Microsoft Begins Showing Full Screen Windows 11 Ad on Windows 10 PCs as End of Support Date Looms 185
Microsoft has started showing full screen warnings about the upcoming end of support date on Windows 10 PCs. From a report: Users on Reddit have reported seeing the prompt, which began appearing after this week's Patch Tuesday updates were installed, and encourages the user to learn more about how they can transition to Windows 11. Windows 10's end of support date is currently set for October 14, 2025. After that date, Windows 10 users will no longer receive critical security and bug fix updates, leaving any Windows 10 PC connected to the internet vulnerable to any newly discovered security exploits. The full screen prompt that is now appearing on some Windows 10 PCs thanks the user for their loyalty using Windows 10, and warns that this end of life (EOL) date is approaching. It also wastes no time advertising Windows 11, encouraging the user to learn more about how they can transition to a new Windows 11 PC. Notably, there's no button to tell the prompt to never show again.
Why are they punishing me? (Score:4, Informative)
My PC can't use Windows 11 because it doesn't have the right DRM hardware (VendorLockInChips).
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Re:Why are they punishing me? (Score:5, Insightful)
My PC can't use Windows 11 because it doesn't have the right DRM hardware (VendorLockInChips).
It's trivial to bypass the requirements. ...
That's not really the point. OP doesn't want to run the OS in an officially unsupported configuration, especially if doing so would mean ditching perfectly good hardware to comply with the arbitrary, and probably unnecessary, hardware requirements set by Microsoft. Even if it works *now* doesn't mean MS will continue to allow it, at which point he'd be screwed.
I have a Dell XPS 420 (I got free from a friend) and it runs Windows 10 just fine and it would probably run Windows 11 fine as well, but "This PC doesn't currently meet the minimum system requirements to run Windows 11." The "currently" part is laughable as I can't replace the CPU with what they want nor add a TPM chip.
All my PCs are old, but they all do/will run Linux great, which is what I'll be switching to full-time. I currently have Linux Mint 21.3 on a beefier home-built system and it works great. I'm migrating to that system now, albeit slowly as I haven't worked out all the replacement software -- I'm lazy. :-)
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You're confusing your points here. You bypass the requirements so that you "don't" have to ditch perfectly good hardware.
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You're confusing your points here. You bypass the requirements so that you "don't" have to ditch perfectly good hardware.
No, I got that, but doing so is an unsupported configuration as far as MS is concerned. They're free to disable/disallow that at any time.
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All my PCs are old, but they all do/will run Linux great, which is what I'll be switching to full-time. I currently have Linux Mint 21.3 on a beefier home-built system and it works great. I'm migrating to that system now, albeit slowly as I haven't worked out all the replacement software -- I'm lazy. :-)
That was the difficult part for me- finding analogs for all the little niche apps I use. Like, a decent cardfile app (Cherrytree), a couple of decent simple drawing apps (KolourPaint, Drawing), a file transfer app (FileZilla), etc etc. GIMP fills in for any non-trivial image editing, and I'm currently using OnlyOffice for docs and junk like that.
It took a while to try everything and pick what worked, but it's all good now.
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All my PCs are old, but they all do/will run Linux great, which is what I'll be switching to full-time. I currently have Linux Mint 21.3 on a beefier home-built system and it works great. I'm migrating to that system now, albeit slowly as I haven't worked out all the replacement software -- I'm lazy. :-)
That was the difficult part for me- finding analogs for all the little niche apps I use. Like, ...
I had several important spreadsheets that were (still) in Lotus 123 (SmartSuite apps work fine on Windows 10) but I've converted them over to LibreOffice Calc. I have various files in Word/Excel and WordPro. but they're not critical if LibreOffice doesn't get them right off the bat. Other than moving my Thunderbird config over, I'm currently looking for a convenient replacement for AxCrypt 1.7 (original/free version).
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You've probably tried Cryptomator but if not then it might be worth a look.
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"That's not really the point. OP doesn't want to run the OS in an officially unsupported configuration"
Then OP isn't going to want to run an unsupported Windows 10 on the hardware he has now after October 2025 either.
If the priority is to run an officially supported configuration then your on the treadmill. Doesn't matter if the platform is Windows, Mac, RHEL, Ubuntu, or Android, or what.
"All my PCs are old, but they all do/will run Linux great"
Sure they will. But are they officially supported configuration
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I'm not being pedantic, not really.
"The point is that if someone bypasses the HW requirements and gets Windows 11 to install/run, MS may, and probably will at some point, disable that ability."
It's really not all that likely at all. They just want to set a minimum for what they test and validate and support. They want bitlocker and microsoft account security, and passwordless/PIN logins and so the minimum supported spec ensures all the bits for that are there of a particular version. But what do they really
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to comply with the arbitrary, and probably unnecessary, hardware requirements set by Microsoft
There's nothing arbitrary or unnecessary about setting hardware security requirements to meet features in an OS. If you don't want to use the OS fine, don't use it, if you do, it's designed with hardware requirements in mind.
Interestingly we only shit on Microsoft for this. Going through Slashdot history you'll notice high praise for security hardware in Apple devices along with using it on an OS level. Even more interestingly the same people who bitch and moan about this are also those who say Microsoft so
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The hardware requirements are not there for a user friendly reason. They are for the convenience of the vendor, to ensure hardware churn. "Security" is debatable.
Stop being a shill.
Re:Why are they punishing me? (Score:5, Interesting)
And yes, our car has 110 HP (81 kW). It has a top speed of 120 mph. It gets up to 60 mpg. I don't see any reason to call this one under-powered or garbage. We are driving about 25,000 miles per year with the car, and there never has been a situation where I felt that there was a serious lack of power. It even has a towing hitch and is licensed for pulling up to 3400 lbs.
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Even dual core junk processors from 2019 are supported. But, what people feel is "perfectly good" should be seen like cars with a 105 horsepower engine in the modern era...yea,. it RUNS fine, but underpowered garbage is still underpowered garbage.
Sounds like you're projecting. What may be "underpowered" for you may be fine for others. Your use-case isn't necessarily the universal one. You sound like someone who just can't live with the latest and greatest. Stop being a snob.
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Obviously: s/live with/live without/
(sigh)
Re:Why are they punishing me? (Score:5, Interesting)
When the speed limit is 55MPH an 800 horsepower Hellcat is just as ill suited for the task as the 100hp Civic. The only difference is the Hellcat is objectively "cooler", which is essentially just another way to compare penis size.
The most intensive task I do with my desktop is working with large Excel sheets. Paying for a top-end processor and video card don't make a lot of sense when they would barely be above idle 99% of the time. The only reason I won't/can't upgrade to 11 is my rig doesn't have a TPM. And until an upgrade makes sense, which probably isn't for a couple more years, I'll be on Windows 10. Or, I'll have finally bit the bullet and ditched Windows.
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How much do you care about your security?
2 out of 5. As a "home gamer", and sole user of my computer, I'm comfortable enough with my Internet hygiene and security posture with my home network that it's a low risk.
But if you're travelling for work (like I am) you may need by policy side pillar airbags, which is precisely the reason I wasn't allowed to use my car for company business and had to get a new lease car.
I mean, ok, that's fine. If your company requires you to use a specific OS, or a car with side pillar air bags, that's a completely different story. OPs argument is basically "if you're not using the most modern, most powerful, hardware possible you're a loser." which is a completely different argument. Their assertion is that you need
Re:Why are they punishing me? (Score:5, Funny)
Even dual core junk processors from 2019 are supported. But, what people feel is "perfectly good" should be seen like cars with a 105 horsepower engine in the modern era...yea,. it RUNS fine, but underpowered garbage is still underpowered garbage.
Cars with 105 BHP are running absolutely fine here in Europe, managing sub 10 second 0-60 times because unlike the USA we're not all fat bastards driving cars that are as equally obese as their owners.
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Re: Why are they punishing me? (Score:4, Interesting)
But since I can bypass their OS compatibility garbage, Windows 11 works just fine, so neither Windows 10 support (or the lack of) or the old hardware are really the problem here.
Re: Why are they punishing me? (Score:4, Informative)
The problem is if they are displaying annoying ads telling you to upgrade, while at the same time it tells you it cannot upgrade because of unmet requirements, or you have to use a bypass which is something it also warns you against as you try.
I don't know if it's what happens, but it's what I understand from OP complaining.
Re:Why are they punishing me? (Score:4, Insightful)
Why are they punishing me?
Because you trusted someone that you should not have trusted.
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^^^^^ Mod parent up
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That's what my laptop says too.
I suspect that when they EOL win10, they will let it upgrade to win11 even without the magic DRM chip.
Non-consensual rapey software at its finest (Score:2, Insightful)
You're going to take their software load whether you want it or not.
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>> it makes perfect sense in this case for Microsoft to mention it
It was the "full screen prompt" with "no button to tell the prompt to never show again". You didn't notice that part?
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Moving it to the center of the screen actually was a good idea, given everybody has wide-screens these days (less travel time with the mouse), but the rest of it... oh boy, Microsoft made some choices which are astronomically stupid.
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Given that Microsoft tells me that Windows 11 shouldn't run on my system because it's from 2018, it's not a FREE good easy cumulative update.
Yes, you can wrangle your way around to do it even as Microsoft doesn't want you to, but why should I go out of my way with a paid OS to go into an unsupported state?
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So I get to pay to replace my CPU to enjoy the 'free' update, when I wasn't planning on otherwise upgrading that system?
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> Because upgrading to Windows 11 is about the same as installing a cumulative update
Do you consider the new taskbar, CoPilot and other "additions" as something you've received in Windows 10 as a cumulative update?
Also of course it's free, out of the box it reports more data on you, your system and behaviour than Google. That's an amazing achievement to be honest.
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Not to mention, if you installed software on someone's computer without authorization you would go to prison.
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People aren't complaining to simply complain. We all own a piece of hardware that needs a vital piece of software, the operating system, in order to be functional. Being lead around by the nose by a vendor with seemingly little input in the process is reason behind complaints. Sure, there is the false choice argument of if you don't like Microsoft or Apple then don't buy their stuff. But most people either have to learn to accept the policy of the OS vendor or get blasted by weird anti-features and dark pat
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Windows 11 is so bad they can't give it away for free. There have been more downgrades to Windows 10 than voluntary, consensual upgrades to Windows 11.
Re: Non-consensual rapey software at its finest (Score:2)
Re: Non-consensual rapey software at its finest (Score:2)
No. "Upgrading" to Windows 11 is a huge regression in terms of user interface. All the context menus are shortened to the point of uselessness. It is possible to display a complete context menu, but that takes extra steps, and the menu will display with old-style GUI elements that are totally out of place in Windows 11. It is a schizophrenic UI, much like Metro when it was introduced in Windows 8 and 8.1 . Most rational people skipped those releases.
So, no, Windows 11 is nothing like a simple Windows update
Re: Non-consensual rapey software at its finest (Score:2)
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Do you complain every time there is a cumulative update in Windows Update also? Because upgrading to Windows 11 is about the same as installing a cumulative update
All you do when you run Windows is click on the MS Edge icon isn't it because if you believe that Windows 11 is the same as a cumulative update then you clearly haven't done very much with it.
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Indeed. Unfortunately cursing an organization does not work, or I would already have done for them.
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Remember, there's no such thing as politics kids! Everything can and can only be solved by the markets!
Or, you know, (Score:5, Informative)
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Re:Or, you know, (Score:5, Insightful)
>> something that sucks even more
I haven't seen Linux push unwanted info on me with full screen prompts. Meanwhile, that sucky Linux is running most of the servers on the internet.
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And most of the phones and embedded devices.
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>> That's the line we need to be pushing
I agree the Linux desktop is fine for most purposes and I use it at times, but my main workstation is Windows 10 at present. In my experience a Mac is better than the various Linux desktops. So I am not so sure anything needs to be pushed.
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While switching to Linux is not as easy as many make it out to be, with just a little patience and reading (ie learning) you'll find it much better than Windows in so many respects. Desktop share is over 4% now, which may sound small but is huge and something I never thought I would see.
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I use linux for a variety of reasons, but would never recommend it for a 'typical' user. Yes ubuntu, mint, etc. have a pretty decent UI/UX, but there is just simply better software for apple & microsoft - although you are paying for it.
Re:Or, you know, (Score:4, Interesting)
but would never recommend it for a 'typical' user.
The 'typical' user wouldn't notice much, if any, difference running Mint compared to Windows, aside from appearance. A web browser still gets out to the internet, music and videos still play. That's what the typical user uses a computer for. Games are the only true issue, even with Steam. While most play well, there's always something which isn't quite right with a Linux setup compared to Windows. But then, if they're playing games on Linux, they're a step above a 'typical' user.
Hans Kristian Graebener = StoneToss
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What year do you think it is? A typical user isn't a luddite grandma that prints out emails anymore. It is full of technology competent oldheads and youngins that grew up with smartphones and the social media internet. They aren't computer braindead like older generations tended to be, and can tell quite competently the difference between different UIs and available functionality
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I wouldn't recommend installing and configuring Linux for the typical user, but once it's set up, it's no harder to use than Windows, and frequently easier because it doesn't blue-screen, demand to rebooted, or feed you ads whenever the mood strikes.
My late Mom, who was not a computer person, used Linux (because it's all I'd support.) Ditto my somewhat-technical sister and my very non-technical brother-in-law. My brother-in-law does Zoom calls, email, web browsing and the occasional word-processing. Li
Re: Or, you know, (Score:2)
Neither does that typical user ever reinstall Windows. They run it until it either breaks or gets too slow in their opinion, then look for a new machine. That's it.
The extra hurdle with Linux is that, typically, you have to install it yourself.
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Same argument could be brought up about upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
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You fail at funny: https://linux.slashdot.org/sto... [slashdot.org]
I have a legal copy of windows 10 but (Score:2)
My copy I lost the key that came with my disc ~15 years ago so it thinks it's a pirated copy. Thanks microsoft. I only have windows installed to play steam games.
Luckily Valve has their own branch of Wine, Proton:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton_(software)
And apparently many/most games support running on Proton these days. I'm sorely tempted to just yeet windows once and for all.
I will upgrade my computer when I feel like it, thanks. On my "gaming pc" I visit like, 6 webs
Re:I have a legal copy of windows 10 but (Score:5, Interesting)
What about gaming online? (Score:2)
Although to my shock it looks like Epic got their Fortnite anti-cheat working on Linux. Not so sure about stuff like LOL or Street Fighter 6/Tekken, let alone Guilty Gear Strive.
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doesn't most anti-cheat software kick-ban you?
Has not happened to me. I think a lot of that issue has been fixed due to the popularity of the SteamDeck. Your mileage may vary.
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I haven't had any issues with steam on linux, but I don't play a lot of online games these days, especially fortnite. Dad gaming is all about the roguelikes these days where I can play the entire game end to end in the hour of personal time I have left before bed.
Re: I have a legal copy of windows 10 but (Score:3)
I've never linked my PC to a Microsoft account and don't plan to. It's all operating system not a social media account
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How much is MS paying you?
Re: I have a legal copy of windows 10 but (Score:2)
If they lock me out of my computer I'm just going to completely stop using Microsoft products. If I have to use sketchy third party software to use my legal license, fuck Microsoft, I'm done
But, but ... (Score:5, Insightful)
But, but Microsoft, you promised Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows.
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Glad I'm not the only one who remembers that. I was beginning to think it was stuffed down the memory hole.
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Ironically, it's is more of an argument for them. They were not saying there would be no more updates, be them major or minor to windows, but rather than they wouldn't have "numbers" and transition into more of an OS as a service model.
The market doesn't like the sound of that. That's fine, but it's not like if Microsoft stopped numbering their releases they wouldn't be doing the exact same thing: sunsetting older versions of windows and pushing users towards newer supported versions.
I know some people thin
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But, but Microsoft, you promised Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows.
It is. If you run an API call to getversion() on a Windows 11 machine it will return "10.0" as the official version number. No not kidding.
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Yes, but Microsoft opted to just let that coverage ride without rebuttal. So that excuse seems pretty thin. This was *widely* covered without a whiff of response by Microsoft. There was some formal lifecycle page that listed some end date, but that looked like some formality in the face of widespread, unchallenged coverage of that "mis-speak".
Linux Desktop? (Score:2)
Are these type moves finally making/helping Linux on the desktop? People tired of tracking, ads, AI buttons, etc.
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For people who liked Gnome 2, the MATE desktop is still around. Gnome 2 dates back to 2002, and the MATE project continues to update Gnome 2 so that people don't have to switch to a radically different UI. You don't get that kind of thing on Windows.
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It probably only moves the needle slightly. People whine about it, maybe post a "damn you, Microsoft!" tweet on X, then they go ahead begrudgingly click that "Install Upgrade" button.
T450 (Score:2)
I have a couple of Lenovo T450's and an X250 running Windows 10. I'm wondering if, given that Windows 11 isn't supported on them, I'll still get the full screen upgrade ads.
Time to get moved to a "mac" (Score:2)
Despite the UI being inferior to every way, shape and form to the standard microsoft set with Windows 95.
All because redmond ran out of good ideas, and is jealous of apple, even the dumb workarounds they had to do to not make their OS too much like Windows.
On that note, hey apple, for OS15, as microsoft is not using it anymore anyway, you could do away with the current weird taskbar and instead make one where only the loaded programs are displayed in very neat small squares on the bottom of the screen, and
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Windows 11 looks way too much like MacOS now.
That's a nice computer you got there... (Score:2)
hey lets hijack customers computers (Score:2)
We've heard all this before (Score:3)
Me either.
My 3 year old laptop computer that is nice and fast, yet not eligible for W11, is going to be moved to Linux.
What's going on with the Linux ads recently? (Score:2)
Gosh, what would happen now? (Score:2)
This is malware behavior. The idiots at Microsoft seem to think this is a good idea.
Sane people do not accept such behavior from their operating system. They will take note and a lot of them will start looking for alternatives to Windows.
Acceptable would have been a simple notification ONCE. Not an email, not an ad, a simple notification. Perhaps a notification that you need to specifically close for it to go away (because of the amount of information), but it should not pester you.
This will drive more peop
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I'm hearing "Download a linux iso" (Score:2)
Rocky's been a pretty good daily driver on my laptop, i bet it'd do fine on my desktop too.
But can this warning be disabled? (Score:2)
I know it says there's no button or obvious option to turn these notifications off. But this is Microsoft. We all know you OFTEN have to dig into the registry and modify or add a new key to accomplish things.
I've got several perfectly good desktop PCs with Intel Core i5 CPUs (1TB SSD and 16GB RAM configs, basically) that I cleaned up and upgraded after they were taken out of service in a workplace. Resold one already, and wanted to keep the others as spares for things like running my slicers for 3D printers
Youre options... (Score:2)
I can't wait for (Score:2)
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"Focusing on this purely as a "Windows 11 advertisement" is a bit disingenuous." - if it's showing up on Windows 10 machines that can run Windows 11 then it's an advertisement. I'm not saying it's an advertisement ... but it's an advertisement.
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can't - not can - Where the F is the edit function \.?
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It's not a notification, it's a full screen, activity interrupting, nag screen.
That's a user-hostile action.
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>> simply *not* mention the 15 minute free upgrade that is available?
EOL is a year and a half away. There's no hurry, and no excuse for unwanted prompts.
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I'm waiting for Microsoft EoL. Which might be after Apple EoL but before Intel EoL.
Re: Way to twist things around... (Score:4)
That's a perfect way of describing all Windows versions after 7.
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That's a perfect way of describing all Windows versions after 7.
Yep, that ship has already sailed. Windows 11 is just Windows 10 with a few UI tweaks. I have a friend who treats it as if Windows 11 was tantamount to Microsoft insulting his religion, but IMHO it's a ridiculously minor upgrade if you're already running capable hardware.
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On the other hand, my gaming and media computer is 7 years old with Nvidia 1060. It's good enough. My "serious business" computer is about 15 years old. Windows 7 goodness. Rarely connected to the internet.
Obviously neither one has the extra garbage needed to run Windows 11. It's supposed to operate the system, and ever since IBM clones came out, the operating system has accommodated the hardware instead of defining the hardware like Apple does. I don't see a reason for it to start now.
If you need software
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People still use windows? LOLz
Grow up you fucking child. Cunts like you are what put people off Linux.