
The Windows 10 end of life is 14/10/2025
In an earlier blog on Windows 10 end of life, I concentrated on the pros and cons of updating to Windows 11 if you can. But what if you can’t?
Windows 10, once hailed as “the last version of Windows,” is approaching its end-of-life on October 14, 2025. Microsoft will cease providing free security updates and technical support for the operating system. Don’t panic, but you need to be aware of the situation and options if you are a Windows 10 user.
Extended Security Updates (ESU): a temporary but potentially costly stay of execution

Microsoft will be offering Extended Security Updates (ESU) for businesses and individuals who need more time to move away from Windows 10. ESU provides security patches for the operating system for up to three years after the end-of-life date. However, this comes at a cost – $30 for the first year, $60 for the second, and $120 for the third, totalling $210.
$30 may only be about £24 at current exchange rates, but it’s quite common for US companies to charge £1 for something they charge $1 for in USA, so be warned.
While ESU offers a degree of protection, it’s not a long-term solution. It only covers security updates for the operating system itself, not for applications running on it. Furthermore, it doesn’t guarantee complete safety, as vulnerabilities might still be discovered that aren’t addressed.
Microsoft 365 and other applications
Microsoft 365 applications (aka “Microsoft Office”) will not be officially supported on Windows 10 after its end-of-life, even with ESU. Although these applications will almost certainly continue to function for a while, they won’t receive updates, bug fixes, or new features. Eventually, this could lead to compatibility issues with newer file formats and online services, and could potentially create security risks. Factor this into your decision-making regarding continuing with Windows 10.
This issue extends beyond Microsoft’s own software. Other major software vendors like Google and Adobe will probably prioritise testing and optimising their applications for Windows 11. While they might maintain basic compatibility with Windows 10 for a period, users could experience more frequent bugs, reduced performance, and eventually, some features might stop working altogether. Completely blocking their programs from running on Windows 10 is unlikely in the short term, but expect a gradual decline in support.
Market share and User sentiment
Despite the push for Windows 11, Windows 10 still holds a significant majority of the desktop operating system market share. In December 2024, Statcounter assessed market share of Windows operating systems (based on website traffic) as
Windows 10: 62.73%
Windows 11: 34.1%
Source: https://gs.statcounter.com/os-version-market-share/windows/desktop/worldwide
So, there’s going to be an enormous number of disgruntled Windows users by the end of this year. The forced transition, the cost and limitations of ESU, and the perception of planned obsolescence could lead to significant user frustration. Remember the resistance when Windows 7 reached end of life? Actually, this situation is somewhat different in that Windows 7 was followed by the very unpopular Windows 8, whereas Windows 11 is now a competent operating system to follow Windows 10.
However, getting all het up with Microsoft is not going to change the situation. I suppose there’s just a tiny chance they will change their stance if there is enough dissatisfaction, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.
The importance of planning ahead for Windows 10 end of life
The end of Windows 10 support is not an immediate crisis, but it’s essential to start planning for the future. Consider the costs and limitations of ESU and weigh them against the costs and benefits of upgrading to Windows 11. If Windows Update tells you that you cannot update your computer to Window 11 then your choices are limited. You can buy a new computer, pay for the ESU (for up to three years), or continuing to use a computer that will become increasingly insecure and problematic.
If Windows Update tells you that you can upgrade your computer to Windows 11, then I recommend doing it. It doesn’t cost anything but the installation process can take a couple of hours. I haven’t encountered any problems in the update process in recent years. Nevertheless, I strongly recommend backing up your data beforehand.
I have read about the possibility of third parties breaking into Windows 11 and removing the programming that makes it impossible to run Windows 11 on hardware without the necessary TPM module. Personally, I wouldn’t touch this with the proverbial barge pole. Apart from breaching Microsoft copyright, there’s no way of telling what else they might do to the operating system (such as rig it to steal data)?
What am I going to do with my own machines?

The 3 year old Dell is running reasonably well with Windows 11. The 8-9 year old Windows 10 Dell continues to run very smoothly and I use it regularly. Ditto with my 10 year old Microsoft Surface 3.
I will probably buy the ESU for each Windows 10 machine for the first year. After that, who knows?
Click this link for a more detailed explanation of the end of support for Windows 10 and the effects on Microsoft 365
Click this link for more information on end of support for Windows 10
Post icon (featured image) and other images designed by David Leonard with Microsoft Designer
Photograph by David Leonard