When Will Microsoft Stop Supporting Windows 10?
Now that Windows 11 is on the horizon, you might be wondering how long you can keep using Windows 10 safely with continued security updates from Microsoft. We have the answer. Desktop Windows 10 Support Ends October 2025  According to Microsofts lifecycle website, the company will officially support Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Enterprise, and Windows 10 Education editions until October 14, 2025. At that point, all regular desktop editions of Windows 10 will reach end-of-life status, which means that theyll no longer receive security updates from Microsoft. (Support for the less commonly used Long Term Support Channel releases Windows 10 2019 LTSC and Windows 10 IoT 2019 LTSC will end on January 9, 2029.) After Windows 10 support ends, youll need to upgrade to Windows 11 to keep receiving security updates. In our richly connected world, those updates are essential for maintaining your personal privacy and data security. As mentioned above, Windows 10 Home, Pro, Education, Enterprise, and IoT Enterprise will no longer receive security updates after October 14, 2025. Advertisement    Windows LTSC, a specialized version of Windows for businesses that need long-term support, will continue to receive updates for a few more years after that. Windows 10 2019 LTSC and Windows 10 IoT 2019 LTSC will stop receiving security updates on January 9, 2029. Once security updates stop, youre on your own. Any new vulnerabilities found in Windows 10 after those dates might not be patched by Microsoft (although rare exceptions to this rule have happened). Still, you definitely cant rely on it, so its best to upgrade to Windows 11 by October 2025. On the bright side, it looks like Windows 11 includes many useful new features, so it shouldnt be a painful upgrade. Windows 10 wont magically stop working in October of 2025 even if Microsoft stops providing security updates. That means that you can technically keep using it (as some loyal holdouts have done with older versions of Windows in the past), even though its generally not a good idea. With sophisticated phishing attacks, remote exploits, and ransomware being common these days, the stakes are simply too high for most people to risk their personal data by using an unsupported operating system. So update when youre readyyou have until 2025 to do it safelybut know that technology constantly changes and time marches on. Someday, well all look back at Windows 10 running in a museum and recall the good ol days. Stay safe out there! Here's How to Protect Your PC