The big Windows 10 countdown continues with the end of life for this popular operating system getting ever closer. Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 from October 2025 which will leave users facing two expensive options including buying a new PC or paying Microsoft for extended support.
It’s going to cause a major headache for millions still using Windows 10 but some PC owners have just been given an important free lifeline. Microsoft has finally confirmed that it has fixed a glitch which was stopping some users from switching to Windows 11.
The problem all stemmed from devices powered by 11th Gen Intel processors running Intel Smart Sound Technology.
It was first discovered around two years ago after those trying to upgrade to the latest OS were then hit by the dreaded blue screen of death.
“Intel and Microsoft have found incompatibility issues with certain versions of drivers for Intel Smart Sound Technology (Intel SST) on Intel 11th Gen Core processors and Windows 11. Windows 11 devices with the affected Intel SST driver might receive an error with a blue screen,” Microsoft confirmed.
The Redmond firm has now released a fix with the company saying that devices which are encountering this issue will need to install newer versions of the Intel SST Audio Controller drivers.
Once you have updated to a compatible version of the Intel Smart Sound Technology drivers, you should be able to upgrade to Windows 11 free of charge.
If your PC has this Intel technology inside it’s worth switching to Microsoft’s latest and greatest operating system as soon as possible.
Once the end-of-life date arrives no new updates will be released to Windows 10 users meaning their PCs could become less secure and easier for criminals to hack.
Microsoft has confirmed that it will offer three years of additional support but only to those prepared to pay a fee.
“By now, you’ve probably heard that Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025,” said Microsoft’s Jason Leznek.
“You can enroll those PCs in the paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program. ESUs allow you to receive critical and/or important security updates for Windows 10 PCs when you need extra time to move to Windows 11.”
The price for this service is $61 per year (£48) although it’s worth noting that Microsoft is currently only confirming this for business enterprises and not home users.
