Windows 10 support ended on 14 October 2025. If you are still on it, you have four realistic options: upgrade the same PC to Windows 11 if it meets the requirements, enrol in Extended Security Updates (consumer ESU now runs to 12 October 2027), replace the PC, or stay unprotected. For most people, upgrading eligible hardware to Windows 11 is the best long-term choice.
Written by the Softkeyworld technical team · Updated October 2026
A year on from the official cut-off, Windows 10 is still running on a lot of desks. Some of those PCs are perfectly capable of Windows 11 and simply have not been moved across; others fail the hardware check and their owners are waiting for a reason to replace them. Either way, "do nothing" has stopped being a safe default. This guide sets out what actually ended, what Microsoft still offers, and how to decide which route fits your machine and your budget.
What "end of support" actually means
Windows 10 version 22H2, the final release, stopped receiving free monthly security updates, non-security fixes and Microsoft technical assistance after Patch Tuesday on 14 October 2025. Microsoft confirms this on its Windows 10 end-of-support page. Nothing switches off: the PC still boots, your files are still there, and activation is unaffected. What disappears is the steady stream of patches that closes newly discovered vulnerabilities.
A few components have their own, longer timelines, which is why the picture can look confusing:
- Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 receive security updates until 10 October 2028, but feature updates and Copilot support stop at version 2608, according to Microsoft's Microsoft 365 Apps guidance.
- Microsoft Defender Antivirus security intelligence (signature) updates continue for a period after end of support. Signatures help, but they do not patch the operating system itself.
- Extended Security Updates deliver critical and important OS patches, but only to enrolled devices.
The key point: an up-to-date antivirus on an unpatched operating system is still an unpatched operating system.
Key takeaways
- Free Windows 10 security updates ended on 14 October 2025.
- Consumer ESU was extended by a year and now runs to 12 October 2027; existing enrolments carry over automatically.
- Business ESU is available for up to three years (to October 2028) through volume licensing.
- If PC Health Check says your PC is eligible, upgrading to Windows 11 keeps your apps and files and removes the deadline problem entirely.
Your four options at a glance
| Option | Security updates until | Effort | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upgrade to Windows 11 on the same PC | Ongoing, as long as you install each annual release | Low to moderate (one in-place upgrade) | Eligible PCs from roughly 2018 onwards |
| Consumer ESU | 12 October 2027 | Low (enrol from Windows Update) | Home users with ineligible hardware buying time |
| Commercial ESU | Up to October 2028 (year by year) | Moderate (volume licensing, MAK activation) | Businesses with line-of-business apps still tied to Windows 10 |
| New or rebuilt PC | Ongoing | Moderate (data migration, app reinstall) | Older hardware that fails CPU or TPM checks |
| Stay on Windows 10 without ESU | None since October 2025 | None now, potentially high later | Offline or isolated machines only |
Option 1: Upgrade the same PC to Windows 11
This is the route we recommend whenever the hardware allows it. An in-place upgrade keeps installed programs, settings and files, and a genuinely licensed Windows 10 PC moves to the matching Windows 11 edition without a new key: Windows 10 Home becomes Windows 11 Home, Windows 10 Pro becomes Windows 11 Pro. After the upgrade you are on Microsoft's normal annual cycle, and the current release, version 26H2, is supported for Home and Pro until October 2028 according to the Windows 11 Home and Pro lifecycle page.
Check eligibility with PC Health Check
Windows 11 needs a 64-bit processor on Microsoft's supported CPU list (broadly Intel 8th generation and AMD Ryzen 2000 series or newer), 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability, and TPM 2.0. The quickest way to check all of that is Microsoft's PC Health Check app:
- Install or open PC Health Check (many Windows 10 PCs already have it; search for it from Start).
- Under Introducing Windows 11, select Check now.
- If it reports a pass, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and look for the Windows 11 upgrade offer, or use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant.
- If it fails, note exactly which requirement failed before deciding anything else.
Common "fails" that are actually fixable
In support tickets, the single most common false negative is TPM. Many desktop motherboards from 2017 onwards have a firmware TPM (Intel PTT or AMD fTPM) that ships disabled. Turning it on in the firmware settings usually flips PC Health Check to a pass; our guide on how to enable TPM 2.0 in BIOS covers the menu names for the main board vendors. The second is Secure Boot, which requires the system disk to use GPT rather than MBR. Microsoft's mbr2gpt /validate /allowFullOS followed by mbr2gpt /convert /allowFullOS handles the conversion in place, after which you switch the firmware from Legacy/CSM to UEFI. Back up first; this is a disk-level change.
If the processor itself is the problem, no setting will fix it. Our walkthrough of the "This PC can't run Windows 11" error explains how to read the result and what each failure really means.
A word on unsupported installs
You will find plenty of guides for forcing Windows 11 onto unsupported CPUs. Microsoft does document a way to install on such hardware, but it states that those devices are not supported and are not guaranteed to receive updates. For a machine you rely on, that swaps one unsupported operating system for another. We would rather you use ESU as a bridge and replace the hardware on your own schedule.
Upgrade checklist
- Confirm Windows 10 is activated: Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
- Back up documents and export browser passwords or bookmarks.
- Note BitLocker recovery keys if drive encryption is on.
- Update the BIOS/UEFI and storage drivers from the PC maker.
- Free at least 30 GB on the system drive for the upgrade files.
- Uninstall old third-party antivirus suites, which are a frequent cause of rollbacks.
If you are moving to new hardware or prefer a clean install rather than an in-place upgrade, our Windows 11 Pro download, install and activation guide walks through the media creation tool, USB preparation and activation step by step.
Option 2: Extended Security Updates (ESU)
ESU is a paid-or-earned extension that keeps delivering critical and important security patches to Windows 10 version 22H2. It does not add features, it does not include general technical support, and it does not fix non-security bugs. Think of it as a bridge, not a destination.
Consumer ESU: now extended to October 2027
The consumer programme was originally due to end on 13 October 2026. In June 2026 Microsoft quietly extended it, and its Extended Security Updates page now gives an end date of 12 October 2027. If you already enrolled, coverage continues automatically to the new date; there is nothing further to do.
There are three ways to enrol, and one licence covers up to 10 devices signed in to the same Microsoft account:
- At no cost, by syncing your PC settings to your Microsoft account with Windows Backup.
- By redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
- With a one-off purchase from Microsoft.
Requirements are stricter than many people expect. The PC must run Windows 10 version 22H2 in the Home, Pro, Pro Education or Pro for Workstations edition with the latest updates installed, and you must sign in with an adult Microsoft account that has administrator rights. Devices that are joined to Active Directory or Microsoft Entra ID, or managed through MDM, are not eligible for the consumer programme. To enrol, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Enroll now.
Practical note: if the enrol link does not appear, the cause is almost always that the PC is not fully updated or is still on version 21H2 or earlier. Run Windows Update until nothing is pending, check winver shows 22H2, then reboot and check again.
Commercial ESU for businesses
Organisations can buy ESU for up to three years after end of support, which takes coverage to October 2028. It is sold per device, one year at a time, through Microsoft volume licensing, and the price doubles in each successive year. ESU is cumulative, so joining in year two means paying for year one as well. Activation uses a MAK key from the Microsoft 365 admin centre. Windows 10 virtual machines on Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and several other Azure services receive ESU at no extra cost. Microsoft's ESU documentation for IT pros has the full details.
Because the price doubles, year three is by far the most expensive option on the table. Most small businesses we speak to are better served by using year one to plan and budget a Windows 11 migration than by committing to all three.
Option 3: Replace or rebuild the PC
If the CPU is older than Microsoft's supported list, a new PC is the clean answer. Ten-year-old machines also tend to have tired storage and limited RAM, so a replacement often fixes performance complaints at the same time.
Two points worth checking before you buy:
- Edition. Many budget laptops ship with Windows 11 Home. If you need BitLocker device encryption management, Group Policy, Remote Desktop hosting, Hyper-V or domain/Entra join, you need Pro. A Windows 11 Home to Pro upgrade key changes the edition in place without reinstalling.
- Self-builds and bare machines. A custom-built PC, or a refurbished one supplied without an operating system, needs its own Windows 11 licence. Your old Windows 10 OEM licence is tied to the old motherboard and does not transfer.
Option 4: Stay on Windows 10 without updates
We would be misleading you if we said an unpatched Windows 10 PC will be compromised the moment you open a browser. The risk builds gradually. Each month Microsoft publishes fixes for Windows 11 and for ESU-enrolled Windows 10 devices; vulnerabilities that also exist in unenrolled Windows 10 stay open, and the published patches give attackers a map of exactly where to look.
The real risks of staying
- Unpatched OS flaws: kernel, networking and browser-engine vulnerabilities accumulate with no fix.
- Software drop-off: browsers, games, banking apps and security tools gradually stop supporting Windows 10.
- Driver and hardware support: new printers, GPUs and peripherals increasingly ship Windows 11-only drivers.
- Compliance: for a business handling customer data, running an unsupported OS can make it harder to meet Cyber Essentials, insurance or GDPR security expectations.
The only situation where staying put is defensible is a machine that is genuinely offline, or isolated on its own network segment, running a single legacy application that cannot move.
How to decide: a quick decision path
- Run PC Health Check. If it passes, upgrade to Windows 11 now; there is no benefit in waiting.
- If it fails only on TPM or Secure Boot, fix the firmware settings and re-check.
- If it fails on the processor, enrol in ESU to stay protected and plan a replacement before October 2027.
- If you are a business with many devices, use commercial ESU for the stragglers and migrate in batches.
- Only leave a machine on unpatched Windows 10 if it is offline or isolated.
If you are unsure whether moving to Windows 11 is worth the disruption, our honest look at Windows 11 pros and cons covers the interface changes and compatibility questions people raise most often.
Frequently asked questions
Will Windows 10 stop working now that support has ended?
No. Windows 10 continues to boot, run apps and remain activated. It simply no longer receives security or quality updates unless the device is enrolled in ESU.
When does Windows 10 consumer ESU end?
Microsoft extended consumer ESU in June 2026. It now runs until 12 October 2027, and existing enrolments are carried forward automatically.
Is the Windows 11 upgrade still free for Windows 10 users?
Yes, for genuinely activated Windows 10 PCs that meet the Windows 11 hardware requirements. Your edition carries across: Home to Home, Pro to Pro.
Can I enrol in ESU with a local account?
Enrolment requires signing in with an adult Microsoft account that has administrator rights on the PC. Child accounts are not eligible.
Does Microsoft 365 still work on Windows 10?
Yes. Microsoft 365 Apps receive security updates on Windows 10 until 10 October 2028, but new features and Copilot support stop at version 2608.
Will my files and programs survive the upgrade to Windows 11?
An in-place upgrade keeps files, settings and most applications. Back up anyway, and expect to update or reinstall older security software and some hardware utilities.
Our recommendation
If your PC passes PC Health Check, upgrade it to Windows 11 this month and the end-of-support question goes away. If it does not, enrol in ESU so you are protected while you plan the replacement. For a new build, a bare refurbished machine or a clean move to the Pro edition, a genuine Windows 11 Pro licence gives you BitLocker, Group Policy and Remote Desktop with full update support. Keys are emailed instantly, and our support team can help with activation.
Get a Windows 11 Pro licence key
Related reading
| Resource | Why read it |
|---|---|
| How to enable TPM 2.0 in BIOS | Fixes the most common false "not eligible" result |
| "This PC can't run Windows 11" error | Explains each failed requirement and what to do |
| Windows 11 Pro install and activation guide | Step-by-step clean install and activation |
| Windows 11 pros and cons | Helps you decide if the move is worth it |