Still on Windows 10? What Happens Now
Windows 10 stopped getting security updates from Microsoft on October 14, 2025. The consumer extension most home users signed up for now runs to October 12, 2027, a year longer than it was first sold. That's the date to plan around, and the plan is usually simpler than the headlines make it sound.
About a third of the Windows PCs we see in Tampa Bay homes are still on Windows 10, and most of their owners have a vague sense that something ran out. Something did. Here's what it was, what it means, and the three or four decisions that actually apply to your machine.
The Short Version
Your PC doesn't stop working. It stops getting fixes for new security holes, which matters more every month. If the machine can run Windows 11, upgrade it, free, after a backup. If it can't and it's more than six or seven years old, replace it. If it can't and you need more time, the consumer extension covers you until October 12, 2027, and a business can buy up to three years. Decide before the deadline, not after.
The Dates
Windows 10 end of support. No more security or feature updates without an Extended Security Updates enrollment.
Business ESU year two starts, at $122 per device. The years are cumulative, so a business enrolling now pays for year one ($61) too.
Consumer Extended Security Updates end. Home PCs in the free or $30 program stop receiving fixes after this date. Microsoft extended this by a year from the October 13, 2026 date the program launched with.
Business ESU year three, the last, starts: $244 per device, covering it to October 2028.
Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, Outlook) stop receiving security updates on Windows 10.
Microsoft lifecycle dates as published
What “No Updates” Actually Means
The machine boots, the programs run, the printer prints. What changes is that every new vulnerability found in Windows from here on stays open on your machine forever, and attackers look for exactly those, because they know a large share of the world is still running it. Browsers and antivirus vendors keep supporting Windows 10 for a while, which protects the browser, not the operating system underneath it. For a business, an unsupported operating system is also a “no” on the cyber insurance form and a finding in any compliance review.
The Consumer Extension, If You're On It
Home users on Windows 10 version 22H2 can enroll from Settings, under Update & Security, then Windows Update. It is free if you let Windows Backup sync your settings to a Microsoft account, free for 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or a one-time $30, and it covers up to ten devices on one account. Two things to know: it now runs to October 12, 2027, extended by a year from the October 13, 2026 date it launched with, and it delivers security fixes only, with no new features and no general support. You can still enroll at any time before it ends, and what to do with the extra year is its own guide. If your Windows Update page says your device is enrolled, you are covered until October 2027. If it doesn't, you have been unpatched since October 2025, and enrolling is the fastest thing you can do this week.
Can Your PC Run Windows 11?
The requirements: an Intel 8th-generation or AMD Ryzen 2000 processor or newer, 4 GB of memory, 64 GB of storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, and a TPM 2.0 security chip. Microsoft's PC Health Check app gives a yes or no in a minute. The most common “no” on a machine from 2018 or later is a TPM that exists but is switched off in the BIOS; turning it on takes five minutes and changes the answer. The most common real “no” is a processor from 2017 or earlier, and no setting fixes that.
There are workarounds that install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Microsoft doesn't guarantee updates on those machines, and we don't recommend them for anything that matters, especially in a business.
The Options
| Option | Cost | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upgrade in place to Windows 11 | Free | Any eligible PC | Back up first and budget a couple of hours. On an old spinning hard drive it will feel slower; see Windows 11 running slow. |
| Stay on the consumer extension | Free to $30 | Buying time, now through October 2027 | Ends October 12, 2027. Security fixes only. |
| Business ESU | $183 per device to enroll now ($61 for year one plus $122 for year two), then $244 for year three | Machines tied to software that can't move yet | Three years maximum, bought through a licensing partner. Put a date on each machine. |
| Replace the PC | Varies | Anything older than about six years | See repair or replace. The old machine still needs wiping. |
| Repurpose it | Free | A browser-only machine, with ChromeOS Flex or Linux | Not for Windows-only software. Ask before assuming. |
The Honest Math
An eligible machine with a solid-state drive: upgrade it. An eligible machine still on a spinning hard drive: upgrade it and put an SSD in while you're at it, because the drive, not Windows 11, is what makes an older PC feel slow. An ineligible machine that's seven years old or more: replace it; money spent extending it is money not spent on the replacement you'll buy anyway. An ineligible machine that's young enough to be surprising: check the BIOS for the TPM before deciding anything.
For Businesses
- Inventory every Windows 10 machine, including the one on the shop floor and the one that runs the label printer.
- Prioritize anything that touches client data, email or the internet.
- Buy business ESU only for machines tied to software that genuinely can't move yet, and put a date on those.
- Isolate what has to stay: its own network segment, no email, no browsing.
- Put the Windows 11 rollout on a calendar with a finish date before the insurance renewal, because the form will ask.
Quick Self-Check
| Question | If “no” or “not sure”... |
|---|---|
| Does Windows Update say your device is enrolled in Extended Security Updates? | If not, you're unpatched now |
| Have you run PC Health Check? | Five minutes |
| Is there a current backup before the upgrade? | Do this first |
| Business: can you list every Windows 10 machine? | Worth a call |
Not Sure Which Bucket Your PC Is In?
We check eligibility, turn on the TPM if that's all it needs, back up, and upgrade, remotely in most cases. If it's a replacement, we'll say so and set up the new one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my Windows 10 PC stop working on October 12, 2027?
No. It keeps running exactly as it does today. It stops getting security fixes, and the risk grows over the following months rather than arriving on one day.
Is the upgrade to Windows 11 free?
Yes, for an eligible PC with a valid Windows 10 license. It comes through Windows Update, or through Microsoft's Installation Assistant if Windows Update hasn't offered it.
Will I lose my files upgrading?
An in-place upgrade keeps files, programs and settings. Back up anyway. Drives fail during long writes, and a two-hour upgrade is one.
My work software only runs on Windows 10. What then?
Check with the vendor first; most have a Windows 11 version by now. If not, that machine gets business ESU, an isolation plan, and a date by which it's replaced.
Can I still get updates after October 2026 as a home user?
Yes. Microsoft extended the consumer program by a year, so enrolled home PCs receive security updates through October 12, 2027. Nothing has been announced for home users past that date. Businesses can buy up to three years, through October 2028, from a licensing partner. The years are cumulative: a business enrolling now pays $61 per device for year one and $122 for year two, $183 in all, and year three is $244 more.
Related guides
The consumer deadline moved to October 2027. How to confirm you're enrolled, and how to use the extra year.
The rule of thumb we actually use, and the hidden costs of just buying new.
Straightforward hourly rates, what typical jobs actually run, and what makes a repair cost more or less.
Send any shop's quote. We say whether the price is in line and whether to repair or replace.
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