Microsoft has, on multiple occasions, reminded users that support for the Windows 10 system will end on October 14, 2025. This decision has stirred up a substantial amount of controversy, with particularly fierce criticism coming from environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Europe.

These environmental groups highlight that around 400 million PCs globally are unable to upgrade to Windows 11 because of hardware constraints. They argue that compelling an end to support for Windows 10 would lead to a massive amount of electronic waste being generated.

In the end, Microsoft made a concession by declaring that it would offer a free one-year extension of security update services for users within the European Economic Area. Nevertheless, environmental organizations are still not content. They contend that this move is far from enough to tackle the problem and are calling for a legally required longer support period.