Windows 10 support has ended — what now?

Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. Your PCs still switch on, but they no longer receive security updates — and that gap grows riskier every month. Here’s how to plan the move calmly.

Four window panes illustration representing Windows 10 end of support

What “end of support” means

Microsoft has stopped shipping free security patches for Windows 10. New vulnerabilities found from now on won’t be fixed, which makes those machines a soft target and can affect your cyber-insurance and compliance position.

Your options

Upgrade eligible PCs to Windows 11 in place — free, and usually the simplest path
Replace hardware that doesn’t meet Windows 11 requirements (roughly pre-2018 machines)
Buy Extended Security Updates (ESU) as a short, paid bridge if you genuinely can’t move yet

How to plan the move

Start with an inventory: which machines can run Windows 11, which can’t, and what each person actually needs. Stagger the rollout so nobody loses a working day, and back up before every upgrade.