Windows 10 Support Has Ended: What Small Businesses Should Do Now

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Your Windows 10 PCs still turn on, open email and run your software. What they no longer get is the steady stream of free security fixes that kept them safe. Every month that passes adds more known holes that will never be patched on those machines.

If your office still has Windows 10 computers, this guide walks you through what end of support really means, how to tell which PCs can move to Windows 11, and what Microsoft's paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) actually include.

What “end of support” actually means

According to Microsoft, Windows 10 PCs keep working, but Microsoft no longer provides:

• Security and quality updates, unless the PC is enrolled in ESU
• Technical support from Microsoft for Windows 10 problems
• New features of any kind

The risk is not that the PC stops working. The risk is that attackers keep finding new weaknesses in Windows, and an unpatched PC stays open to every one of them. Cyber insurance applications and client security questionnaires also commonly ask whether you run supported operating systems.

What about Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10?

Microsoft has said it will keep sending security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 until October 10, 2028. Feature updates stop at Version 2608, after which those PCs get security fixes only. Microsoft also notes that if a problem only happens on Windows 10, its support team will ask you to move to Windows 11. In short: Outlook and Word keep getting patched for now, but the operating system underneath them does not.

Step 1: Take a quick inventory

Before you buy anything, list every computer in the office, including the one in the back room that runs the label printer or the old accounting software. A simple spreadsheet is enough:

Computer	Windows version	Processor	TPM 2.0?	Age	Plan
Front desk PC	Windows 10 22H2	Intel Core i5 (8th gen)	Yes	5 years	Upgrade in place
Warehouse PC	Windows 10 22H2	Intel Core i5 (4th gen)	No	9 years	Replace
Owner's laptop	Windows 11	—	Yes	2 years	Already done

The rows above are only an example of the format. To find the Windows version on a PC, press Windows key + R, type winver and press Enter.

Step 2: Check each PC against Windows 11 requirements

Microsoft's published minimum requirements for Windows 11 include:

• A compatible 64-bit processor, 1 GHz or faster with 2 or more cores
• 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage
• UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability
• TPM (Trusted Platform Module) version 2.0
• DirectX 12 compatible graphics and a 720p display larger than 9 inches

Four gigabytes is the minimum, not a comfortable amount. For a business PC running Outlook, Teams and a browser full of tabs, 16 GB is a more realistic target.

The easiest check is Microsoft's free PC Health Check app, linked from the same requirements page. It tells you whether a PC qualifies and, if not, which requirement it fails. Common reasons are an older processor or TPM being switched off in the firmware settings. If TPM is the only problem, it can often be turned on in the BIOS/UEFI setup, so check before you write a PC off.

Step 3: Pick an upgrade path for each PC

Upgrade in place

Eligible Windows 10 PCs can move to Windows 11 through Windows Update at no extra license cost. Your files and most apps stay put. Before you start, back up the PC, confirm your line-of-business software supports Windows 11, and schedule the upgrade outside working hours. It typically takes an hour or more per machine.

Replace the PC

For machines that fail the hardware check, or that are already slow, a new PC is usually the better investment. Buy business-class models with Windows 11 Pro, enough RAM, and an SSD. Budget time to move data, printers and software, not just the box.

Use a cloud PC

Windows 365 gives users a Windows 11 desktop that runs in Microsoft's cloud. Microsoft states that Windows 10 devices connecting to Windows 365 Cloud PCs are entitled to ESU for up to three years with an active Windows 365 subscription (see Microsoft's ESU program page). This can make sense for a handful of users or as a bridge, but it is a monthly cost per user.

Avoid the unsupported workaround

You will find guides online for forcing Windows 11 onto PCs that do not meet the requirements. Microsoft does not recommend this and warns such PCs are not guaranteed to receive updates. For a business, that defeats the purpose of upgrading.

Extended Security Updates: the real terms

ESU is Microsoft's paid program for organizations that need more time. It is a bridge, not a long-term plan. Here is what Microsoft's ESU program page and its setup guide say:

Term	What it means for you
Price	$61 per device for Year One through Microsoft Volume Licensing; the price doubles every consecutive year
Length	Up to three years after end of support, bought one year at a time; no partial years
Catch-up rule	ESU is cumulative: if you join in Year Two, you also pay for Year One
What you get	Critical and important security updates only; no new features, no non-security fixes
Support	No general technical support; Microsoft supports only ESU activation and installation issues
Requirements	Windows 10 version 22H2 with the required updates installed, then an ESU key activated on each PC

As of today we are in ESU Year Two, which began in October 2026. Under Microsoft's doubling rule, a business joining now pays for Year One and Year Two per device, and Year Three costs more again. Ask your Microsoft licensing partner for the exact current price before you budget.

The consumer ESU option is not for businesses

Microsoft also runs a consumer ESU program for home users. Microsoft's page states it cannot be used in commercial scenarios, and it excludes devices joined to Active Directory or Microsoft Entra ID and devices managed by mobile device management. If your PCs are business machines, plan on the commercial program or an upgrade.

When ESU makes sense

• A PC runs specialized software or controls equipment that is not yet certified for Windows 11
• Replacement hardware is ordered but has not arrived
• You need a few more months to spread out the cost of new PCs

For a regular office PC that can run Windows 11, upgrading is almost always cheaper and safer than paying for ESU.

Your Windows 10 checklist

• List every PC and note its Windows version, processor, TPM status and age
• Run PC Health Check on each Windows 10 machine
• Back up each PC before upgrading
• Confirm your key business software and printers support Windows 11
• Upgrade eligible PCs during off-hours, a few at a time
• Order replacements for PCs that fail the check
• Buy ESU only for machines that truly cannot move yet, and set a date to retire them
• Disconnect or isolate any Windows 10 PC you must keep without ESU, and keep it off email and web browsing

Need a hand?

Moving an office to Windows 11 is mostly careful planning: knowing what you have, testing your software, and scheduling the work so nobody loses a day. If you would rather hand that off, Right On Tech's managed IT team can inventory your PCs, handle the upgrades, and keep everything patched afterwards.