News Microsoft will end Windows 10 support in exactly one year

[Admin]

Microsoft will officially end support for its Windows 10 operating system on October 14th, 2025.

Microsoft will end Windows 10 support in exactly one year : Read more

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Well, in my many years of using macOS formerly known as OS X, a Mac typically gets (6-7 yrs) far less support than a Windows based PC.

 

[Eximo]

I installed Kubuntu not that long ago. For a Windows replacement, it does alright. Plasma GUI is pretty straightforward, at least for surface stuff. I haven't really dove too deep.

I was just really tired of my Windows 10 installation trying and failing to update itself to Windows 11. Compatible hardware, but the OS started life as Windows 7 and it wasn't configured for Windows 11 requirements. So I just popped in a new drive and started using it with Linux.

At some point I will get around to putting it on my gaming box to see how that goes. I think I will do that when I do my silly Battlemage 'upgrade'

 

[Rabohinf]

I'll opt for the 0Patch offer.

 

[tommo1982]

Does this EoL involve all Win10 builds? I don't recall there being a single deadline. The latest build would get the longest support, so is the article about that? It's pretty vague, to be honest.

 

[USAFRet]

Does this EoL involve all Win10 builds? I don't recall there being a single deadline. The latest build would get the longest support, so is the article about that? It's pretty vague, to be honest.

Normal consumer builds, yes. Home and Pro both fall under this.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

if all users would be losing is security and other updates,
who really cares if "support" ends?

it's not like they are just going to nuke your installation from MS homebase and end use of the system under Win10.

 

[Eximo]

I believe paid support is still an option beyond 2025. An increasing annual cost for up to three years.

And Windows Enterprise often sees even longer extended support contract availability.

 

[DS426]

Windows 10 21H2 Enterprise LTSC has an EOL of January 12, 2027. I'm sure many organizations will have at least some of these (ours has one already), but for the average consumer, it's not the easiest license to acquire.

0patch and Linux sound like the best alternatives to me if buying a new Windows 11 PC isn't an option.

 

[USAFRet]

if buying a new Windows 11 PC isn't an option.

Pretty much any PC built in the last 6-7 years is Win 11 capable.

 

[jeffy9987]

"Additionally, the lack of ongoing updates means system performance could degrade" haven laughed out loud like that in a while

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

"Additionally, the lack of ongoing updates means system performance could degrade"

that is a pretty funny quote from what would sound like just some MS undercover agent trying to further push the 11 "upgrade".

but, can they explain why exactly our current in-place performance could possibly "degrade" by updates being cutoff?

unless they include some sort of timed malware in any of the available future 10 updates that would be implemented as the impending end-of-support-date occurs,
it would be an impossible situation.

 

[ekio]

Yet, every time I have to do technical stuff, Msdos is still here….

 

[Misgar]

Windows 10 21H2 Enterprise LTSC has an EOL of January 12, 2027

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-2021

If Jan 2027 isn't sufficient, there's another choice .......

Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 - Extended support end date - 9th January 2029
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-2019

Obviously, there are caveats switching back to LTSC 2019 and some apps may not work, but large companies with the appropriate Microsoft License can use Windows 10 for another 4 years.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10L...le_whove_upgraded_from_ltsc_2019_to_2021_how/

https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/18/windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-2021-here-are-the-major-changes/

 

[Misgar]

if all users would be losing is security and other updates,
who really cares if "support" ends?

I can envisage tens/hundreds of millions of PCs (built before 2016) will continue to run Windows 10 (and 8 and 7) until they finally stop working. I have a sneaking suspicion the vast majority of ordinary computer users are blissfully ignorant of Microsoft's 'Second Tuesday of the Month' and the significance of October 14 2025.

Even if people do become aware, many will not be able to afford a slightly newer second-hand computer for 11. I doubt many will switch over to Linux either. That assumes a certain degree of technical competence or paying scarce funds to a computer shop. It's not going to happen in most cases.

 

[Misgar]

I believe paid support is still an option beyond 2025. An increasing annual cost for up to three years.

Quote from ZDNet
Business customers will need to pay dearly to stick with Windows 10. A license for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program is sold as a subscription. For the first year, the cost is $61. For year two, the price doubles, and it doubles again for year three. That Microsoft blog post doesn't do the math on those, probably because the total is uncomfortably high. A three-year ESU subscription will cost $61 + $122 + $244, for a total of $427 per PC.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/micro...-windows-10-updates-next-year-heres-how-much/

https://www.zdnet.com/article/have-...have-5-options-before-support-ends-next-year/

 

[MoxNix]

Good! At least once support ends I won't have to put up with forced updates and maybe when I remove some of the bloat it'll stay removed!

 

[ezst036]

It's not going to happen in most cases.

It only has to happen in enough cases.

 

[sadsteve]

I too installed Linux Mint about 2 years ago and currently have Win 7 as well! The only reason was DX12 games no longer could work with Win7... There are very good and easy to use Linux distros if one is coming from Windows (even if not coming from Windows, these are the best for gaming IMO):

Ubuntu based Linux Mint which is very easy to use and has high performance for gaming. The community is very active and noob friendly. It can work with old or new hardware. The downside is that its Cinnamon desktop environment lacks VRR support. Yet is very clean, stable and Windows like. Other than that, Mint is as good as any distro for gaming. Performance difference between distros is neglible yet difference indeed exists.

Arch based CachyOS which is heavily optimized for speed and aims for the highest performance. It is best for newer hardware. After installation, it has a "gaming package" ready that if installed, will setup all the required gaming related packages/software in one step! It also has a noob friendly wiki which is very infromative and usefull.

Fedora based Nobara which is a gaming focused distro and has the best performance for gaming. Also good for all hardware. It already has integrated every single necessary package required for Linux gaming so after installation, you are ready to go.

All of these 3 distros have already prepared GUI for basically everything a normal user would need (upgrading, back-ups, software installation, hardware and process monitor, file management and browsing, audio management, etc...) but also have kept the power of Terminal in place as well. This means one would not even need to use a single command line to use these Linux distros if he so desires...

BTW don't forget to disable SecureBoot in BIOS if you want to try Linux. Most of the time it will block Linux from even booting. Also it will prevent Nvidia drivers on Linux to load.

Hm, I have secure boot enabled and MX Linux installed just fine. It's my main OS and I run Windows in a VM for the occasional game that won't work under Linux (rather few these days).

 

[jeremyj_83]

Pretty much any PC built in the last 6-7 years is Win 11 capable.

Sadly I have to update the CPU in my HTPC to go Win 11. I built it with a Ryzen 5 2400G when that was new (2018) and it isn't supported by Win 11. Going to upgrade that to a 5600G probably and then it will be able to be upgraded.

 

[abufrejoval]

For the longest time I thought that the cut between Windows 11 surivors was the same as between Windows 7 and 10: Between Skylake and Kaby Lake.

But then I read, that only the some Microsoft Kaby Lake specials would survive, because M$ had built then into their Surface hardware... The proof for the completely non-technical collusion doesn't get much more explicit than this!

Anyhow, running Windows 11 on VMs with far older hosts has worked just fine from day 1 of Windows 11 and not stopped since. Windows 11 e.g. on a Haswell is not an issue, even with things like GPU pass-through (and CPU pass-through) unless you try to install it on bare metal.

I haven't tried with CPUs that lack POPCNT support (they become hard to find in working condition), but perhaps I'll fire up a Phenom II x6 that should still be in some cupboard to see how that works... I'm pretty sure it won't boot 24H2 releases.

Lack of TPM also was an issue easy enough to fix, the VM can fake it, but you could also just leave it out for most builds.

Well now that takes a Windows 11 IoT Enterprise, but that works just fine, if it likes the CPU.

Again it doesn't care if it's virtual, this isn't about missing instructions (apart from POPCNT now), but about killing hardware!

So today I went ahead and tried a gamer notebook in my collection: a Skylake i7-6700HQ with a HD530 iGPU and a GTX1070m dGPU, which doesn't seem to have the required type of TPM and fails Windows 11 CPU tests. It still runs FarCry like a champ and many titles much newer!

I'm glad to say that after a bit of trickery (CPU is only checked during install) it works like a charm with Windows 11 Enterprise IoT and an estimated EOL somewhere past physical endurance. Backward compatibility means that getting drivers for every bit of hardware just required using Windows 10 stuff: they no longer come included.

Try that with any ARM device running Windows a few years old!

Will security updates somehow catch up and kill it? Hard to say, but not very likely, given how customers react to IoT releases breaking in the field.

In your face M$, in your face!

Your sabotage of millions of PCs with properly working hardware deserves tough regulatory action and the company needs to be broken up into Micro-Pieces.

 

[Colif]

Users continuing with Windows 10 after this date risk increased exposure to security vulnerabilities as the system will no longer be patched.

Just use another anti virus or pay for extended support. I used windows vista years after it stopped being supported. If anything, no more patches means no more new bugs.

Also, if its a really major problem, Microsoft have been known to release patches for EOL OS before, they did it for 7 I believe.

 

[mg127]

I use w11 for work, I hate the UI and it's definitely slower than w10. the window snapping is garbage. the start menu is garbage, it's basically just to hide a few desktop icons but with unnecessary garbage around it. I very much prefer the w10 start menu.

Extended support costs $61/year, everyone has to decide that for them self.

I think I'm ready to switch to linux. Though I worked with linux so far only through the console, but at least I have a few years of exp with that now. I'll probably also buy an AMD card next.

When I have an OS working, I just don't want to switch to a new one every 4 years and having to organize everything from ground up. installing programs, games, changing settings, I couldn't even recreate the startmenu layout now.

 

[abufrejoval]

I use w11 for work, I hate the UI and it's definitely slower than w10. the window snapping is garbage. the start menu is garbage, it's basically just to hide a few desktop icons but with unnecessary garbage around it. I very much prefer the w10 start menu.

Extended support costs $61/year, everyone has to decide that for them self.

I think I'm ready to switch to linux. Though I worked with linux so far only through the console, but at least I have a few years of exp with that now. I'll probably also buy an AMD card next.

When I have an OS working, I just don't want to switch to a new one every 4 years and having to organize everything from ground up. installing programs, games, changing settings, I couldn't even recreate the startmenu layout now.

Hated all the UI experimentation they did after XP/Windows 7 so the first thing I got for Windows 10 was the "Classic shell", which now runs as "Open Shell" on Github.

Not only does it provide the full Windows 7 start menu functionality with folders etc., it also avoids giving away all your searches to M$.

Works just fine with Windows 11, too, typing this on the 24H2 Skylake notebook which M$ wanted to kill.

I also need to switch between Windows and Linux a lot so I keep a pretty consistent environment via KDE Plasma and Windows. Can't say that I actually use the start menu a lot, most of the important stuff is just on the task bar and then there is simply the command line on both systems...

 

[Misgar]

Upgraded my parents' (in their late 70s) win7 pc to Debian 12

I know someone in their late nineties who won't be switching to Linux unless it supports Adobe Lightroom. That's the problem with sticking to proprietary apps for decades. Now if anyone knows of a Linux app that works with Classic Lightroom databases, that's a different matter.

I found these links, but it's probably easier to carry on using Windows or macOS, without emulators.
https://medium.com/@pascalwhoop/how...-with-webassembly-and-nativefier-a69dd9d9f647
https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-ecosystem-cloud-based-discussions/linux/m-p/9920796