Microsoft has ended official support for Windows 10. What Does This Mean for Users?
A decade ago, on July 29, 2015, Microsoft launched Windows 10. The message then was clear: Windows 10 would be the very last version of Windows, similar to OS X. From then on, Windows would only get incremental updates. “Ten” seemed like a nice number to freeze versioning at—Windows 9 was even skipped for it.
In 2021, that promise was definitively outdated with the launch of Windows 11. Still, in a bitter twist, there is some truth to the claim from ten years ago. For several perfectly functioning PCs, Windows 10 really is the last version of Windows. Those systems can’t upgrade to Windows 11 due to artificial system requirements imposed by Microsoft.
Official End of Life
October 14 is Windows 10’s official end of life. Microsoft is releasing its last broadly available updates for the OS and looking ahead: if you’re not on Windows 11, you’re left behind.
That’s a lot of people: at the end of September, figures showed that roughly one third of PCs in Belgium are running Windows 10. Globally, about 40 percent of all Windows computers still run Windows 10. A large portion are consumer laptops without a “TPM 2.0” security chip on board and therefore officially not compatible with Windows 11, even though they’re actually powerful enough. Those systems often still work perfectly.
For businesses, the jump to Windows 11 isn’t always straightforward either. Smaller companies see their powerful workstations suddenly age artificially, while the hardware can still keep up and there’s no budget for replacements. In large enterprise environments, migrating to Windows 11 is just as challenging. There, hardware matters less and compatibility issues weigh more heavily than the cost of migration projects.
Either way, there are plenty of perfectly functioning Windows 10 machines today that are suddenly losing support. What does that mean, and what should you do if you’re reading this on a Windows 10 computer?
End of Support
First of all: a lack of support doesn’t mean Windows 10 will suddenly work worse. Microsoft is simply stopping the distribution of updates. That includes not only bug fixes, but also patches for newly discovered security issues.
Although Windows 10 is ten years old, new security vulnerabilities continue to surface—such is the case with all complex code. That’s why monthly updates are so important. Right after end of support, Windows 10 doesn’t suddenly become unsafe, but after a few months a patch backlog builds up. If a dangerous flaw is among them, cybercriminals can exploit it unchecked.
Right after end of support, Windows 10 doesn’t suddenly become unsafe, but after a few months a patch backlog builds up.
Compare end of support to the end of maintenance on your front-door lock. At first, nothing happens, but as time goes by, problems stack up, rust creeps in, and maybe the door no longer closes properly every time. At some point, the chance increases that a criminal can take advantage of it.
What Should You Do?
Initially, there’s no major problem for Windows 10 users. A month after end of support, your PC doesn’t suddenly become a hacker’s target. In the medium term, the risk increases—not only for what’s on your PC, but also for the rest of the network your computer is connected to. So continuing to use Windows 10 as-is isn’t a safe option. There are four possible paths you can take now.
Update
Your system may be compatible with Windows 11, but you just haven’t taken the time to update. Now’s a good moment to check whether your system can upgrade. Windows 11 is free for compatible devices.
If your computer can run Windows 11 and there are no business apps that, for whatever reason, require Windows 10, then updating is the most logical and straightforward choice.
Free ESU
Under pressure from consumer organizations in the European Union, Microsoft has backtracked a bit. The end of support for Windows 10 isn’t quite as final as first stated. Consumers are entitled to one year of free Extended Security Updates (ESU).
These are additional security updates that Microsoft in theory makes available to paying businesses that need a bit more time for their migration away from Windows 10. Now those updates are also coming free to consumers. In this context, consumers are individual users of Windows 10 Home or Pro systems. To get ESU, you must enroll. Microsoft opened enrollment in October but is rolling it out in phases, so a bit of patience may be needed. In this article you can read exactly what to do.
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How to Keep Using Windows 10 Safely for Free after October 14
Paid ESU
Businesses don’t get ESU for free. They have to pay, starting at 61 dollars per device per month. ESU can be purchased for up to three years, with the price increasing each year. For organizations that want to keep their systems a bit longer, this is the best option.
Not paying for ESU carries risks. If a data breach occurs, it’s hard to demonstrate under GDPR that you did your due diligence when the network contains Windows 10 computers with unpatched vulnerabilities.
The concept of paid ESUs is identical to that for consumers, except for the price tag. Those who enroll will once again receive updates from Microsoft and can rest easy for at least a year.
Farewell to Windows
Windows 10 is losing support, but your computer won’t suddenly get worse. Windows isn’t the only operating system that works with your PC or laptop. You can, for instance, turn a laptop into a Chromebook at no cost by installing ChromeOS Flex. ChromeOS then replaces Windows. Google made Chrome OS available for Windows laptops back in 2022.
Your device’s functionality will change, but that doesn’t have to be a problem. Anyone who mainly uses cloud applications via the browser will find ChromeOS sufficient. Google continues to provide security updates for ChromeOS Flex.
You can also install Linux. Most Linux distributions work fine on slightly older computers. They don’t have artificial system requirements like Windows 11. Linux distributions such as Ubuntu—or especially Linux Mint—are quite user-friendly. Linux Mint is specifically aimed at beginners with little or no Linux experience. If you choose Linux, you’ll again be covered when it comes to security updates.
By installing ChromeOS or a Linux distribution, you give your PC a new lease on life. Your device may last for years more—well beyond what Microsoft offers with ESU. Of course, this solution only works if you don’t mind using a Windows alternative and don’t rely on applications that only run on Windows.
Farewell to your Computer
Don’t want to pay for ESU and don’t have access to the free version? And you also don’t want to switch to ChromeOS or Linux? Then, unfortunately, there’s no other option than to retire your computer. Feel free to use your system for a few more months after October 14, but make sure you have an alternative in place around the turn of the year.
Keep in mind that your current system is no longer compatible because of the missing security chip—usually not because the processor is too weak. Still satisfied with your system’s performance? Then there’s no reason to buy into laptop makers’ marketing and suddenly invest in an expensive new system with so-called AI capabilities.
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Windows 10 Reaches End of Support: What Now?
If you do want more, this is, of course, an excellent opportunity to invest in a system that can, in principle, serve reliably for many years to come—assuming Microsoft doesn’t suddenly launch Windows 12 next year with yet another set of creative compatibility requirements.