Microsoft plans to officially end support for its Windows 10 operating system on October 14, 2025. This means that the company will no longer release any updates or changes for the 10-year-old operating system.
Microsoft expects users to upgrade to Windows 10 or buy completely new PCs with Windows 11. But many Windows 10 users don't want to or can't upgrade due to Windows 11's more restrictive system requirements.
Not every user is able to afford a new PC and there is an argument to be made for sustainability as well. Why throw away a perfectly good PC?
Windows 10 is still the leader when it comes to the most popular Windows operating systems. This means millions of devices still run Windows 10.
This article lists and explains the following options available to Windows 10 users:
- Upgrade to Windows 11 (with one caveat).
- Extend Windows 10 support.
- Switch from Windows to Linux or ChromeOS Flex.
- Buy a new or refurbished PC with Windows 11.
- Stay on Windows 10 and do nothing.
Option 1: Upgrade to Windows 11 (with a caveat)
Upgrading to Windows 11 may seem like the easiest option of them all. Simply upgrade using Windows Update or other means, and you can continue using the PC. The upgrade is free.
One of the main problems that millions of Windows 10 PC users will face is that their devices may not meet the system requirements of Windows 11.
If so, Windows Update will not offer an upgrade. There are bypass options to install Windows 11 on devices that do not meet the system requirements, but this creates follow-up problems whenever Microsoft releases a new feature update.
The first thing you will want to do is download the latest version of Microsoft's PC Health Check appIt checks whether the PC meets the system requirements of Windows 11 or not.
Activate the “Check Now” button and the app will tell you if the PC is compatible or not.
If so, go to Start > Settings > Windows Update and activate the Check for Updates button. You should be presented with Windows 11 so you can download and install it.
If it's not, you can't use Windows Update directly to install Windows 11 on the device. You can install Windows 11 on most PCs that do not meet the system requirements.
word of advice: Before doing this, create a system backup. It allows you to restore the PC if things don't work.
A single entry in the Windows 10 registry bypasses some checks. You can download this registry file to make changes. Simply unpack the archive and double-click on the registry file. Confirm the security prompt and the necessary changes are added to the registry.
If you prefer the manual way, do this:
- Select Start.
- Type regedit.exe and press Enter-key.
- Confirm security prompt.
- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMSetupMoSetup
- Right-click MoSetup and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
- Set its name to AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMorCPU.
- Double-click the new Dword and set its value to 1.
- Restart the PC.
You should now be able to install Windows 11 via Windows Update or by running setup.exe from an ISO image.
Comment: If Windows Update doesn't offer Windows 11 even after making changes, try the following:
- Insert a USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of storage into the PC.
- Download and run the latest version of Rufus developer website,
- Click the down-arrow next to the selection in the Rufus interface and switch to Downloads.
- Activate download option. Rufus downloads some files for the next step.
- A “Download ISO Image” window appears.
- Make the following selections and press Continue each time: Windows 11 > 24H2 > Windows 11 Home/Pro/Edu > Select the desired language > x64.
- Activate the download button. This starts the download of the Windows 11 ISO.
- Once downloaded, press Start in Rufus.
- You may want to keep the options checked, but leave others checked.
- Click OK to proceed.
Finally open the USB flash drive directory and run setup.exe to start the upgrade.
tip:You can check out my guide on upgrading Windows 11 to a newer version on unsupported devices.
Option 2: Extend Windows 10 Support
Microsoft provides security updates for Windows 10 until October 14, 2025. You can use a free program like InControl to block upgrades to Windows 11 before that.
The tool makes sure you stay on Windows 10. Microsoft can force a Windows 10 PC to update and the option prevents it.
As far as support extensions are concerned, there are two:
Both are subscription-based. Microsoft has not yet announced pricing for home users. Business customers pay up to $61 in the first year. The amount doubles in the second and third years. This means that some businesses pay Microsoft $427 over the course of three years for extended support for a single Windows 10 machine.
0patch is a third-party micro-patching company. It offered extended support for other Windows versions and Microsoft products, including Office. The company has already announced that it will support Windows 10 with security updates until at least 2030.
An annual membership is available for approximately $25 plus tax. This gives you access to all supported systems, not just Windows 10.
One caveat is that 0Patch only focuses on critical and dangerous security issues.
Option 3: Switch from Windows to Linux/ChromeOS Flex
If you can't or don't want to upgrade to Windows 11, and don't want to pay for extended support, you may want to consider switching to another operating system.
This can be a difficult task because things will be different. Linux is probably the better choice, as it allows you to run many Windows programs and games.
Migrating to another system is still problematic, as you have to ensure that all important data remains available.
A good option regarding Linux is to run a live installation first. You boot these during system startup and can try out the Linux version without making any changes to your PC.
You can check whether the hardware works, whether your favorite games or apps run or are available, and whether you like the general experience of the distribution.
Once you're ready to dive in, check out the installation instructions on the Linux distribution's website. For example, Linux Mint has instructions here,
ChromeOS Flex is more limited in terms of what it allows you to do. Still, it's an option worth mentioning. You will find installation instructions here Google's support website,
Option 4: Buy a new or refurbished PC with Windows 11
If you don't mind switching to a new PC, you can purchase new or refurbished PCs online or locally, starting at a few hundred dollars. Listing the available options would go too far, as it largely depends on what you want to do with the PC.
If you only do Office and some web browsing, you don't need the best and latest hardware. If you want 4K gaming, you will need a powerful PC which will cost a lot.
You need to make sure the PC has a good amount of RAM, at least 8GB, but more is better, and preferably a large solid state drive.
To make sure you get good value for money, you may want to check key components like the processor. This can be done by searching for the name of the processor, for example, Intel Core i5-4570, to find out when it was released and how it stacks up.
If an offer doesn't have details listed, it's usually best to stay away from it.
Option 5: Do nothing at all
Generally, it is advisable to use devices that receive security updates. If you don't do this, you leave your PC open to attacks. Most Windows 10 users may want to use one of the other options.
Options are available to limit exposure. If you only use the PC locally, without connecting to the Internet, you will be in much less danger. Similarly, if you're careful and use extra protection, you can prevent many attacks outright.
concluding words
Windows 10 users have one more year of support left. That means twelve security updates until Windows 10 ends support. Microsoft will eventually reveal pricing for home users. This will likely be less expensive than professional pricing.
Do you still run Windows 10 on any devices? what will you do next year? Do you plan to pay Microsoft for extended support? Please leave a comment below and let me know!
Thanks for reading..
