When will Windows 10 support end? What is this Windows 10?

When will Windows 10 support end? Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft’s Windows NT operating system. It is the direct successor to Windows 8.1, which was released nearly two years earlier. It was released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and later to retail on July 29, 2015. Windows 10 was made available for download via MSDN and TechNet, as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users via the Windows Store, and to Windows 7 users via Windows Update.

Windows 10 receives new builds on an ongoing basis, which are available at no additional cost to users, in addition to additional test builds of Windows 10, which are available to Windows Insiders. Devices in enterprise environments can receive these updates at a slower pace, or use long-term support milestones that only receive critical updates, such as security patches, over their ten-year lifespan of extended support. In June 2021, Microsoft announced that support for Windows 10 editions which are not in the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) will end on October 14, 2025.

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When will Windows 10 support end?

If you haven’t already upgraded to Windows 11, now is a great time to do so because Microsoft is finished with major updates to Windows 10.

Windows 10 version 22H2 is the current and final version of the operating system, though Microsoft said it will continue to release monthly security updates for all Windows 10 editions until it reaches end of support on Oct. 14, 2025.

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Existing long-term servicing channel, or LTSC, releases will still receive updates beyond that end-of-support date, the company said.

What does this mean for you? With no new Windows 10 feature updates coming, Microsoft is recommending you transition to Windows 11. You can still use Windows 10 after the end-of-support date, but without security updates after that time, your PC will become more vulnerable to various security risks.

Microsoft began rolling out Windows 11 — the tech giant’s latest operating system — in October 2021, and deployed it to all eligible devices in May 2022. The company introduced new design elements and added a handful of new features and productivity tools with Windows 11, all of which are available on the best Windows laptops.

Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Windows 10’s End Date

Microsoft officially has given Windows 10 an end-of-life date, but experts say most users shouldn’t worry about it affecting them anytime soon.

Microsoft is steadily moving towards introducing Windows 11. Numerous leaks—including an optical image file (ISO) of the OS—as well as a special event happening later in June, all have been pointing toward the update. The company also added an official end-of-support date to Windows 10, noting it no longer will provide support starting in 2025. While the end of Windows 10 might seem daunting, experts say most users really don’t have anything to worry about, at least not yet.

“Support for Windows 10 ceasing doesn’t mean it won’t be usable. I think it’s important to remember that. Your computer won’t be immediately invalidated in 2025 if it’s running Windows 10,” Christen da Costa, a tech expert and CEO of Gadget Review, explained in an email to Lifewire.

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Don’t Sweat It

Ultimately, Windows 10 having a support end date doesn’t really change anything in the here and now. Programs and apps will continue to support Windows 10 for at least a few more years, and users will continue to receive security updates and patches from Microsoft. Even once Microsoft releases Windows 11, the operating system will continue to work properly until well after the initial release, and even past the support end date.

In fact, companies and government organizations continue to support older Windows operating systems like Windows XP and Windows 7, so it’s likely many will still use Windows 10 after its end-of-support date.

Support for Windows 10 ceasing doesn’t mean it won’t be usable. I think it’s important to remember that.

Support for Windows 10 lasting until 2025 is a good thing, too, because it means users won’t immediately need to download and install Windows 11. Since new operating systems often run into bugs and other problems, becoming one of the early adopters sometimes can lead to your PC experiencing problems that crop up after release. With extended support, not only is Microsoft giving users time to make the transition to Windows 11 more naturally, but it’s also extending how long companies have to create applications that properly support the new OS.

“Since the migration rate from Windows 7 to 10 was extremely low, they might be expecting the same to happen to Windows 11. Current users will have enough time to safely upgrade their software,” Jan Chapman, a tech expert and co-founder of IT company MSP Blueshift, told us in an email.

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Chapman also explained that while the updates will cease in 2025, Microsoft most likely will increase the number of updates and security patches being released leading up to that date.

Update Accessibility

While there is no immediate need to worry, having a set end date in place at least gives consumers and businesses an idea of exactly when they’ll need to cross the bridge between the current OS and the next. With so many questions still left unanswered about the operating system and how Microsoft plans to handle the upgrade, experts say customers should be prepared to have to buy it outright.

“One thing that consumers should be wary of is if Microsoft will allow current Windows 10 license holders to upgrade to the rumored Windows 11 for free or not,” Chapman explained. “[Microsoft] introduced this policy with Windows 7 and is likely to be continued to Windows 11 too, but there still have been no confirmations. In the worst case scenario, users will have to buy the whole operating system when it’s released, with currently no idea of [what] prices will look like in 2025.”

At the moment, the cheapest version of Windows starts at $140, which might make it difficult for lower-income families to invest in new versions. If Microsoft can offer some kind of incentive to get users to upgrade, then it could make the new version much more accessible.

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