Windows 10 is coming to the end of its lifespan, with it planned to be deprecated on October 14, 2025. That means there will be no more feature updates, and more importantly no more security updates.
Next year will mark Windows 10 hitting its 10-year anniversary, which in the tech world makes it older than your grandpa. It makes sense for Microsoft to pull the plug on support, since it isn’t viable to maintain support for multiple operating systems as they age.
I know that the EOL date is over a year away, but time flies and it will be upon us sooner than we think (Can you believe we are almost through January already!). Smart business owners will be in front of this, so it stays manageable and there are no eleventh-hour crunches.
In the past, you didn’t have much of a choice. This time around, Microsoft is mixing things up a bit and giving you additional options.
Here are your choices when Windows 10 loses support.
Option 1: Upgrade to Windows 11
This is the standard option. Windows 11 is well established with 2 major updates since its release, and an anticipated 4 total updates by the time Windows 10 EOL hits.
Upgrading will keep you up to date with new security updates, as well as all feature updates (such as when they introduce new functionalities like Co-Pilot).
The other benefit of this change is that you can start implementing now, so the rollout for all your company’s devices can be done in waves.
Option 2: Pay for Windows 10 ESU
This is the new option on the table. Microsoft is introducing what they call the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program.
This program allows you to stick with Windows 10 and continue to get security updates for another year, up to an additional 3 years total. This of course comes with an annual fee, which is not announced and not anticipated to be detailed out until closer to the Windows 10 EOL date.
The ESU will allow you to keep Windows 10 machines, which might be very important depending on what software you utilize and its compatibility with Windows 11.
However, there will be no additional updates, such as introducing new features or design changes. General support is limited to organizations that have an active support plan from Microsoft.
Option 3: Don’t Do Anything (This is not a real option – don’t do this!)
Technically you don’t have to do anything. Your Windows 10 PC will not stop working when it hits end of life. You might think this is fine because “you haven’t had any issues yet” but in reality, without security updates you are just a huge target for criminals. Yeah, this isn’t a viable option. Just don’t even consider it.
You’ve got until October 2025 to make your move, so no need to break a sweat yet. But, if you want to make sure your business is set up for success, think about switching to Windows 11. Now is the perfect opportunity with the Windows 10 era coming to a close, and the newly introduced Co-Pilot features continually rolling out through the Microsoft ecosystem giving a nice boost to your workflow.
Thinking of making the leap to Windows 11 or exploring other avenues? We can help make that transition as smooth as butter. Just get in touch.