What to Do Now That Microsoft No Longer Supports Windows 10

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It's official: As of Tuesday, Oct. 14, Microsoft no longer supports Windows 10. That said, if you powered on your Windows 10 PC this morning, only to read headlines suggesting the end of Windows 10, you might be a bit confused. Your computer still works, after all. So what's really going on here?

What Windows 10 end of life really means

As it might now be evident, Microsoft ending support for Windows 10 doesn't mean the company has shut down the OS for good. Any devices still running Windows 10 will continue to run—and, in fact, much in the same way as they previously have. You probably won't notice any difference between Windows 10 on Oct. 14 vs. Oct. 13.

The issue isn't that Windows 10 won't work going forward; rather, it's that Microsoft will no longer issue security updates to Windows 10 users by default. That means the next time someone discovers a security vulnerability with this OS—no matter how big or small it may be—Microsoft will not send a patch to most Windows 10 users.

The risk of using Windows 10 going forward starts small, and escalates quickly. It's only day one of Windows 10's end of life, which means there's little risk in using the OS today. However, over time, more and more security vulnerabilities will surface. Soon enough, there will be a real danger in using a Windows 10 PC that is connected to the internet. All it takes is clicking one malicious link in a spam email, or downloading malware disguised as legitimate software, for hackers to strike.

Windows 10 extended security updates

Here's the thing, though: Between users who can't or don't want to update to Windows 11, as well as organizations that rely on Windows 10 to run specific programs and services, there are still a lot of Windows 10 machines out there. If you're running Windows 10, you aren't alone—some estimates put the OS' market share at 40.5% of all Windows machines. Sure, there are more PCs out there running Windows 11, but there could be roughly half a billion users that just lost official support from Microsoft.

Microsoft knows this, which is why this "end of life" isn't really the end for Windows 10. The company offers Windows 10 users the option of enrolling in Extended Security Updates, or ESU. Under the ESU program, you'll still receive critical security patches, even when using Windows 10. It does feel like Microsoft is soft launching Windows 10's demise, but at least all Windows 10 users have an option to continue using the OS securely.

However, you can't just expect Microsoft to automatically enroll your PC in the ESU program. You have one of three options here, two of which are free:

1. Pay a one-time $30 fee.

2. Opt into Windows Backup to sync your PC to the cloud.

3. Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.

You'll find these options your PC after updating to the latest possible version. From here, head to Settings > Windows Update, and look out for the "Windows 10 support ends in October 2025" and "Enroll in Extended Security Updates to help keep your device secure" options.

Be warned, however, that Microsoft does not see this as a long-term solution. This is still part of the Windows 10 end of life plan, after all. The ESU program only lasts from Oct. 15 of this year through Oct. 13, 2026. After that date, Microsoft will stop issuing Windows 10 security updates for good. In addition, you will only receive security patches: no features, design changes, or tech support.

Updating to Windows 11

Whether it's today or Oct. 13 of next year, it won't be safe to run Windows 10 on an internet-connected PC without these security patches. As such, your only option for using Windows in the future is by upgrading to an OS Microsoft actively supports. At this time, that means Windows 11.

That doesn't necessarily mean buying a new PC though, as Windows 11 might be compatible with your current machine. Here's are the minimum hardware requirements, as noted by Microsoft:

• Processor: 1 GHz or faster with at least two cores on a 64-bit chip

• Memory: 4GB or more

• Storage: 64GB or more

• Graphics card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with a WDDM 2.0 driver

• TPM: Trusted Platform Module version 2.0

• Display: 720p or higher, nine inches or larger, with 8 bits per color channel

Your Windows 10 PC must also be running Windows 10 version 2004 or later, and you'll need to at least be running the Sept. 14, 2021 security update.

While many of these requirements seem pretty basic, the one that trips up many otherwise capable machines is TPM 2.0. This is a security standard that can help prevent modern cyberattacks on Windows, so it's great to have. However, if you have a PC older than 2016, it might not have TPM 2.0. Your computer might very well be capable of running Windows 11, but Microsoft won't endorse it if you don't have this security hardware in place.

Even still, you can go around Microsoft to install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC. Just note Microsoft does not approve of this, and may even stop supporting your PC if you choose this route—defeating the purpose of upgrading from Windows 10 in the process.

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