Microsoft is setting its sights on 2025 as the pivotal year for a widespread shift to Windows 11 PCs. The company is actively encouraging users to replace their older Windows 10 machines with newer, more modern Windows 11 systems. This push is driven by a combination of incentives and disincentives, creating a “carrot-and-stick” approach.
The “carrot” in this strategy involves highlighting the benefits of new Windows 11 PCs. These advantages include enhanced battery life and innovative AI-powered features, making them attractive upgrades.
Conversely, the “stick” involves the impending end of free updates for Windows 10 PCs, slated for this year. As 2025 progresses, it’s crucial to understand the implications for Windows 10 users. While the situation may seem dire, it’s not necessarily a complete doomsday scenario.
Many Windows 10 users have likely encountered prompts promoting the allure of Windows 11. If you haven’t yet, expect to see these messages become more frequent throughout the year. Microsoft has even experimented with full-screen upgrade prompts. If your Windows 10 PC meets the hardware requirements for Windows 11, you’ll receive a notification suggesting a free upgrade. This message will also appear within the Windows Update section of the Windows 10 Settings app.
Even if your PC is not eligible for the official Windows 11 upgrade, you may still encounter pop-up advertisements encouraging you to purchase a new PC. These prompts are likely to become increasingly persistent as the October 14, 2025, deadline approaches. However, you will retain the ability to dismiss them and continue using your PC as usual.
It’s important to note that some Windows 10 PCs can technically be upgraded to Windows 11 through an unsupported method provided by Microsoft. However, the company cautions that these PCs may experience compatibility issues with Windows 11 in the future, making it a less-than-ideal solution.
The primary deadline to keep in mind is October 14, 2025. On this date, Microsoft’s official support for Windows 10 will cease, and the company will no longer provide free security updates for Windows 10 PCs.
After mid-October, using a Windows 10 PC will be similar to using a Windows 7 PC today. Your PC will still function, and you can continue performing your usual tasks, but it will become increasingly vulnerable to security threats as new vulnerabilities are discovered but not patched.
As time passes and the number of Windows 10 users declines, application developers will gradually discontinue support for the operating system. App developers are free to support older versions of Windows for as long as they choose, but eventually, the effort required becomes disproportionate to the benefit, leading them to drop support. For example, Valve ended support for Steam on Windows 7 on January 1, 2024.
There is both positive and negative news regarding the October 14, 2025, security update deadline.
The good news is that you can continue receiving security updates for your Windows 10 PC for another year, until October 2026. The bad news is that you will need to pay for this privilege. Microsoft will charge $30 per device for one year of extended security updates (ESU).
Microsoft typically offers extended updates to businesses and organizations, not to individual consumers. This change is significant. However, the offering for individuals is limited. While businesses can pay for up to three additional years of security updates, individuals can only pay for one year. It’s uncertain whether Microsoft will extend this option further next year.
Businesses will face increasing costs each year. The price will be $61 for the first year, doubling to $122 for the second year, and doubling again to $244 for the third year. This pricing structure is designed to encourage businesses to upgrade to Windows 11 as quickly as possible. Fortunately, Microsoft offers a heavily discounted rate to schools: $1 for the first year, $2 for the second, and $4 for the third.
This extended security update option is not a long-term solution, but it provides a way for Microsoft to demonstrate that they don’t want to completely abandon Windows 10 users while still incentivizing them to upgrade. Why pay a significant amount for extended security when that money could be used towards purchasing a new PC?
Everything discussed thus far pertains to security updates for Windows 10. It’s crucial to understand that your Windows 10 PC will continue to function even after October 14, 2025. You will be able to boot it up, use it, run your applications, and so on. Windows might display notifications about the lack of security updates and the increased security risks, but that is the extent of the impact.
However, it is not recommended to continue using an unsupported operating system. Whether it’s a Windows 10 PC, an Android phone, or any other tech device, it is generally advisable to use devices that are still receiving security updates. The internet is inherently dangerous, and using vulnerable devices significantly increases the risk.
Many applications are likely to continue receiving security updates for a few more years. While Microsoft has announced that it will not support Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 after October 14, 2025, not all companies are as eager to discontinue support for Windows 10 users.
For instance, Google has not announced an end-of-support date for Google Chrome on Windows 10. In fact, Google supported Chrome on Windows 7 until January 2023, which coincided with the end of Microsoft’s three-year extended support period for businesses.
Windows 10 is approaching its end of life and will soon be phased out. However, the reality is more complex. Windows 10 remains remarkably popular. In December 2024, StatCounter’s market share statistics showed that Windows 10 was running on approximately 63% of all PCs worldwide, while Windows 11 accounted for only 34%. Less than a year before Windows 10’s end of life, it is still running on twice as many PCs as Windows 11.
Compare this situation to where Windows 7 was at the same point in its own official life cycle. Support for Windows 7 ended in January 2020. A year prior, in January 2019, 53% of PCs worldwide ran Windows 10, while 35% ran Windows 7. While a significant number of PCs were still running Windows 7, the newer version of Windows was already significantly ahead.
As we enter 2025, Windows 11 is still far behind Windows 10 in terms of worldwide adoption. For an operating system that is supposedly on its way out, Windows 10 appears to be in a very strong position.
This situation is unprecedented. Microsoft is making a concerted effort to retire Windows 10, but it is possible that some aspects of the plan might change. For example, Microsoft might offer more than one year of extended updates to consumers if Windows 10 continues to be widely used.
We are in uncharted territory. Microsoft clearly hopes that the adoption of Windows 11 will accelerate this year, which explains the company’s initiatives like "the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh." Whether a major PC hardware push, combined with extensive promotion of Copilot+ PCs and AI features, will be enough to help Microsoft move on from Windows 10 in 2025 remains to be seen.
Even if Microsoft remains steadfast in its efforts to push users off Windows 10, alternative options exist if you don’t want to replace your PC. You might consider installing a Windows-like version of Linux or even transforming your old laptop into a Chromebook.
