Microsoft has just played its joker card twice in a week, forcing upgrades on millions of Windows PC owners. This will raise serious alarm bells for hundreds of million of users who may now need to upgrade their PCs with no alternative options.

With Windows 10 support shutting down in less than 10 months, Microsoft is now on a mission to get users to switch to Windows 11. In fact, the Redmond firm's latest alert is telling millions to "upgrade immediately".

This year, Mehdi is back with another prediction: 2025 will be "the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh." This year is also, not coincidentally, the year that most Windows 10 PCs will stop receiving new security updates.

If your PC has the correct system requirements, you can move to Windows 11 for free - although Microsoft says this offer is only available for a "limited time". If you can't update to this latest OS due to the age of your current laptop then you do still have some options.

Microsoft keeps adding upgrade roadblocks, but there are workarounds for many models. Here's how you can find out whether your Windows 10 PC can bypass the latest restrictions and safely upgrade to Windows 11 - for free.