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Microsoft Revives Pop-Ups in Windows 10 to Push Windows 11 Upgrades

Microsoft again nudges Windows 10 users to try Windows 11 with a four-page pop-up that talks up the benefits of its latest OS.

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Have you upgraded to Windows 11 yet? Microsoft is once again trying to push people to adopt its newest operating system via full-screen pop-ups.

As Windows Latest reports, the Windows 11 ad has been popping up for folks who installed the optional Windows 10 January 2024 update. You have to click through four pages that talk up the benefits of Windows 11; at the end, you can upgrade or keep Windows 10.

The pop-up extols the values of Windows 11, including more functions, better gaming experiences, and a new look and feel. It says the OS is "more fun" than Windows 10 and promises that all of your apps, games, and files will come with you when you upgrade.

Source: StatCounter Global Stats - Windows Version Market Share

As Windows Latest notes, Microsoft did the same in February and May 2023. Neither attempt moved the needle much. Worldwide Windows 11 market share inched up from about 19% to 24% between February and June 2023, according to Statcounter.

Currently, Windows 10 is the dominant OS with 66.45% global market share, followed by Windows 11 at 27.83%, and Windows 7 at just over 3%, Statcounter says.

Why aren't people upgrading? Windows 11 includes stricter hardware requirements, like a TPM 2.0 chip, so some older PCs can't handle it, forcing people to buy a new device if they want it. A number of high-profile Windows 11 features have also been trickling down to Windows 10, like Microsoft's Copilot AI tool.

Official support for Windows 10 ends on Oct. 14, 2025. Microsoft will offer a Windows 10 Extended Security Update (ESU) program to individuals and businesses for up to three years, though pricing has not been announced. Windows 12 is also potentially on the horizon.

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Joe Hindy

Joe Hindy

Contributor

Hello, my name is Joe and I am a tech blogger. My first real experience with tech came at the tender age of 6 when I started playing Final Fantasy IV (II on the SNES) on the family's living room console. As a teenager, I cobbled together my first PC build using old parts from several ancient PCs, and really started getting into things in my 20s. I served in the US Army as a broadcast journalist. Afterward, I served as a news writer for XDA-Developers before I spent 11 years as an Editor, and eventually Senior Editor, of Android Authority. I specialize in gaming, mobile tech, and PC hardware, but I enjoy pretty much anything that has electricity running through it.

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