Microsoft will end official support for Windows 10 in 2025, and most Windows 10 users with compatible computers have already been notified to upgrade to Windows 11 for free.
The question that arises in the minds of many users is What if you decline the upgrade to Windows 11 now?
What if you don’t upgrade to Windows 11 now?
First of all, don’t worry as you can upgrade to Windows 11 later if you don’t want to do it now.
If you have declined the option to upgrade to Windows 11, you can still update your PC by going to Settings> Windows Update and hitting the Check for updates button.
You can also use the Windows 11 Setup Wizard to get your copy of Windows 11. Just visit the Windows 11 download and click the button download now. Once the download is complete, you have to run the Windows 11 Installation Wizard and click the Accept and Install button to start updating your PC.
If you prefer, you can use Microsoft’s media creation tool to create a bootable USB or DVD and install Windows 11 on your PC. Lastly, there is also an option to download the Windows 11 disk image (ISO).
What are the risks if I don’t upgrade to Windows 11?
None at the moment, but over time you will lose access to the latest features, security updates, and patches.
Many games that use anti-cheat tools have also started to rely on the security features of Windows 11. Although these games continue to work on Windows 10, it is only a matter of time before Windows 11 becomes a requirement.
Will the upgrade to Windows 11 stop being free?
For now, it looks like the Windows 11 update won’t be missed. The update is available for free to all users and should be available until at least October 2022.
For now, Microsoft insists that eligible systems will always upgrade to Windows 11 for free. However, on the support page, Microsoft reserves the right to stop offering this free update in the future.
The support page states that this will not happen before October 2022 and therefore you have at least 10 months to upgrade to Windows 11 for free before Microsoft has the right and the ability to stop this offer.
Will Windows 10 stop working if I don’t update?
Windows 10 will continue to work even if you decide not to upgrade to Windows 11. Microsoft will stop providing official support, that is, security updates or patches, after October 14, 2025.
This means that if someone reports a vulnerability in Windows 10 after the deadline, Microsoft will not push an update to fix it.
I can’t upgrade to Windows 11 after declining the upgrade: What do I do?
Have you rejected the update and it no longer appears in your Windows Update in the Settings application?
There are several ways to fix this, but first, try restarting your system and connecting to a network that you have defined as a metered connection. Please check again for updates. If the upgrade to Windows 11 is still not available, read on.
The first option is use the Installation Wizard, a tool recently released by Microsoft that focuses exclusively on updating Windows 11. If you want to keep your files and want a hassle-free update, download it from here and follow the steps.
The second option is to use the Windows installation media, a Microsoft utility you can get from here to create a Windows 11 bootable USB that you can use to upgrade to Windows 11.
Lastly, you can use an ISO. You can get the Windows 11 ISO directly from Microsoft from here. This is the ideal way for users who want to install Windows 11 on virtual machines.