Microsoft has extended free Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 by another full year to October 12, 2027, after previously extending them to October 2026. This comes amid ongoing user resistance to upgrading to Windows 11, driven by Microsoft's arbitrary hardware requirements that can be bypassed and a general preference for Windows 10's stability and performance. Rising PC prices due to AI-driven semiconductor shortages have further discouraged hardware upgrades.
The extension allows Microsoft's AI-powered bug discovery and removal system, Codename MDASH, additional time to address thousands of latent bugs in Windows 10. With development on Windows 10 halted years ago, this could transform it into a near-perfect OS by removing more bugs than are introduced monthly.
Steve Gibson predicts that Microsoft may eventually release a stripped-down 'Junior 11' version of Windows 11, removing features like Recall and Copilot+ AI elements, to run on existing Windows 10 hardware. This face-saving approach would migrate holdout users to a unified codebase without forcing expensive new purchases, especially as Windows 11 performance improves to match Windows 10.