The end of a software solution’s lifespan is always stressful. Businesses rarely enjoy change, especially when they have no say in the matter. Putting aside the transition itself, which is often fraught with problems, you must often adapt to entirely new operational procedures. This is difficult at the best of times.
When the software being discontinued is your operating system (OS), it becomes a whole new ball game. Suddenly, every single work device must be updated, interrupting work and potentially opening up security gaps. This is exactly the future that Microsoft users currently face, thanks to Windows 10 end of life.
But it isn’t hopeless. While a platform’s end of life is an ordeal, it isn’t impossible to overcome. Here’s everything you need to know about the end of Windows 10 – what it means, how to survive it, and whether you really need to upgrade.
Read more: IT Governance vs Compliance: What You Need to Know
What is “End of Life” in IT?
In the IT space, “End of life” refers to the point when a software product is no longer supported by its developer. It does not mean that the product has “Failed”, that the developer is in danger, or that anything else is wrong. This is the natural order of things. Every software eventually reaches its end of life, and is replaced with a new one. OS’ are no exception.
Why Does This Happen?
Every operating system is built on code that eventually becomes outdated, for one reason or another. Either it cannot effectively leverage newer technologies, it won’t run well on modern hardware, or threat actors are starting to spot major security gaps that can’t be closed. The developers are constantly attempting to stay ahead of these changes by creating newer, better systems.
But why not release both? Why remove support for the previous version? There are a few reasons developers do this:
- They’re encouraging users to adopt the newer system
- They need additional resources to support modern products
- They’re trying to reduce exposure to cyber threats, by limiting the number of legacy applications in play
The bottom line is that while it might feel like an attack on your business, end of life always takes your best interests into account.
What Does Windows 10 End of Life Mean?
Earlier this year, Microsoft officially announced the Windows 10 end of life date: October 14th, 2025. After this date, all of their resources will go towards Windows 11. This, as of this article’s creation, is just over two weeks away, which is understandably causing many businesses to panic – especially those who are just now learning about this.
What Happens After Windows 10 End of Life?
Here is what you can expect after the deadline:
- No Security Updates: After October 14th, Windows 10 will no longer be receiving security updates. Any vulnerabilities present within the OS at this time will effectively become permanent, and new ones will not be addressed.
- No Feature Enhancements: There will be no more performance improvements, bug fixes, or new features. Any bugs or issues still present will become permanent.
- Support Winds Down: Microsoft’s support teams will gradually shift their focus to newer platforms. This will not have an immediate impact—but over time, support for Windows 10 will be harder and harder to receive. Support specialists will likely begin recommending that you upgrade instead of providing real advice for the issue you’re experiencing.
- Increased Compatibility Issues: It’s extremely common for older operating systems to struggle with modern hardware. The lack of ongoing support from Microsoft will greatly exacerbate this. Sooner or later, you will find that Windows 10 struggles to run on modern computers.
Should You Update?
We need to be honest: upgrading an OS is a massive pain, especially for businesses who have many devices to worry about. It can be very tempting to simply continue using the old one. Updating is commonly seen as more of an inconvenience than an actual, tangible upgrade.
So should you bother updating? Or should you join the many businesses insisting that there is no reason to move on just yet.
The Risks of Staying on Windows 10
- Vulnerabilities: Without regular updates, your devices and networks become increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Existing security gaps will not be addressed, and new ones will continue to appear over time. Sooner or later, threat actors will notice these and begin to exploit them.
- Compliance Issues: Many compliance standards require regular OS updates, for the aforementioned security reasons. As Windows 10 will no longer receive updates, you cannot comply with this. The end result could be audits, fines, or other penalties.
- Operational Problems: As Windows 10 grows older, it will run slower and experience more issues. Your employees will struggle to complete work at the same rate due to these small inefficiencies.
- Third-Party Challenges: Partners and vendors may refuse to work with unsupported systems, especially if they have already thoroughly integrated Windows 11 into their infrastructure. This limits your options.
- Sudden Downtime: As you continue to upgrade other hardware and software around Windows 10, eventually it will stop being compatible. One day, you will purchase computers that simply don’t run on Windows 10. Failing that, older operating systems are prone to crashes and failures, leading to costly downtime and work disruptions.
The Downsides of Upgrading to Windows 11
- Hidden Costs: While Microsoft pushes Windows 11 as a free OS, this is not necessarily true in practice. There are many hidden costs that can spring up during your transition. For instance, if you’d like to back up data using Microsoft’s built-in software, you’ll need to pay. There is also a long list of applications that will need to be entirely reinstalled, potentially requiring additional payment.
- User Resistance: Staff are often reluctant to embrace a new OS, and it’s difficult to blame them. A new version of Windows usually means that almost everything has been moved, changed, deleted, or replaced. This is so pervasive that guides can become completely inaccurate, leaving them stranded.
- Instability and Bugs: Every new software contains bugs—and as companies move towards long-term support models rather than releasing a complete product, these have only become more common. Expect some instability.
- Increased IT Workload: During and after the upgrade, your IT staff will need to work overtime. Updating an entire company’s devices is a long and complex task, and issues can continue to plague your business for months. This places an extreme amount of additional pressure on them.
- Compatibility Issues: Just as Windows 10 has compatibility issues with newer technology, Windows 11 often cannot integrate properly with older solutions. If your existing infrastructure is rife with legacy systems, this can present a problem.
With all this in mind, you must decide which set of risks you’re most comfortable with. Ultimately, we feel it is better to upgrade sooner rather than later. The issues associated with Windows 11 will improve over time. In contrast, the problems of Windows 10 will only ever get worse. While the transition might be painful, it will be well worth it in the long run.
The Challenges: Why an Upgrade is Easier Said Than Done
OS upgrades are rarely simple. There are many challenges you can face along the way that significantly complicate the process:
- Integration: Slotting an entirely new OS into your existing technology environment is no easy feat. Many businesses struggle with integration for a variety of reasons. They may rely heavily on legacy software that doesn’t play nicely with Windows 11, or solutions may need to be deleted and reinstalled.
- Temporary Security Lapses: The transition process is particularly dangerous for many businesses. Lots of data is being shifted from one place to another, and security is often lower than normal. This creates a window of opportunity for threat actors.
- Data Loss: Updating to a new OS automatically wipes all data stored on the affected device. If you are not paying close attention, critical data can be erased more easily than you might imagine. Once it’s gone, it’s almost impossible to restore.
- Interruptions: As with all major Microsoft updates, the upgrade to Windows 11 requires a significant amount of time to complete. During this period, all affected devices will be completely unusable. If you are not careful, this could lead to extended downtime.
Fortunately, all of these problems can be prevented with the right approach.
How to Prepare for Windows 10 End of Life
A little preparation makes all the difference between a smooth transition and one that encounters constant issues. Take these steps to make sure your upgrade is as smooth as possible:
1. Audit Your Systems
Assess your existing IT infrastructure. Identify every single device or platform that currently relies on Windows 10, and examine any potential integration challenges. Prioritise mission-critical assets and those with the biggest security risk.
2. Choose Your Timeline
You don’t need to update on October 14th exactly. Create a rollout plan that aligns with your business needs. For example, you may choose to perform the update after-hours, rather than interrupting a busy workday. Implement Windows 11 in stages – that way, you will quickly notice if anything goes wrong.
3. Communicate With Your Teams
Inform staff early – preferably at least a week or two in advance. Share why the upgrade is happening, how it benefits the business, and what to expect. Provide space for questions and concerns at this time. If your employees feel listened to, they are more likely to trust you.
4. Provide Training
It is easy to underestimate the difference when moving from one Windows OS to another – but the truth is, they are often so different that they may as well be made by entirely separate companies. This can be very frustrating for workers to navigate, at first. Provide additional training and support to alleviate pain points and maintain high productivity.
5. Backup Everything
Before you touch your existing OS, perform a full backup of all existing systems and data. You should also preserve at least one copy of Windows 10, just in case the upgrade goes so poorly that you are forced to revert. In the best-case scenario, these measures will be useless. In the worst, they could literally save your business.
Upgrading to Windows 11
The upgrade itself, surprisingly, is usually the easy part. Microsoft aims to make software updates as simple as possible. Here are some quick tips to streamline it even further:
- Use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT): The MDT provides an easy way to immediately update dozens of devices at once, drastically reducing the time involved. Use it to reduce friction and minimize downtime.
- Run a Test Deployment: Before you take the leap, try updating one device and see how it goes. This will help you uncover any problems in a safe, contained environment.
- Schedule Downtime: Schedule the final upgrade to take place during a time when business operations will be least impacted.
What to Do When Things Go Wrong
Even the best-planned upgrades can go wrong. Here are some strategies you can use to address common problems:
- The Update Broke Everything: This is why you should always keep a copy of Windows 10 available. If the upgrade causes an unreasonable amount of damage, you can always rollback to the original environment while the problem is addressed.
- My Data Got Corrupted: Assuming you took the very important step of creating a backup, this should be easy to fix. Once you have identified the cause of the corruption, address it and then restore from your backups. If you did not create a backup, contact an IT expert immediately. There is a small chance they may be able to recover some of the lost data.
- The Update Froze Halfway Through: Windows updates, especially major ones, often appear to “Freeze”. Often this is a normal part of the process. However, on some rare occasions, it may genuinely break halfway through and stop progressing. If this happens to you, try restarting the device and then continuing the update process. If a restart does not work, or you experience the same issue a second time, contact an IT professional.
- An Important Application Won’t Run on Windows 11: If you successfully complete the update but then find that essential applications won’t open, try running the program as an administrator. Often, this will solve the problem. If it doesn’t, contact your IT provider for more troubleshooting steps.
Still Using Windows 10? Here’s What You Need to Know
Despite the risks, you may still decide that upgrading is not a priority right now. There are some valid reasons for this, such as budgetary concerns or software dependencies. If you choose to continue using the software beyond its end of life date, here are some important steps you should take to reduce risk:
- Segment all devices that run Windows 10, so they can easily be disconnected from your main network during a cyber-attack.
- Improve endpoint security to identify and stop threats.
- Limit user privileges, and implement strong access controls if you haven’t already.
- Check that you are still compliant with all relevant regulations and industry standards.
- Ensure that every other application is fully updated.
- Keep thorough documentation of all security activities and active policies.
- Monitor closely for potential threats or system failures.
Windows 10 End of Life Support
Microsoft is aware that many businesses struggle with major OS updates. For this reason, they provide two key Windows 10 end of life support options:
Windows 10 LTSC and IoT
Long-term servicing channels (LTSCs) do not receive feature updates, but do receive quality-of-life updates. Because of this, they are supported for much longer intervals of time than regular Windows installations. Windows 10 LTSC end of life will not fully take effect until January 12th 2027 (January 13th 2032, for the IoT version).
Unfortunately, these are also not designed for general use. LTSCs are built for specialized environments such as the government and utility sectors. Thus, it is unlikely that you’re running this version.
Extended Security Updates (ESU)
The Windows 10 ESU program allows certain businesses to purchase additional security coverage. Instead of support ending immediately on October 14th, you can pay to have it extended for up to three years. The cost starts at $61 per device for year one, and doubles each year after that. To be eligible, you must run version 22h2 on all Windows 10 PCs.
For businesses who aren’t quite ready to give up Windows 10, this may sound like a good option. However, it’s important to note that it is not a permanent solution. It also costs significantly more than simply upgrading, and does not include any updates or support other than basic security patches. The ESU program should be treated as a grace period to help businesses transition, not as an alternative to upgrading.
When to Contact an Expert
You may find that your business is not prepared for this major shift, or hit unexpected roadblocks halfway through. This is where a managed service provider (MSP) can be incredibly valuable. They can perform the upgrade for you, ensuring minimal disruptions while employees focus on completing their tasks. If you see any of the following warning signs, you may need to hire an IT expert to help out:
- The update is freezing or causing issues with affected devices
- You’re experiencing compatibility issues with workflow applications
- You cannot afford the necessary downtime to install the updates (for example, a healthcare organization that requires (24/7 uptime).
- Your industry is highly regulated, and/or you have concerns about security during the upgrade
- You lack the internal IT staff needed to handle this process effectively.
If you do choose to hire an MSP, look for good communication skills and previous experience working with Microsoft products. Membership in their partnership program is a big bonus, as it demonstrates significant expertise.
FAQs
When is Windows 10 End of Life?
Windows 10 end of life will take place on October 14th, 2025.
What happens after Windows 10 End of Life?
After Windows 10 end of life on October 14th, Microsoft will no longer release updates or security patches. They will also begin to wind down support, making it more difficult to receive assistance with any issues you experience.
What is Windows 10 LTSC End of Life?
Windows 10 LTSC will reach end of life in either 2027 or 2032, depending on which version you have.
Is Windows 10 Enterprise End of Life on the Same Date?
Windows 10 Enterprise end of life will occur on the same date as every other plan.
Can I Keep Using Windows 10 After End of Life?
You can still use Windows 10 after it reaches end of life. However, this is not recommended. It puts your business at risk of data breaches and outages.
Is There Any Way to Extend Support for Windows 10?
The only way to temporarily extend support for Windows 10 is by paying for the extended security update (ESU) program. However, we recommend that you switch to Windows 11 instead. The ESU program is very expensive and will only buy you three more years with Windows 10.
Change is Coming. Will You Be Ready for It?
The end of Windows 10 is coming, whether your business is ready for it or not. All you can control is how prepared you are to handle this change. By developing an upgrade strategy now, rather than clinging to the past, you will come out the other side far stronger. Don’t wait until you experience a major outage or breach – develop your migration plan now.
Not confident in your ability to handle the transition alone? Struggling to understand if outsourcing is the right choice for you? That’s what Ascentient is here for. Learn everything you need to know about outsourced IT now.