Windows 10
Windows 10 was supposed to be running on a billion devices within three years of its release. Microsoft's operating system took almost five, and the milestone arrived in March 2020.
Then came a stranger milestone. Support for most editions ended on the 14th of October 2025, yet an estimated one billion PCs were still running it in December 2025. It is also the last version of Windows that supports 32-bit processors.
That is a long afterlife for an operating system with a published end date. Three questions run through its story. Why did Microsoft leap from Windows 8 straight to 10? What hidden price came attached to the upgrade offer? And how does software designed to update forever end up with an expiry date?
In 2011, at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, Andrew Lees laid out a promise. Lees, the company's chief of mobile technologies, said: "We won't have an ecosystem for PCs, and one for phones, and one for tablets." Everything, he said, would converge.
The project that grew from that promise had a codename borrowed from a video game. In December 2013, technology writer Mary Jo Foley reported on a Windows 8 update called Threshold, named after a planet in the Halo franchise. Citing Microsoft sources, she described it as a "wave of operating systems" rather than a single product, due in the second quarter of 2015. One goal was a shared application platform and toolkit for Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox One, all of which used a similar kernel based on Windows NT.
Build 9697 gave the public its first look. At the Build conference in April 2014, Terry Myerson showed it running Microsoft Store apps inside ordinary desktop windows. Its Start menu copied the Windows 7 design but used only part of the screen, with an application list on the left and Windows 8-style tiles on the right. A leaked screenshot of build 9834 followed in September 2014, revealing virtual desktops, a notification center and a new File Explorer icon.
On the 30th of September 2014, Microsoft announced that Threshold would be unveiled as Windows 10. Myerson explained the jump this way: "based on the product that's coming, and just how different our approach will be overall, it wouldn't be right to call it Windows 9." He added a joke that Windows One was out, because Windows 1.0 already existed.
At a San Francisco conference in October 2014, Tony Prophet, Microsoft's Vice President of Windows Marketing, said Windows 9 "came and went". Dave Plummer offered a more technical theory. Some programs check the operating system's version string for "Windows 9", and could mistake the new system for Windows 95 or Windows 98.
The next showing came on the 21st of January 2015, under the title "Windows 10: The Next Chapter". It included a holographic eyewear device called HoloLens.
On the day of the announcement, Terry Myerson acknowledged that keyboard and mouse users had complained about the touch-first design of Windows 8. Windows 10 was built to answer those complaints without abandoning touchscreens.
The Start menu came back in a new form. A list of places and options sat on the left, and application tiles sat on the right. The menu could be resized or stretched to fill the screen, which was the default in Tablet mode.
Task View introduced virtual desktops and a single view of every open window. Apps built for the Windows 8 style, which had previously been locked to full screen, could now sit in ordinary windows. Dragging a window into a corner of the screen snapped it to a quadrant. Snapping one window to a side prompted the user to pick a second window to fill the rest, a feature called Snap Assist.
The charms of Windows 8 were removed. Their functions moved to a menu on each app's title bar, and an Action Center took over notifications and settings toggles. Users reached it from an icon in the notification area or by dragging in from the right edge.
Tablet mode was a second interface, separate from the mouse-oriented one. Windows could switch automatically, for example when a keyboard was plugged into a tablet or a 2-in-1 PC returned to its laptop state. In Tablet mode, programs opened maximized, the taskbar gained a back button, and the full-screen Start menu scrolled vertically instead of horizontally.
Underneath, Microsoft wanted one app model for many devices. These universal apps shared nearly identical code across PCs, tablets, phones, Xbox One and Surface Hub. At Microsoft's Build developers' conference, the company showed a toolchain called Islandwood that compiled Objective-C software, particularly iOS apps, into universal apps. A port of Candy Crush Saga built with it shared much of its code with the iOS version, and the game shipped bundled with Windows 10 at launch.
In August 2019, Microsoft began testing a gentler approach. The Tablet mode option would fade into the background, replaced by a normal desktop that widened the spacing between taskbar buttons and raised the virtual keyboard when no keyboard was attached.
Windows Hello, built on standards from the FIDO Alliance, let people log in with a face, an iris or a fingerprint. Face and iris recognition needed a camera with infrared illumination, such as Intel RealSense. In February 2018, a partnership with Fujitsu added palm-vein scanning. Credentials stayed on the device and were protected with asymmetric encryption.
The system was not unbreakable. In 2017, researchers fooled Windows Hello on a fully updated version 1703 PC using a color printout of a person's photo taken with an infrared camera. In 2021, researchers again got past it, this time with custom hardware disguised as a camera that presented an infrared photo of the owner's face.
A four-digit PIN was the default alternative. It sounds weaker than a password, but a password travels to domain controllers while a PIN does not. The PIN is tied to one device, so a compromise affects only that machine. Backed by a Trusted Platform Module chip, the PIN creates strong key pairs that resist brute-force attacks.
The Anniversary Update brought a surprise for programmers: the Windows Subsystem for Linux. It translated Linux system calls into calls to the Windows NT kernel, so the Bash shell and 64-bit command-line programs could run natively. It began with an Ubuntu-based environment, and in May 2017 Microsoft announced Fedora and OpenSUSE options. In April 2021, a preview let Linux programs with graphical interfaces, such as Audacity, run directly in Windows. By November 2022, WSL 2 was available through the Microsoft Store on both Windows 10 and 11.
Cortana arrived from Windows Phone 8.1, where it had debuted in 2014. The assistant accepted text and voice, tied into Bing, set reminders, kept a Notebook of personal information, and searched for files. Starting with the November 2019 update, Microsoft downplayed Cortana and repositioned it for enterprise use. The May 2020 update removed its Windows shell integration and consumer features.
Gamers got DirectX 12, unveiled at the Game Developers Conference in March 2014. It promised "console-level efficiency" and access "closer to the metal", reducing CPU and graphics driver overhead. A keyboard shortcut for Game DVR saved the last 30 seconds of play as a video. Users could also control and play games from an Xbox One console over a local network.
Microsoft intended some games to live only in this new ecosystem. ReCore and Quantum Break, both from Microsoft Studios, were planned as exclusives to Windows 10 and Xbox One.
Build number 10240 reached all Windows Insiders at once on the 15th of July 2015. Microsoft said there would be no specific release-to-manufacturing build, but media outlets called 10240 exactly that. It dropped its pre-release branding and desktop watermark, and its number had mathematical connections to the number 10.
Before that, on the 20th of July 2015, Microsoft launched an advertising campaign called "Upgrade Your World". Television commercials premiered in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Their tagline was "A more human way to do". The campaign ended with launch events in thirteen cities on the 29th of July 2015.
That day, Windows 10 reached the public as a free upgrade. An HP executive explained why no long gap between manufacturing and release was needed. Because HP knew Microsoft was targeting 2015, it had tuned its current and upcoming products in advance. The launch covered 190 countries and 111 languages. To re-engage with China, Microsoft partnered with Qihoo and Tencent, and Lenovo offered help at its service centers and stores.
The free offer lasted the first year, for devices with a genuine license of an eligible Windows 7 or 8.1 edition. Windows RT devices could not upgrade at all. Anyone who wanted to buy a copy paid $119 for Home or $199 for Pro, and retail copies came only on USB flash drives.
A small program called Get Windows 10, or GWX, pushed the offer. It was installed automatically through Windows Update ahead of release, and a notification-area icon let users check compatibility and reserve an automatic download. A pre-download of installation files began on the 28th of July for some reserved computers.
Activation worked through hardware. During a free upgrade, the system's motherboard details were registered with a Microsoft Product Activation server. That created a digital entitlement, so a later clean reinstall needed no product key. The November Update, version 1511, added a second path, treating Windows 7 and 8 keys as valid Windows 10 keys.
In May 2016, Microsoft extended the offer to users of assistive technologies. It built no way to check eligibility, and some outlets promoted this as a loophole for anyone. Microsoft said that was not its intent. In November 2017, Microsoft announced the program would end on the 31st of December 2017, but another upgrade method kept working. Microsoft officially closed it on the 20th of September 2023, though some reports in 2024 said it still worked under certain conditions.
At the 2015 Ignite conference, Microsoft employee Jerry Nixon said Windows 10 would be the "last version of Windows". The line captured a plan to treat Windows as a service, with updates flowing indefinitely. In 2021, Microsoft announced Windows 11 and a support end date for Windows 10, a departure from that idea. PC World argued the remark was taken out of context. The official transcript marks it as a segue, and Nixon seemed to mean that he could speak freely because 10 was the version then in development.
The service model meant updates were not optional. Windows Update did not allow picking individual updates. Users could only decide whether the PC rebooted on its own when idle or asked first. Windows 10 Home was permanently set to download everything automatically, including drivers. Under the license agreement, users consented to automatic installation, and to features being changed or removed without further notice.
Opinions split sharply. Tom Warren of The Verge compared it to browsers like Google Chrome and predicted fewer calls from relatives who had never installed a service pack. ExtremeTech took the opposite view. Providing automatic security updates was a good idea, it said, but Microsoft had "shoved the throttle to maximum". It also objected that Windows used customers' bandwidth to distribute updates to other users by default.
Feedback came from enthusiasts through the Windows Insider Program, which began with a public preview on the 1st of October 2014. Unlike earlier Windows betas, Insider builds kept flowing after the July 2015 general release.
In April 2017, Microsoft said feature updates would arrive twice a year, every March and September. Builds up to 2004 carried names in a year-and-month format, so version 1809 meant September 2018. With 20H2, the last two digits instead named the half of the year. Before version 1909, each feature update was a full download of about 3.5 GB for 64-bit systems. Version 1909 changed that, delivering its features dormant inside the monthly update until an enablement patch switched them on. After version 21H2, Microsoft committed to an October or November release each year. On the 27th of April 2023, it announced that 22H2, released in November 2022, would be the final feature update.
Some customers wanted no change at all. The Long-Term Servicing Channel edition received only security and stability fixes and was meant for fixed-function machines such as automated teller machines and medical equipment. Microsoft director Stella Chernyak said some businesses with mission-critical environments want to test and stabilize for a long time. This edition left out Cortana, the Microsoft Store and all bundled universal apps, so it shipped with Internet Explorer as its only browser. Four such builds appeared, matching the original release and versions 1607, 1809 and 21H2.
Another variant tried to limit choices on purpose. On the 2nd of May 2017, Microsoft unveiled Windows 10 S, aimed at education and designed to compete with ChromeOS netbooks. It launched alongside the Surface Laptop and limited software installation to the Microsoft Store. In March 2018, Microsoft announced it would retire the edition because of market confusion. It was replaced by S Mode, an option that manufacturers can enable and that users can switch off at no charge.
TechRadar suggested Windows 10 could be "the new Windows 7". It cited a familiar interface, better bundled apps, performance gains, a search system it called "rock solid", and a Settings app more capable than the ones in Windows 8 and 8.1. Engadget found the upgrade painless. It called Cortana's always-on voice detection its "true strength", though less pre-emptive than Google Now. CNN Business praised every aspect of the system.
Ars Technica was more divided. It pronounced Windows 10 "the best Windows yet" and praised its comfort across many device types, but found it buggier than earlier releases at launch. Its sharpest criticism hit Tablet mode, where the Start button sat in the bottom-left corner, hard to reach with a thumb. Task View also made switching between apps less instant. Edge earned the label "tremendously promising", though it launched with missing functionality.
Other complaints were about conduct. Critics described the release as being forced onto users of older Windows. Some reported that automatic updates had deleted files without permission.
The free price tag drew a second charge: advertising. Microsoft Solitaire Collection carried microtransactions, and default settings showed suggested apps in the Start menu. Lock screen tips could contain ads. The Creators Update showed Office 365 promotions in File Explorer. Default notifications pushed Microsoft Edge to anyone using another browser. One September 2018 build even showed pop-ups that interrupted the installation of competing browsers. Some outlets called all this a hidden cost of the free upgrade.
Still, people installed it quickly. Twenty-four hours after release, Microsoft said over 14 million devices ran Windows 10. By the 26th of August, the count passed 75 million devices in 192 countries, spanning over 90,000 unique PC or tablet models. Terry Myerson reported over 110 million devices as of the 6th of October 2015. On the 4th of January 2016, Microsoft said over 200 million devices had activated it.
StatCounter showed Windows 10 passing Windows 8.1 in December 2015. Iceland became the first country where it ranked first across all platforms. For one week in late November 2016 it also led Windows 7 in the United States, then lost the lead. In mid-January 2018 it edged ahead of Windows 7 globally, and it was noticeably more popular on weekends. Its share peaked at 82.5% in December 2021, shortly after its successor appeared.
In 2017, Microsoft invoked a new rule for the first time. Intel Clover Trail devices were blocked from receiving the Creators Update, because Intel no longer provided drivers for that platform. The policy says a device's ability to receive updates depends on hardware compatibility, driver availability and the manufacturer's support period. Those devices would still get security updates through January 2023.
Hardware was also a lever against older Windows. Beginning with Intel Kaby Lake and AMD Bristol Ridge processors, Windows 10 became the only Windows version Microsoft would officially support on new chips. Myerson said the company did not want to keep optimizing older systems for newer processors. Critics objected, particularly because Windows 8.1 was still in mainstream support until January 2018. Microsoft retracted an earlier, premature end of support for Intel's Skylake chips, and an enthusiast-made modification disabled the check for older versions.
Starting with version 2004, new OEM devices had to use 64-bit processors, ending OEM distribution of 32-bit editions. Windows 10 is also the last version to officially lack a CPU model check before installation. It is the last to support BIOS firmware, and systems with no TPM or TPM 1.2.
The support calendar shifted too. Originally, Windows 10 followed a fixed policy of five years of mainstream support and five years of extended support. In February 2018, Microsoft switched to a modern lifecycle, giving each version 18 or 30 months of support, depending on edition. Standard releases stopped receiving support on the 14th of October 2025. Only Long-Term Servicing Channel editions and customers enrolled in Extended Security Updates were exempt.
Microsoft announced the paid Extended Security Update program in December 2023, running until October 2028. Businesses pay $61 per device in the first year, $122 in the second and $244 in the third. Education users pay $1, then $2, then $4. Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop customers get it free. Consumers could buy a single year for $30.
In July 2025, Microsoft opened a free route for consumers. People who sync their PC settings to the cloud with a Microsoft account, or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, receive updates at no charge.
As of April 2026, Windows 10 held 29% of Windows usage worldwide and Windows 11 held 70%. Windows 11 had overtaken it for the top spot in June 2025. Some critics have even warned against moving to Windows 11 because of its demanding system requirements. The free extension for consumers covers security support only until the 13th of October 2026.
Up next
Updated
Common questions
Why did Microsoft skip Windows 9?
Terry Myerson said that, given how different the product's approach would be, it would not be right to call it Windows 9. Dave Plummer speculated that Microsoft wanted to avoid compatibility problems with software that checks for a Windows 9 version string and mistakes it for Windows 95 or 98.
When did Windows 10 support end?
Support for standard Windows 10 releases ended on the 14th of October 2025, except for Long-Term Servicing Channel editions and devices enrolled in the Extended Security Updates program.
Was Windows 10 really the last version of Windows?
Microsoft employee Jerry Nixon said so at the 2015 Ignite conference. Microsoft later announced Windows 11 in 2021. PC World argued the remark was taken out of context.
How much do Extended Security Updates cost?
For businesses the price is $61 per device in the first year, $122 in the second and $244 in the third. Education users pay $1, $2 and $4. Consumers could pay $30 for one year, or get a free year by syncing settings to the cloud or redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
What was the last feature update for Windows 10?
Version 22H2, released in November 2022, was announced on the 27th of April 2023 as the final feature update.
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- 202Windows 10 LifecycleMicrosoft
- 203Lifecycle FAQ - Extended Security UpdatesMicrosoft Corporation
- 204Windows 10 Mobile is dead...againRich Woods — Neowin — January 14, 2020
- 206Windows client roadmap updateJason Leznek — April 27, 2023
- 207NewsWindows 10 is finished — Microsoft confirms 'version 22H2' is the lastZack Bowden — April 27, 2023
- 208All editions of Windows 10 get 10 years of updates, supportIDG — July 17, 2015
- 209Microsoft swings security patch stick to keep customers up-to-date on Windows 10IDG — June 13, 2015
- 210Microsoft to provide free upgrades to Windows 10 for 2 to 4 yearsIDG — July 8, 2015
- 211NewsMicrosoft ending support for Windows 10 could send 240 mln PCs to landfills - reportDecember 21, 2023
- 212Consumers won't be offered all three years of extended Windows 10 security updatesAndrew Cunningham — Condé Nast — October 31, 2024
- 213Want to keep Windows 10 secure? This is how much Microsoft will charge youRichard Sped — Situation Publishing — April 3, 2024
- 214Microsoft reveals how much businesses will have to pay to keep using Windows 10 securelyTom Warren — Vox Media — April 3, 2024
- 216Windows 10 for Enterprise: More secure and up to dateMicrosoft — January 30, 2015
- 217Piecing together the Windows as a Service puzzle for Windows 10Mary Jo Foly — CBS Interactive — May 14, 2015
- 218Keeping Windows 10 Up-to-Date for Enterprises, CBB Will Have 8 Months to UpdateRod Trent — Penton — June 12, 2015
- 219The next Windows 10 Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) releaseMicrosoft — February 18, 2021
- 220What's new in Windows 10, version 2004 - What's new in WindowsFebruary 27, 2023
- 222Did Microsoft Just Backtrack on Forced Updates For Windows 10?July 27, 2015
- 223Windows 10's Creators Update tweaks a workaround for mandatory updatesIan Paul — March 17, 2017
- 224NewsSet Windows 10's Wi-Fi connections as metered to download forced updates at your own paceIan Paul — IDG — July 28, 2016
- 225Improving the update discoverability experienceAugust 12, 2020
- 226How to cure Windows 10's worst headachesIan Paul — IDG — August 26, 2015
- 227How to temporarily prevent a Windows or driver update from reinstalling in Windows 10Microsoft — July 28, 2015
- 228Windows 10 updates to be automatic and mandatory for Home usersJuly 17, 2015
- 229Microsoft cloaks the details of Windows 10 updatesIDG — July 20, 2015
- 230Windows 10 users beg Microsoft for more info on updatesIDG — September 14, 2015
- 232How to stop Windows 10 from using your PC's bandwidth to update strangers' systemsIDG — August 3, 2015
- 234Windows 10 Technical Preview now available to downloadTom Warren — October 1, 2014
- 235Microsoft launches Windows Insider Program to get Windows betasSeptember 30, 2014
- 237Windows 10 free for all Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users for first yearJanuary 21, 2015
- 238The next generation of Windows: Windows 10Terry Myerson — Microsoft — January 21, 2015
- 239Overview of Windows as a serviceMicrosoft
- 240Microsoft will now release major Windows 10 updates every March and SeptemberTom Warren — Vox Media — April 20, 2017
- 241What's new in Windows 10 version 20H2Ed Bott
- 242Windows 10 forced updates: Don't panicWoody Leonhard — IDG — July 17, 2015
- 244FAQ: Windows 10 LTSB explainedGregg Keizer — November 29, 2018
- 245Microsoft reveals biggest-ever change in Windows updatesOctober 3, 2014
- 247Windows 10: 5 Unanswered QuestionsMichael Endler — October 4, 2014
- 248Enterprise alert: Microsoft slates next Windows 10 LTSB release for 2019Gregg Keizer — May 9, 2017
- 249NewsAre you a Windows 1 in 10 (1809)? Or a mighty 80 percenter (1803)?Richard Speed — January 30, 2019
- 250Microsoft releases its Windows 10 November 2021 updateLucas Mearian — November 16, 2021
- 253Windows Update for Business and the retirement of SAC-TMicrosoft — February 14, 2019
- 254What's new in Windows Update for Business in Windows 10, version 1903Microsoft — May 21, 2019
- 255Microsoft's Windows 10 May 2019 Update puts you back in control of updatesTom Warren — April 4, 2019
- 256What's new in Windows 10, version 2004 - What's new in WindowsDecember 31, 2017
- 258Windows 10 Switches to Once-a-Year Feature UpdatesNovember 17, 2021
- 259With rollout of 21H2, Microsoft moves Windows 10 to annual updatesNovember 16, 2021
- 260How to get the Windows 10 November 2021 UpdateNovember 16, 2021
- 261Windows 10 won't receive any more feature updatesMark Hachman — April 27, 2023
- 262Microsoft goes very small for Windows 10 1909's 'On' switchGregg Keizer — November 22, 2019
- 263What we know about the Win10 version 1909 upgrade — and what you can do about itWoody Leonhard — November 15, 2019
- 265Microsoft is bringing Windows desktop apps to mobile ARM processorsVox Media — December 7, 2016
- 266NewsMicrosoft Launches Windows 10 on ARM: Always Connected PCsBrett Howse
- 268Microsoft unveils new tablet experience for Windows 10Tom Warren — August 29, 2019
- 271Windows 10 Specifications & Systems RequirementsMicrosoft
- 272Minimum hardware requirementsMicrosoft — May 2, 2017
- 273Windows 10 will chew up another 7GB of disk space to make sure it can updatePeter Bright — January 10, 2019
- 274Reserving disk space to keep Windows 10 up to dateJesse Rajwan — Microsoft — January 7, 2019
- 275Microsoft: Windows 10 to grab 7GB of your storage so big updates don't failLiam Tung — CBS Interactive — January 8, 2019
- 276Systems with small disks won't be able to install Windows 10 May 2019 updatePeter Bright — Condé Nast — April 26, 2019
- 277Before you installMicrosoft
- 278Upgrade a Small Tablet or Laptop to Windows 10Paul Thurrott — Self-published — July 9, 2015
- 279Windows 10 Minimum Hardware Requirements and Upgrade Paths DetailedRobin Sinha — Red Pixels Ventures — March 19, 2015
- 280Windows 10 to make the Secure Boot alt-OS lock out a realityPeter Bright — Condé Nast — March 20, 2015
- 281Skylake support on Windows 7 and 8.1 given a one-year extensionPeter Bright — Condé Nast — March 18, 2016
- 282Microsoft backtracks on Windows 7 support deadlineGregg Keizer — IDG — March 18, 2016
- 283Skylake users given 18 months to upgrade to Windows 10Peter Bright — Condé Nast — January 16, 2016
- 284Microsoft updates support policy: New CPUs will require Windows 10Ed Bott — CBS Interactive — January 15, 2016
- 285Updates to Silicon Support Policy for WindowsShad Larsen — Microsoft — August 11, 2016
- 286Microsoft extends again support for Windows 7, 8.1 Skylake-based devicesMary Jo Foley — CBS Interactive — August 11, 2016
- 287New processors are now blocked from receiving updates on old WindowsPeter Bright — Condé Nast — April 13, 2017
- 288Microsoft blocks Kaby Lake and Ryzen PCs from Windows 7, 8 updatesIan Paul — IDG — April 14, 2017
- 289There's a patch to reinstate Windows 7 & 8.1 on Kaby Lake CPUsChris Merriman — April 19, 2017
- 290Confirmed: Windows 10 may cut off devices with older CPUsMark Hachman — IDG — July 20, 2017
- 291NewsMicrosoft cuts off Windows 10 support early for some PCsEd Bott
- 293NewsWindows 11 system requirements are bad news for old laptops and PCsMatt Hanson — June 24, 2021
- 29610 Reasons Why Windows 10 is Best OS of All TimeMay 21, 2018
- 298Windows 10 is seriously greatDavid Goldman — July 28, 2015
- 299Windows 10 ReviewFuture plc
- 300Windows 10 ReviewAOL — July 28, 2015
- 302Windows 10 May Delete Your Programs Without AskingChris Hoffman — January 4, 2018
- 3037 ways Windows 10 pushes ads at you, and how to stop themIDG — March 3, 2016
- 304Microsoft is infesting Windows 10 with annoying adsVox Media — March 17, 2017
- 305Microsoft wants you to pay for Solitaire, again, in Windows 10IDG — July 27, 2015
- 307Microsoft Adds Premium Subscriptions to Windows 8 Games to Remove Ads. Could Built in Apps be next?Richard Hay — March 27, 2013
- 309Microsoft starts showing ads for Edge browser in Windows 10IDG — November 7, 2016
- 31110 Big Reasons Not to Upgrade to Windows 11May 13, 2024
- 312Windows 11 issues mean it's not worth upgrading yet, say expertsOctober 8, 2021
- 315WTF? Windows 10 now actually losing market shareOctober 1, 2016
- 317Windows 10 – The First 24 HoursJuly 31, 2015
- 319Microsoft says there are 110 million devices with Windows 10Sean O'Kane — The Verge — October 6, 2015
- 320Windows 10 Now Active on over 200 Million DevicesJanuary 4, 2016
- 326Windows 10 loses market share as Windows 7 fights backChris Merriman — Incisive Business Media Limited — March 1, 2017
- 327Press releaseMicrosoft breakthrough as Windows 10 overtakes 7 globally for first time StatCounter Global StatsFebruary 1, 2018
- 332Microsoft Lists Features You'll Lose When Upgrading to Windows 10New Delhi Television Limited — June 2, 2015
- 333Windows 10's forced automatic updates are a good ideaTom Warren — July 17, 2015
- 334On the road to Windows 10: Nvidia driver tests KB 3073930 patch blockerWoody Leonhard — July 27, 2015
- 335Microsoft will stop hiding what's inside Windows 10 updatesTom Warren — Vox Media — February 9, 2016
- 336Windows 10 Threshold 2 Removes Some Desktop Programs During InstallNovember 13, 2015
- 337Windows 10 Threshold 2 Automatically Reinstalls All Previously Removed AppsBogdan Popa — November 14, 2015
- 338Windows 10 Cumulative Update KB3176938 Fixes Freezing Bug in Anniversary UpdateBogdan Popa — September 2016
- 339Windows 10 Anniversary Update keeps freezing? Here's how to fix the problemSeptember 3, 2016
- 340Windows 10 Anniversary Update breaks most webcamsPeter Bright — Condé Nast — August 20, 2016
- 341Microsoft accidentally released internal Windows 10 development buildsTom Warren — June 2, 2017
- 343NewsWindows 10 Pro is a dead end for the enterprise, Gartner saysGregg Keizer
- 344NewsMicrosoft to business: Don't worry about Windows 10, consumers will test itGregg Keizer
- 348Banishing 'Get Windows 10' nagware isn't as easy as you thinkWoody Leonhard — IDG — January 8, 2016
- 349Microsoft re-re-re-issues controversial Windows 10 patch KB 3035583Woody Leonhard — IDG — May 15, 2015
- 350Get Windows 10 patch KB 3035583 suddenly reappears on Win7/8.1 PCsWoody Leonhard — IDG — February 24, 2016
- 351Blocking Windows 10 with Never10Michael Horowitz — IDG — March 31, 2016
- 352Microsoft's decision to pre-load Windows 10 upgrade sans consent is ill-advisedGregg Keizer — IDG — September 15, 2015
- 353NewsDidn't ask for Windows 10? Your PC may have downloaded it anywayJared Newman — September 11, 2015
- 354Microsoft is downloading Windows 10 to your machine 'just in case'Chris Merriman — September 10, 2015
- 355Windows 10 upgrade installing automatically on some Windows 7, 8 systemsPeter Bright — October 16, 2015
- 356Making it Easier to Upgrade to Windows 10October 29, 2015
- 357Microsoft planning to automatically offer Windows 10 to existing PCsVox Media — October 29, 2015
- 358Microsoft narrows Win10 upgrade options to 'Upgrade now' or 'Upgrade tonight'Woody Leonhard — IDG — December 15, 2015
- 359Microsoft upgraded users to Windows 10 without their OKIDG — March 14, 2016
- 360Fearing forced Windows 10 upgrades, users are disabling critical updates insteadIDG — May 27, 2016
- 361Microsoft draws flak for pushing Windows 10 on PC usersMatt Day — June 28, 2016
- 362Microsoft Admits It "Went Too Far" with Aggressive Windows 10 UpdatesBogdan Popa — December 23, 2016
- 363A lawsuit over an unwanted Windows 10 upgrade just cost Microsoft $10,000IDG — June 27, 2016
- 364Get ready for yet another change to 'Get Windows 10' nagwareIDG — June 28, 2016
- 365NewsMicrosoft prepares one final, full-screen Get Windows 10 nagCBS Interactive
- 366Windows 7 users to receive notifications from Microsoft about end of supportTom Warren — March 12, 2019
- 367Windows 10: Microsoft under attack over privacyAlex Hern — August 1, 2015
- 368Microsoft makes new ad platform SDKs available for Windows 8.1 to help Store developers monetize their appsKen Yeung — October 23, 2013
- 370Is Windows 10 telemetry a threat to your personal privacy?Ed Bott — CBS Interactive — November 5, 2015
- 371Windows 10's privacy policy is the new normalPeter Bright — August 9, 2015
- 372Facebook, Gmail, Skype face Russia ban under 'anti-terror' planZack Whittaker — CBS Interactive — July 23, 2014
- 373NewsRussian MPs back law on internet data storageJuly 5, 2014
- 374Windows 10: Public enemy No. 1, or an OS like any other?Preston Gralla — September 3, 2015
- 375Windows 10 Can Find and Disable Pirated GamesTamoor Hussain — August 17, 2015
- 376Fears of Microsoft scanning your Windows 10 PC for pirated games are overblownIan Paul — IDG — August 17, 2015
- 377Torrent Trackers ban Windows 10 over privacy concernsAugust 22, 2015
- 378No, Microsoft is not spying on you with Windows 10Ed Bott — August 27, 2015
- 3793 Windows 10 privacy gotchasKim Komando — September 2, 2015
- 380Microsoft Just Hid The 'Use Offline Account' Option For Installing Windows 10, Here's Where To Find ItBrandon Hill — September 29, 2019
- 381Confirmed: Windows 10 Setup Now Prevents Local Account CreationChris Hoffman — October 2019