- 400 million computers will need to be replaced to support Windows 11
- $2.42 billion worth of gold could be recovered from used computers
- PC shipments surge due to Windows 10 EOS
A new study has examined the possible environmental consequences of the upcoming… End of life for Windows 10As a result, millions of devices will need to be updated.
As 400 million computers worldwide will go out of use due to lack of hardware support Windows 11 (and 14.4 million computers in the UK alone), we could face huge difficulties in extracting the 12.8 million kg of recoverable metals including gold, copper, silver, platinum, palladium and indium.
As a result, researchers at Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Business Waste estimate that around £1.809 billion ($2.42 billion) could be recovered from basic recycled metals alone.
Windows 10 End of Life Cost
Business Waste claims a staggering £1.68 billion worth of gold can be recovered from end-of-life devices, as well as £98.8 million worth of copper and £32.9 million worth of silver.
However, while there are some schemes that support responsible recycling (such as the UK's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive), it is unclear how many devices are actually recycled.
However, Business Waste noted the need for modernization to remove blame from consumers and businesses. As older devices lose support, they become more vulnerable to viruses and software glitches. Unsupported software will also become an even bigger problem as vendors adapt to new OS versions.
Although some reluctance to update remains, IDC tracked 9.4% year-over-year growth in PC shipments in the third quarter of 2025 in preparation for MicrosoftOS changes.
Senior research manager Maciek Gornicki also noted the end of the renewal cycle for devices purchased before the pandemic, which supported some sales.
More broadly, with the EEA receiving an additional year of Extended Security Updates (ESUs), device updates and PC shipments could continue to rise in the coming months.
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