Those who prefer to avoid the latest build of Windows until all the kinks are worked out won’t like Microsoft’s latest plans. According to the company’s web store, Microsoft will only sell new Windows 10 licenses through the end of this month. After Jan. 31, you’ll have no choice but to buy Windows 11.
Microsoft first teased Windows 11 in mid-2021, releasing it at the tail end of the year. On the surface, Windows 11 doesn’t look much different than Windows 10, but it did impose some new hardware restrictions like the presence of a TMP 2.0 module and a CPU from the last several years (even though it seems to work fine on “unsupported” hardware). That was enough for some people to steer clear, but others object to changes to the way default apps are managed, as well as the requirement that you log into Windows 11 with a Microsoft account.
The end of sales should not be confused with the end of support. Windows 10, which launched in 2015 and seemed for a time as if it might be “the last version of Windows,” still has security update support until October 2025. However, you can expect Microsoft to stop passing along feature updates to its last-gen OS before that happens. It wants everyone to get on Windows 11, so it’s going to keep all the good stuff for that OS.
As spotted by PCWorld, Microsoft’s store page for Windows 10 now includes the Jan. 31 disclaimer. The Windows 10 Media Creation tool remains available with no warnings of an impending shutdown, so you should still be able to create Windows 10 installation media for devices that have a license. You just won’t be able to get any new licenses from Microsoft.
Just because Microsoft won’t sell you a license doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get one at all. Third-party retailers will still have OEM copies of the operating system, but you use those at your own risk — some can be pretty shady. Even if you can’t find a Windows 10 key, you might be able to use an old key from Windows 7 or 8 you have lying around. When Microsoft released Windows 10, it gave existing users a truly free upgrade path. As long as it’s a retail or OEM key, you should be good to go.
Now read:
- Microsoft Finally Unlocks Tabbed Explorer Windows, Other New Features for Windows 11
- Microsoft Will Change a Windows Security Default to Block Ransomware
- Microsoft Testing ‘Unsupported Hardware’ Watermark on Windows 11 Desktop
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