In October 2025, Microsoft ends free support by default for Windows 10. Its successor, Windows 11, has unnecessarily strict requirements for what computers it will support. Hundreds of millions of computers currently running Windows 10 face early obsolescence as a result.
Microsoft’s options for continued support of Windows 10 cost either your money or your data, and only push the snooze button on the problem. Eventually, many millions of fully functional computers and their users will be entirely unsupported by Microsoft. Microsoft’s advice? Just buy a new computer.
But at Restart we believe that the end of Windows 10 should not mean the end-of-life of these computers. There are many ways to keep these computers running for years to come – stopping them from becoming e-waste and saving people money in the process.
This guide is written for community repair groups, to share advice on how you can support people in your community who are facing the end of Windows 10.