Did you decide what to do with Windows 10 PC when you reached the date of official support after 6 months?
I know some people who are convinced that Microsoft will retreat and extend the deadline. Take this prediction to the bank: it won’t happen.
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The end date is in the Microsoft Support Document. “A product that retires in 2025 or reaches the end of support.” Enterprise and Education Edition, as well as all sleeves in Windows will retire.
If you maintain an extension, prepare to be disappointed.
Screenshot of Ed Bott/Zdnet
The schedule is defined by Microsoft. Modern life cycle policy,, This is Microsoft life cycle Page: “Windows 10 will reach the end of October 14, 2025. The current version 22h2 will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will be maintained with monthly security updates until the date.” In a separate support article, Microsoft repeats that as of October 14, 2025, it will not provide technical support or security and reliability modifications for PCs running Windows 10.
Also: How to upgrade the ‘Incompatible’ Windows 10 PC to Windows 11
When it is a Windows version Reaching the end date of supportSoftware continues to work, but the update channel will be stopped.
[There] It is not a new security update, non -security update or support. It is better for customers to migrate with the latest version of the product or service. Paid programs can be used for that product.
Isn’t that encouraging part in the middle? “It is better for customers to migrate with the latest version of the product or service.” Unfortunately, this is not supported for customers running Windows 10 in hardware that does not meet the strict hardware compatibility requirements of Windows 11. If you try to upgrade one of that PC to Windows 11, you will see an error message.
Some of the same people who have been extending to the date of support are looking forward to the last minute relief in the hardware standard. During the few days in December, the chaos of technology -oriented news sites spread the story of Microsoft’s unexpectedly changing minds about those requirements. Alas, all these stories are based on the comical mistake of the old support article. No, Microsoft hasn’t overturned the course for the Windows 11 hardware requirements. And if someone suggests that they will do it, you must take the other side of the bet.
What should I do if I have one or more Windows 10 PCs that failed to test Microsoft’s Windows 11 compatibility test? There are five options.
1. Completely ignore the deadline for ending support
You can’t do anything at all -hope to continue to operate and do your best. It is a bad idea that exposes you to a very practical possibility you can feed on security exploitation.
I have heard from some people who believe that using third -party virus vaccine software will protect them not to harm. I will not bet my business about that strategy.
Also, stop the viral vaccine software payment. The reason you need is:
If you want to do that, consider the installation. Others 0patch Agent It deals with security issues that Microsoft did not deal with. The free 0patch personal plan includes a patch of a known 0 -day vulnerability, but if you want all Windows 10 patches or use your PC for business or enterprise work, you must pay 24.95 euros per PC per PC. For US customers, the current exchange rate is less than $ 2.50 a month.
2. Purchase a new PC (or virtual PC lease)
Microsoft and that partner want to replace the unspecified hardware with a new PC. You may be tempted by one of the new Copilot+ PCs that are shiny with customized nerve processing devices or powerful game PCs. But throwing a perfectly good computer appears to be a wasteful and it’s not an option to hang on Windows 10 because it has a mission critical software that is not compatible with Windows 11.
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In addition, there is an option to rent a new virtual PC by joining Windows 365, allowing you to remotely connect to the unique Windows 11 drive virtual PC in the Microsoft Cloud. The Windows 365 subscription works on Windows 10 and includes an extended security update of the host PC for up to three years. Windows 365 is not cheap but less than new PCs.
3. The window is completely abandoned
You can keep the old hardware and replace it with the taste of Linux that prefers Windows 10. If you have technical know -how and experience to manage transitions, you should consider the options.
Also: How to replace Windows with Linux Mint on a PC
The compatibility requirements of the relevant alternatives may be carried out in your own way, but it is also possible to switch to Google’s free Chromeos Flex. I wrote about my experience here. “Chromeos Flex installation? Five tasks to avoid headaches first.” As I pointed out, “If you have an old PC or Mac and you are going to install Chromeos Flex, do nothing until you check the formula of Google. Chromeos Flex certification model list. ”
Pay special attention on the date of the PC’s support date. It is not meaningful to replace Windows 10 with the release of Chromeos Flex, which is set to end support in 2025 or before it.
In addition: Yes, even if it is not Microsoft, you can upgrade the previous PC to Windows 11. This reader proved it
Switching to Linux or some Linux derivatives can be a good way to change the previous PC. Nevertheless, most consumers and businesses with existing investments in Windows software are not realistic alternatives.
The last two options are more attractive.
4. Pay Microsoft for security updates
Do you remember the previously cited official support documents? What do you say, “There will be no new security update,” after reaching the end date of support? It is not exactly true.
Microsoft will actually continue to develop security updates for Windows 10, but not free. Microsoft announced that it will provide an expansion security option (ESU) for Windows 10 in December 2023. This subscription -based update can be used for up to three years.
Also: Can’t you quit Windows 10? After October, you can pay Microsoft or try this alternative.
What is this paid update cost? Microsoft unveiled the price tag of business and educational customers in April 2024. I was lucky to be a manager of an educational institution that deployed the Windows 10 Education Edition. This extension update will literally take $ 1 per machine in the first year, $ 2 for two years, 3 times and $ 4 in the last year, until October 2028.
People who manage business fleets are not very lucky.
Business customers have to pay for them to stick to Windows 10. The license for the EXU (Extended Security Updates) program is sold by subscription. In the first year, the cost is $ 61. The price is twice in the second grade and doubled in the third grade. Blog posts do not perform mathematics because their total is uncomfortable. The three -year ESU subscription is $ 61 + $ 122 + $ 244 of a total of $ 427.
Consumers have more limited options. In the case of $ 30, you can get a security update after the support date, and the deadline will be pushed until October 2026. This is a big discount compared to what business customers have to pay, but consumer transactions are only good for a year. After that subscription is over, it will not be supported once again.
5. Upgrade the ‘Incompatible’ hardware to Windows 11
An annoying compatible checker may argue that Windows 10 PCs cannot be upgraded to Windows 11, but there is a documented method that actually bypasses these restrictions. You have to jump over some technical basketball.
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You can find all the details of this article: “How to upgrade the Windows 10 PC to Windows 11.” Next is a short version.
For a PC designed for Windows 10, you need to edit a small registry and make sure that the PC is configured to use a security boot with the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Even the old TPM 1.2 chip is also available. As many readers have confirmed through emails, this process works perfectly as long as the configuration details are set correctly. This option also works on a 10 -year -old PC.
For older PCs designed for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you may need to bypass the installation problem using a third -party tool called Rufus. This is especially true in PCs and TPMs that use legacy BIOS instead of UEFI firmware. Make sure there is a latest version of Rufus (more than 4.6 beta) to solve the latest compatibility checks of Microsoft.
In addition, this hidden Windows 11 settings can kill an app that does not respond in the taskbar.
But this solution cannot store all old PCs. In a device with no support for POPCNT and SSE 4.2, which are two specific command sets with two specific command sets. Most PCs built using Intel CPUs for over 2009 pass this test. AMD CPUs since 2015 are fine. As mentioned in this article, there is no solution.
If you are using one of these upgrade hacks, do not surprise you with a threat message you can see when you try to upgrade that is not supported. “Wind
It is a language that deliberately misleading the language of Microsoft. As mentioned earlier, the warning does not actually say that Microsoft will block update access. Simply the PC is no longer supported and no longer says, “There is no title.” The word is a story about Microsoft’s position and denies legal responsibility without saying what to do.
Also: How to screen the records in Windows 10 or 11 with built -in tools
If you are willing to make a clean installation without wanting to make the registry a mess, write a bootable Windows 11 installation drive to fully bypass the compatible test. You need to restore the data files from the backup or the cloud and install the software from the beginning, but it’s not more difficult than setting a new PC.
The article was originally published on November 15, 2021 and was last updated on April 14, 2025.
