Windows Security · Patch Tuesday & Vulnerabilities · Lesson 4 of 5

When Windows Reaches End of Support

What unsupported means for security, and your choices on Windows 10.

What unsupported really means

Every version of Windows has a lifecycle, a set period when Microsoft keeps fixing it. When that period ends, the version reaches end of support.

Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Since then, a normal Windows 10 PC gets no security updates, no other fixes, and no technical help from Microsoft.

An unsupported PC still turns on. Your files and apps still open. That is exactly what makes it risky. Nothing looks wrong.

Here is what changes for security:

• New holes stay open for good. Each Patch Tuesday, supported versions get fixes. An unsupported PC gets none.
• Fixes elsewhere become a map. Many bugs exist in more than one Windows version. When Windows 11 gets a fix, attackers can study it and look for the same hole in Windows 10.
• Apps move on too. Over time, browsers and other apps stop supporting the old system, so they stop getting fixes on it as well.
• Antivirus can't fill the hole. Microsoft Defender can still spot known malware for a while. It can't repair a flaw inside Windows itself.

Over months and years, the list of open holes only grows. The more a PC touches the internet, email and other people's files, the bigger the risk.

To see which version you have, open Settings, then System, then About. Look under Windows specifications for the Edition and Version.

Be careful of scams here too. Microsoft won't phone you about end of support. Calls and pop-ups about an "expired" Windows are the same fake support tricks you have already learned to spot.

ESU and the road off Windows 10

Extended Security Updates, or ESU, is a Microsoft program that keeps sending critical and important security fixes to Windows 10 for a limited time. It is a bridge, not a forever plan.

For home users, ESU was first set to end on October 13, 2026. Microsoft has since extended it. Its ESU page now says home coverage runs through October 12, 2027. Dates can change, so check microsoft.com before you plan. Businesses have a separate, paid ESU program.

To join, the PC needs Windows 10 version 22H2 with the latest updates, and you sign in with a Microsoft account that is an administrator. Look for the enroll option in Settings, then Update & Security, then Windows Update. Microsoft lists three ways to pay:

• No cost, by syncing your PC settings to your Microsoft account.
• 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
• A one-time purchase, about 30 US dollars. One license covers up to 10 devices.

ESU gives security fixes only. No new features, no other repairs, no technical support.

Your real choices for a Windows 10 PC:

1. Upgrade to Windows 11, free if the PC meets the requirements. Windows Update or the PC Health Check app will tell you.
2. Enroll in ESU to stay protected while you plan.
3. Replace the PC if it can't run Windows 11 and you rely on it daily.
4. Keep it offline for one old program that doesn't need the internet.

The one choice to avoid is using it online with no updates and hoping for the best.