Man sues Microsoft for discontinuing Windows 10 support: Here’s why

Microsoft

A man from Southern California has taken Microsoft to court over its decision to stop supporting Windows 10, a move that could affect hundreds of millions of computers worldwide.

Lawrence Klein filed his lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court, claiming that Microsoft’s plan to end routine updates for Windows 10 on October 14 is part of a strategy to push customers into buying new devices and to dominate the growing market for generative AI tools.

Windows 10, which was released nearly a decade ago, is still widely used. According to StatCounter, about 43% of Windows desktop users are still on the older operating system, even though Windows 11 launched four years ago. While computers running Windows 10 will keep working after October 14, they will no longer get new features or important security updates, leaving them more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Klein says he owns two laptops running Windows 10 that will be “obsolete” once support ends. He argues that Microsoft’s newer AI-powered tools in Windows 11, including the Copilot chatbot, require specialized hardware called a neural processing unit—something many older devices lack.

Industry estimates suggest around 240 million PCs cannot upgrade to Windows 11 because of hardware limitations. Without updates, these devices face increased security risks unless users pay for extended security support, which starts at $30 per year for individuals and rises sharply over time.

Klein also warns of the environmental cost, citing a market analyst’s estimate that ending Windows 10 support could lead to 240 million computers being discarded. Stacked together, the analyst said, they would form a pile taller than the distance from Earth to the Moon.

In his lawsuit, Klein is not asking for personal damages but wants a judge to order Microsoft to keep supporting Windows 10 for free until fewer than 10% of Windows users are on it. Microsoft has not commented on the case.

For now, millions of Windows 10 users face a choice: pay for extended support, upgrade their hardware, or switch to a different operating system before the October deadline.