Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. The computers did not stop working that day, and nothing looks different on the screen, which is why so many of them are still in daily use. The change is invisible: the security fixes have stopped arriving, unless the PC is enrolled in Microsoft's Extended Security Updates program, described below.
What the end of support actually means
Every month, researchers and criminals find new weaknesses in Windows. While a version is supported, Microsoft repairs them through Windows Update. After support ends, newly discovered weaknesses in that version stay open for good, and attackers know precisely which ones they are.
- Your PC keeps working, and so do your programs, for now.
- There are no more security fixes, bug fixes or help from Microsoft.
- Over time, other software stops supporting it as well: web browsers, antivirus programs, tax and accounting software, and banking websites.
Antivirus software does not make up for this. It can catch known malicious programs, but it cannot repair a hole in Windows itself.
The extended security updates
Home users can keep receiving security fixes for Windows 10 through Microsoft's Extended Security Updates program. It was due to end in October 2026, and in June 2026 Microsoft extended it by another year, to October 12, 2027. It gives you security fixes only: no new features and no support calls.
There are three ways to enroll:
- Turn on Windows Backup to sync your PC settings to your Microsoft account. This costs nothing.
- Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
- Pay for a one-year license, $30 plus tax at the time of writing.
The PC must be running Windows 10 version 22H2, be fully up to date, and you sign in with an administrator Microsoft account. One license can cover up to 10 of your PCs. Check Microsoft's own Windows 10 ESU page for the current terms before you enroll, because they have changed once already.
If you have not enrolled, your PC has had no security fixes since October 2025. Enrolling is the cheapest way to close that gap, and it buys you time. It is a delay, not a cure: the program ends in October 2027, and the decision about replacing the PC comes back with it.
Businesses can pay for a longer extension, at a price that rises each year. It is meant to buy time for a planned replacement, not to avoid one.
How much risk are we talking about?
It depends on what the computer is used for. The risk increases with every month that passes, because the list of unrepaired weaknesses only grows.
- Email, banking, shopping or anything with a password: this is the use that attackers are after. Do not keep doing it on an unsupported system.
- A business computer: the same applies, with more at stake. Cyber insurance policies and the security rules for handling card payments or client records generally require supported software. An unsupported PC can turn an incident into an uninsured one.
- A computer that never goes online: very little risk. A PC that runs one old program or one piece of equipment, and is never connected to the internet, can carry on for years.
Check whether your PC can run Windows 11
The upgrade is free if your hardware qualifies. The quickest check: open Settings, then Update & Security, then Windows Update. A PC that qualifies shows an offer to upgrade to Windows 11. Microsoft's free PC Health Check app gives a more detailed answer, and says which requirement failed.
The main requirements are:
- A processor from about 2018 or later: Intel 8th generation and newer, or AMD Ryzen 2000 series and newer
- A security chip called TPM 2.0
- UEFI firmware with Secure Boot
- At least 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of storage. Treat 8 GB of memory as the realistic minimum.
Before you give up on a PC that fails the check: on many computers from 2017 to 2019, the TPM is present but switched off in the firmware settings, where it may be called PTT on Intel systems or fTPM on AMD systems. Turning it on can change the answer from no to yes. It is a five-minute job for someone who is comfortable in those settings.
If it qualifies
Back up your files first, then run the upgrade from Windows Update. It keeps your files and programs and typically takes an hour or two. If the PC has an old-style hard drive or only 4 GB of memory, think about fitting an SSD and more memory at the same time. Windows 11 on a slow drive is not a pleasant experience.
If it does not qualify
Replace it. For a computer from 2017 or earlier, this is usually the right decision. You do not need an expensive model. A modest new or business-grade refurbished PC will feel dramatically faster than what it replaces. Move your files, then wipe the old machine properly before it leaves the house.
Give it a second life with a different system. ChromeOS Flex, from Google, and Linux distributions such as Linux Mint are free, are still updated, and run well on older hardware. If the PC is used for the web, email and documents, this is a genuine option. It is not suitable if you depend on Windows-only software.
Take it offline. If it exists to run one old program or to drive one piece of equipment, disconnect it from the network and keep using it for that.
What about installing Windows 11 anyway? There are ways to install it on hardware that does not meet the requirements. Microsoft does not support this, and says such PCs are not entitled to receive updates. That defeats the purpose. We do not recommend it for any computer you depend on.
If you must keep using Windows 10 for a while
Sometimes a replacement has to wait a few months. Reduce the exposure in the meantime:
- Enroll in the Extended Security Updates program above, if the PC qualifies.
- Use a browser that is still being updated, and keep it current.
- Do your banking and other sensitive sign-ins on a phone, a tablet or another computer that is supported.
- Use a standard user account for everyday work, not an administrator account.
- Remove software you do not use, and keep the rest up to date.
- Back up. An unsupported PC is more likely to be hit by ransomware.
- Decide on a date for the replacement, and keep to it.
The short version
An unsupported PC does not fail. It slowly becomes unsafe. Check whether yours can take the free upgrade to Windows 11. If it cannot, plan its replacement or its second life now, and keep passwords and banking off it in the meantime.