It’s been public knowledge for some time that support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025. Microsoft appears to want to remind Windows 10 users of this with a series of ads for Windows 11 but has now stopped the ads after fielding complaints.
Microsoft Fields Complaints About Windows 11 Ads
Microsoft has made the decision to cease showing advertisements for Windows 11 to users who are still using Windows 10. This change comes after a series of complaints about the ads.
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Unsplash
For some time, Microsoft used these advertisements as a way to remind Windows 10 users that the OS will be coming to an end on October 14, 2025. However, the negative feedback from the user base has led Microsoft to reconsider and ultimately stop these advertisements.
The complaints revolved around the frequency of the ads, their placement, and the feeling of being pressured to upgrade. Windows users found the ads intrusive and unnecessary, especially if they were already planning to upgrade to Windows 11.
How We Got to This Point
Windows 10 was released in July 2015. Microsoft had stated at the time that Windows 10 would be the “last version” of Windows, with future updates coming in the form of incremental updates to Windows 10.
That turned out to be famous last words. In October 2021, Microsoft released Windows 11, which brought a new design, enhanced performance, and several new features, regardless of their desire to.
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Unsplash
Despite the improvements, not all users have been eager to make the switch. Additionally, it only ran on newer PCs, so not everyone could update. In July 2024, nearly three years after the release of Windows 11, and 15 months before the end of Windows 10, the previous version’s market share reached 30 percent, an all-time high.
While Microsoft has stopped the ads that push Windows 11, it remains to be seen how the company will handle the transition from Windows 10 to 11 as the 2025 deadline approaches.
Users who prefer to stick with Windows 10 will need to consider their options as end of support draws near. Microsoft may still encourage users to upgrade to Windows 11 through other means, but the direct advertisements will no longer be a part of that strategy.
The company indicated that it will share a new timeline in the coming months, but it’s unclear what the focus will be of the timeline. If you’re still unsure what to do, you can follow these steps to try Windows 11 without eliminating Windows 10. But if you fully install Windows 11 and don’t like it, learn how to downgrade back to Windows 10.
Image credit: Unsplash
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Laura Tucker –
Contributor
Laura has spent more than 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with the majority of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past 35 years. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.
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