California’s SB244 Right to Repair Law can’t breathe new life into Windows 10, but Copilot just might

In September, US Governor Gavin Newsom signed bill SB244 into law giving California Right to Repair legislation. Although SB244 introduces a raft of progressive changes to aid repairers, it will have zero effect on the estimated 400 million machines that will become e-waste if Microsoft ends support for Windows 10 in 2025.

However, Microsoft has bet the farm on AI, and it may need to keep Windows 10 alive for longer than it planned. And it’s all down to Windows Copilot.

Why is killing Windows 10 bad for the planet?

The fastest growing domestic waste stream on earth is e-waste. The biggest contributor to this toxic tsunami is the way we discard our electronics, often for the most specious of reasons. Microsoft’s plan to switch off Windows 10 support from 14 October 2025 will cause millions of functional machines into the crusher. Once the plug is pulled, machines will receive no further security updates and vital apps, like browsers, will stop updating.

Note that these problems are software based and nothing to do with machine wearing out or breaking down. Conventional thinking says that Microsoft shouldn’t be expected to support Windows 10 forever, but given the environmental consequences being caused by it and the rest of the tech industry, there needs to be a software revolution consigning the archaic model of launch-support-abandon to the bin.

The planet needs all software companies to think differently.

Why can’t SB244 extend Windows 10?

SB244 is mainly focussed on making hardware repair easier by applying legislative pressure on manufacturers to simplify the process. One way to slow down the e-waste flow is by making devices more repairable and therefore changing mindsets that repair is normal. To do this, SB244 mandates that for certain tech products sold after 1 June 2024, manufacturers must make parts, tools and repair documentation available for three to seven years (depending on price) after production ceases.

SB244 was not conceived to force manufacturers to extend the software life of their products. It is recognised within the repair community that software-based tricks employed by electronics manufacturers can destroy any chances of repair, or with Windows 10, render working hardware useless to their owners. We should celebrate SB244 as a victorious battle, but as the war continues, software is the next target and there are encouraging signs that the tide is changing.

What could Microsoft learn from Google?

Google recently made the fabulous announcement that Chromebooks released from 2021 onwards are going to get a decade of software support. This proves that it is possible for manufacturers to retrospectively extend the software support of existing products, if they desire.

Although Google’s move should get a decent write-up in its next ESG, we should note that the announcement came after a sharp nudge in the right direction via a successful and highly viral awareness campaign spearheaded by Lucas Gutterman of social advocacy group PIRG regarding the horrific rate of Chromebook churn in US schools.

Irrespective of how it happened, millions of Chromebooks will stay in use and out of the e-waste stream because of this one decision. Bravo!

Could Microsoft extend Windows 10 support?

Gutterman also has Microsoft in his sights. “Recently, we delivered a petition signed by over 20,000 PIRG supporters calling on Microsoft to extend support for Windows 10,” he told TechFinitive.

“Microsoft’s decision to end support in 2025 could cause the largest jump in junked computers ever, with up to 400 million PCs that aren’t able to upgrade to Windows 11. Users will be pushed to upgrade or remain vulnerable to attacks without guaranteed security updates. Microsoft should extend support to keep these computers out of the landfill.”

Activists like Gutterman have showed that it’s possible to shift corporate strategy and now Microsoft seems to be altering its own…

Is Copilot coming to Windows 10?

Microsoft Copilot is the new AI assistant for Windows, which runs from the taskbar. Initially Copilot was to be a Windows 11 feature, so Microsoft’s plans to roll it out to Windows 10 seem slightly confusing.

Lucas Gutterman agrees: “I doubt I’m the only one confused by Microsoft on the one hand continuing to release new features for Windows 10, but on the other hand not providing a pathway to upgrade for the up to 40% of PCs that don’t meet the minimum requirements for Windows 11. Does Microsoft want to keep supporting the majority of their users who are still using Windows 10, or not?”

A timely question. The addition of Copilot would be a significant enhancement for Windows 10 users, but also an important move for Microsoft. A recent leaked report suggested that Windows 11 is currently in use on around 400 million machines worldwide, which is less than half of the estimated one billion Windows 10 machines still in use. Microsoft has invested heavily in Copilot and Windows 11 currently doesn’t have the market saturation to generate acceptable ROI.

Does that mean that AI could save Windows 10? We think it just might.

As Microsoft continues to integrate AI into every aspect of its offering, it could be that the extending the lifecycle of Windows 10 will be necessary to give Copilot a much needed boost against its rivals.