Sunset for Windows 10 updates leaves users in a bind

NEW YORK

Microsoft's plan to halt updates for its Windows 10 operating system in mid-October has raised hackles among campaign groups and left some users worried they must buy new computers to be safe from cyberattacks.

Computers running Microsoft's 2015-vintage Windows 10 will receive no further updates from the American tech giant from Oct. 14.

Such downloads were used to "regularly patch [update] the operating system because it had become the target of many cyberattacks", said Martin Kraemer, a computer security expert with American firm KnowBe4.

Microsoft has urged its customers to upgrade to the latest version of its operating system: Windows 11, released in 2021.

But the company is also offering a $30 one-year extension of Windows 10 security updates for users whose computer hardware is not compatible with the new operating system.

"The lack of backwards compatibility for certain Windows 10 machines sold only a couple of years ago is a blow to consumers' pocketbooks" as they face being forced to upgrade, Consumer Reports said in a blog post last week.

In Europe, French groups such as End Planned Obsolescence (HOP) have started a petition demanding free updates extending to 2030.

Consumer Reports tallied 650 million people worldwide still using Windows 10 in August.

Another American outfit, the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) estimates that up to 400 million computers are incompatible with Windows 11.

Users unable to make the switch and who do not pay for security updates face a heightened threat of cyberattacks.

"By receiving no updates, you're no longer protecting yourself against the most recent cybersecurity risks," Kraemer said.