Windows 10 is officially out of support, but it is still the daily operating system for hundreds of millions of people and businesses worldwide. Industry voices now estimate that over a billion computers are running at least Windows 10, and roughly half of all Windows machines are still on that aging platform, even as stricter Windows 11 rules lock a huge share of them out of a simple upgrade. The result is a slow-motion crunch in which security, cost, and e-waste collide on the desktops of ordinary users.
In practical terms, that means nearly 1 billion PCs are stuck between an operating system they know and hardware requirements they often cannot meet. As I look across the data, from small-business consultants to right-to-repair advocates, the pattern is clear: Microsoft’s push toward Windows 11 is colliding with a hardware base that is still capable, still heavily used, and in many cases structurally barred from moving on.
Windows 10 is still everywhere, even after support ended
Nearly a decade after its debut, Windows 10 remains deeply embedded in the global PC fleet. One analysis of usage patterns notes that around 35% of all Windows users are still on Windows 10, even though Microsoft has formally declared that Windows 10 has reached the end of support. That official status means no more free security updates, feature improvements, or routine bug fixes for the mainstream user base, even as the operating system continues to power office desktops, home laptops, and point-of-sale terminals.
Consultants working directly with business customers describe the installed base in even starker terms. One expert at EXP told clients that their understanding is that there are over a billion computers out there that are at least running Windows 10, a scale that turns Microsoft’s support decision into a global infrastructure event rather than a routine software upgrade. When I put those figures alongside the company’s own guidance that Windows 10 support has ended and users should move to a “modern, secure, and highly efficient computing experience” on newer platforms, the gap between policy and reality becomes impossible to ignore.
Half the Windows world is stuck on an aging OS
Even within that billion-strong Windows 10 universe, a huge share of users are not just slow to upgrade, they are effectively stranded. One prominent right-to-repair campaign points out that Around half of all Windows computers still use Windows 10, and “hundreds of millions” of those machines do not meet the official Windows 11 hardware bar. That means a vast population of PCs will lose free security support overnight without any sanctioned path to stay current, even if their processors, memory, and storage are more than adequate for everyday work.
The business side of the market looks similar. One migration guide aimed at corporate IT leaders notes that the scale of the transition is STILL massive, with industry analysts estimating that approximately 46% of business PCs are still hanging in there with Windows 10. When nearly half of corporate endpoints remain on an unsupported operating system, the issue stops being a matter of slow adopters and becomes a systemic risk to everything from payroll systems to hospital records.
Why so many PCs cannot clear the Windows 11 bar
The core problem is not user apathy, it is the way Microsoft has redrawn the hardware line for its latest operating system. Guidance for small businesses stresses that, Before you plan your upgrade, you need to know which of your existing computers can make the leap to Windows 11, because Microsoft set strict minimum system specifications for Windows 11 that many older devices simply do not meet. Those requirements go beyond the familiar RAM and storage checks and reach deep into the motherboard, where security chips and processor generations become gatekeepers.
Technical guides spell out the details. One advisory notes that Microsoft has raised the baseline specifications for Windows 11, including the need for a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and other security features, making a significant number of older PCs ineligible for a direct upgrade. Another checklist tells users in plain language to take Step 3 and Determine whether or not your device has a Trusted Platform Model (TPM) 2.0 chip, because Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 to support the upgrade. For millions of users, the answer to that step is simply “no,” and no software patch can change the underlying silicon.
The security chip that decides your PC’s fate
At the heart of this compatibility divide is a small but consequential component: the Trusted Platform Module. One security-focused guide lists the Key Hardware Requirements for Windows 11 and puts TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) at the top, describing it as a security chip that supports modern encryption and helps protect against malware during startup. In other words, Microsoft is using TPM as a line in the sand between what it considers a secure modern PC and everything that came before.
Government IT teams are running into the same wall. A report on state and local agencies notes that Windows 11 will only install and run on a machine that fulfills a heavier slate of security requirements related to the hardware chip installed on a computer’s motherboard, a reference to the Windows 11 TPM mandate. When public-sector fleets full of mid-2010s desktops cannot clear that bar, the choice becomes stark: replace otherwise functional machines or accept a growing security and compliance liability.
CPU generations, TPM, and the “too old to upgrade” label
Beyond TPM, processor age is quietly disqualifying a huge number of PCs that still feel fast in everyday use. One small-business guide spells it out bluntly in a Practical note: Windows 11 generally requires an Intel 8th-gen Core CPU or newer, or an AMD Ryzen 2000 series or newer, which means nearly any PC built before 2018 is likely excluded even if it is technically fast enough. That single requirement instantly sidelines entire generations of laptops and desktops that still handle web browsing, office work, and even light creative tasks without breaking a sweat.
Microsoft’s own technical forums reinforce the point. In one support thread, an engineer explains under the heading Processor Requirements that Windows 11 requires at least an 8th-generation Intel Core processor or an AMD Ryzen 2 series processor, along with the presence of TPM 2.0 for security purposes. When I map those requirements onto real-world hardware, it is easy to see why so many 2015–2017 machines, from budget Acer laptops to once-premium ultrabooks, are being told they are “too old” despite still running Windows 10 smoothly.
Workarounds, unsupported installs, and the gray zone
Faced with that hard cutoff, some users are turning to unofficial paths that keep their hardware alive but move them into a gray zone of support. One detailed how-to guide begins with the phrase Introduction With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft has imposed certain requirements for hardware compatibility, including specific CPU architectures and a minimum amount of RAM, then walks readers through bypassing those checks on unsupported devices. The message is implicit but clear: if Microsoft will not bless your upgrade, there are still ways to force Windows 11 onto older machines, albeit without guarantees.
Security experts are quick to warn that this route comes with trade-offs. One advisory notes that Microsoft has quietly allowed unsupported upgrades with some major caveats, and that users can force an install of Windows 11 anyway if their PC does not meet the upgrade requirements. But those systems may miss out on certain protections or future updates, leaving them in a limbo where they are neither fully supported Windows 10 machines nor fully compliant Windows 11 endpoints. For organizations with compliance obligations, that is a risk many cannot afford to take.
Extended Security Updates and the cost of standing still
For users who cannot or will not upgrade hardware, Microsoft has opened a paid escape hatch. One migration guide explains that Windows 10 has reached the end of support and that Windows 10 users are expected to move to newer platforms, but it also points to Extended Security Updates (ESU) as a way to keep receiving critical patches for a limited time. ESU effectively lets organizations pay to keep the lights on while they plan a more orderly hardware refresh, but it does not change the underlying reality that Windows 10 is now a legacy system.
Some third-party experts frame ESU as a pragmatic stopgap. One upgrade guide notes an Alternative: Continue using Windows 10 with Extended Security Updates (ESU), which are available for both business and private users. That option buys time, but it also introduces new costs for households and small firms that may already be stretching budgets to keep older PCs in service. When I weigh those costs against the price of a new midrange laptop, it is easy to see why some will choose to ride out Windows 10 without ESU and accept the security risk instead.
Security, remote work, and the risk of “orphaned” devices
The security implications of this transition go far beyond a single home PC. One analysis of remote fleets warns about The Unspoken Risk in Remote Device Obsolescence Microsoft has created with its Windows 11 hardware requirements, noting that they have effectively orphaned a significant number of older endpoints. In a world where employees log in from personal laptops, branch offices, and shared home machines, unsupported Windows 10 devices can become weak links that attackers actively seek out.
Corporate IT teams are being told to treat this as a strategic risk, not a minor nuisance. One advisory stresses that Windows 11 requires relatively recent CPUs and enabled security features that many pre-2016 PCs lack, and that organizations relying on those machines should start planning for a device refresh. For companies that expanded their fleets rapidly during the first wave of remote work, that could mean replacing hundreds or thousands of laptops that are only now reaching what used to be midlife.
Right to repair, e-waste, and the environmental bill
Beyond security and budgets, there is a growing backlash over what this shift means for the planet. Campaigners argue that Microsoft’s decision to end free support for Windows 10 on such a large installed base will create millions of tonnes of unnecessary e-waste, because so many machines are blocked from upgrading by policy rather than performance. The same right-to-repair advocates who note that Windows 10 still runs on around half of all Windows computers also warn that hundreds of millions of these computers do not meet Windows 11’s requirements and are being pushed toward premature retirement.
From an environmental perspective, that is a troubling trajectory. Many of the disqualified systems use standard components that can be repaired or upgraded, from 2.5-inch hard drives to SODIMM memory modules, yet they are being sidelined by a combination of TPM rules and CPU cutoffs. When I compare that reality with the security-focused argument for stricter requirements, I see a policy choice that trades longer hardware lifespans for a more tightly controlled Windows ecosystem. The question now is whether regulators, consumers, and enterprise buyers will accept that trade, or push for more flexible options that keep capable PCs in service longer.
How businesses are navigating the hardware cliff
Inside IT departments, the Windows 10 end-of-life moment is forcing a series of hard decisions. One business-focused guide notes that Windows 11 Hardware Requirements Unlike previous Windows versions, Windows 11 enforces stringent system requirements, preventing older devices from upgrading via official channels. That means IT leaders cannot simply schedule an in-place upgrade over a weekend; they have to inventory hardware, segment fleets by compatibility, and decide which users get new machines and which are moved to ESU or alternative platforms.
Some organizations are using the moment to rethink their entire device strategy. With nearly 46% of business PCs still on Windows 10 and a significant share of those blocked from upgrading, I am seeing more interest in browser-based workflows, virtual desktops, and even non-Windows endpoints for specific roles. At the same time, the sheer dominance of Windows in line-of-business software means that, for many, the path of least resistance is still a large-scale hardware refresh timed to coincide with the end of Windows 10 support. The bill for that decision will be measured not just in dollars, but in pallets of discarded PCs.
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