Windows 10 is done. On October 14, 2025, Microsoft is officially switching Windows 10 to life support mode, only offering another year of limited security updates, and that’s only if you enroll on the Windows Extended Security Updates scheme before the 14th.
Windows 10 is a decade old. Its successor, Windows 11, is already four years old and a well-established operating system, so what gives? Why are so many folks determined to keep using Windows 10 when Windows 11 is a great operating system?
On paper, Windows 11 should be excellent
I use it on my laptop, but not my desktop
Many moons ago, I was the Windows Editor for MakeUseOf during the launch of Windows 11 and the prolonged build-up. At the time, Microsoft made all the right noises about its new operating system: rounded corners, much better window snapping, better power management, an overhauled taskbar and Start menu…
The list of everything that made Windows 11 sound great compared to Windows 10 is lengthy, not least because it promised something Windows users had long cried out for: a full visual overhaul.
Across the operating system aisle in Cupertino, macOS has always had more style than Windows. It’s always been one step ahead in visual design. For a long time, many Windows users didn’t care; the clunk and funk and constant tinkering were a core part of what made Windows Windows.
Even the bits of Windows 11 that folks complained about at the time, like Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 upgrade requirements, were security-focused updates designed to make the operating system more secure; the less said about Microsoft’s attempts to implement the tech, the better. Even better is the fact that you can use free software like Rufus to bypass these requirements altogether.
Then there are the enormous upgrades to Windows Security over the past few years. These start with Windows 10 but have carried on with Windows 11, making it a really secure operating system. There is a reason that most Windows 11 users don’t actually need a third-party antivirus anymore, and that’s down to Microsoft’s continuous security upgrades.
But Windows 11 isn’t used on paper
Real folks don’t feel the difference and notice all the rubbish
Faster startup times and better memory management are great. But it doesn’t really make up for the overall direction that Windows 11 has been pushed. Even from the outset, there was immediate frustration that Microsoft buried menus behind extra clicks or just straight-up removed features.
A good example is the Windows 11 Start menu overhaul. It looks better, but its functionality is much worse. Instead of just showing no file or an empty search box, Windows 11 always shows a result, be that a random file, something from the internet, or even an advert. Having Windows 11 recommend files or other suggestions instead of locating files I know exist will never not be frustrating; it’s a waste of time for everyone.
I will always be in the old Start menu camp, either way. Even on Windows 10, I used Open-Shell, open-source software that gives a classic Windows Start menu experience (Open-Shell is also available for Windows 11).
But it’s telling that four years after Windows 11 launched, there are still frequent posts on Reddit and other tech websites discussing the Start menu’s broken functionality, terrible recommendations, lack of customization, reduction in features, and general mismanagement.
Another key example is the right-click context menu. For many, Windows 10 was the perfect level of information. Sure, it could have been more customizable, but all the menus and options you wanted were there. In Windows 11, Microsoft buried options in cascading menus and made it difficult to navigate quickly. Who wants a “Show more options” menu item in the quick-access menu?
It feels like Windows 11 is spying on us constantly
It’s a big complaint against the operating system
There are always a hardcore of people who say Windows is tracking everything they do. But with Windows 11, that’s absolutely the case. Windows 11 telemetry is frequently cited as the first Windows feature to turn off to protect your privacy, and even then, it doesn’t stop all data collection. Every corner of the interface now seems to serve a secondary purpose: nudging, suggesting, or outright selling. There are a few ways you can claw back some of your privacy in Windows 11, but it shouldn’t be this difficult to feel secure with your own data.
It’s no wonder that privacy is often the most cited reason as to why people switch to Linux from Windows.
Then there are the in-operating system adverts disguised as recommendations. You can spot them in the Settings, on Lock Screens, in the Widgets, built-in apps like Outlook, and, of course, the Start menu. It’s just tiring and makes your operating system feel under constant bombardment.
OneDrive integration is another sore point. Windows frequently pushes us towards using its integrated cloud drive option, be that during setup or periodically afterwards. It even suggests outlandish backup options, like backing up the entire desktop to OneDrive, which creates a host of other problems.
The constant Copilot push is really, really tiring
Yes, we get it: AI is great
So, how best to reinvigorate an operating system? With everyone’s favorite new tech, of course.
If you’re not tired of having Copilot rammed down your throat yet, I’d say you haven’t been using Windows or the internet in general enough. Microsoft’s Copilot AI is now present in all levels of the operating system, not to mention Microsoft’s office apps (Microsoft 365 Copilot).
It feels inescapable. Copilot first appeared as a pin on the taskbar, whether you wanted it or not. Then, before long, Copilot software was installed. Next, Microsoft worked with hardware developers like Intel and AMD to create Copilot+ laptops and PCs, specifically designed with Copilot’s AI functionality in mind.
And if you’ve bought a PC in the past year or so, you may even have a specific Copilot key on your keyboard, taking the place of the familiar Windows key. But none of it feels like it’s about convenience or making your life easier; it’s about Microsoft keeping up with the tech trends.
People are absolutely fed up with pointless Windows 11 features when it feels like the basics never get fixed. It just piles more features on top of creaking foundations.
Windows 11 isn’t all bad
It’s here to stay
However you feel about Windows 11, it’s not going anywhere fast. I recall during the launch of Windows 10 that Microsoft said, “This is our last ever operating system,” before revealing Windows 11 a few years later.
If they stick to the schedule, we should hear about Windows 12 in 2026, with a launch later in the year. However, that’s completely hypothetical on my part (but not outlandish).
Windows 11 has a lot of good parts, mind. It’s a really secure operating system, and Windows Security has become one of the best antivirus tools in the business. It performs well across all kinds of devices, and for many people, it looks good (much better than Windows 10 and its predecessors).
But the pain points are more visible and present than the plus, and that’s always going to be the problem with Windows 11 and the decisions Microsoft continues to make.
So, in that, I don’t really hate Windows 11. I just don’t feel any affinity for it and don’t want to use it. Is that too much to ask?
