If you’re a regular PC user, you’re probably aware that Microsoft regularly sends out Windows updates. Those updates add new features, fix bugs, and (most importantly) patch security vulnerabilities. On October 14, 2025, Windows 10 will reach its “End of Support” date, and its updates will permanently stop. Read on to find out exactly what is happening, what it means for Windows 10 users, and what choices they have going forward.
What’s Happening
Each edition of Windows (sometimes confusingly referred to as a version instead of an edition) continues to receive updates only as long as that edition remains supported. The support period is usually fairly generous – typically 10 years from the date the edition was first released and about 4 years after it was no longer being sold because it was replaced by a newer edition. After the End of Support date passes, Microsoft issues no more free updates and provides no further technical support for that edition of Windows. End of Support for the Windows 10 edition is October 14, 2025.
What It Means for Windows 10 Users
While you can continue to use your computer after its Windows End of Support date passes and the updates stop, doing so has a number of down sides, and the longer you continue to use an unsupported edition of Windows the more serious those down sides become. The most critical of them is that the machine will no longer receive security patches. New security vulnerabilities are discovered regularly, and Microsoft uses regular updates to patch (i.e., correct) them. So as the months roll by, users of unsupported editions become exposed to an ever increasing number of security risks.
When the updates stop you also won’t receive any more new features or stability improvements. And eventually, newer versions of applications that you use may not work reliably (or at all) with an unsupported edition of Windows; for example, starting around 2021 current versions of TurboTax could no longer be used with Windows 7 (which had then already reached its End of Support date).
What Choices Do Windows 10 Users Have
First, check to be sure what edition of Windows you currently have. From the Start menu select Settings, System, About, and then scroll down to the Windows specifications section. The edition of Windows currently installed is labeled Edition. (NOTE: In the Windows specifications section, Version is NOT a synonym for edition, and instead refers to a specific release of the edition in question. Each edition of Windows typically has multiple releases, with each release incorporating all the bug fixes and feature changes implemented since the prior release. Older machines that came with earlier releases of the same edition of Windows are updated to the latest release by – you guessed it – Windows updates.)
If your computer is currently running Windows 10, you have the following options:
- Upgrade to Windows 11. If a Windows 10 machine is capable of running Windows 11, upgrading to it is the best option for most users. As of this writing, the upgrade remains free, though it is possible that Microsoft may begin charging for it in the future. To check whether your machine can run Windows 11, you can do either of the following:
- Go to https://aka.ms/GetPCHealthCheckApp to download the PC Health Check application. When prompted, save the installation file to the Desktop or some other convenient location. Double-click the file to install the application. If the application doesn’t start automatically after the installation is complete, launch it from the Start menu. Then click the “Check now” button to perform the check.
- Go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11?OCID=1_pchc_windows_app_omc_win and the check should run automatically and display the results.
- Buy a new Windows 11 PC. If your Windows 10 machine cannot run Windows 11, it’s probably fairly old, may have limited memory and free disk space, and is likely at or near the end of its useful life. In that case, your best bet is to buy a new machine with Windows 11. When retiring the old machine, be sure to follow the suggestions at What You Need to Do Before Disposing of Your Old Computer – doing so will help to protect your data, your privacy and the environment.
- Enroll in the Extended Security Updates program. Microsoft offers an Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for users who absolutely must continue using Windows 10 beyond its End of Support date. The program provides continuing security updates for Windows 10, and is geared mainly to organizations who depend on mission critical software that will not run under Windows 11. However, the ESU program is costly ($61 per machine for the first year after the End of Support date, $122 for the second year, and $244 for the third year). For the vast majority of users, that money is much better spent on a new Windows 11 PC.
- Do nothing. As noted above, you can simply continue to use your Windows 10 machine indefinitely; it’s NOT going to suddenly stop working on the End of Support date. However, as time passes it will become increasingly vulnerable to new security threats, and more likely to be unable to run current versions of popular applications. That said, if you just need a few more months to save up for, research and purchase a new machine, you’ll probably be relatively safe during that time, especially if you use a good security application such as Norton 360.