Microsoft Urges Users To Buy A New PC To Update To Windows 11

Microsoft launched its current operating system, Windows 11, three years ago. Since then, the company has been encouraging a smooth transition from older versions of Windows to Windows 11 and ensuring that the upgrade process is seamless for users.

However, Microsoft is now shifting towards more robust recommendations for users of older operating systems, mainly Windows 8.1, 7, Vista, and XP, to upgrade to Windows 11, possibly due to hardware restrictions that might prevent some older systems from upgrading to the latest operating system.

Besides the above, Microsoft is also set to officially end public support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. After this date, PCs running Windows 10 will no longer receive free software updates, security fixes, or technical support.

This shift is due to Windows 11’s stricter hardware requirements, particularly TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and specific CPU models. As a result, upgrading without new hardware is often impossible for older devices that don’t meet these standards.

To address such users, Microsoft is officially recommending users purchase a completely new PC to switch to Windows 11, which was first spotted and reported by Neowin. The Redmond giant has quietly updated its guidance support article to help users transition from older versions of the Windows operating system to Windows 11.

“An unsupported version of Windows doesn’t receive software updates from Microsoft. These updates include security updates that protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, which can steal your personal information. Windows Update also installs the latest software updates to improve the reliability of Windows, which includes new drivers for your hardware,” reads the updated guidance support article.

“If you have devices running an unsupported version of Windows, we recommend upgrading them to a more current, in-service, and supported Windows release. If your devices don’t meet the technical requirements to run a more current release of Windows, we recommend that you replace the device with one that supports Windows 11.”

Over 900 million users are still using Windows 10, but they will stop receiving security updates and related support from next October. Further, up to 50 million users still use Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.1 on their devices, which do not receive security or feature updates due to end-of-life support.

Meanwhile, Microsoft also notes that there are no free upgrade ways from unsupported versions of Windows to either Windows 10 or Windows 11. The user needs to either purchase Windows 11 from Microsoft or contact a retailer for more information. However, users using Windows 10 can upgrade to Windows 11 for free.

As mentioned above, Microsoft suggests that the best way to transition to Windows 11 is to buy a new PC with Windows 11 pre-installed. This advice makes sense, as most older computers, especially those running anything before Windows 10, aren’t officially compatible with Windows 11 since they don’t meet the necessary hardware requirements.