- Only half will upgrade us or device refuses a quarter to switch from Windows 10
- UK -Customers can get one year free ESU but it won’t be automatic
- Consumers can also get help reducing e-waste when upgraded
With the Windows 10 ending of life coming next week, new research has revealed exactly how many people are planning to upgrade and it doesn’t look good for Microsoft.
Which? S study, which is found around a quarter of the people who still use Windows 10, continue to use the previous gene-os, even after support has been withdrawn.
With 21 million people still using a Windows 10 device, it means that 5.4 million Windows 10 devices could still be in use after the deadline of October 14, 2025, putting users at risk of attacks.
Windows 10 doesn’t go anywhere at all
With 26%planning to continue using Windows 10, only a little more than half will upgrade their existing device OS (39%) or upgrade their entire device to support Windows 11 (14%). Six percent even said they would convert to another operating system as a result of the planned depreciation.
Which? Notes Microsoft offers a free year’s Windows 10 expanded security updates (ESU) to the UK and European customers, although the company recently came under fire so as not to offer expansion in other markets globally (especially the US).
Still, the free year ESU does not happen automatically. Instead, users should choose by backing up their Windows settings to OneDrive.
Which? Technical editor Lisa Barber summarized: “If you don’t shop, you could become more vulnerable to hackers and scams.”
The report also emphasized that British retailers must help consumers safely and responsibly dispose of old units when upgrading under waste’s electrical and electronic equipment directive, but while this may reduce e-waste through recycling schemes, it does not always translate into incoming savings and financial incentives.
With the exception of a small blip in August, Windows 10’s market share has steadily dropped since the launch of Windows 11, but it was not until July 2025 that the newer OS overtook its predecessor (via Statcounter).
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