Windows 10 get co-pilot; support extension beyond 2025?

[German]There are currently a number of rumors about Windows 10 floating around the web. Windows 10 is not supposed to receive any more feature updates and will be discontinued in October 2025. Now it is said that Windows 10 will receive the AI solution Copilot. And there are allegedly internal discussions at Microsoft about extending support beyond 2025.

The other day I read that Windows 11 is also getting fatter and fatter in its ISO installation images. According to the following Windows Latest tweet, they are already 6.2 GByte, which is a good 10% larger than Windows 10 22H2.

Some Windows 10 owners are happy that they won't be treated to new gimmicks such as Copilot and that this operating system will no longer receive any new function updates in version 22H2. Only security updates were expected – promised land, so to speak.

But we've all done the calculation without Redmond. No sooner do you think you've saved yourself on a stable branch than Redmond cuts it down. The rumor mill has been kicked off by an article from Windows Central, which allegedly reports some of Microsoft's plans.

Copilot to come for Windows 10

The main focus of Zack Bowden's article is the news that Microsoft wants to port its AI solution Copilot from Windows 11 back to Windows 10. This would mean that Microsoft would force the "new assistant" on a good 1 billion Windows 10 users. The new function is to be rolled out with an update, which is expected "soon", according to reports.

Just like Windows 11, this update for Windows 10 will place a Copilot button directly in the Windows 10 taskbar, which will open the exact same Copilot sidebar as in Windows 11. According to Bowden, the capabilities of Copilot under Windows 10 and Windows 11 should be roughly the same. This also applies to the compatibility of plug-ins in both versions of the operating system.

The background to all this: There is still a huge Windows 10 user base (1 billion), compared to the measly share of Windows 11 (estimated at 400 million). This is also the reason for Microsoft's plans to port Copilot back to Windows 10. It is hoped that developers will develop code for ChatGPT plugins and the incentive will increase with a larger user base.

Several things comes suddenly to my mind. Firstly, the "leaner Windows 10 ISO installation image" mentioned above will be history. Secondly, Copilot will probably come later for Windows 10 users in Europe – as Microsoft is still reviewing the introduction for Windows 11 in order to comply with the Digital Service Act.

And because it just fits: There was a major system failure at OpenAI (see status updates), so the AI solution ChatGPT is currently "down". The colleagues from Bleeping Computer have taken it up in the article here. It can happen from time to time – but it might give you a foretaste of what's to come when everyone is hooked on Copilot and it decides to go on strike.

Extended Support for Windows 10?

The more exciting story revolves around the question of whether Microsoft will "pull the plug" on Windows 10 in October 2025 and stop providing security updates. In the article Petition to Microsoft demands Windows 10 support extension, I reported at the end of October 2023 that Microsoft had been presented with a petition to this effect. he Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) has set up a petition calling on Microsoft to extend support for Windows 10 beyond 2025. The aim is to prevent a huge mountain of electronic waste being created because many computers are unsuitable for Windows 11.

Zack Bowden asked his contact at Microsoft about Windows 10 support extension and other plans. When he asked his sources whether Microsoft plans to extend the end of support for Windows 10, which is scheduled for October 2025, there was no concrete answer. It is said that this is being discussed internally at Microsoft, but no decision has yet been made.

Bowden writes that he has also heard that the new heads of Windows are very keen to keep Windows 10 users up to date with selected new features and services. Windows Copilot is just one of a handful of features that Microsoft wants to port back. This would represent a change in strategy, which is in stark contrast to the approach of Panos Panay, who left Windows 10 quite quickly with the advent of Windows 11, but is now no longer works at Microsoft either.

Let me put it this way: It is interesting that some people at Microsoft have started to think about Windows 10. Some Windows 10 users will welcome the fact that new functions are coming. However, in view of the "quality" of some of the outpourings from Redmond, some Windows 10 users who were looking forward to finally having an operating system that is no longer being optimized to breaking point may feel like a threat.