Launched in 2015, Windows 10 will officially become obsolete in October 2025. Indeed, Microsoft plans to end software support for this operating system. Windows 10 will no longer receive security updates (except for those who pay for an interim extension of software support) and will therefore become unsafe to use.
Unfortunately, many machines currently running Windows 10 are incompatible with Windows 11, due to a very specific requirement from Microsoft. Indeed, for a device to be able to officially install Windows 11, it must have a component called TPM 2.0 (even if the PC is powerful enough to run Windows 11).
And the Redmond firm is not about to change its mind on this subject. In a recent blog post, he writes that TPM 2.0 is not just a recommendation, but “a necessity for maintaining a secure and future-proof computing environment with Windows 11”. “In Windows 11, TPM 2.0 advanced encryption techniques provide more versatile and critical key management for contemporary IT infrastructures, compared to its predecessor, TPM 1.2”we also read in the publication.
What will happen to old machines running Windows 10?
Microsoft’s publication also recalls the role played by the TPM on a system. In essence, it is an element that provides security services on PCs. “It securely houses encryption keys, certificates, passwords and sensitive data, protecting them from unauthorized access. Additionally, the TPM is responsible for cryptographic operations such as generating random numbers, encrypting and decrypting data, and confirming digital signatures.recalls Microsoft.
When Windows 10 is no longer supported, computers that do not have version 2.0 of this TPM will need to use an alternative operating system, such as Linux or Chrome OS Flex. But today, there are also fears that a large proportion of PCs incompatible with Windows 11 will become electronic waste, which would be a disaster for the planet.
In 2023, Canalys released an estimate that in the two years before Windows 10’s end of support date, 250 million computers could become e-waste.
- Windows 10 will no longer be supported starting October 2025
- Unfortunately, many PCs are incompatible with Windows 11 because they do not have TPM 2.0
- And Microsoft insists on the necessity of this component for the Windows 11 ecosystem to be future-proof
- After Windows 10 ends support, users of PCs incompatible with Windows 11 will have to pay for a temporary extension, use another operating system, or purchase a new machine
