Windows 10 Support Has Ended: What to Do Right Now (All Your Options Explained)

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Windows 10 Support Has Ended: What to Do Right Now (All Your Options Explained)

Sunday, August 9, 2026 · min read

On October 14, 2025, Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates. Hundreds of millions of PCs are deciding their fate right now.

Updated August 09, 2026, after a fresh review, with updated visuals and links.

Your computer didn't die, but every month without action leaves it more exposed. Here are your four real options, with costs and honest trade offs for each.

An older Windows 10 laptop facing end of support
Photo by Adam Sondel on Pexels

Get this ready first

  • A Windows 10 PC
  • 30 minutes to decide and act

Step by step

  1. Option 1: Upgrade to Windows 11 (free, best path). Settings, Update and Security, Windows Update, and check if the free Windows 11 upgrade is offered. Most PCs from 2018 onward qualify: 8th gen Intel or Ryzen 2000+, 4 GB RAM, TPM 2.0. Backup first, then run it. Same files, same apps, modern security.
  2. Option 2: Extended Security Updates (ESU), the safety net. Microsoft sells one extra year of security updates until October 13, 2026. It's free if you sign in with a Microsoft account and sync settings (even minimal), costs 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or a one time $30 payment. Enrollment lives right on the Windows Update page. Crucially, stay signed in: leaving your Microsoft account inactive 60 days cancels the coverage.
    • This buys one year to plan, it's not forever
    • ESU delivers security patches only, no new features or tech support
  3. Option 3: Unsupported bypass for older hardware. PCs that fail the requirements can often still run Windows 11 via documented registry or registry based installer workarounds. It works for millions but Microsoft warns updates could theoretically stop on such machines. Weigh this as plan B, not plan A. Our separate Tutomod guide covers the bypass in detail.
  4. Option 4: Leave Windows or leave the internet. A lightweight Linux distro revives old hardware with modern browsers and security (free, one afternoon). Or, for a PC doing one offline job, disconnect it from the internet entirely and it stays useful indefinitely.
  5. Whatever you choose, back up today. Before ANY of the above: copy documents, photos and anything precious to an external drive or OneDrive. Every path is safer with a backup, and it's the step everyone skips and regrets.
Upgrading a PC to a newer Windows version
Photo by Mathias Reding on Pexels

A few things worth knowing

  • Check your PC's eligibility with Microsoft's PC Health Check app before assuming anything.
  • If you're buying a new PC anyway, migrate with Windows Backup to make the move painless.
  • Businesses have multi year ESU options priced per device, talk to your IT provider rather than improvising.

What trips people up

  • Doing nothing is the one bad option: unpatched machines become low hanging fruit for ransomware within months.
  • Don't pay shady websites offering 'Windows 11 activation keys' for a few dollars. Many are stolen volume keys that deactivate later.

Questions people ask

Will my Windows 10 PC just stop working?
No, it boots and runs exactly as before. What stops is the flow of security patches, which is the dangerous part accumulating month by month.

Is ESU worth it for a home user?
If your PC can't upgrade and you're not ready to change, one protected year for free (with Microsoft account sync) is a no brainer bridge while you plan.

Keep reading

Wrapping up

Upgrade free, enroll in ESU, bypass carefully, or switch systems. Pick one this week, the choice you don't make is the risk you take.