Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 until October 2025, while recent reports said that the company is internally discussing extending the support period, and has even announced the Copilot program for Windows 10.
However, according to the latest development, the Windows manufacturer’s plan to end support for the older Windows 10 operating system may result in the disposal of around 240 million computers.
According to Canalys research, in the roughly two-year period until Microsoft’s official support for Windows 10 ends, nearly one-fifth of devices will become e-waste due to incompatibility with Windows 11.
According to the research company, “This is equivalent to 240 million personal computers,” and the company added: “If these were all folded laptops, and stacked on top of each other, they would form a stack 600 kilometers taller than the moon.”
Computer recycling option
The report also notes that most of the 240 million PCs, if in good condition, could be recycled, however, as they are not compatible with the latest versions of Windows, this would significantly reduce their value for refurbishment and resale.
“Many of the 240 million PCs will remain usable for years to come, but demand for devices no longer supported by Microsoft will be minimal – even companies with limited IT budgets will be deterred by the lack of free, ongoing security updates,” the report added.
Windows 10 is said to have more than 1.4 billion users, compared to 400 million users for Windows 11, and with Copilot for Windows 10, Microsoft may also give users a reason to keep their old PCs for some time.
Microsoft solution
Support for any software includes security and operating system updates. Earlier this month, Microsoft said it would provide extended security updates for Windows 10 until October 2028 but this would be available for a currently unspecified annual fee.
Previously, Microsoft offered paid extended security updates for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 through January 2023.
