Still on Windows 10? What Happens Now
Windows 10 stopped getting security updates from Microsoft on October 14, 2025. The one-year extension most home users signed up for ends October 13, 2026. 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 13, 2026, 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.
Consumer Extended Security Updates end. Home PCs in the free or $30 program stop receiving fixes after this date, with no further extension for consumers.
Business ESU years two and three, bought annually at a price that doubles each year.
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 could enroll from Settings, under Update & Security, then Windows Update. It was 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 only ever ran to October 13, 2026, and it delivers security fixes only, with no new features and no general support. If your Windows Update page says your device is enrolled, you have until October. If it doesn't, you've been unpatched since last October and this is the week to act.
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 a few months | Ends October 13, 2026. Security fixes only. |
| Business ESU | $61 per device the first year, doubling each year | 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 13, 2026?
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 pay for another year after October 2026 as a home user?
No. The consumer program was one year only. Businesses can buy years two and three through a licensing partner, at a price that doubles each year.
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