Windows 10 reached the end of support for ordinary users on 14 October 2025. Microsoft did one thing for the stragglers this year: it extended consumer Extended Security Updates, ESU, by another year, to 12 October 2027. Devices enrolled in ESU keep getting critical patches.
The reason for the mercy is simple. The installed base is too big. In July 2026, Windows 10 still accounted for nearly 30% of desktop Windows worldwide. A large share of those machines cannot upgrade to Windows 11, and cutting them off outright would be planting landmines across the network.
1. Windows 10 is still everywhere, but the patching has stopped
The question we hear most at the counter, and have for six months, is some version of: "The computer says it does not support Windows 11. Can I keep using it? Do I need to replace it?" This is the arithmetic behind the answer.
2. Can your machine run Windows 11? One check settles it
The hardware bar is what stranded a generation of machines. Three things matter:
- CPU. Intel 8th-generation Core, from late 2017, and AMD Ryzen 2000 series or newer. A 7th-generation i7 or a 6th-generation i5 may feel fast enough, but it is officially unsupported.
- TPM 2.0. Most brand machines built after 2018 have the security chip, sometimes labeled PTT or fTPM, but it may be switched off in the BIOS. Older machines may have only TPM 1.2, or none.
- UEFI and Secure Boot. A machine still running a Legacy BIOS does not qualify.
Run Microsoft's PC Health Check tool once and you will have the answer in a minute. Or bring the machine to the shop and we will test it free.
One common misconception: the TPM is there but not enabled. Plenty of 2018 and 2019 machines actually qualify, with fTPM or PTT off by default, and a BIOS setting is all that stands between them and Windows 11. We see a dozen or more of these a month.
3. Three routes, three sets of numbers
Route A: upgrade to Windows 11, if the hardware qualifies
The system upgrade itself is free. We charge RMB 100-200 for the upgrade plus driver work and data migration, and nothing if you do it yourself. The risk is software: old finance packages, dongle drivers and industrial control software can misbehave under Windows 11, so send the key software list to the technician before you commit. Back up first, always.
Route B: stay on Windows 10 and enroll in ESU, if the hardware does not qualify
Consumer enrollment under the 2026 policy: search Settings for "ESU" or "extended security updates", sign in with a Microsoft account, and pick one of three ways to get a year of ESU: turn on Windows Backup, which syncs settings; pay about US$30 a year; or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Enterprise ESU is charged per device, about US$61 in the first year, and the price doubles each year after that.
For an individual, the settings-sync route is effectively free, and the cost is that your desktop configuration goes to Microsoft's cloud. If that bothers you, pay. Remember what ESU is: security patches only, no new features, and no guarantee that every patch ships. It runs to 12 October 2027 and Microsoft shows no sign of extending it again. That is a buffer, not a long-term plan.
Route C: replace the machine
At 2026 prices, a capable office desktop with an i5-13400 or Ryzen 5 7500F, 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD runs about RMB 2,500-3,200; a laptop runs RMB 3,000-4,000. If the old machine is already due, seven years old or more, on a mechanical disk with 4GB of memory, replacement is the least painful option.
There is a middle path. A 7th-generation or older platform will never run Windows 11, but if the machine is otherwise sound, RMB 100-200 for an SSD and another stick of memory buys a comfortable year of Windows 10 with ESU, and the replacement budget moves to next year.
| Route | Fits | Cost | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Machines from 2018 that qualify | RMB 0-200 | Long term, with Windows 11 supported past 2031 |
| Windows 10 plus ESU | Older machines, special software dependencies | RMB 0-220 a year | Until October 2027 |
| Replace | Seven years old or more, or too slow | From RMB 2,500 | Long term |
4. What happens if you skip ESU and run Windows 10 bare
A Windows 10 machine that did not enroll in ESU after October 2025 will never be patched again. One figure from this year is worth noting: of the 178 vulnerabilities added to CISA's catalog of exploited vulnerabilities in the first seven months of 2026, about one sixth were more than three years old. Attackers deliberately target software that stopped updating. An unsupported system is an open door.
The bare minimum for a machine still on Windows 10: reputable security software kept current, UPnP disabled on the router firewall, remote desktop never exposed to the public internet, two-factor authentication on important accounts, and backups that actually run. None of that replaces an operating system patch. It lowers the odds. For an office machine that touches the internet, do not run naked. For a home machine that only streams video, weigh the risk yourself.
5. Enterprise notes: LTSC and Server are on different clocks
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 and 2021 have their own support periods, with LTSC 2021 running to January 2027. Do not confuse them with the consumer release. Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 ESU expires on 13 October this year, which for anyone still running those servers is more urgent than Windows 10 and should be planned now, whether the answer is migration or buying ESU. And when you move a domain to Windows 11, pilot on two machines first: verify logon scripts, share permissions and line-of-business software before rolling out. That is how we handle it for IT outsourcing clients.
6. What our counter has actually seen
In August 2026 we handled 31 Windows 10 jobs in one month: 17 machines upgraded to Windows 11, six of them false negatives with TPM disabled; nine enrolled in ESU; five replaced outright. The most expensive ticket was a 2016 Dell OptiPlex. The owner wanted Windows 11, but the diagnosis found a 6th-generation i5 that cannot qualify. We added an SSD, cleaned out the dust, enrolled it in ESU and charged RMB 260 for another year of service. That is money we earn with a clear conscience, and better for the customer than a hard sell on a new machine.
If you are not sure which route your machine should take, send us the model or bring it in. The check is free, we will price all three routes, and you decide.