As Windows 10 approaches end of life, Microsoft targets more users with full-screen ads

Microsoft plans to end mainstream support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, leaving customers and enterprise users with a few options: update to Windows 11, pay for more updates, or just continue using Windows 10 without any updates. Of course, Microsoft wants everyone to pick the first option, especially in light of Windows 11 having quite a low market share compared to Windows 10. To achieve its goal, Microsoft is ramping up Windows 11 ads in Windows 10.

According to new reports, the company increased the amount of full-screen ads on Windows 10 systems to notify users about the imminent death of the operating system. Interestingly, none of those banners mentions the Extended Security Update program, which, this time, allows regular customers to continue receiving security updates for one more year for a small fee of $30 (enterprise and education customers can use the program for up to three years). Instead, the company is focused on the different benefits of updating to Windows 11.

For example, ARS spotted an ad promoting Windows 11's gaming features, with none mentioned particularly. Microsoft only uses vague descriptions like "the tech that enables expansive worlds to load in less time," "higher frame rates," and "more vivid colors." Of course, there is no apparent "No, thank you button:" you can either press "Learn more" or tell the ad to appear later. Classic.

Some users received an ad focusing on Windows Backup and how it can help migrate files from Windows 10 to a new computer with Windows 11, while others were targeted with Copilot+ PC promos, making users who cannot afford a new PC slightly annoyed.

Besides not mentioning the Extended Security Update program, those ads do not say anything about actually updating existing and eligible hardware to Windows 11, so it feels like the only goal is to force users to buy new computers, even though many of them are perfectly fine with what they have. These ads are nothing new. In fact, the first sightings were reported as early as April 2024. The only change appears to be Microsoft increasing the rollout scope.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with letting users know that the OS they are using is about to reach the end of support (the last thing everyone wants to have is having hundreds of millions of PCs running an OS with no security updates), can Microsoft for the sake of everything good make those notifications less confusing and be more transparent? Apparently, that is too much to ask these days.