Can't Upgrade Your Windows 10 Pc? You Have 5 Options - And 2 Months To Decide

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Windows 10 support ends connected Oct. 14, 2025.
• Users person free and paid options for extended updates.
• Doing thing is not a safe option.  

Have you decided what to do pinch your Windows 10 PCs erstwhile they scope their official end-of-support date in 2 months?

I tin show you pinch absolute certainty that Microsoft is not going to backmost down astatine nan past infinitesimal and widen that deadline. But you do person options, including immoderate caller ways to proceed getting information updates for an other year, astatine nary cost, acknowledgment to an announcement Microsoft made successful precocious June. Don't procrastinate, though -- you'll request to return action successful nan adjacent 60 days to enactment secure.

Also: How to get free Windows 10 information updates done Oct. 2026

Even if you and your business aren't affected by this deadline, it's apt that you person friends and family members who ain older PCs that are still perfectly functional but can't beryllium upgraded to Windows 11. They've astir apt been ignoring informing messages for a fewer months now, but those messages are going to get much insistent arsenic nan deadline approaches. You tin thief them retired by sending them a nexus to this article.

What does 'end of support' mean?

For astir a quarter-century, Microsoft has had a general argumentation of supporting each awesome operating strategy merchandise for 10 years. Windows 10 was released successful 2015, truthful its 10 years are up, arsenic expected, successful 2025.

The extremity day is correct location connected nan Microsoft Support archive that lists products retiring aliases reaching nan extremity of support successful 2025. Every unit version of Windows, arsenic good arsenic nan Enterprise and Education editions, is slated for retirement.

If you person a Windows 10 PC, it faces mandatory status successful 2025

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET

That schedule is defined by Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle Policy, which is documented connected nan Microsoft Lifecycle page: "Windows 10 will scope extremity of support connected October 14, 2025. The existent version, 22H2, will beryllium nan last type of Windows 10, and each editions will stay successful support pinch monthly information update releases done that date." In a abstracted support article, Microsoft reiterates that arsenic of October 14, 2025, it will nary longer supply method support aliases information and reliability fixes for PCs moving Windows 10.

Also: How to upgrade an 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - 2 free options

When a Windows type reaches its end-of-support date, nan package keeps working, but Windows Update stops delivering information and reliability fixes:

[There] will beryllium nary caller information updates, non-security updates, aliases assisted support. Customers are encouraged to migrate to nan latest type of nan merchandise aliases service. Paid programs whitethorn beryllium disposable for applicable products.

That portion successful nan mediate sounds encouraging, doesn't it? "Customers are encouraged to migrate to nan latest type of nan merchandise aliases service." Unfortunately, that's not a supported action for customers moving Windows 10 connected hardware that doesn't meet nan stringent hardware compatibility requirements of Windows 11. If you effort to upgrade 1 of those PCs to Windows 11, you'll brushwood an correction message.

Also: Windows 11 should person been an easy upgrade - Microsoft chose to unleash chaos connected america instead

That end-of-support deadline is not going to change. Neither are nan hardware standards. If you're responsible for 1 aliases much Windows 10 PCs that neglect Microsoft's Windows 11 compatibility tests, what should you do? You person 5 options.

1. Sign up for extended information updates

Do you retrieve nan charismatic support archive that I quoted earlier? The 1 that says location will beryllium "no caller information updates" aft Windows 10 reaches its end-of-support date? That's not precisely true.

Microsoft will so proceed processing information updates for Windows 10, but they won't beryllium free for everyone. Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for Windows 10 will beryllium disposable connected a subscription ground for up to 3 years.

How overmuch are these paid-for updates going to cost? That depends.

If you're an administrator astatine an acquisition institution pinch a deployment of Windows 10 Education edition, you're successful luck. Those extended updates will costs a specified pittance: $1 per instrumentality for nan first year, $2 for nan 2nd year, and $4 for nan 3rd and last year, taking you each nan measurement to October 2028.

Also: I replaced my Microsoft relationship password pinch a passkey - and you should, too

IT pros who negociate a fleet of business PCs aren't truthful fortunate and will request to salary dearly to instrumentality pinch Windows 10. A licence for nan Extended Security Updates programme is sold arsenic a subscription. For nan first year, nan costs is $61. For twelvemonth two, nan value doubles, and it doubles again for twelvemonth three. Do nan math, and nan costs is staggering: a three-year ESU subscription will costs $61 + $122 + $244, for a full of $427.

Consumers person nan action to person information updates for 1 further twelvemonth aft nan end-of-support date, pinch nan deadline pushing retired to October 2026. The database value for that subscription is $30 a year, but you tin trim nan costs to zero by utilizing Microsoft Rewards points earned by utilizing nan Bing hunt motor aliases nan Windows Backup tool. (For details, spot How to get Windows 10 extended information updates for free: 2 options.) That's a awesome woody compared to what business customers person to pay, but nan user ESU subscription is only bully for 1 year. At nan extremity of that year, you'll person an unsupported PC erstwhile again, truthful make judge you usage that twelvemonth to fig retired your exit strategy.

2. Buy a caller PC (or rent a virtual PC)

Microsoft and its partners would for illustration you to switch that unsupported hardware pinch a caller PC. You mightiness moreover beryllium tempted by 1 of nan shiny caller Copilot+ PCs, pinch their civilization neural processing units, aliases possibly a powerful gaming PC. But throwing distant a perfectly bully machine seems wasteful, and it's not an action if you're hanging connected to Windows 10 because you person mission-critical package aliases an costly hardware instrumentality that's incompatible pinch Windows 11.

Also: I ne'er salary afloat value for PCs aliases Macs, acknowledgment to these 7 money-saving tricks

You besides person nan action to rent a caller virtual PC by signing up for Windows 365, which allows you to link remotely to your ain Windows 11-powered virtual PC successful Microsoft's cloud. A Windows 365 subscription useful connected Windows 10 and includes extended information updates for nan big PC for up to 3 years. Windows 365 isn't inexpensive (plans commencement astatine $28 a month), but that action astir apt costs little than a caller PC.

For businesses, replacing a PC that is much than six years aged is perfectly nan correct option. Ask your CPA astir depreciation deductions.

3. Upgrade your 'incompatible' hardware to Windows 11

That pesky compatibility checker mightiness insist that you can't upgrade your Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, but location are so documented ways to bypass those restrictions. You conscionable person to jump done a fewer method hoops. Frankly, if you person a PC that is little than 10 years old, this is nan easiest, cheapest, and astir reliable option.

Also: The 10 apps I can't unrecorded aliases activity without - connected Windows, Mac, and mobile

You tin find each nan specifications successful this article: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11. Here's nan short version:

For PCs primitively designed for Windows 10 (basically thing designed successful 2016 aliases later), you request to make 1 mini registry edit and past guarantee that your PC is configured to usage Secure Boot pinch nan Trusted Platform Module (TPM) enabled. Even an aged TPM 1.2 spot will do. As many readers person confirmed via email, this process useful seamlessly arsenic agelong arsenic you've sewage those configuration specifications group properly. This action will activity moreover pinch PCs that are 10 years old.

For older PCs primitively designed for Windows 7 aliases Windows 8.1, you mightiness request to usage a third-party instrumentality called Rufus to bypass installation challenges. That's particularly existent connected PCs that usage a bequest BIOS alternatively of UEFI firmware and for those that don't person entree to a TPM. Make judge you person nan astir caller type of Rufus (version 4.6 aliases later) to activity astir Microsoft's latest compatibility checks.

Those upgrade options can't prevention a instrumentality whose CPU lacks support for 2 circumstantial instruction sets -- POPCNT and SSE 4.2. Most PCs built utilizing Intel CPUs from 2009 aliases later will walk this test; AMD CPUs from 2015 aliases later should besides beryllium OK. As I statement successful this article, location is nary workaround.

Also: How to upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Pro - without overpaying

If you do usage 1 of these upgrade hacks, don't beryllium alarmed by nan threatening connection you mightiness spot erstwhile trying to do an unsupported upgrade: "If you proceed pinch installing Windows 11, your PC will nary longer beryllium supported and won't beryllium entitled to person updates. Damages to your PC owed to deficiency of compatibility aren't covered nether nan shaper warranty."

That's deliberately misleading connection from Microsoft. As I've noted before, that informing doesn't really opportunity that Microsoft is going to trim disconnected your entree to updates; it simply says your PC is nary longer supported, and you're nary longer "entitled" to those updates. That connection is simply a show connected Microsoft's part, disclaiming ineligible work without really saying what it will do.

If you don't want to messiness pinch nan registry and you're consenting to do a cleanable install, conscionable usage Rufus to create a bootable Windows 11 installation drive, which bypasses nan compatibility checker completely. You'll request to reconstruct your information files from a backup aliases from nan cloud, and you'll besides request to instal your package from scratch, but that's nary much difficult than mounting up a caller PC.

4. Ditch Windows wholly

You could support your aged hardware and switch Windows 10 pinch the spirit of Linux you prefer. If you've sewage nan method know-how and acquisition to negociate nan transition, that action is worthy considering. Thanks to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and a cardinal aliases truthful web-based services, you tin do conscionable astir each your basal activity successful a web browser these days. You mightiness not moreover announcement what operating strategy is moving that browser.

Switching to Google's free ChromeOS Flex mightiness besides beryllium possible, though nan compatibility requirements for that replacement are conscionable arsenic apt to get successful your way. I wrote astir my acquisition here: Installing ChromeOS Flex? 5 things you request to do first to debar headaches. As I pointed out, "If you've sewage an aged PC aliases Mac and you're reasoning of installing ChromeOS Flex connected it, don't do thing until you cheque Google's charismatic ChromeOS Flex certified models list."

Also: 6 astir Windows-like Linux distros because aged habits dice hard

Pay typical attraction to nan end-of-support day for nan PC you're reasoning of upgrading. It doesn't make overmuch consciousness to switch Windows 10 pinch a merchandise of ChromeOS Flex that's besides group to extremity support successful 2025 aliases earlier.

Switching to Linux aliases immoderate derivative of Linux mightiness beryllium a bully measurement to repurpose an old PC. For consumers and businesses pinch existing investments successful Windows software, it mightiness not beryllium a realistic alternative, but it's worthy considering.

5. Ignore nan end-of-support deadline wholly

You could do thing astatine each -- conscionable proceed moving your unsupported operating strategy and dream for nan best. That's a bad thought that exposes you to nan very existent anticipation that you'll autumn prey to a information exploit. Unfortunately, a batch of group are going to do conscionable that. Some percent of them will extremity up regretting their decision.

I've heard from immoderate folks who judge that being other observant and utilizing third-party antivirus package will protect them from harm. I wouldn't stake my business connected that strategy.

Also: Stop paying for antivirus software. Here's why you don't request it

If you're intent connected doing so, see installing nan third-party 0patch agent to woody pinch immoderate information issues that aren't addressed by Microsoft. The free 0patch individual scheme includes patches for known 0-day vulnerabilities, but if you want each Windows 10 patches, aliases if nan PC is utilized for business aliases endeavor tasks, you'll request to salary for a 0patch Pro plan astatine a per-PC complaint of €24.95 per twelvemonth -- for customers successful nan US, astatine existent speech rates, that equates to little than $2.50 a month.

I wouldn't urge that for a PC that you usage for business, but if you person a instrumentality you usage for casual tasks astatine home, you mightiness beryllium consenting to return nan risk.

This article was primitively published connected Nov. 15, 2021, and is regularly updated to incorporated caller accusation and advice.

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