As the clock ticks down toward the end of support for Windows 10, Microsoft is ramping up its efforts to convince users to upgrade to the latest version of its operating system, Windows 11. However, the company’s tactics are raising eyebrows among some users who find themselves on the receiving end of intrusive full-screen prompts urging them to make the switch.

The issue came to light when a Reddit user, Woopinah9, shared their experience of being interrupted mid-work by a full-screen notification from Microsoft. The message, appearing without warning, thanked the user for their loyalty as a Windows 10 “customer” and proceeded to inform them of the impending end-of-support date for the aging operating system.

For many Windows 10 users, such a prompt might spark hope of a free upgrade offer – a welcome incentive to embrace the latest iteration of Microsoft’s software. However, for Woopinah9 and countless others, that hope was swiftly dashed. Their computer, like millions of others, fails to meet the stringent hardware requirements set by Microsoft for Windows 11, rendering it ineligible for the upgrade.

“Your PC is not eligible to upgrade to Windows 11, but it will continue to receive Windows 10 fixes and security updates until support ends on October 14th, 2025,” the message reads, delivering a bitter pill to swallow for users whose hardware isn’t up to par.

The full-screen prompt, while informative, also carries a promotional undertone, providing links to articles about the end of support and, perhaps more tellingly, a direct link to learn more about Windows 11. The dismissal options, labeled “learn more” and “remind me later,” suggest that this interruption may not be a one-time occurrence, raising concerns about the potential for repeated, disruptive prompts in the future.

While Microsoft’s message acknowledges the continuation of security updates for Windows 10 until October 2025, it conspicuously omits a crucial detail: the availability of paid extensions for those unwilling or unable to upgrade. Last week, the company revealed that businesses would be charged $61 per device for the first year of Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10, with the cost doubling to $122 for the second year and a staggering $244 for the third.

For non-business users of Windows 10, the pricing remains a mystery, with Microsoft promising to share details “at a later date.” However, the company has indicated that, for the first time, it will offer these extended updates to consumers, potentially providing a lifeline for those unwilling or unable to make the leap to Windows 11.

Educational institutions, on the other hand, will benefit from significant discounts, with Microsoft offering a $1 license for the first year, doubling to $2 for the second year and $4 for the third. Whether non-business users will receive similar concessions remains to be seen.

The root cause of the upgrade conundrum lies in Microsoft’s stringent hardware requirements for Windows 11. The new operating system is supported only on CPUs released from 2018 onward and devices equipped with TPM security chips integrated into the latest processors. This decision has undoubtedly contributed to the slower adoption rate of Windows 11 compared to its predecessor, Windows 10, which was offered as a free upgrade to users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.