As of October 14, Windows 10 is no longer supported by Microsoft. That means no more feature updates, no more official troubleshooting support, and most importantly, no more security updates. Any zero-day exploits hackers have been sitting on are almost certainly now out in the wild, and there's not much Microsoft is going to do to stop them.
If you're still running Windows 10, it's really important you take steps to protect yourself as soon as possible. Your operating system is almost certainly far less secure than it was at the start of October 2025.
Windows 10 support is ending: Who is affected?
If you're running Windows 10, you're affected. Windows 10 has officially reached End of Life (EOL) status, so it is no longer supported in almost any way (see below). Whether you have Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, a commercial or educational license, run a business, or anything else besides. If it's Windows 10, it's done; Your system is not secure.
This doesn't mean Windows 10 will stop working, but without the necessary updates to prevent hackers and bugs from breaking things, the operating system will be exceedingly vulnerable. Hackers and malware authors often sit on potential bugs and hacks so that they can be utilized at the most opportune time. The end of support for a piece of an operating system is a perfect opportunity.
The real kicker? If something goes wrong (or you suffer a malware attack), there's no one at the end of an official support line who can help you, as Microsoft is canning Windows 10 troubleshooting support too.
Why is Windows 10 losing support?
This happens to every version of Windows eventually, and it's just Windows 10's time. It was released in 2015, so it has had a 10-year run, which is roughly comparable to other standout Microsoft operating systems like Windows 7. There are only so many years Microsoft is willing to provide support for older systems, and it has commercial reasons to encourage users to move to newer platforms, too.
Microsoft announced the impending end of Windows 10's support in October 2024, giving everyone a year's head start on their update or upgrade. If you haven't managed it yet, it really is something you want to consider doing as soon as possible.
How to secure Windows 10: Buy a new system
If you aren't looking to spend anything, we totally understand: skip to the sections below. But if you want the quickest and easiest way to stay safe, upgrade to new hardware with Windows 11 by buying one of the best laptops or best gaming PCs out there. What you do with the Windows 10 system after that is up to you, but it's easy enough to transfer all your important data over to the new system if you wish. Otherwise, all the alternative ways to secure it below are equally relevant.
It's a trite statement, but if you've been waiting for a good reason to upgrade, now really isn't a bad time. The latest CPUs and GPUs have matured, and we're still a long way off from next-generation releases like Zen 6 or Nova Lake.
Update your Windows 10 PC
If your PC or laptop is perfectly good and meets the system requirements for Windows 11, then you can simply update it to the newer operating system and save yourself from any security woes.
You can update to Windows 11 from within Windows 10 using the update tool. Here's how.
Alternatively, you can download the installation files and install them over your existing operating system, or on a brand new drive partition if you want to start from scratch.
Note: You can also update to Windows 11 even if you don't meet the hardware requirements. Microsoft doesn't guarantee compatibility, updates, or support in the same manner as Windows 11 on compatible PCs, as there may be some that require certain hardware themselves. It does remain an option, though, and one that's likely preferable to remaining on Windows 10.
Get Extended Security Updates
For those unable to upgrade or update but who want to continue using Windows 10, Microsoft does have its Consumer Extended Security Update (ESU) programme. This is a scheme that will give up to a year of additional security updates (though not feature updates or official troubleshooting support), culminating on October 13, 2026, no matter when you take it out. (So the sooner the better)
To take advantage of the ESU scheme, you'll need a Windows 10 system running version 22H2, Home, Professional, Pro Education, or Workstations edition. Commercial Windows 10 installations are subject to a different ESU programme. You'll also need to have all the latest Windows updates installed and use an adult Microsoft account to sign in as an administrator.
There are three ways to join the ESU programme:
- Pay a one-time $30 purchase fee.
- Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
- For free, if:
- You are located in the European Economic Area and log in to a Microsoft account.
- Log in to a Microsoft account and use Windows Backup to sync your files.
You can enroll in the ESU at any time throughout the next year, but it will still end for consumers on October 13, 2026. Also, you will remain vulnerable when running Windows 10 anytime before you join the ESU.
To join the ESU, on your Windows 10 system, navigate to Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update. As long as your device meets the prerequisites for the scheme, you'll see a link there to enroll. Select it.
You'll be prompted on how you want to enroll, whether that's paying the fee, backing up, or signing into a Microsoft account. Select your preferred option and follow the on-screen instructions.
The ESU can be used across 10 devices once you've joined it. On any additional devices you want to use it on, navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Enroll Now on those additional devices.
Air gap your system
The final option to secure your Windows 10 system is just to make it so that it can't be attacked or infected. That means air gapping it, or creating a physical barrier between it and any wider networks. You take it off your local network, take it off the internet, and never reconnect it without upgrading it first.
As long as you keep a system air gapped, it doesn't really matter how old or out of date it is. It's (almost) physically impossible to affect any system protected this way. Just remember that it will also severely reduce the capabilities of that system outside its own immediate local processing and rendering.
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