Millions of Windows 10 users warned to ‘act now’ | Tech News
It is much less than a week till Microsoft kills free help for Windows 10 on October 14. After that, in case you are working the decade-old working system in your PC, you received’t obtain the common free updates you’ve been used to over time that convey new options and security fixes for bugs.
A new survey by shopper watchdog Which? has revealed that a quarter of people working Windows 10 intend to proceed to use it after Microsoft pulls free updates. Which? stated this might depart these PC users at risk of cyberattack.
“Our research suggests millions of people may be unprepared for the phasing out of Windows 10 next week,” stated Lisa Barber, Editor of Which? Tech. “If you have a home laptop or PC running Windows, now is the time to check which version you’re using and if it’s Windows 10 or older, make a plan of action.
“If you don’t act, you could become more vulnerable to hackers and scams.”
The firm stated hackers and criminals goal unsupported software program to exploit bugs and steal people’s personal knowledge. It is urging Brits to act now to keep away from being a sufferer of cyber crime.
Which? surveyed 2,008 adults within the UK in September, with 39 p.c indicating they use Windows 10, a UK population equal of 21 million. 26 p.c of these stated they might not improve, equal to 5.4 million Brits who might keep utilizing Windows 10 with no software program help.
Microsoft has given users more than a 12 months’s discover to wind down help for Windows 10, which first launched for PCs in 2015. In 2021, the firm debuted Windows 11.
Windows 11 is offered as a free obtain to anybody with an present Windows 10 laptop, however Microsoft advises that the new working system has minimal system necessities that need to be met. Less highly effective machines could wrestle to run Windows 11 correctly, which might have contributed to 26 p.c of people surveyed to inform Which? they intend to keep utilizing Windows 10.
“Luckily, in most cases there will be a free and easy solution available to you – whether that’s upgrading to Windows 11, or, if your computer is older and not compatible, opting for the one-year free extension to Windows 10 as a temporary measure,” stated Barber.
“After this you can either switch to a different, free operating system such as Linux, or buy a new device compatible with the latest version of Windows. The Which? website has free, step by step advice to make the transition simple.”
Microsoft is offering free updates for Windows 10 for an further 12 months, however within the UK this requires you to be signed into a Microsoft account and to sync your account to OneDrive.
Some Windows 10 users have balked on the concept of having to buy a new PC, which is comprehensible. However, Microsoft has supported Windows 10 for ten years, far longer than most working systems obtain free updates for.
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