The MICROSOFT Dilemma: Persuading Users to Make the Leap to Windows 11

Photograph by Amir Levy/GettyMICROSOFT is caught in an unusual bind. When in October 2021 it released the new operating system Windows 11, it expected Windows 10 owners to upgrade in large numbers to what would become a revolution in the MICROSOFT OS world. Instead, Windows 10 is proving unusually popular and MICROSOFT needs to work to convince people to upgrade anyway.

MICROSOFT Steps Up Its Windows 11 Campaign

It hasn’t been the victory lap Windows 11’s creators were expecting. And it’s not hard to understand why: despite all the hype leading up to the release, Windows 11 hasn’t seen the kind of massive user migration that Windows 10 sparked. Recent moves by MICROSOFT, including dire warnings about the end-of-life for Windows 10 on some PCs and more direct pop-ups prodding users to upgrade, are part of a coordinated push to show people what they’re missing.

MICROSOFT's Urgent Upgrade Advisory

A hallmark of the MICROSOFT messaging has been to emphasise the deadline for Windows 10 support – notifications have popped up reminding users that ‘support for Windows 10 will stop in October 2025’ – as if the cut-off date is not just a milestone in time but also the beginning of a future marked by a hobbled operating system being characterised as a relic, open to whatever malware attacks are launched, without MICROSOFT’s defensive underpinning updates of security fixes and patches. A MICROSOFT-generated narrative pushes the user migration to Windows 11, as not just keeping up with the inevitable, but as something equated to ‘security’ and ‘efficiency’.

The Financial Implications of Sticking with Windows 10

But what about those who insist on Windows 10 or just whose hardware is not compatible? MICROSOFT offers them a lifeline with the ‘Extended Security Updates’ (ESU) programme, but it is not free. Pricing, at least for business, is a discouraging measure of the expense of postponing the inevitable, with rates that increase over time – a powerful financial incentive to switch now instead.

Navigating the Windows 10 to Windows 11 Transition

Although the call to upgrade is urgent and the fee unprecedented, users are right to be hesitant to jump from Windows 10 to Windows 11: adherence to the old features and layout of Windows 10, and the new AI features and ads embedded in the new system should all make users pause.

Still, MICROSOFT keeps trying to convince its user base to embrace the improvements of Windows 11, emphasising the new software’s improved security and easier data sorting features. What Windows 11 deniers are saying: ‘Yeah, I can see how that would have benefits … but I’m not going to do it.’ What MICROSOFT is saying: ‘It’s Windows 11! The future! The clock is ticking!’

The Road Ahead for Windows Adoption

But MICROSOFT’s campaign to get Windows 11 installed is going to be an uphill battle, against both user cynicism and ingrained habits. Windows 10 was easily the most popular version of Windows in history because MICROSOFT was able to drive adoption with both carrots and sticks. Windows 11 faces a much steeper hill to climb on the next phase of the Windows journey.

Understanding MICROSOFT's Mission

But when MICROSOFT pushes the turn signal towards Windows 11, what the company is really doing is driving the intersection of innovation, security and user choice. MICROSOFT’s work goes further than tweezing the operating system, engineered to power its way into a future where personal computing worldwide remains Windows-based.

The story of Windows 11 will not be over until new editions are released to the world. Through its efforts to bring us into a new world with Windows 11, MICROSOFT shows that it is an innovator, an industry leader – and a company that will make its customers safe. Whether users will stick with Windows 10 or migrate to Windows 11 will be the subject of much debate. For now, MICROSOFT is showing no signs of a change of heart.

About MICROSOFT

MICROSOFT is a global leader in cloud technology, software and innovations with more than 40 years’ experience building products that have helped people do and achieve more. Since its founding in 1975, MICROSOFT has grown from a small software company to one of the world’s leading technology companies. It is best known for its Windows operating system and Office suite as well as the Surface hardware products. The company applies its expertise to develop cloud technology and software to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more and make life easier, safer and more connected.