By Samuel Lopez – USA Herald
SAN DIEGO, CA – A California computer user has launched a legal battle against Microsoft Corporation, claiming the company’s decision to end Windows 10 support constitutes an unfair business practice designed to force millions of consumers into unnecessary hardware upgrades while positioning Microsoft to dominate the artificial intelligence market.
Lawrence Klein, a San Diego County resident, filed the complaint on August 7, 2025, in San Diego Superior Court, seeking public injunctive relief under California’s Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act. The lawsuit paints a picture of corporate strategy that allegedly prioritizes market control over consumer welfare.
The Core Allegations
According to the 28-page complaint, Microsoft announced less than a year ago that it would cease providing support for Windows 10 devices as of October 14, 2025, despite the operating system representing “more than half of the Windows operating system market share.” The lawsuit states that an estimated 240 million devices currently lack the hardware specifications required to upgrade to Windows 11.
Klein’s legal team argues that Microsoft’s timing is strategically calculated. The complaint alleges: “Microsoft’s decision to discontinue support for Windows 10 while most of its consumer base was still using it was part of the company’s larger strategy to force its customers to purchase new devices optimized to run Microsoft’s suite of generative artificial intelligence (AI) software such as Copilot, which comes bundled with Windows 11 by default.”
The lawsuit contends that this represents a departure from historical precedent. Previous Windows phase-outs typically occurred 7-8 years after the next version launched, and only after user adoption had declined significantly. Windows 10 support is ending just 4 years after Windows 11’s launch, while over 50% of users still rely on the older system.
