Windows 10 Desupport: Who will be impacted?

Microsoft recently confirmed that support for Windows 10 will officially end in October 2025. While this may not seem groundbreaking—after all, Windows 10 has been around since 2015—it’s what happens next that raises eyebrows. Devices that are only a few years old won’t be able to upgrade to Windows 11 due to strict hardware requirements. For many, that’s effectively a death sentence for perfectly good computers. And the people most affected? Not tech professionals or corporates, but community organisations, schools, and low-income households.

What is Microsoft doing and why?

Microsoft is phasing out Windows 10 support and nudging users toward Windows 11, citing improvements in performance, security, and manageability. But upgrading isn’t as simple as downloading a new version. Windows 11 requires specific hardware features—like a TPM 2.0 security chip and certain CPU generations—meaning that even some computers bought as recently as 2020 won’t qualify. This raises questions about whether this is about user benefit, or just another example of planned obsolescence in action.

eWaste increases while digital inclusion decreases

The result? Thousands of functional devices will be sent to landfill not because they’re broken, but because they’re deemed “unsupported.” That’s not just wasteful—it’s harmful. These machines could still serve vital roles in homes, classrooms, libraries, and charities. Instead, we’re telling the people and organisations who rely on them that their tools are obsolete, while simultaneously pushing more eWaste into the environment.

This disproportionately affects those who can least afford to upgrade: community groups, small non-profits, struggling schools, and individuals. Digital equity isn’t just about broadband—it’s about having working, secure devices to access the online world.

What can people with this hardware do?

It’s important to say that your device will not stop working on October 14th and doing nothing, continuing to use Windows 10 (without Microsoft patches or support) is a completely viable thing to do but does have inherent risks.

For those with unsupported but perfectly functional devices, there are other options. Some may choose to install open-source operating systems like Linux which can breathe new life into older machines. Others might lean more heavily on cloud-based applications, using a browser to handle email, documents, and storage. But these solutions require a level of digital literacy and skills that are beyond the normal consumer—and frankly these shouldn’t be the only option left on the table. This article explains the options quite well.

This is a big deal

We talk about productivity and participation in the digital economy. But if people are forced offline because their otherwise-working device is no longer supported, we’re actively undermining those goals. Microsoft might be ready to move on from Windows 10—but the rest of the world doesn’t always have that luxury.

Microsoft, it's time to do better. Here is a short list of things Microsoft could do:

• Offer a lightweight version of Windows 11 for older devices.

• Extend critical security updates for Windows 10 for non-profit and education sectors.

• Work with community organisations to ensure that access to the digital world isn’t tied to a hardware upgrade cycle.

• Provide funding to community organisations so they can support people with transition options.

If you’re serious about digital inclusion, then show us. Planned obsolescence shouldn’t be policy—it should be the problem you help solve.

This blog has a follow up post - Windows 10 Support for Schools – Not Quite a Silver Bullet