Microsoft Faces Urgent Deadline to Fix Major Windows 10 Issue

Windows 10 is on the brink of expiration, and it's a bit surreal to think about. In just eight months, Microsoft's most successful operating system to date will reach its end-of-support date. It's like watching a beloved pet slowly fade away, and soon, Windows 10 will be pushing up the daisies, as they say. It will have shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain, and joined the choir invisible. Quite the dramatic exit, don't you think?

Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11

It's hard to believe that Windows 10, which burst onto the scene nearly a decade ago in July 2015, is already facing its end. It came right after the less-than-stellar Windows 8 and quickly became a hit with both consumers and businesses. But here we are, staring down the barrel of its end-of-life.

Microsoft faces a huge challenge: convincing its vast user base to abandon their trusty Windows 10 and embrace Windows 11. I first wrote about this back in July 2023, and as we inch closer to the deadline, I've been revisiting the issue to address some pressing questions.

When does Windows 10 support end, and what does that mean for Windows 10 users?

Like every modern Windows version, Windows 10 follows a 10-year support lifecycle. That means most editions—Home, Pro, Pro Workstation, Enterprise, and Education—will hit their end-of-support date on October 14, 2025. (For those who love the nitty-gritty, check out "When will Microsoft end support for your version of Windows or Office?")

But what happens on that fateful day? Surprisingly, nothing. Your Windows 10 PC will keep chugging along just fine. However, from that point onward, those PCs won't receive any security updates through Windows Update unless you fork over cash for an Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription. Without it, any new security vulnerabilities will stay unpatched, making your PC a sitting duck for cyber attacks.

Also: Still have a Windows 10 PC? You have 5 options before support ends next year

There's a bit of a twist, though. PCs running Windows 10 Enterprise Long Term Servicing editions get a slightly different treatment. Microsoft has released four of these editions. The 2015 Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) ends support on the same date as the others, October 14, 2025. The 2016 LTSB release gets an extra year, ending on October 13, 2026. From 2019 onward, they're called Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC). For Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019, the end date is January 9, 2029. And then there's the confusing case of Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, which has a shorter, five-year lifecycle, ending on January 12, 2027.

How many PCs are running Windows 10 today?

Want a straight answer? Good luck with that. Microsoft might have a good guess based on their telemetry, but the rest of us are left piecing together the puzzle with bits and pieces of third-party data.

Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 in 2025

One of my go-to sources has been the US government's Digital Analytics Program (DAP), which collects data on traffic to various government websites. When I checked DAP in early February 2025, I pulled 30 days' worth of data, covering over 1.8 billion visits to sites like the Postal Service, the National Institutes of Health, and NASA. Here's what I found about visits from PCs and Macs:

It's a significant shift from last August when Windows 10 was still dominating. The good news is that other Windows versions barely register, overshadowed by platforms like ChromeOS. But if you scale these numbers up to the global Windows PC population, the picture gets worrying. Nearly half of the 1.4 billion devices are still on Windows 10, and many of them can't upgrade.

Also: Why 'debloating' Windows is a bad idea (and what to do instead)

Another popular source, StatCounter, suggests that about 60% of global PCs are still running Windows 10. I have my doubts about their numbers, but they do support the grim reality that a lot of PCs will be left unsupported by the end of 2025.

How many PCs will still be running Windows 10 at the end of 2025?

That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?

Despite predictions of the PC market's demise, manufacturers are still churning out over 200 million new Windows PCs annually. In the best-case scenario, each new PC sold in the next year replaces a Windows 10 machine, with another 100 million older PCs swapped out for Chromebooks, iPads, or Macs. Some might simply be retired, with users turning to their phones or tablets instead.

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Assuming the shift to Windows 11 continues at the current rate, as per the DAP data, about 38% of PCs will still be running Windows 10 come October 2025. That's over 500 million PCs running an outdated, unsupported operating system by year's end. Even if the transition speeds up, we're still looking at hundreds of millions of users sticking with Windows 10. It's a bit unnerving, to say the least.

So, who are these people?

• Those who don't qualify for an automatic upgrade: They're stuck with older hardware that doesn't meet Windows 11's requirements. That includes any PC designed before 2018, plus many budget PCs sold as new in 2019 and 2020 with outdated CPUs.
• Corporate PCs standardized on Windows 10: Many enterprise IT managers aren't ready for a full-scale Windows 11 migration. They'll likely upgrade gradually and can pay for Windows 10 support for up to three more years.
• Windows 10 diehards: There's a significant group of long-time Windows users who aren't thrilled with Windows 11's changes. Some will upgrade reluctantly, but others will hold out.

Will Microsoft extend the support deadline for Windows 10?

Some folks are holding out hope for this, and there's precedent with Windows XP, which got emergency security updates well after its 2014 end-of-support date. Windows 7 also received similar treatment in 2021. But in both cases, users had a clear upgrade path.

Also: For Windows 11 setup, which user account type should you choose? How to decide

Microsoft's official stance, as seen on their Product End of Support page, is clear:

Once a product reaches the end of support, or a service retires, there will be no new security updates, non-security updates, or assisted support. Customers are encouraged to migrate to the latest version of the product or service.

But for Windows 10, that might not be an option. Devices not meeting Windows 11's hardware requirements have no official upgrade path. As I mentioned before, owners of these still-functional PCs—many just five or six years old—face a few choices:

• Install a non-Microsoft operating system: Maybe 2026 will be the year for desktop Linux, though I doubt it. ChromeOS Flex could be an alternative, but it has its own hardware compatibility issues.
• Ignore Microsoft's warnings and upgrade to Windows 11 anyway: There are ways to do this on "incompatible" hardware, but it requires tech savvy. Those clinging to older PCs often can't afford new ones and may not even know this is possible. Businesses probably won't risk the support headaches.
• Keep running Windows 10 and hope for the best: This seems the most likely scenario, based on past behavior.

Microsoft hasn't shown any signs of extending Windows 10's support deadline in the past year. They'd rather you toss your old PC and buy a new one with Windows 11. But from my experience, many users, especially those on fixed incomes, will keep using their devices until they break. These PCs will be vulnerable to attacks like WannaCry, which was devastating for the still-in-use Windows 7 machines years after support ended.

Also: This secret Windows 11 setting lets you kill unresponsive apps much faster

That incident was a PR disaster for Microsoft, and a repeat would be even worse. That's why they're offering paid extended support for Windows 10 for up to three years, mainly for enterprise and education users. Consumers can pay for one year of updates, but I doubt many will. After that, you're on your own.

This article was originally published in July 2023. The most recent update was in February 2025.