Microsoft’s widely used operating system, Windows 10, has officially reached its end of life, leaving millions of users vulnerable to security risks. A few days ago, the tech giant issued a warning and urged users to update their PCs to Windows 11.
What is happening to Windows 10?
For decades, Windows has been the go-to operating system for billions of users around the world. While Windows 10 was launched nearly a decade ago, it still holds a significant market share, with Statcounter reporting that it accounted for 43 per cent of the market share in July 2025.
But, from October 14, 2025, onwards, Microsoft says Windows 10 users will no longer get feature or security updates, nor will it offer technical assistance to users. While your Windows 10 machine will work normally, the problem is that unsupported software steadily becomes more vulnerable to malware and security exploits.
What can I do with my Windows 10 PC?
Now that official support for Windows 10 has ended, eligible users should upgrade their desktops and laptops to Windows 11. If you purchased your PC after 2020, meaning it is somewhere around five years old – chances are it is most likely eligible for a free Windows 11 upgrade.
However, if your PC does not meet the minimum system requirements for Windows 11, you can sign up for what Microsoft calls “Extended Security Updates.” For those unaware, it is a paid program for Windows 10 users who want to run certain legacy Microsoft products past the end of support.
In a post, Microsoft says that the Windows 10 Extended Security Update is a “last resort” option for customers and is not intended as a long-term solution but as a temporary one while customers migrate to Windows 11. As part of the program, Windows 10 users won’t be getting new features but will continue to get critical security updates for up to three years.
To be eligible for the ESU program, you must be running Windows 10 version 22H2 and will have to pay $30 per year, which roughly translates to Rs 2,700. Microsoft also said that the price will double every consecutive year for a maximum of three years.
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How to upgrade to Windows 11?
Microsoft has a free online tool called PC Health Check that lets you quickly check if your PC can upgrade to the latest Windows version. Once you download and install the tool, launch it and click on the “Check now ” button to see if your PC meets the minimum requirements.
To give you a quick recap, Windows 11 needs a processor with two or more cores that run at 1 gigahertz (1GHz) or faster, at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, along with what is known as Trusted Platform Module 2.0, commonly referred to as TPM 2.0. Built into your processor, the security chip is missing on millions of older processors, meaning a large number of Windows 10 users won’t be eligible for the update.
What to do if you cannot upgrade to Windows 11?
If you are unable to upgrade your PC to Windows 11, there are three options: buy a new PC, pay for Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates program or switch to an alternate operating system like Linux. While you can continue to use Windows 10 for years to come, just like Windows 7, we recommend that you to back up your data and try to upgrade to the latest version of Windows, as the older operating system will be vulnerable to more security exploits in the future.
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