End of support for Windows 10 — what comes next
Shari
On 14 October 2025 Microsoft ended free support for Windows 10: the computer keeps working, but it no longer receives monthly fixes for newly discovered security holes. Below are the four real options and how to choose the right one for your hardware.
What changes in practice
- No new security fixes. This is the essential point.
- No technical support from Microsoft for Windows 10 problems.
- The software keeps working, but over time more and more programs will stop supporting Windows 10.
- An antivirus program helps, but it does not plug holes in the operating system itself.
For a home computer without important data the risk is tolerable for a few months. For a machine you work on, handle company documents with or use for banking, putting it off is a poor choice.
Option 1: upgrading to Windows 11
The cleanest solution, if the hardware allows it. Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, a supported processor, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of free space. Check with Microsoft's PC Health Check application, or see how to check TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot manually.
If the computer meets the requirements, you upgrade over the existing system — your files and programs are kept. If Windows 10 is activated, its licence also covers Windows 11 of the same edition and the upgrade is free. You need a new key if Windows 10 is not activated, if you do a clean install on another computer or if you want Pro instead of Home: Windows 11 Pro or Windows 11 Home. The differences between the two are described in this article.
Option 2: extended updates (ESU)
Microsoft offers businesses a paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme, at a price that rises every year. For home users it is no longer available. It is a temporary solution: it buys time, but solves nothing in the long term.
Option 3: staying on Windows 10 for now
Acceptable only if the computer is not connected with sensitive data. If you choose this, at least: install the last available updates, keep Microsoft Defender or another antivirus program active, take regular backups and do not open attachments from unknown senders.
If you do still need a licence for Windows 10 — for an older machine that does not support Windows 11, for example — see Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Home.
Option 4: a new computer
If the machine is 8–10 years old, repairs and upgrades are rarely worth it. A new computer comes with Windows 11 and hardware that will keep receiving updates for years to come.
What NOT to do
Do not go looking for 'free activators' or KMS tools to get around licensing. They are distributed through sites with no oversight whatsoever and often carry malware — in detail in the article on the risks of KMS activators. The price difference between such a 'free' option and a licence is small; the difference in risk is your data.
A short plan of action
- Check compatibility with Windows 11 (PC Health Check).
- If it is compatible — take a backup and upgrade with a valid licence.
- If it is not — at a company, weigh up the paid ESU; for a home computer, consider whether it is time for a new one.
- Do not leave a work computer without updates 'while there is still time'.
If the computer supports Windows 11 and you need a new key, choose Windows 11 Pro, or Windows 11 Home for purely home use. The key arrives by email within 15 minutes during working hours. Not sure which case you fall into? Write to us at info@litsenzi.bg with the model of the computer — we will tell you whether Windows 11 will run on it and which licence you need.
