They can't do that, when they've already sold you lifetime licenses.
They could however introduce a subscription-only windows 12 and have harsh cut-off requirements like they did with windows 11.
They could however introduce a subscription-only windows 12 and have harsh cut-off requirements like they did with windows 11.
"Can't" only applies when someone is willing to stop them, and nobody is. Microsoft can do pretty much anything they want and there's basically nothing you can do about it.
What GP proposed is the much more likely avenue they would take: New version of Windows with a new licensing model. It would probably kill their consumer business overnight, but at least it wouldn't get their lawyers laughed out of a courtroom.
If they go and change it like that they will be begging for a big class-action suit.
However when they introduce a "new product" then all bets are off. Hence Windows 12.