Windows 10 users after 14 October 2025

[icowden]

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.

But fairly accurate. XP is 15 or so years since it was replaced. Windows 10, 3 years. Windows security updates don't do that much. WIndows Defender etc are far more important IMHO

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."

And with no antivirus and no firewall configured.

 

[markemark]

But fairly accurate. XP is 15 or so years since it was replaced. Windows 10, 3 years. Windows security updates don't do that much. WIndows Defender etc are far more important IMHO

And with no antivirus and no firewall configured.

Read my last bit. It was an edit so you may have replied before I typed it.... You are then relying on a free AV to know about it in time, detect and prevent it. AV is only part of the protection, to rely solely is dangerous. OS security patches and user awareness and both important. AV tends to deal with incoming files (download, installed etc). Those that exploit OS vulnerabilities can come without the user even doing anything. The code can infect at a level the AV's aren't looking at. Security patches are very important.

Is you accuracy of assessment based on your gut feel or has this been properly evaluated?

 

[PaulSB]

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.

I have a Microsoft Surface Pro 4. I've tried to update on a number of ocassions. The response is always:

"The processor isn't currently supported for Windows 11

Processor: Intel Core m3-6Y30 CPU @ 0.90zGHZ"

My overall feeling is neither Microsoft or Intel have any interest in updating the processor, if that is even possible?

I can't imagine MS worry about it but this consumer is running straight to Google. He'll buy one of Google's machines, possibly dump MS docs suite and be unable/unwilling to use Windows products in the future.

One has to presume they've done the sums and reckon they can afford to be without a consumer who also has a limited life span ahead!!! I'm 70!

 

[icowden]

Is you accuracy of assessment based on your gut feel or has this been properly evaluated?

It's based on the amount of work I have done for large organisations where their software and operating systems are massively behind where they should be.
No OS is bomb proof. My daughter has managed to infect windows 11 platforms twice. Both times I have fixed it.

 

[Dadam]

But fairly accurate. XP is 15 or so years since it was replaced. Windows 10, 3 years. Windows security updates don't do that much. WIndows Defender etc are far more important IMHO

And with no antivirus and no firewall configured.

Do you know what those things do?

Antivirus scans files for signatures of known malware files. If it's configured appropriately it will scan on demand anything you download and periodically background scan all your files. The malware has to be known about, for long enough to get the signature added to the antivirus patch files, tested, and sent out. Then the installation on your machine has to get updated to the latest version.

Firewalls block network or internet access to and from specific IP addresses or ranges, and to/from specific ports. By default a firewall application might block all access to ports exposed on that machine except those necessary for the operating system and key software to work. For example port 80 (http) and port 443 (https) which are the minimum required for your browser to talk to websites. There are lots more. Many protocols are running in the background communicating with different services. For example time. Why don't you have to set your laptop clock like you used to? Because the OS is periodically sending messages to internet time servers to get the current time.

Some malware can infect your PC via the basic ports which have to be open for your PC to work online, so even with fully patched antivirus and firewall, older OSes are more vulnerable even just sat there online doing nothing.

 

[icowden]

Do you know what those things do?

Yes thanks.

Some malware can infect your PC via the basic ports which have to be open for your PC to work online, so even with fully patched antivirus and firewall, older OSes are more vulnerable even just sat there online doing nothing.

How do you think Windows Security Patches are created? Magic? Or is it in exactly the same way as updates to your antivirus by any chance? I'm pretty sure someone has to find the problem, create a patch and then you have to download it and install it either manually or automatically...

 

[Dadam]

Yes thanks.

Doesn't sound like it.

How do you think Windows Security Patches are created? Magic? Or is it in exactly the same way as updates to your antivirus by any chance? I'm pretty sure someone has to find the problem, create a patch and then you have to download it and install it either manually or automatically...

Yes. Somebody finds a "zero day vulnerability" - a brand new hole that nobody knew about. Hopefully that's someone inside the company or somebody who isn't a wrong 'un. Then a fix has to be built and tested and distributed and patched, manually or automatically. Hopefully before the wrong 'uns create an exploit and get malware out.

The point you're missing is, the risk "window" for a zero day of a fully patched machine is a few days. The window of an out of support OS is far wider. These older vulnerabilities are more known about, so more people have had more time to create more malware to exploit them. So the risk of exposure is so much higher. Which is why is takes no time at all for an unpatched XP machine to get infected. An XP machine with a firewall will fare better, but will more than likely eventually fall victim. The risk is lower with 10, but will gradually increase post end-of-life. It will also be more targeted as the hackers know it's out of support.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The malware has to be known about

Only if you are using block lists, rather than safe lists.

 

[Seevio]

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."

In all fairness, the original author disabled windows firewall and connected the virtual machine directly to the internet. While this was common in 2004 we have moved on since then. The usual home setup these days involves a router/switch combo. Unless specific port forwarding has been set up, computers are no longer exposed directly to the internet.

I have some old laptops lying about so I might install XP and see what happens. My gut feeling is that it will be ok until I start browsing.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

#WannaCry infection distribution by the Windows version. Worst hit – Windows 7 x64. The Windows XP count is insignificant,” Costin Raiu, director of global research and analysis team at Kaspersky Lab.

The Windows XP computers that were compromised were likely infected manually for testing purposes, he said in a subsequent tweet.

According to researchers, Windows XP was largely unaffected by the WannaCry attack because PCs crashed before ransomware could take hold.

So obsolete the malware doesn’t work. Upgrade for the latest malware.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Here's an interesting read about how riddled with issues an unsupported XP device now is.

Bit artificial, unprotected would be more accurate. Not only was the firewall and antivirus turned off, but if you watch the video carefully he initially does not set a password for the admin or user account.

Be interesting if done for first edition of W11 with all protections turned off, no patches applied, and no passwords for admin accounts.

 

[PaulSB]

I've had an interesting afternoon helping a friend setup his new Chromebook. I'm far from an IT guru but I have less fear and I'm more logical, in IT terms, than some personal users of my age (70).

I'm convinced by 20 minutes playing with a Chromebook today. I will simply switch to a Chromebook well in advance of Windows 10 being unsupported. For £300 - 350 it appears I can get a machine that will give me all I need and more.

My MS Office suite is due for renewal in May. I'll start running the charity accounts in Google Sheets alongside Excel for a couple of months. If that works OK I can bin Windows and MS and move to Google. A decision forced on me by Microsoft.

Microsoft won't care.

 

[CXRAndy]

My NUC isn't quite matched to Window 11. But I found simple instructions on a YouTube video on how to officially follow Microsoft guide to upgrade. I will follow these instructions and see how it goes. I have plenty of Ram plus SSD drive. So don't expect it to be slower than W10

 

[DaveReading]

Bit artificial, unprotected would be more accurate. Not only was the firewall and antivirus turned off, but if you watch the video carefully he initially does not set a password for the admin or user account.

Yes, as experiments go, it's about as unrealistic as it can get.

 

[Dadam]

It wasn't meant to be a scientific experiment, just a demonstration to underline the point that machines can be vulnerable if you don't go on dodgy sites or download stuff. Even if you do nothing.