‘Out Of Stock’—Google Offers Free PC Upgrade For Windows Users

InnovationCybersecurity‘Out Of Stock’—Google Offers Free PC Upgrade For Windows UsersByZak Doffman,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Zak Doffman writes about cybersecurity, surveillance and privacy.Follow AuthorApr 25, 2026, 11:34am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Bad news for Windows users.AFP via Getty Images“Hundreds of millions” of Windows users have been left with a “difficult decision,” Google warns. "Spend hundreds on a new device, or continue using an insecure, outdated one." Now the company offers a free and easy PC upgrade instead. Following Microsoft’s decision to end-of-life Windows 10, Google says users can have a “fast, secure and free operating system to modernize the PC” you already own but can’t safely use. ChromeOS Flex gives aged Windows PCs “a new life."ForbesHow To Keep Your Texts After Samsung Shuts Down MessagingBy Zak DoffmanThis month, Google announced its partnership with Back Market to “transform your aging, unsupported laptop into a fast, secure, and sustainable machine for free.” This comes by way of a new ChromeOS Flex USB Kit, which costs around $3 for the USB hardware, albeit Back Market confirms the upgrade really is free: “Yes, completely. No subscription, no trial, no hidden costs. Free forever.”This is aimed at the 500 million Windows 10 users unable to upgrade to Windows 11, given the age and technical limitations of the PCs. To run Windows 11, a hardware security module is required to link the device to the OS. If you don’t have the TPM 2.0, you can’t run the OS. Niche workarounds aside, it’s that simple.MORE FOR YOUClick for a tutorial on installing on your own.Back Market“If you have an eligible device,” Back Market says, “ChromeOS Flex can be a complete game-changer and keep your old devices running, with Back Market now selling USBs that come with this operating system.”Unfo...