Microsoft no longer wants you to download Windows 10even from its official channels. With the end of support getting closer and closer, the technology giant has reinforced its campaign to convince users that Windows 11 is the best alternative. This includes modifying its technical support website, which offers instructions on how to download and install the operating system.
The latest update to help page has integrated a warning to all users trying to create installation media for Windows 10. This message alert about the end of security updates and recommends migrating to Windows 11. The website has also removed references to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, since installers are no longer offered for those operating system versions.
“After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical support, or security fixes for Windows 10. Your PC will continue to work, but we recommend that you upgrade to Windows 11,” Microsoft mentions in its help website.
Although the technological has not completely removed the download link to Windows 10the warning takes up a considerable amount of space and includes a huge blue button that redirects us to the page with information about the end of life cycle. This website indicates that if your computer does not meet the minimum installation requirements for Windows 11, you should throw it away and buy a new one.
Windows 10 continues to lead in market share
The help website with installation instructions usually appears first in searches, so it will be the destination for many who require information about how to create a USB to install Windows 10. More advanced users will be able to ignore it and click step 1 to download the installation tool. On the other hand, if you go directly to the software download website, you can choose between Windows 11 and previous versions of the system.
Despite the campaign, Microsoft knows that it is still far from reaching a significant percentage of market share with Windows 11. The most recent statistics indicate that, despite Win 11 reaching historic levels of growth last month, the percentage of installations is still 25 percentage points away from Windows 10.
If October 2025 arrives and market share is not reduced, Microsoft will implement plan B, which consists of offering security updates for another year. The Redmonds will offer an extended support package in which we will obtain patches against vulnerabilities in exchange for 30 dollars or its equivalent in local currency
The jump to Windows 11 is a complex mission for Microsoft. If to achieve this you must sacrifice new installations of Windows 10, the company will do so without thinking.
