A California lawsuit seeks to force Microsoft to keep supporting Windows 10 for free

Faced with an October 14 deadline, a Windows 10 user is suing Microsoft, claiming that the company will leave many of its users vulnerable to security attacks. 

The Windows 10 user is dragging Microsoft before the court over its decision to stop supporting the older operating system software in favor of its newer models.

Microsoft faces lawsuit over decision to end Windows 10 support

The lawsuit, filed in California by Lawrence Klein, claims that the company’s decision will leave “many millions” of people vulnerable to cyberattacks and data security incidents.

Klein owns two Windows 10 laptops that will become obsolete in just eight weeks, and is seeking a court order that will compel Microsoft to continue providing free support until the number of devices running its older operating system falls below a “reasonable threshold.”

Currently, Windows 10 PCs account for around 45% of the 700 million Windows devices in use. Microsoft’s decision to end support means that after the October deadline, users will need to either upgrade, buy a new device, or pay for extended security updates. Klein’s complaint alleges that the company is well aware that many users will neither buy new hardware nor pay for support, leaving them exposed to heightened risks.

The lawsuit also points to a significant subset of users consisting of an estimated 240 million PCs that cannot upgrade to Windows 11 due to hardware limitations. These users, Klein argues that these users are being effectively “forced” to purchase new devices or pay unanticipated fees for extended support.

Allegations of strategic market manipulation

Beyond the immediate security concerns, Klein claims Microsoft’s decision is driven by a long-term strategy to push customers toward new devices designed to work with the company’s latest software offerings, including generative AI tools such as Copilot, which comes built into Windows 11.

According to the lawsuit, when Microsoft announced plans to end Windows 10, the operating system still held more than half of the Windows OS market share. Klein alleges that by discontinuing support while so many users were still on the platform, Microsoft aimed to accelerate hardware sales and boost adoption of its AI-driven products.

The legal filing further argues that this approach will have “the inevitable effect of decreasing trade in generative AI products of Microsoft’s competitors, increasing the barriers to entry in the generative AI market, and dampening innovation and consumer choice.”

Currently, Microsoft offers extended support for Windows 10 through two options. Either a paid plan that costs between $30 and $60 annually, or a free extension available under certain conditions. This applies to all Windows 10 users, regardless of whether their devices meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11.

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