, automatic updates until at least 2030 dismissed Microsoft's olive branch of a free year of security updates for EEA customers as a "snooze button."
[4]
[5]
Cristina Ganapini, coordinator of Right to Repair Europe, said: "Microsoft's move to drop Windows 10 support could turn millions of functional computers into e-waste, not because they're faulty, but because software says so.
"This is 'fast tech' in action: a system profiting from forced obsolescence and locked repairs, draining wallets and poisoning the planet. Current EU rules are failing to stop it. We need mandatory repairability, long-term software support, and strong right-to-repair laws. Recycling isn't enough; the Circular Economy Act must prioritize reuse and repair, before fast tech costs us the Earth."
[6]End of Windows 10 support is the perfect time for the Windows 11 installer to fail
[7]Hundreds of millions of business PCs are still on Windows 10 as D-Day nears
[8]Brits sitting on £1.6B gold mine of Windows 10 junk as support ends
[9]Windows 10 refuses to go gentle into that good night
In a statement that will have Bose customers – still smarting from the impending end of [10]the SoundTouch service – stroking their chins thoughtfully, the campaigners said: "The end of Windows 10 support is just one example of a systemic issue: software-driven obsolescence.
"Without regulation, companies can cut off updates for devices — from laptops to medical equipment, smart home appliances, and fitness devices —forcing consumers to replace functional products."
[11]
As the recent Bose announcement shows, Microsoft isn't the only offender. However, with hundreds of millions of Windows 10 devices – many of which have spent the past few months nagging users to upgrade before support ends – it's the most high-profile.
"This decision will make around 400 million computers unsecure globally overnight, potentially generating over 700 million kg of electrical waste, adding to the 62 billion kg of e-waste produced globally each year.
"Ironically, the decision will become effective as of 14 October: International E-Waste Day."
[12]
The Register asked Microsoft to comment. ®
Updated to add at 1534 UTC, October 14
A Microsoft spokesperson got in touch to say:
Microsoft has a longstanding commitment to sustainability, and we are focused on our goals of becoming carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030. This includes designing our devices for optimal repair, reuse, and recovery. At the same time, we see cyberattacks increasing in both volume and complexity across Europe, with more than one in five EU businesses experiencing security incidents in 2024. Outdated software creates opportunities for cybercriminals, raising the risk of intrusion, ransomware, and data loss. Updating operating system and hardware requirements is essential to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated security threats. Windows 11 is the most secure version of Windows ever with a reported 62 percent drop in security incidents, including a 3.0x reduction in firmware attacks in Windows 11 PCs as compared to Windows 10 devices.
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aO5zkl9dI9tTcaz8QVoSawAAANQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/14/right_to_repair.jpg
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/16/campaigners_urge_eu_to_mandate/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aO5zkl9dI9tTcaz8QVoSawAAANQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aO5zkl9dI9tTcaz8QVoSawAAANQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/13/windows_11_media_creation/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/09/business_windows_10_eol/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/08/windows_10_precious_metals/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/02/windows_10_statcounter/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/13/bose_reminds_users_that_nothing/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aO5zkl9dI9tTcaz8QVoSawAAANQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aO5zkl9dI9tTcaz8QVoSawAAANQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Awareness Of Linux Is Still A UK Media Problem
Kudos to the Grauniad but - "Make sure you back up all your files to an external drive or similar safe storage, as replacing Windows is likely to wipe them or make them hard to access."
Unless there isn't enough room on the drive to install Linux alongside the Windows partition that can be left in place and the user's Windows directory linked into the Linux home directory. It would help if this was a prominent option on any Linux desktop distro installer.
"Ironically, the decision will become effective as of 14 October: International E-Waste Day."
No irony. It's just Microsoft's contribution. They're generous that way.
"Behold the field in which I grow my fucks. Lay thine eyes upon it and see that it is barren."
It's the last version of Windows
It should have the last support date.
[Shrug]
I’m mostly a Mac guy these days but I have one Windows 10 box which I run iRacing on. It does that perfectly well (iRacing being surprisingly modest in its hardware requirements) but can’t be updated to Windows 11 because it doesn’t have the necessary TPM. I’m not about to replace the hardware until/unless I actually need to for any other reason so, unless I can enrol it on the ESU one way or another, (and no, I’m not signing it up to a Microsoft account just for that) I’ll simply firewall it off from the rest of my network as best I can, only boot it up when I want to use it, and keep running it as it is.
If that results in it somehow being co-opted to cause mayhem elsewhere then as far as I’m concerned the responsibility will lie with Microsoft, not me…
I bet I’m not going to be the only one doing that and I suspect a lot of people continuing to run unpatched Windows 10 aren’t going to be as careful with data hygiene as I am and will create a correspondingly greater risk. Again, the responsibility for any adverse consequences lands on Microsoft as far as I’m concerned.
Not the same?
There are certain technical differences between these scenarios:
1a. A piece of hardware (such as a smart speaker) is no longer functional (or significantly reduced function, such as "dumb" speaker mode only) due to an online resource (server) being no longer available and/or a kill code activated.
1b. A piece of software (such as a game) is no longer functional (playable) due to an online resource (server) being no longer available and/or a kill code activated.
2. A piece of software (application or OS, in this case Windows 10) is no longer receiving updates -- basic functionality remains but vulnerabilities are no longer patched.
Yes, planned obsolescence is dastardly in all its forms and this kind of thing should not be part of any EULA. (Let's just scrap EULAs entirely? I shouldn't be worried someone else is going to revoke my license on a whim.) But El Reg mentions the Bose shutdown in the same article as the end of support for Windows 10 when they are not the same. The speaker issue is more like other software end-of-life issues from many articles past.
Before you all downvote, please note that I truly appreciate El Reg for covering all these things and bringing them to light, as well as their ongoing coverage of Linux, and the discussions allowed by these forums. All this has led me to (finally!) try Linux Mint by resurrecting some older Windows machines (wouldn't even run Windows 10, I reckon), giving me practice for when I commit to doing the same on our family Win10 box and, except for work, kissing Microsoft goodbye shoving Microsoft out the door with a heel to their rump. As someone else mentioned, it is a crying shame more mainstream media isn't covering this option. Kudos to the whole Linux community for letting our tech live in digital freedom (or at least with looser reins)!
Re: Not the same?
I agree, there are at least two separate issues here. One is update support, the other is dependence on a vendor-provided server. However the quote from the campaigners: "The end of Windows 10 support is just one example of a systemic issue: software-driven obsolescence." does, in fact, cover both and the vendors have the same motivation as well: "We've got their money, lets not spend any more on supporting them.".
If you're already on W11
On the basis that MS is supporting Windows for 11 years look on the next six years as time to work on your migration.
Load of corporate bollocks
Their statement really does fall on deaf ears. I don't believe a word of it.
Awareness Of Linux Is Still A UK Media Problem
I wrote to the BBC informing them of the impending doom of vast e-waste, and i suggested that they run an article/news on alternatives such as Linux.
The BBC article on Windows 10 alternatives did not mention Linux at all.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0vzegkqweo
The Guardian had a feature, and it does mention Linux (well done The Guardian) :
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/14/what-does-the-end-of-free-support-for-windows-10-mean-for-its-users
The Daily Mail only mentions Linux as part of the text of people complaining about Microsoft behaviour :
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15189945/Microsoft-users-mourn-Windows-10.html
Until the mainstream media present the possibility of Linux being an alternative, then people will just be forced by corporations such as Microsoft to purchase new PC's and generate vast e-waste.
The BBC et al should really do better here.