American man sues Microsoft for forcing Windows 11 upgrade, demanding free Windows 10 support.
A California resident is suing Microsoft, demanding that free support for Windows 10 be extended until the operating system's market share falls below 10%.
Quick summary:
California residents are suing Microsoft for forcing upgrades to Windows 11 and ending free support for Windows 10.
The plaintiffs are demanding free support until Windows 10's market share falls below 10% or the hardware requirement is removed.
Windows 10 will end support on October 14, 2025, but it still holds nearly 43% of the market share.
Lawrence Klein, a resident of California, owns two laptops running Windows 10 but cannot upgrade to Windows 11 due to the lack of a TPM 2.0 security chip. Although Microsoft previously allowed Windows 11 installation without a TPM, the company has now tightened this requirement to enhance security.
According to the lawsuit, with only three months left before Windows 10 support expires (October 14th), millions of users will not be able to buy new computers or pay for renewals. Klein alleges that Microsoft violated California's business, advertising, and consumer protection laws by forcing users to upgrade and ceasing to provide security patches to those who did not upgrade.
Klein wants the court to compel Microsoft to provide free Windows 10 support until the number of devices using it drops below 10% of the total number of Windows machines. Or, the company must remove unnecessary hardware requirements for installing Windows 11.
Microsoft is currently offering Windows 10 support renewals for $30 per year, or a free first year if users earn Microsoft Rewards points or log in with their Microsoft account and sync data to the cloud.
Controversy erupts over the end-of-life date for Windows 10.
According to the lawsuit, ending support for Windows 10 earlier than previous versions is unreasonable. After Windows XP, every version of Windows has been supported for eight years from the release of its successor. Windows 11 has only been around for four years, meaning Windows 10 should have had four more years of support under the old schedule.
When Microsoft announced this plan last year, Windows 10 still held over 50% of the market share. By July of this year, Windows 11 had overtaken it with 53.5% of installations, while nearly 43% of users remained with Windows 10, a much higher number than during previous end-of-support periods.
Are business interests and AI behind the decision?
Klein argues that accelerating the transition to Windows 11 benefits Microsoft and PC manufacturers significantly, especially with Windows 11's deep integration of the Copilot AI assistant. This allows Microsoft to implicitly promote its AI, while competitors have to persuade users to download apps or visit websites.
By forcing users to upgrade to compatible devices, Microsoft can accelerate its AI strategy, turning 2025 into the “Windows 11 refresh year” and boosting new PC sales.
