FARGO — Starting Tuesday, Oct. 14, Microsoft no longer offers free software updates for Windows 10.

According to the national Public Interest Research Group, up to 400 million computers could lose the ability to run the operating system safely.

Nathan Proctor, a senior campaign director for PIRG, said that not all computers meet the hardware requirements to upgrade to Windows 11. He said some people and businesses may opt to buy new computers, which could result in as much as 1.6 billion pounds of electronic waste.

Microsoft will provide some level of security support for Windows 10 for the next year, but Proctor warned that without regular security updates, users will face higher risks.

“If you’re a cybercriminal and you knew about some exploit to Windows 10 for the last year or so, y

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