"The only sane Windows left": Microsoft faces backlash after ending Windows 10 support — "Now we're all getting Windows 11'd to death"

On October 14, 2025, Microsoft pulled the plug on Windows 10. The software giant shipped the final security update for the operating system with several fixes and improvements. Consequently, the company confirmed that Windows 10 had reached End of Life, potentially impacting approximately 500 million PCs.

It's evident that the tech giant wants users to upgrade to Windows 11 and has been using full-screen multipage popup ads to get users to make the transition. Microsoft has made bold statements like "Windows 11 PCs are up to 2.3x faster than Windows 10 PCs" to push Windows 11 upgrades, prompting multiple users to claim that Windows 10's end of support feels like "programmed obsolescence," designed to bolster Copilot+ PC sales.

If you don't want to upgrade to Windows 11 predominantly due to the operating system's strict hardware requirements or flawed design elements, you can leverage Microsoft's Extended Security Updates (ESU) program to continue receiving Windows 10 security updates despite its end-of-support.

It's worth noting that this will require you to either sync your PC settings to the cloud via a Microsoft account, redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Reward points, or pay $30 for extended security updates (ESU), which supports up to 10 devices. However, users in the European Economic Area won't need to meet the thresholds highlighted above because Microsoft backtracked the requirements in the region, making the program FREE.

Still, Microsoft continues to receive criticism and backlash from users for not reconsidering its decision to end Windows 10 support.

For instance, The Restart Project group, which helped co-develop the "End of 10" toolkit to support Windows 10 users who can't upgrade to Windows 11, says Microsoft's move to continue pushing security updates to Windows 10 beyond its end-of-support feels like a last-minute snooze button, which only acts as a band-aid on a bleeding system. It's also calling on the political class to support:

"Microsoft’s decision not only accelerates premature disposal but also undermines efforts to extend product lifespans and puts additional pressure on resource use and waste management systems."

Windows 10 users aren't thrilled about Microsoft ending support for the decade-old OS

Over the past few hours, posts about Windows 10's death have flooded social media with users paying homage to the operating system with heartfelt message and hints of criticism aimed at Microsoft.

As highlighted by one user on X:

"I don't understand why Windows 10 couldn't still exist. It follows the same flat modern minimalist trend that has dominated graphic design for the last 10 years to this day. Functionally, it works like a charm and was easy to use. It was DESIGNED to be the evergreen of Windows."

On the filp side, some were seemingly relieved that Microsoft was pulling the plug on the operating system:

"RIP Windows 10. The worst OS I've ever used. I've only had problems with it, and the search NEVER worked. You won't be missed!"

Another user indicated that they were going to ditch Microsoft's Windows ecosystem entirely and switch to Linux:

"Goodbye, Windows 10. I hate you at first but then you became the only sane windows left. Thanks for all the memories. Time to install Linux."

As you may remember, a group called End of 10 has been pushing for users to transition to Linux following Microsoft's decision to end support for Windows 10'. The campaign encourages steadfast Windows 10 users to ditch the Windows ecosystem entirely and switch to a version of Linux on any outdated devices, using a lack of ads and telemetry tracking as the key selling points to get users to move over.

Some users even suggested that Microsoft's Windows 11 was rife with spyware while eulogizing Windows 10:

"RIP Windows 10. You were the last OS that didn't spy on us 24/7. Now we're all getting Windows 11'd to death."

And finally, some commemorated Windows 10's end of support by taking a trip down memory lane, highlighting their experience with the OS and what they'll miss most about it:

"RIP Windows 10 (2015–2025) You brought us Start menu chaos, those sneaky updates at 2 a.m., and the occasional blue screen therapy session. Thanks for the memories!"

As it happens, Microsoft announced that it was killing the iconic Windows Blue Screen of Death and replacing it with a simplified black one. The new BSoD screen will now show the following message "your device ran into a problem and needs to restart" and an error code at the bottom, highlighting the name of the system file or driver that failed.

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