The clock is ticking on Windows 10. The decade-old PC operating system is being retired on October 14, 2025, after which it will no longer receive software and security updates, meaning anyone using it could be more at risk from cyber threats and system bugs.
Even though Windows 10 will not cease to function after that date, Microsoft has used this deadline as an opportunity to persuade millions of Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 with messages inserted into Windows 10.
At the time of writing, 53.2 percent of Windows computers worldwide are running Windows 10, with Windows 11 on 43.2 percent.
Upgrading can happen either through a free software update or by purchasing a new PC.
With the update route, many people have found their computers do not meet Microsoft’s minimum system requirements, so installing Windows 11 on their ageing machines could result in a practically unusable PC.
Earlier this year, Microsoft sent emails to some Windows 10 users reminding them that support for the operating system was ending, with options on what to do with their old computer after buying a new one.
Now, as spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft is updating its Windows Backup feature with another change geared towards Windows 10 users who will have to buy a new computer if they want to use WIndows 11.
Windows Backup, which backs up all the data on your PC, now has an option called “Transfer information to a new PC”. The new tool is hidden in Windows 10 Build 19045.6029, but is expected to be pushed out to all Windows 10 builds soon.
The tool had previously only had the option to ‘Back up this PC”, which backs up all your data to Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud service. The new transfer option is another sign Microsoft is giving Windows 10 users all the tools they need to move data over to a new Windows 11 PC.
Your Windows 10 computer will not stop working if you don’t update it to Windows 11 or buy a new PC, but it’s clearly what Microsoft wants. The firm has struggled to get its customers to use Windows 11, which was released in 2021.
Microsoft had previously said that Microsoft 365 apps would not be updated after the October deadline, but recently the company went back on that, saying the apps will receive security updates for three more years.