Windows 11 has been around for a long time now, but plenty of people have stuck with Windows 10 instead. Microsoft has been offering continuous support for Windows 10 over the years, but that will soon end. If you don’t upgrade to 11 before support ends, your computer might be at risk.
Why Microsoft Ending Support for Windows 10 Matters
Let’s talk about why Windows 10 users will face a problem just because Windows 10 support from Microsoft goes away. After all, it’s not like you can’t use OS that doesn’t receive support anymore. You could go back and use Windows XP if you wanted to, and Microsoft never touches that anymore.
The real problem is the fact that security threats are always evolving, and hackers are always finding new vulnerabilities in computers and their operating systems. For instance, within the past thirty days, a particular vulnerability in Windows 11 was exploited by malicious actors.
Now, when this type of vulnerability in an operating system is discovered, it is usually patched out very quickly by the developer. In the case of this vulnerability, Microsoft made a patch for it and rolled it out to Windows users with an update. Such updates are something you only get when your OS is still being supported.
You might see where I’m going with this. If some hackers discover a vulnerability in the Windows 10 operating system after Microsoft no longer offers support for it, then that vulnerability will never be officially patched, and remain a point of weakness that threat actors can take advantage of for as long as your computer still uses Windows 10.
The good news is, you have a little bit of time before Windows 10 support ends. You don’t have to upgrade to Windows 11 immediately, though you may want to consider doing so as soon as you can. For now, let’s talk about how long you have to make that decision.
How Long Until Microsoft Stops Supporting Windows 10?
You have a little less than a year to figure out what you want to do about Windows 10 support ending, because Microsoft isn’t pulling the plug until October 14th, 2025. You will still be able to use the OS, but it won’t be getting any more official updates from Microsoft after that date, with one big caveat.
Microsoft offers something called an Extended Security Updates (ESU) package when they pull the plug on an OS. An ESU will include critical security updates for PCs using Windows 10. That said, ESUs don’t include any feature or design updates, and they don’t give you access to tech support from Microsoft.
If you aren’t ready to upgrade to Windows 11 by October 14, 2025, you can pay $30 to receive the Windows 10 ESU and get security coverage for another year, until October of 2026. After that though, there will be no continued protection and service for Windows 10, and you’ll need to upgrade if you want to keep your computer safe and secure.
What Happens if You Don’t Upgrade, or Don’t Buy the ESU?
As mentioned previously, it’s not like Windows 10 will become unusable or inaccessible after Microsoft cuts it off. What will happen is that, outside of subscribing to the ESU for security updates, Windows 10 will never again receive any sort of update. The form it has on October 14th, 2025 will be the form it will have forevermore.
It will maintain all of its security protections, features, and design elements at that time. But you’ll never get an update containing feature improvements, bug fixes, design changes, or security patches again. So, if you find some new bug on Windows 10 that causes a big problem for you, that will never get fixed. If there’s a security vulnerability, it will never get fixed either.
You may think that this isn’t such a big deal: Windows 10 is pretty old, so how many hackers are spending their time trying to exploit it instead of Windows 11? Well, first of all, there are still hundreds of millions of users with Windows 10 installed on their PC. Secondly, the fact that Windows 10 will lose support from Microsoft makes it an even juicier target for hackers.
After all, once the OS is no longer receiving security updates and patches, it becomes more vulnerable. Any OS exploit a hacker can take advantage of will never be fixed: it’s like having a big hole in your fence that can never be repaired, with the thief coming and going as they please.
There are other problems aside from security to worry about too. While it won’t be immediate, the fact of the matter is, new software is primarily designed with current operating systems in mind. As time wears on after Windows 10 support ends, you’re more and more likely to encounter compatibility issues. Windows does have a compatibility mode, but it’s not perfect.
Still, the biggest issue is security, You never know what vulnerability a threat actor may discover in Windows 10 in the future. All sorts of important data could be compromised.
Upgrading To Windows 11 is The Best Move to Prepare For
I understand that upgrading to an OS you aren’t familiar with is undesirable. We all get comfortable with what we are used to. On top of that, upgrading to a newer OS can sometimes have a financial cost as well. If you are using an older computer, it might not have the tech specs to even run Windows 11.
If you look up the specs for your current PC, you can check them against the minimum requirements for Windows 11. If your current PC doesn’t meet those minimum requirements, then you don’t have many options other than buying a somewhat newer PC that is compatible with Windows 11.
This is ultimately the best option for anyone who is still using Windows 10. In the long run, continuing to use Windows 10 after support ends is only going to lead to more and more issues with security, software compatibility, and even the difficulty of finally making the jump to a new OS, since you’ll have to get used to the new one all at once.
You do have until next year to prepare yourself for that needed upgrade. If you aren’t ready to make the upgrade by then, you can pay $30 for the ESU Microsoft is offering for Windows 10 to give yourself another year. It’s possible that Microsoft will offer continued ESU support after that, but traditionally, the price of an ESU doubles with each subsequent year it is provided.
Ultimately, buying a newer computer capable of using Windows 11 is an upfront investment that will do you many favors in the long run.
Far be it from me to tell anyone what they should do with their money, but if you are someone who uses computers a lot, someone who keeps a lot of data on their Windows 10 PC or moves a lot of data around on the internet, you should seriously consider taking the necessary steps to upgrade to Windows 11 by the time Microsoft ends Windows 10 support.
Although, if you really don’t want to buy a new PC, you may also be able to convert your old computer into a Chromebook of sorts instead.
