This blog posting represents the views of the author, David Fosberry. Those opinions may change over time. They do not constitute an expert legal or financial opinion.

If you have comments on this blog posting, please email me .

The Opinion Blog is organised by threads, so each post is identified by a thread number ("Major" index) and a post number ("Minor" index). If you want to view the index of blogs, click here to download it as an Excel spreadsheet.

Click here to see the whole Opinion Blog.

To view, save, share or refer to a particular blog post, use the link in that post (below/right, where it says "Show only this post").

Microsoft Can’t Make Its Mind Up About Upgrading Windows 10.

Posted on 10th February 2025

 Show only this post
Show all posts in this thread (Software).

Microsoft: will you please make your mind up about who is allowed to upgrade their Windows 10 systems to Windows 11?

This article on Laptop reports that Microsoft is warning users: "If you installed Windows 11 on a device not meeting Windows 11 system requirements, Microsoft recommends you roll back to Windows 10 immediately."

I, and many Windows users, are getting thoroughly sick of this sorry saga, which has included:

  • Mandatory hardware requirements for Windows 11 which were not standard on desktop and laptop PCs at the time when Windows 11 was released;
  • An upgrade procedure, rolled out as a mandatory update to all Windows 10 users, which put PCs into a continuous update loop (download the upgrade, test for hardware requirements, fail and then do it all again), rendering millions of PCs unusable;
  • Constant warnings to upgrade PCs or lose security updates;
  • If I remember correctly, an announcement by Microsoft that the Windows 11 hardware requirements had been relaxed;
  • Third party tools allowing users to upgrade despite their PCs not meeting the mandatory hardware requirements;
  • And now, a warning to downgrade the operating system if your PC doesn't meet the mandatory hardware requirements.

I do not understand how a company which issues such poor quality updates, keeps changing their minds and treats their users so badly, has any remaining customers at all. I "voted with my feet" years ago; why haven't you?