Windows 10 end of support
Also known as: Windows 10 end of life, Windows 10 EOL, Windows 10 end of service, Windows 10 retirement
Windows 10 end of support refers to October 14, 2025, the date Microsoft stopped providing free security updates, bug fixes, and technical help for Windows 10.
PCs still work, but new security flaws go unpatched, making them riskier to use online. Options include upgrading eligible PCs to Windows 11 for free, buying a new computer, paying for Extended Security Updates (ESU), which for home users ended October 13, 2026, or switching to another operating system. While the deadline has passed, many PCs, often ones that can't meet Windows 11's hardware requirements, still run Windows 10.
Windows 10 end of support, explained at three levels
At home
End of support is like a carmaker ending safety recalls for an old model. The car still starts and drives, but when engineers discover a faulty brake or lock, they no longer fix yours. Windows 10 has been in that position since October 14, 2025: Microsoft stopped sending free security fixes, so every newly found flaw stays open, and thieves know exactly which weak spots to try.
At work
Windows 10 end of support is the date, October 14, 2025, when Microsoft stopped providing free security updates and help for Windows 10. The computers still run, but new security flaws are no longer patched unless the organization pays for Extended Security Updates. Businesses care because unsupported PCs become easier to break into and can put cyber insurance and compliance at risk, so each one needs an upgrade, replacement, or retirement plan.
At home
End of support means Microsoft stopped fixing Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Your computer still turns on and runs, but newly discovered security flaws stay open forever. Attackers know this, so they study the fixes released for Windows 11 to find the same flaws in Windows 10, which will never be patched. Each month, the list of open holes grows, which is why the risk increases over time rather than all at once.
At work
Windows 11 requires a TPM 2.0 chip, Secure Boot capability and a supported processor, roughly Intel 8th generation or AMD Ryzen 2000 series and newer, which leaves many working PCs unable to upgrade. Organizations can buy Extended Security Updates for up to three years, with the per-device price doubling each year. Consumers got a one-year ESU option, free in some regions or with conditions such as syncing settings to a Microsoft account, and paid otherwise.
At home
Some guides show how to bypass Windows 11's hardware checks with registry edits or modified installers. It works, but Microsoft does not support those installs, and major updates may fail or require the same workaround each time. You also lose the security features the requirements exist for. In my view, Linux Mint or Google's ChromeOS Flex is a safer way to keep an old PC useful, as long as your must-have apps run on it.
At work
Inventory remaining Windows 10 devices and classify each as upgradeable, replaceable or ESU-covered with a firm retirement date. Devices that must stay should be isolated on restricted network segments, blocked from general internet access and excluded from sensitive data. Microsoft 365 apps continue receiving security updates on Windows 10 until October 2028, but feature support is ending, and many security vendors will drop Windows 10 agents over time. Cyber insurers may ask about unsupported systems.
Real-world examples
At home
Aisha's six-year-old laptop couldn't run Windows 11. She enrolled in the consumer ESU program for a year, then replaced it with a refurbished Windows 11 laptop.
At work
Thomas manages IT for an Ottawa nonprofit with 60 PCs. He replaced the 25 that couldn't upgrade, upgraded the rest, and bought ESU for three machines running old lab software.
How it compares
| feature | Windows 10 after Oct 2025 | Windows 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Security updates | Only with paid or enrolled ESU | Yes |
| Hardware requirements | Older PCs work | TPM 2.0, newer CPUs |
| New features | None | Yes |
| Risk level | Rising over time | Lower when updated |
Windows 10 still runs, but without updates it grows riskier every month.
For analysts
I'd treat any remaining Windows 10 devices as a tracked risk with an owner and deadline. 'We'll get to it' is how unsupported PCs end up in breach reports.
History & origin
Microsoft released Windows 10 in July 2015 and once described it as 'the last version of Windows.' Windows 11 arrived in October 2021 with stricter hardware requirements, including TPM 2.0 and newer processors, leaving many working PCs unable to upgrade. Microsoft set October 14, 2025, as the end of support. It offered a one-year consumer Extended Security Updates program, free for people who synced settings with a Microsoft account or used Microsoft Rewards points, or about $30 US otherwise, ending October 13, 2026. Businesses could pay for up to three years of ESU, with prices rising each year. Consumer groups warned of e-waste from PCs that couldn't upgrade. In my view, the Windows 10 deadline was a security issue disguised as a hardware sales event.