On October 14th, 2025, Microsoft will officially end support for Windows 10, negating the corporate’s early promise that Windows 10 was going to be “the last version of Windows.” Instead, six years after it launched in 2015, Microsoft launched Windows 11.
It’s now been 4 years since Windows 11’s launch and Microsoft is uninterested in ready for customers to change over. As of September 2025, Windows 11 and Windows 10 are still neck and neck when it comes to global market share, and Microsoft clearly needs to nudge issues alongside.
But what does it imply that Windows 10 assist ends subsequent month? Well, enable me to elucidate! Not solely that, however I’m going to inform you why I’m sticking with Windows 10 and the way I plan to take action.
Time is operating out for Windows 10
Once October 14th rolls round, Windows 10 PCs will now not obtain safety updates or bug fixes, not to mention new options. This means the longer you retain utilizing it, the extra liable to malware and hackers your PC will turn into (as a result of they’ll exploit yet-undiscovered safety flaws that received’t be patched in your PC). And if you happen to run into system troubles together with your PC, Microsoft received’t present technical assist.
Dave Parrack / Foundry
As-is, this has scared a lot of customers into lastly taking the plunge and upgrading to Windows 11, both by initiating a Windows Update or shopping for a brand new machine with Windows 11 pre-installed. But Statcounter’s market share stats present that tons of of tens of millions of customers are nonetheless refusing to improve—myself included.
I knew finish of assist for Windows 10 has been coming for some time, but I didn’t care sufficient to improve and I nonetheless haven’t any intention to improve. I’m sticking with Windows 10. Yes, I’m conscious of the dangers, however I’ve methods to get round them. (More on that beneath.)
My present PC isn’t adequate
Microsoft is determined for holdouts akin to myself to maneuver on from Windows 10, however the numbers counsel that means too many individuals are outright refusing Windows 11 for varied causes.
Why am I staying on Windows 10? The largest cause is that my PC apparently doesn’t qualify for Windows 11. I ran the Windows PC Health Check app and located that my Intel Core i3 (on my seven-year-old laptop computer) isn’t supported by Windows 11. To improve, I’d both have to purchase and set up a brand new CPU (no thanks) or purchase a brand new PC completely (no thanks). Why spend pointless cash when my present PC works simply high-quality?
Dave Parrack / Foundry
Why doesn’t my CPU qualify for Windows 11? Who is aware of. I doubt Microsoft even has a superb reply. Maybe my laptop computer would choke on Windows 11 as a result of it’s far more bloated, or perhaps it’d work simply in addition to Windows 10 does. Maybe Microsoft simply needs to provide me a cause to desert ship and buy a new laptop.
But my laptop computer works effectively! And that’s the crux of the matter for me. It’s greater than able to doing the whole lot I would like, and I’m not a Windows energy consumer so I don’t want something extra. This seems like deliberate obsolescence to me… and I hate that. It’s a waste of a perfectly good laptop and I refuse to show it into e-waste. I’m additionally unimpressed by Microsoft’s potential trade-in program for Windows 10 PCs.
Dave Parrack / Foundry
As for Windows 11, I simply don’t look after it. I’ve used it on different individuals’s PCs a number of instances and it actually doesn’t really feel like a lot of an improve. Sure, there are some noticeable enhancements, however none of them are sufficiently big and revolutionary sufficient to justify laying down tons of of greenbacks on new {hardware}.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the bugs and glitches which have plagued Windows 11 since 24H2! There’s no means I’d willingly topic myself to that type of frustration.
Dave Parrack / Foundry
It additionally doesn’t assist that, as I’ve written about earlier than, I use a Chromebook for most of my everyday activities. Which signifies that my Windows 10 PC has been pushed to the sidelines a bit, solely there for these instances once I want it as an alternative of my Chromebook.
Am I simply getting previous?
One concern that has crossed my thoughts is, perhaps this all is simply an age factor. As I method 50, might or not it’s I’m reaching that stage of life the place I choose to stay with acquainted tech and don’t wish to trouble with “the next thing”? I don’t bear in mind having these identical emotions once I needed to improve from Windows XP to Vista or from Windows 7 to 10. It very effectively might be (a minimum of partly) a “me problem” right here.
Still, I can’t deny that Microsoft is making me really feel backed right into a nook and desirous to push again, carrying on with the {hardware} I’ve been utilizing for a number of years. I’m resentful that this multibillion-dollar firm is mainly forcing me to purchase a brand new pc and change to an inferior working system as an alternative of working Windows 11 right into a product so good and fascinating that it makes me need to change.
Don’t get me fallacious. I don’t assume there’s something unhealthy about Windows 11. It simply hasn’t given me a compelling cause to improve. If I might freely improve with no need a brand new PC, certain, perhaps I might do it. But with it coming with an actual price, I’m selecting to stay with Windows 10.
How to stay with Windows 10 (for now)
If you’re in an identical place as me and wish to maintain utilizing Windows 10 even after the top of assist date passes, you will have a couple of totally different choices on going about it safely and securely. Whatever you do, don’t simply maintain utilizing it in its unsupported state. Without a continued supply of safety updates, you’d simply be asking for bother.
Instead, you’ll need to join Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. By enrolling your PC within the ESU program, you’ll get one extra year of Windows 10 security updates.
Microsoft
There are literally 3 ways to affix the Windows 10 ESU program. A sound Microsoft account is required for all three choices:
Option #1: Pay $30. This is a flat one-time charge that unlocks the additional 12 months of Windows 10 safety updates with no different strings connected (aside from needing a Microsoft account). Price might differ if you happen to’re outdoors the US.
Option #2: Enable Windows Backup. Windows Backup is a free characteristic that backs up chosen information, folders, and settings to OneDrive so that you don’t lose them even when your PC dies, will get misplaced, or stolen. After activating Windows Backup, your Windows 10 PC will get prolonged updates.
Option #3: Spend 1,000 Microsoft Rewards factors. Instead of paying $30, you possibly can as an alternative join Microsoft Rewards and begin incomes factors by doing issues like looking out on Bing, enjoying choose video games on Xbox One, shopping for stuff on the Microsoft Store, and so forth. Points can then be redeemed for prolonged safety updates.
If any of those choices sound good, it’s best to have the ability to enroll your PC within the Windows 10 ESU program by way of a banner on the top-right nook of your Windows Update settings web page.
There’s additionally one other unofficial possibility
If none of Microsoft’s official ESU choices appear good to you—perhaps you don’t wish to create a Microsoft account in any respect—then there’s yet one more factor you possibly can strive, however this path has caveats.
There’s a free third-party device known as UpDownTool that allegedly gives a number of extra years of assist for Windows 10. How does it work? By changing your PC to Windows 10 LTSC (“Long-Term Servicing Channel”), which is a particular cut-down model of Windows 10 that isn’t meant for general-use PCs. Windows 10 LTSC has common assist till January 12th, 2027 in addition to extended support until January 13th, 2032.
UpDownTool
UpDownTool is definitely aimed toward Windows 11 customers who remorse upgrading and wish to revert again to Windows 10. However, it may well nonetheless be utilized by individuals on Windows 10 (or every other model of Windows) to change over to Windows 10 LTSC.
By switching to Windows 10 LTSC, you’ll find yourself with a PC that mainly runs on Windows 10 besides with none of the standard bloatware or any of the nagging pop-ups about upgrading to Windows 11. The caveat is that Windows 10 LTSC doesn’t get characteristic updates, doesn’t assist the Microsoft Store, and doesn’t assist apps which can be usually maintained by way of the Microsoft Store, akin to Microsoft Edge.
Again, UpDownTool is a third-party device that isn’t formally supported by Microsoft, so use it as your personal danger if you happen to select this path.
It’s nonetheless Windows 10 for me
I’m most definitely going to enroll my PC within the Windows 10 ESU program by activating Windows Backup earlier than the October 14th deadline, which can maintain my PC safe and guarded till a minimum of October 13th, 2026.
Beyond that, I’m undecided on how I’ll transfer ahead. I could lastly chew the bullet on a brand new PC that comes with Windows 11, however I’m additionally tempted to abandon Windows altogether in favor of ChromeOS—and if I find yourself doing that, Microsoft will solely have itself accountable.
Further studying: The best Chromebooks that are actually great