Microsoft‘s deadline to end support for Windows 10 is fast approaching, coming up in October 2025. By then, the company wants as many users as possible to have upgraded to Windows 11, the newest version of Windows. But some Windows 10 users are reluctant to make the switch, and Microsoft is getting more aggressive about pushing them to upgrade.

According to a recent report from StatCounter, Windows 10 still dominates the market with 66.45% share compared to just 27.83% for Windows 11. However, Windows 11’s share is slowly growing, up from 26.54% in December, indicating users are starting to come around to the new OS. Last year, Microsoft announced Windows 11 had reached over 400 million monthly active devices and is projected to hit 500 million in early 2024.

So with the clock ticking down to the Windows 10 cutoff date, Microsoft has ramped up its efforts to get the remaining holdouts to upgrade. Some Windows 10 users are now seeing intrusive full-screen multi-page popup ads when trying to install monthly updates, urging them to install Windows 11.

The popups take over the entire screen with four pages of content pressuring users to upgrade. The first page informs users their device is eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 11, and they can download it immediately and continue using their PC normally during the process.

Ironically, the two main buttons presented both essentially do the same thing – initiate the Windows 11 upgrade. The only difference is the first downloads it right away while the second lets you schedule it for later. The option to decline the upgrade and keep using Windows 10 is buried at the bottom in small text.

And even if users find the hidden option, they still have to click through two more pages reiterating why upgrading to Windows 11 is recommended before they can close the nagging popups and stick with Windows 10.

This aggressive tactic of hijacking users’ screens to push Windows 11 is nothing new for Microsoft. Since the new OS launched, the company has continually promoted it in Windows 10, including injecting ads in the Start menu. A consumer group even filed a petition asking Microsoft to reconsider its Windows 10 end-of-life plans, arguing forcing users to upgrade would create massive e-waste.

Microsoft does offer a paid Extended Security Update program that provides three more years of Windows 10 support after official end-of-life. And the company brought the Windows Copilot AI helper to Windows 10, perhaps to give users a preview of Windows 11 features.

Meanwhile, rumors suggest Microsoft is already developing Windows 11’s successor, Windows 12. But with Windows 10 still dominating devices today, the company is clearly ramping up pressure on remaining holdouts to upgrade before it’s too late. The intrusive full-screen pop-up ads show Microsoft wants to squeeze every last Windows 10 user onto Windows 11, whether they like it or not.