Windows 10 users after 14 October 2025

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

When support ends in October 2025 for Windows 10 I like a dare say like many users I am not quite sure what to do to keep safe, I realise it will still function, personally I am not worried about no new features as I am happy with what I can currently do. But, I am worried that there will be no more bug fixes or security updates; most of the advice I have read relates to not using W10 when support ends. Note my laptop can upgrade to W11 but with 4gb ram it's effectively so slow it's effectively not viable. My hardware seems to have plenty of life so I don't really want to buy another laptop just because Microsoft advise that I should.

I have been experimenting with Linux 'Mint', 'Zorin' and 'Ubuntu', all run off a USB with a partition so I can still edit and save files on my C Drive, I have also tried 'Chrome OS Flex' although it seems I can't use a partition then edit and save files on my C Drive. I am reluctant to do a full instore of any of these alternatives as ideally I still would like to use W10 for the some of the Apps; I still like iTunes to buy MP3 music for example. My initial thought is ideally still use W10 for the safer online browsing and apps, then, when I want to do something like online banking I would use the alternatives run off a USB as I have been doing to at least feel more secure.

It comes back to most of the recommendations I read reference no longer using W10 after 10/25, yet I know of some still using W8, W7, Vista and even XP, all online, yes they may be unsupported and have been for sometime, but just how vulnerable is vulnerable? With this in mind I am thinking just how vulnerable will W10 be, they are still going to do Windows defender updates, my laptop and router have firewalls, just how viable is my theory of still using W10 in a limited way?

 

[markemark]

You can pay for W10 security updates from Microsoft beyond Oct 25 for a couple of years. I wouldn't use it online if no further patches are coming.

 

[si_c]

You could upgrade the memory in the laptop, it's usually inexpensive and you could then upgrade to W11. Adding an SSD instead of a mechanical HDD if you have one will also significantly improve the laptops performance and is also an inexpensive upgrade.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I'll try upgrading but if it doesn't perform to the same standard (poor lol) I'll probably just scrap my existing PC and buy a new one. It'll be 14 years old from new by October this year and has only had a RAM upgrade in that time. Not the answer your looking for but for the cost of a new basic PC I think thats my best option.

I might keep the old one as a Linux/Ubuntu/Other for mucking around on though.

 

[Dadam]

You could upgrade the memory in the laptop, it's usually inexpensive and you could then upgrade to W11. Adding an SSD instead of a mechanical HDD if you have one will also significantly improve the laptops performance and is also an inexpensive upgrade.

Depends on the laptop. Many, especially the thinner and lighter ones, have soldered-in RAM chips.

 

[PaulSB]

I have an MS Pro 4 which I got in 2015. It's a great machine, faultless for almost ten years and in terms of hardware I have no reason to replace it.

However the device is Windows 10 and won't run 11. At some point in the next six months I plan to switch to a Chromebook as I can't afford a new Surface Pro. I need to check out the add on costs and the implications of running MS on a Chromebook. For example I subscribe to the MS document suite partly for the regular updates but with the huge benefit of 1 TB of cloud storage.

I'm Treasurer to a very small charity and for this alone can't risk a security breach. Add to this I've never encountered a personal security issue so why would I risk running obsolete Windows 10?

Windows Defender has always done very well for me. I need to understand Google security. My past experience with Norton, McAfee etc. is these products create more local issues than they resolve.

 

[si_c]

I have an MS Pro 4 which I got in 2015. It's a great machine, faultless for almost ten years and in terms of hardware I have no reason to replace it.

However the device is Windows 10 and won't run 11. At some point in the next six months I plan to switch to a Chromebook as I can't afford a new Surface Pro. I need to check out the add on costs and the implications of running MS on a Chromebook. For example I subscribe to the MS document suite partly for the regular updates but with the huge benefit of 1 TB of cloud storage.

I'm Treasurer to a very small charity and for this alone can't risk a security breach. Add to this I've never encountered a personal security issue so why would I risk running obsolete Windows 10?

Windows Defender has always done very well for me. I need to understand Google security. My past experience with Norton, McAfee etc. is these products create more local issues than they resolve.

You can access the web versions on a chrome book, but won't be able to use the full version of office and you won't be able to install windows on the chromebook easily either.

 

[si_c]

Depends on the laptop. Many, especially the thinner and lighter ones, have soldered-in RAM chips.

Yeah that's the case sometimes, but for an older laptop it's less likely. Doesn't hurt to check though, I'd expect worse case at present there is 4GB soldered to the board with a single LPDDR slot free, should be able to upgrade to 8 or 12gb at worst.

 

[Alex H]

'very been using

I have been experimenting with Linux 'Mint', 'Zorin' and 'Ubuntu', all run off a USB with a partition so I can still edit and save files on my C Drive, I have also tried 'Chrome OS Flex' although it seems I can't use a partition then edit and save files on my C Drive. I am reluctant to do a full instore of any of these alternatives as ideally I still would like to use W10 for the some of the Apps; I still like iTunes to buy MP3 music for example. My initial thought is ideally still use W10 for the safer online browsing and apps, then, when I want to do something like online banking I would use the alternatives run off a USB as I have been doing to at least feel more secure.

It comes back to most of the recommendations I read reference no longer using W10 after 10/25, yet I know of some still using W8, W7, Vista and even XP, all online, yes they may be unsupported and have been for sometime, but just how vulnerable is vulnerable? With this in mind I am thinking just how vulnerable will W10 be, they are still going to do Windows defender updates, my laptop and router have firewalls, just how viable is my theory of still using W10 in

You can dual boot Linux and Windows. I've had a set up like this for a long time. I only use Windows for games.

 

[PaulSB]

You can access the web versions on a chrome book, but won't be able to use the full version of office and you won't be able to install windows on the chromebook easily either.

Thank you. It's only Word and Excel I want, not Windows itself. I'm aware I may be better of switching to Google Docs and Sheets. After three decades on MS I'm reluctant to change though I guess it won't be too onerous.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Out of interest, there are many used machines going for silly cheap on ebay with Win11 installed. COuld someone buy one of these and transfer the windows version to another machine seeing that you have paid for Win11? Or would you need the license activation key which would probably have been thrown out by the previous owner?

 

[DaveReading]

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't know of any fundamental limitations that would stop most laptops running W11, other than the fact that Microsoft appear to have crippled it so that it will refuse to install on lower-specced machines.

Perhaps MS will relent, given the impending backlash.

 

[Venod]

I had three Windows 10 machines 2 laptops and a desktop, according to MS non were up to spec for Windows 11, all are now running Windows 11, but the oldest laptop struggles with it, there are lots of instructions online how to do this, I used the MS server installation workaround.

 

[icowden]

It comes back to most of the recommendations I read reference no longer using W10 after 10/25, yet I know of some still using W8, W7, Vista and even XP, all online, yes they may be unsupported and have been for sometime, but just how vulnerable is vulnerable? With this in mind I am thinking just how vulnerable will W10 be, they are still going to do Windows defender updates, my laptop and router have firewalls, just how viable is my theory of still using W10 in a limited way?

Very. I really wouldn't worry too much about it. Many organisations are using older versions. Defender will get updates. Unless you are visiting some very dodgy sites and downloading illegal content it's very unlikely that anything bad will happen. Usually the biggest problem over time is driver compatibility if you buy anything new to attach to your PC.

If you look up your laptop details, you may be able to upgrade your ram fairly cheaply if you can use a screwdriver. RAM prices go down pretty quick once a RAM type is a couple of years old. I've just bunged 32Gb of extra DDR4 memory in my tower for £40.

 

[markemark]

Very. I really wouldn't worry too much about it. Many organisations are using older versions. Defender will get updates. Unless you are visiting some very dodgy sites and downloading illegal content it's very unlikely that anything bad will happen.

Dangerous advice and not one you should be giving out. You may think it's fine and have done your own risk assessment, but to tell other people it very unlikely anything bad will happen is wrong.

Here's an interesting read about how riddled with issues an unsupported XP device now is. tl;dr -" A Windows XP machine's life expectancy in 2024 seems to be about 10 minutes before even just an idle net connection renders it a trojan-riddled zombie PC.... To be clear, this is a machine sitting idle, no internet browsing required, just connected to the internet."
Yes it's very old, but this is where w10 will get to. Hackers will know an unsupported OS will be ripe for exploitation and will be a target. Once an exploitation is discovered it will be sold to other hackers who will use it to infect your device. You are then relying on a free AV to know about it in time, detect and prevent it.