Lawsuit Filed Against Microsoft Over Decision to Discontinue Windows 10

In a bold move challenging a tech giant, a California resident has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft over its decision to end support for Windows 10 in October of this year. The plaintiff alleges that this is not merely a technical decision but a deliberate attempt to force consumers into buying new devices, thereby solidifying the company's dominance in the generative artificial intelligence (AI) market.

The plaintiff, Lawrence Klein, filed the lawsuit under case number 25CU041477C. Klein owns two laptops currently running Windows 10 that are ineligible for the upgrade to Windows 11. He claims that once support ends, his laptops will become effectively unusable, leaving millions of users in a vulnerable position.

The lawsuit argues that Microsoft's primary goal is to push users toward new devices with Windows 11, which comes integrated with the company's new AI assistant, Copilot. These features require a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), a component found in newer computers but absent in older models, making a broad upgrade to Windows 11 impossible.

The lawsuit states that Microsoft is well aware that millions of users will not buy new hardware or pay for extended support, which will leave them exposed. "Microsoft's long-term business strategy to ensure market dominance will jeopardize data security, not just for Microsoft's own customers, but also for people who may not even use Microsoft products at all," the complaint reads. Klein is seeking a court injunction that would require Microsoft to provide free support for Windows 10 until the number of users drops to a reasonable threshold, along with legal fees.

Microsoft had previously announced that Windows 10 support would end on October 14, 2025. The company has advised users to either upgrade to Windows 11 or, for those with devices that don’t meet the technical requirements, to enroll in the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program or replace their hardware.