Microsoft ended free security updates for Windows 10 in October 2025. If you still have Windows 10 machines running in your environment, you're not getting patches anymore — at least not without paying for the Extended Security Updates program.
That changes the risk calculation on every device still on the old OS.
What "end of life" actually means
It doesn't mean the computers stop working. Windows 10 machines keep booting, keep running applications, keep doing everything they did yesterday. What stops is the steady stream of security patches that fix vulnerabilities as they get discovered.
Every month that goes by, more vulnerabilities accumulate that Windows 10 will never get fixes for. Attackers know this. They target unpatched systems specifically because they know the patches aren't coming.
Your three real options
Upgrade to Windows 11. For most modern hardware, this is the cleanest path. The OS is similar enough that users adjust quickly. Security is meaningfully better — hardware-backed security features, better default settings, ongoing patches.
Replace the hardware. Some Windows 10 machines can't run Windows 11. They don't meet the TPM 2.0 requirement, the CPU isn't supported, or the device is just old enough that throwing more software at it doesn't help. For those, replacement is the answer.
Pay for Extended Security Updates. Microsoft offers ESU for Windows 10 on a per-device, per-year basis. The pricing escalates each year you stay enrolled. This buys time, not a permanent solution. It makes sense for a small number of devices that can't be migrated yet — a legacy application that won't run on Windows 11, specialized hardware, regulatory edge cases. It doesn't make sense for your whole fleet.
What this means for your security posture
Running unpatched systems is something cyber insurance carriers, auditors, and customers all care about. "We're still on Windows 10" is increasingly going to be a question on questionnaires. The answer matters.
It also affects compliance. Regulations that require "reasonable security measures" — and that's most of them — generally don't consider unpatched, unsupported operating systems reasonable.
Planning the transition
Inventory first. Know what you have. How many Windows 10 devices, where they are, who uses them, what software runs on them. Most SMBs underestimate the count.
Categorize. Which devices can upgrade in place? Which need replacement? Which need ESU as a bridge? Which can be retired entirely because they're not actively used?
Sequence. Don't try to do it all at once. Start with the highest-risk devices — anything with admin access, anything that touches sensitive data, anything that's externally exposed. Move outward from there.
Test before broad deployment. Some applications break on Windows 11. Find out before you've migrated 80 machines.
For SMBs that want a structured approach, the Windows 10 end of life planning resource covers the questions worth working through.
Don't drift on this
The longer Windows 10 sits in your environment, the more exposed those machines become. It's not a cliff. It's a slope. Every month, the risk increases. Every patch cycle, the gap widens. The plan doesn't have to be aggressive. It has to be moving.
Defensible helps SMBs plan and execute OS migrations without disrupting the business. Talk to an expert.
