Still on Windows 10? Your options a year after support ended

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. The computers didn't stop working that day, which is exactly why many offices are still running it a year later. But they stopped getting free security fixes, and every month that passes adds more known weaknesses that will never be patched on those machines.

Here's a plain guide to where that leaves you, using Microsoft's own published terms.

What "end of support" actually means

• No more free security updates. New vulnerabilities found in Windows 10 are no longer fixed for regular users.
• No technical help from Microsoft for Windows 10 problems.
• Your apps keep running, for now. Microsoft says it will keep providing security updates for Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 until October 10, 2028, but it recommends moving to Windows 11.

The real risk isn't that the PC breaks. It's that it becomes the easiest way into your network.

Your four options

Option 1: Upgrade for free (if the PC qualifies)

Moving from Windows 10 Home or Pro to the same edition of Windows 11 is free on eligible computers. Windows 11 needs, among other things:

• a compatible 64-bit processor, 1 GHz or faster with 2 or more cores
• 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage
• UEFI firmware with Secure Boot
• TPM 2.0 (a security chip found in most PCs from the last several years)

Eligible PCs usually show the upgrade in Windows Update. Many offices find that a good share of their machines qualify. In practice, 8 GB of RAM makes for a much happier Windows 11 experience than the 4 GB minimum.

Option 2: Replace PCs that can't upgrade

Older computers without TPM 2.0 or a supported processor can't officially run Windows 11. For these, replacement is usually the better long-term value, especially if they're also slow. Spreading replacements over a few months keeps the cost manageable.

Option 3: Buy time with Extended Security Updates

Microsoft sells Extended Security Updates (ESU) for organizations:

• $61 USD per device for Year One, which started in November 2025
• the price doubles each following year, for a maximum of three years
• it's cumulative: if you join in Year Two, you also pay for Year One
• it covers security fixes only, with no technical support

For home and personal PCs, Microsoft offers a consumer version that runs until October 12, 2027. It's free if you sync your PC settings with a Microsoft account, or costs 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points or a one-time $30 USD. Computers joined to a company domain or managed by a device-management system can't use the consumer version.

ESU is a bridge, not a destination. It makes sense for a few machines that run something that can't move yet.

Option 4: Isolate the machines that must stay

Sometimes a lab instrument, CCTV recorder or old accounting program only works on Windows 10. Keep those PCs off email and general web browsing, put them on a separate network segment, and back them up. That limits the damage if one is compromised.

A simple plan for most offices

1. List every PC and check whether it meets the Windows 11 requirements.
2. Upgrade the eligible ones in batches, starting with the people who handle money and personal data.
3. Budget replacements for the rest, oldest and slowest first.
4. Use ESU or isolation only for the few that truly can't move yet.
5. Back up before upgrading. Upgrades usually go smoothly, but not always.

Running an inventory is the step most offices skip, and it's the one that makes the rest easy. If you'd like help, we can check your PCs, upgrade the ones that qualify, and quote replacements for the rest.