Microsoft stopped patching Windows 10 on October 14, 2025 — and the paid safety net most businesses bought expires this October. Here's what end of support actually means, what your options really cost, and how to get off the clock without chaos.
Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Nothing dramatic happened that day — every machine booted normally, which is exactly why so many businesses are still running it nine months later. What changed is invisible: Microsoft no longer fixes security holes in Windows 10 unless you pay for Extended Security Updates (ESU).
Every vulnerability discovered since — and new ones are found in Windows every single month — stays open forever on an unprotected Windows 10 machine. Attackers know this. End-of-life systems are the first thing scanners look for, because they're the cheapest way in.
And the clock is still running: the first ESU year — and the only year available to individuals — ends October 13, 2026. If your business bought the Year 1 bridge, renewal is coming at double the price. If it didn't, you've been running unpatched for nine months. Either way, the decisions get more expensive the longer they wait.
Your computer does not stop working. Windows 10 boots, runs your software, and prints your invoices exactly as before. This is the trap — because nothing visibly breaks, the risk feels theoretical.
What actually stops: security patches, bug fixes, and Microsoft technical support. Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 also wind down: they'll receive security updates only until October 2028, with no new features along the way.
Why that matters to a business more than a home user: you have obligations a home user doesn't. Cyber insurance applications ask directly whether you run unsupported operating systems — answer wrong and a claim can be denied. Compliance frameworks and client security questionnaires (increasingly standard in B2B and government procurement) require supported, patched software. A breach through a known, unpatched hole is very hard to defend — to your insurer, your clients, or a privacy regulator.
Free on any PC that meets the hardware bar: TPM 2.0 and roughly an Intel 8th-gen / AMD Ryzen 2000 CPU or newer. Most machines bought since 2019 qualify. The upgrade preserves files and apps; done in scheduled waves, most staff lose under an hour.
ESU keeps security patches flowing: roughly $61 USD per device for Year 1, doubling every year ($122, then $244) until it ends permanently in October 2028. It buys patches only — no features, no support. Sensible as a bridge for machines awaiting replacement; expensive as a strategy.
A 7-year-old PC that can't run Windows 11 is also slow, out of warranty, and due to fail. Three years of ESU costs ~$427 USD per device — most of the way to a new business machine that's faster and covered. Run the math before renewing ESU twice.
Free until it isn't. Unpatched systems are the leading entry point in small-business breaches, and the average incident costs far more than a fleet refresh. If a machine truly must stay on Windows 10 (legacy equipment, niche software), isolate it from the network and the internet.
List every Windows 10 machine and check it against the Windows 11 hardware requirements. This takes an afternoon with the right tooling — our managed IT clients already have this list, live.
Qualifies → schedule the free upgrade. Doesn't qualify but still earning its keep → ESU bridge with a replacement date. Old and slow → replace now and skip ESU entirely.
Pilot with a friendly team first, confirm the line-of-business apps behave, then roll through the company in scheduled batches — evenings or quiet days, so nobody loses a working morning.
EOS migrations are the natural moment to bring endpoints up to standard: MFA everywhere, endpoint protection, tested backups. That's the core of our managed cybersecurity service — and it's what insurance and client questionnaires actually ask about.
We'll inventory your machines, flag which ones upgrade free, and price the rest honestly: ESU bridge vs replace. No pressure, no obligation.
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