In less than two years, Microsoft will draw the final curtain on Windows 10 after 10 years of success.
This news should surprise no one. The end date is right there on the Microsoft support document which lists “Products will retire or reach end of support in 2025.” The calendar is set by Microsoft Modern Life Cycle Policywhich is documented on the Microsoft lifecycle page: “Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will remain supported with monthly security updates until that date .”
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When a version of Windows reached its end of support datethe software continues to work, but the update channel stops:
(There) will be no new security updates, non-security updates, or assisted support. Customers are encouraged to migrate to the latest version of the product or service. Paid programs may be available for applicable products.
That part in the middle looks encouraging, doesn't it? “Customers are encouraged to migrate to the latest version of the product or service.” Unfortunately, this is not a supported option for customers running Windows 10 on hardware that does not meet the requirements. strict Windows 11 hardware compatibility requirements. If you try to upgrade any of these PCs to Windows 11, you will encounter an error message. And Microsoft is adamant that it will not extend the Windows 10 support deadline.
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If you are responsible for one or more Windows 10 PCs failing Microsoft's Windows 11 compatibility tests, what should you do? You have five options.
Option 1: Ignore the End of Support Deadline Completely
There was nothing you could do at all: just continue running your unsupported operating system and hope for the best. This is a bad idea, and one that exposes you to the very real possibility that you will fall prey to a security exploit. I do not recommend this strategy. If you intend to do this, consider installing the agent 0patch free to resolve any security issues that are not resolved by Microsoft. This option is free for personal use, but for professional or professional use, you will have to pay for 0patch support at a rate equivalent to a few dollars per month.
Option 2: Buy a new PC
Microsoft and its partners want you to replace this unsupported hardware with a brand new PC. You might even be tempted by one of the shiny new AI PCs, with their custom neural processing units, or perhaps a powerful gaming PC. But throwing away a perfectly good computer seems like a waste, and that's not an option if you're clinging to Windows 10 because you have critical software that won't run on the new operating system.
Option 3: Ditch Windows Completely
You can keep your old hardware and replace Windows 10 with the Linux version you prefer. If you have the technical know-how and experience to manage the transition, this option is worth considering. But for the overwhelming majority of consumers and businesses who have already invested in Windows software, it's not a realistic alternative.
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The last two options are more attractive.
Option 4: Pay Microsoft for security updates
Remember the official support document I cited earlier? The one that says there will be “no new security updates” once Windows 10 hits its end of support date? Turns out that's not entirely true. Microsoft will indeed continue to develop security updates for Windows 10, but they will not be free. Microsoft announced in December 2023 that it would offer Extended Security Options (ESU) for Windows 10; These subscription updates will be available for up to three years.
How much will these paid updates cost? Microsoft finally revealed the price list in April this year. If you're an education administrator with a Windows 10 Education edition deployment, you're in luck. These expanded updates will literally cost a dollar per machine for the first year, $2 for the second year, and $4 for the third and final year, taking you through 2028.
The rest of us aren't so lucky:
Business customers will have to pay a lot to stick with Windows 10. A license for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program is sold as a subscription. For the first year, the cost is $61. The second year the price doubles, and it doubles again the third year. The blog post doesn't do the math on this, probably because the total is too high. A three-year ESU membership will cost $61 + $122 + $244, for a total of $427.
In the initial announcement of the Extended Security Updates last year, a Microsoft spokesperson said there would be a consumer version of this program, but the company has yet to provide details additional.
Option 5: Upgrade your old hardware to Windows 11
That pesky compatibility checker may prevent you from upgrading your Windows 10 PC the easy way, but there are indeed officially supported ways to install Windows 11. You just need to jump through a few technical hurdles.
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You can find full details in a Microsoft support bulletin titled “Install Windows 11 on devices that do not meet the minimum system requirements.” This document brings together many FUDs in just a few paragraphs:
Installing Windows 11 on a device that does not meet the minimum Windows 11 system requirements is not recommended. If you choose to install Windows 11 on ineligible hardware, you should be comfortable with the risk of experiencing compatibility issues.
Your device may malfunction due to these compatibility issues or other issues. Devices that do not meet these system requirements will no longer be guaranteed to receive updates, including but not limited to security updates.
The following disclaimer applies if you install Windows 11 on a device that does not meet the minimum system requirements:
This PC does not meet the minimum system requirements to run Windows 11: These requirements help ensure a more reliable and higher quality experience. Installing Windows 11 on this PC is not recommended and may cause compatibility issues. If you proceed with installing Windows 11, your PC will no longer be supported and will not be eligible to receive updates. Damage to your PC due to lack of compatibility is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
(emphasis in original)
Don't be fooled by the language used in the newsletter. As I have already noted, the document really doesn't say that Microsoft will cut off your access to updates; this simply indicates that your PC is no longer supported and you are no longer “entitled” to these updates. This word is revealing on the part of Microsoft, which declines all legal responsibility without actually saying what it will do.
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Installation instructions that allow you to bypass the compatibility check are in a separate support article: “Ways to install Windows 11.” To upgrade, you must create the following registry key values:
- Registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup
- Name: AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU
- Type: REG_DWORD
- Value: 1
You still need a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), but even an older TPM 1.2 chip will do the job. If your PC doesn't have this hardware, it's probably more than 12 years old and you might need to replace it after all.
If you don't want to mess with the registry and are ready to do a clean install, simply create a bootable Windows 11 installation drive and use this option, which completely bypasses the compatibility checker. You'll need to restore your data files from a backup or the cloud, and you'll also need to install your software from scratch, but it's no more difficult than setting up a new PC.