Windows 10 end of Security updates, and what it means to you.

Despite Microsoft promising that Windows 10 would never be replaced, in November 2021 they released Windows 11. As a result, they have announced their intention to stop releasing security updates for Windows 10 with effect from 14^th October 2025.

Whilst annoying, inconvenient and sometimes damaging to your computer, these updates play a vital role in keeping you as secure as possible in the online world. Using an unsupported computer online increases your chances of falling victim to an ever-increasing range of threats from ransomware attacks to identity theft and everything in between.

Unfortunately for many, when Microsoft released Windows 11, they decided limit compatibility to computers generally no older than ones using the latest technology as of 2018 though there are exceptions. Please note it is not uncommon for new computers to be based on technology that was released 2 or even 3 years prior. As a result, some computer that were bought new as recent as 2021 may not be officially compatible.

You may have noticed that we are using the term ‘officially compatible’, this is because since the launch of Windows 11 many experts have found ways of getting computers that are not officially compatible to run Windows 11. We have evaluated these workarounds and investigated the potential consequences of running Windows 11 on devices that are too old to officially support it and have come up with this guide to help you decide what to do as we approach the claimed end of support for Windows 10.

Before going into detail about upgrading or replacing we need to mention that support for Windows 10 may continue beyond 14^th October 2025. While we have nothing concrete there are a few rumblings from Microsoft hinting this may be a possibility:

Windows 10 users out number Windows 11 users two to one. Meaning hundreds of millions of users still need to make the switch that could be severely alienated if forced to upgrade or, more expensively, replace their computer. When Windows Vista was so unpopular they ultimately extended support for Windows XP by an extra 4.5 years

Microsoft had planned on ceasing security updates for all current versions of Office and Defender running on Windows 10 computers on the same date, however they have now stated they will continue these updates for a further 3 years. This does not make sense unless they are planning on continuing security updates for Windows 10 itself.

Microsoft have said that users can pay $30.00 (yes dollars) for an extra 12 months of security updates for Windows 10 but have not put in any mechanism to pay this fee yet. Until this fee can be paid, we believe that the 14^th of October date could be changed.

So, there are some reasons why the end-of-life date for Windows 10 may be extended but if you want to act now then here are our need to knows about hardware compatibility. Computers generally have processors made by either Intel or AMD and their compatibility is so different that we have split them.

Intel Processors

Any Intel Core ‘I’ series processor 8^th generation or newer is fully compatible and Windows 11 should have already tried to push itself on to your computer. This doesn’t always happen because of two things, one called TPM and the other ‘Secure boot’. These are features of the computer’s BIOS and may simply be turned off thus preventing Windows 11 from automatically upgrading.

6^th and 7^th generation Intel Core ‘I’ series processors are physically the same as 8^th generation but, for some reason, Microsoft has decided to not allow Windows 11 run on these computers. We have a work around that, to date, has been 100% successful with computers we have upgraded, and ZERO issues reported.

Older Core ‘I’ processors. At the request of our customers, we have installed Windows 11 on several computers of this era and while most are successful, occasionally there are issues. Personally, my laptop, 5^th generation Intel Core I5, now crashes whenever I try to use the webcam. It’s not an issue for me as I never use my webcam, but issues can manifest themselves differently on other computers, or there can be no problems at all. Therefor we recommend replacing computers of this era or waiting to see if Microsoft extend support for Windows 10.

For all other Intel CPUs please Click here to be taken to a list of compatible Intel processors.

AMD Processors

2^nd generation AMD Ryzen and newer family of processors are fully compatible, and Windows 11 should have already tried to push itself on to your computer. This doesn’t always happen because of two things, one called TPM and the other ‘Secure boot’. These are features of the computer’s BIOS and may simply be turned off thus preventing Windows 11 from automatically upgrading.

Other AMD processors in computers running DDR4 RAM. If this applies to your computer and you have a dedicated graphics processor then your computer should be able to run Windows 11.

ALL remaining AMD processors. Windows 11 will probably not install correctly and is likely to leave your computer unusable. To double check if your computer is an exception to this rule click here for a list of compatible AMD processors.

If you are unsure how to find out the information you need to work out your computer’s compatibility, please bring your computer to us and we will check in a matter of minutes. Please do not call to ask for instructions as these vary depending on your computer’s configuration.

So, what happens when support ends and a computer is still running Windows 10?

Essentially nothing. Your computer will still work and, initially, websites will still behave as normal. If you imagine your computer, is a castle. Windows updates are the maintenance crew fixing holes in your castle walls that are being exploited by attackers, and your antivirus/security software is your army stood on the walls defending your computer from attack. Eventually, with no one repairing your castle walls your castle will be defenceless – no wall to both block attackers and act as a foundation for your army.

Many websites will eventually stop users from accessing their services from unsupported devices to reduce security risks to you and themselves, but this is not guaranteed. And, being allowed to access a website that contains secure information from an unsupported device does not mean your information is still secure.