Microsoft has reminded customers today that Windows 10 has reached the end of support and will no longer receive patches for newly discovered security vulnerabilities.
However, although support for Windows 10 has been discontinued, computers running this OS will continue to function, but they will be vulnerable to attacks if they're not upgraded to Windows 11 or migrated to Windows 11 in the cloud with Windows 365.
"Windows 10 has reached the end of support on October 14, 2025. At this point technical assistance, feature updates and security updates is no longer provided," the company said in a support document published on Tuesday.
"While you could continue to use a PC running Windows 10, without continued software and security updates, your PC will be at a greater risk for viruses and malware. After this date, we recommend upgrading to a version of Windows that is still supported."
According to Steam's September 2025 Hardware & Software Survey, 63.04% of gamers use Windows 11, while only 32.18% still use Windows 10. Statcounter's Global Stats also reveal that Windows 11 finally surpassed Windows 10's install base in June, with over 48.94% of all Windows systems now running Windows 11, compared to 40.5% on Windows 10.
Windows market share (Statcounter)
Users who don't want to switch to Windows 11 can delay the upgrade for another year by enrolling in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which costs $30 for home users and $61 per device per year for enterprise customers (doubling each year, for a maximum of 3 years). For enterprise customers who choose to use ESU for the three years, the total cost per device is $427.
This program is also available for free to home users who enroll with Microsoft Rewards points or enable Windows Backup to sync their data to the cloud.
Following pressure from the consumer protection organization Euroconsumers, Microsoft has also announced that it will allow individual customers in the European Economic Area (EEA) to enroll in the ESU program for free if they use a Microsoft account to enroll and log in to Windows.
Another alternative to the Windows 11 switch is Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) releases, Windows editions designed for specialized devices (such as medical or industrial equipment) that will continue to receive updates beyond today.
For example, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 will reach the end of servicing in January 2027 (with extended support for the IoT Enterprise edition until January 2023), while Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 will remain supported until January 2029.
You can find more information on Windows end-of-service dates using the Lifecycle Policy search tool or by visiting the Windows Lifecycle FAQ page. Microsoft also has a list of the software products it plans to retire or that will reach the end of support later this year.