Microsoft Windows Support
Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 after October 14, 2025.The sky is not falling! You probably do not need to buy a new computer.
Do you already have Windows 11? Here's how you can check which version of Windows you have.
Microsoft's end of support means they will no longer create updates for that software. That's all.
If you are still running an old version of Windows, it will not stop working after a specific date. There is no need to worry or act rashly.
This is not a reason to replace your computer. There is no deadline. If your computer still has several years left in it, keep using it until you would replace it normally.
The key word is attrition. Over a long period of time, the world will slowly recede from Windows 10, similar to the way Windows 7, XP, 98, and 95 have gone away. In the meantime, you likely can keep using your computer.
What should you do? Here are several options:
- Do nothing.
Your computer will keep working, but eventually problems may develop as the world moves away from the old software you might be using.
I will continue to support old computers as long as it's financially worthwhile for the customer. - Buy a new computer.
It will come with a new version of Windows, and faster equipment at the same time.
If you want to know what to buy, see my article Shop for a new computer. - Upgrade your existing computer.
The upgrade to Windows 11 is free, and it may install easily. However, Microsoft has specific requirements to run Windows 11. See below for more information.
To consider whether it may be in your best interest to repair an old computer, see my article Should I repair or replace my computer? - Sign up for extended security updates.
As of July 2025, Microsoft announced that they would provide several free or low-cost options to get one extra year of updates to Windows 10.
To read more, see Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program
More information
Windows 10
- Microsoft originally released Windows 10 in July 2015. They have supported it for 10 years!
- Dwight Silverman of the Houston Chronicle agrees that Windows 10's end of support is not as big a deal as you might think. [You might not be able to read this article without an ad blocker.]
- Microsoft will make paid updates for Windows 10 available for a limited time after its end of support, 1 year for consumers.
- The service 0patch (Zero Patch) has free and paid tiers for patches to fix flaws in Windows as they are discovered.
Windows 11
It has taken nearly 4 years for Windows 11 to overtake Windows 10 as the most widely used version of Windows. (July 2025, after initial release in October 2021)I can help determine whether your computer can reasonably be upgraded to Windows 11.
If a computer can meet my own recommendations below, I believe it would be cost-effective to upgrade and keep using it.
- At least 8 GB RAM
- CPU benchmark score of at least 3,000 (Identify CPU Score here)
- Solid state drive
Microsoft says that a computer running Windows 11 must meet these system requirements:
- TPM (Trusted Platform Module), in the motherboard
- CPU of 8th generation or newer (1st generation begins about 2011, each year advancing 1 generation.) For example, Intel i5-8400 (where the number 8 indicates the 8th generation)
- UEFI boot (vs. older BIOS, in the motherboard)
- Secure boot (motherboard)