During a meeting this morning I had a large (but not full screen) ad pop up on my work Windows 10 laptop. It was for some Microsoft service, I was only in a meeting at the time and on a different screen, but if I had been working that would have covered up my work area on that screen. It reminded me about recently hearing about the full screen Windows 11 ads starting to appear in Windows 10:
Windows 11 has been available for more than two years, and Microsoft would like to know why the heck you're still using Windows 10. Holdouts still using Microsoft's last-gen operating system are no strangers to upgrade reminders, but Microsoft has really outdone itself this time. Windows 10 users have started to report giant pop-over ads for Windows 11, even if their systems are not capable of installing the new OS. Windows and obnoxious ads—name a more dynamic duo.
Microsoft released Windows 10 in 2015, and for a time, it looked like there might not be any additional numbered releases. Microsoft began updating Windows 10 with new features on a regular basis, pushing it far past the usual shelf life of a Windows release. However, it did eventually move to Windows 11 in 2021. Microsoft offers that upgrade free to eligible Windows 10 systems, but the hardware requirements are more stringent than past upgrades.
The new pop-up claims to be alerting users to the impending end of support for Windows 10, but that's not happening until October 2025. The message also includes information about Windows 11 and what the end of support means. Users can choose to be reminded later about the Windows 11 upgrade, but there's no option to make the alert go away forever. That suggests it will reassert itself in the future.
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The Reddit user who posted the screenshot is using a PC that is not eligible for the Windows 11 upgrade. Microsoft took the unusual step of requiring a fairly modern CPU as well as a TPM 2.0 module, and there are plenty of Windows 10 machines that don't meet those specs. The pop-up offers information on Windows 11 even to these users, but their options are limited: either upgrade the existing machine to meet the minimum specs or buy a new machine before Windows 10's end of life is upon us.
The aggressiveness of this advertising campaign might be thanks to the sluggish uptake of the new OS. Windows 11's growth has stalled between 20% and 30% of Microsoft's user base. Windows 10 is still running on about 69% of Windows systems. In another 18 months, those users won't be getting basic security protections anymore. Microsoft could end up regretting making the upgrade requirements so strict—if too many systems are still on Windows 10 in October 2025, the company might have to extend support to avoid a malware nightmare. Microsoft surely doesn't want another Windows XP situation on its hands, but maybe the takeover ads will remind more users to upgrade before the big day arrives.
Well... Windows 11 is like Windows 10, only with features and functionality removed, and arbitrary hardware requirements. Why would anybody want it other than because it's the latest version of Windows that might come with a new computer?
