The final goodbye to Windows 10 is approaching: Microsoft sets a definitive date for the end of support

There’s some good news for Windows 10 users who just can’t give up the soon-to-be-obsolete Microsoft operating system. They can procrastinate switching over to the latest version Windows 11 a little bit longer.

Microsoft will be terminating support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Beyond that date, the Redmond-based technology firm will cease to issue updates for the software to fix bugs, glitches and vulnerabilities for free.

“While you could continue to use your PC, without continued software and security updates your PC is at greater risk for viruses and malware,” Microsoft warns about unsupported software. Currently, just under 53% of PCs use the Windows 10 operating system according to Statcounter down from almost 70% 12 months ago.

So you should update your PC to Windows 11, the latest version of the operating system, right? Not so fast, warns Microsoft.

Caution about installing Windows 11 on ineligible hardware

Unfortunately, not all PCs meet the minimum system requirements to run Windows 11. For those devices, Microsoft doesn’t recommend installing the latest version of the operating system.

“If Windows 11 is installed on ineligible hardware, your device won’t receive support from Microsoft, and you should be comfortable assuming the risk of running into compatibility issues,” states the firm. “Devices that don’t meet these system requirements might malfunction due to compatibility or other issues.”

You can check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11 by downloading and running Microsoft’s PC Health Check app. If your computer is not compatible with Windows 11, you have a couple choices.

Microsoft offering Extended Security Update for a price

Originally, it was announced that Microsoft would offer an Extended Security Update (ESU) maintain Windows 10 for only one more year. However, the company will now allow users to purchase up to three years of continued security updates, that is until October 2028.

For those who have a Microsoft 365 subscription, the update is free. Otherwise, the company says that it costs $30 for individual users or Windows 10 Home customers.

The ESU for organizations and businesses on Windows 10 will cost $61 for the first year and then the price doubles each subsequent year, increasing to $122 and then $244 the company said in an April blog post.

The other option is to upgrade your hardware and purchase a device that is Windows 11 compatible, which launched October 2021. The latest version of Windows has become the standard on all modern PC hardware.

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