After Windows 7 and XP, Windows 10 is probably one of the most loved operating systems by users. However, its 10-year run is coming to an end as Microsoft is officially ending support for Windows 10 in October 2025. In fact, Microsoft is already reaching out to users with a Windows 10 upgrade warning. So, I’m sure many of you are wondering, what will happen to the millions of Windows 10 PCs still in use? Are apps going to work at all? To answer these questions, we have discussed all the available options before Windows 10 reaches its end-of-life (EOL).
What Will Happen After Windows 10 Support Ends?
Microsoft has started sending emails with a Windows 10 upgrade warning, urging users to move to Windows 11. Windows 10 will reach the end of support on October 14, 2025, and will no longer receive bug fixes, security patches, or feature updates. That said, Windows 10 is currently the most popular Windows OS, accounting for over 58% market share while Windows 11 just climbed to 38%.
Now, what will happen to the millions of Windows 10 PCs and laptops once support ends? Windows 10 PCs will continue to function as usual, just like before. However, users won’t receive security updates against new vulnerabilities which can make the experience insecure. Next, over time, some apps and services may face compatibility issues as Windows 10 will no longer be officially supported by Microsoft.
On top of that, Microsoft will start displaying full-screen warning messages, asking users to switch to Windows 11 for a more secure experience. That said, if you are a power user, you can keep your browser and antivirus up to date, and continue to use Windows 10 by mitigating the risks yourself.
Google Chrome will continue to receive security updates, and so far, Google has not announced anything on ending support for Windows 10. And for your information, Google supported Chrome on Windows 7 until 2023, three years after its official end of support.
Having said all of that, for a majority of Windows 10 users, I recommended upgrading to Windows 11 in order to remain secure and up to date. In case, you still prefer to use Windows 10 while keeping your PC secure, you can opt for the Extended Security Update (ESU) program, which I have explained in detail below.
Pay for Extended Security Update (ESU) to Use Windows 10 Safely
Even after reaching end-of-support, Microsoft continues supporting older operating systems for businesses and educational institutes through the Extended Security Update (ESU) program. This program provides critical security updates but at a cost. Microsoft has already announced the ESU program for Windows 10 and, thankfully, consumers can also enroll in this program.
| Products | ESU Start Date | ESU End Date Year 1 | ESU End Date Year 2 | ESU End Date Year 3 | Type of Security Update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 | November 11, 2025 | October 13, 2026 | October 12, 2027 | October 10, 2028 | Critical, Important |
General consumers will have to pay $30 to receive one year of security updates on Windows 10. Educational institutes will have to pay $1 per device for the first year, $2 for the second year, and $4 for the third year. Business customers, on the other hand, will have to pay $61 per device in the first year, $122 in the second year, and $244 in the third year.
Note that Microsoft is currently offering only a one-year ESU plan for consumers, but education and business customers can subscribe to the three-year plan. This means general consumers can only continue using Windows 10 till October 2026 with the ESU update. However, Microsoft has not confirmed that it will extend the program beyond 2026 for consumers. In that case, users will be forced to upgrade to Windows 11.
Bypass Hardware Requirements and Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10
Some users are staying on Windows 10 by choice and some are unable to upgrade due to Windows 11’s stricter hardware requirements. If your PC doesn’t meet the official requirements to install Windows 11, do not worry. You can easily bypass Windows 11’s system requirements by following our detailed guide and upgrade to the latest Windows 11 build from Windows 10.
Even without the TPM chip or Secure Boot support, you can install Windows 11 using the Rufus tool. Not to mention, you can even skip the 4GB+ memory requirement.
There is also a Registry workaround which we have mentioned in the linked guide, in case you don’t want to use a third-party tool. So before Windows 10 hits end-of-life, go ahead and upgrade to the safer alternative on your unsupported PC. This will save you from buying a new Windows 11 PC.
Switch to an Alternative OS: ChromeOS Flex or Linux Mint
If upgrading to Windows 11 isn’t an option, you can take a look at Chrome OS Flex or Linux Mint. While Windows 11 is my primary OS, I have used ChromeOS extensively for years and continue to use it even today. ChromeOS is no longer a web-powered operating system as it has evolved into a proper desktop OS, thanks to built-in support for Linux apps.
In fact, I have used Windows apps on my Chromebook via the Linux environment and Wine, and they work quite well. The only difference between ChromeOS and ChromeOS Flex is that the latter lacks Android app support. It’s not a big deal, to be honest. You can do so much more with Linux apps, and even install Steam on ChromeOS Flex to play PC games via the Proton layer.
You can follow our detailed tutorial to install ChromeOS Flex on your Windows PC. It runs quite well on 4GB of RAM and delivers superior battery life, compared to Windows laptops.
Finally, you can even check out Linux Mint, which has a familiar Windows-like GUI interface. It’s lightweight, secure, and most importantly, free. It works out of the box and you can install apps via Software Manager, which is user-friendly and similar to Microsoft Store on Windows.
Source: Beebom
