Windows PC owners issued warning that devices could be scrapped next year

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Anybody who is still using a Windows 10 PC has been warned that they could become scrapped next year - unless you pay a monthly fee to Microsoft.Despite the Windows 10 operating system still being the most popular on the plane, Microsoft has announced that from 2025, it will no longer be supporting the software.When this happens, users won't be able to install any new updates or vital security features that keep your computer safe from viruses and malware.The Mirror reports that experts at research firm Canalys Insights are now warning that this Windows 10 end-of-life could mean around 240 million PCs - that aren't compatible with the latest Windows 11 upgrade - could end up in landfill. “Canalys estimates that in the nearly two-year period until Microsoft’s official end-of-support date for Windows 10 – 14 October 2025 – roughly a fifth of devices will become e-waste due to incompatibility with the Windows 11 OS,” the company said in a blog post. “This equates to 240 million PCs.

If these were all folded laptops, stacked one on top of another, they would make a pile 600km taller than the moon.”Some older devices don't have the capacity to run Windows 11, as it requires fairly new hardware. “Most of these 240 million PCs, if in good condition, could at least be recycled, but their incompatibility with the latest supported version of Windows massively reduces their value for refurbishing and reselling,” added Canalys. “Realistically, landfill is still a common outcome for used PCs.”If you're concerned about your PC, there is a loophole that will allow you to continue using Windows 10 safely after the deadline.