Overview
- Free standard support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025, after Microsoft granted a last‑minute one‑year extension for registered users and kept a paid ESU option.
- In the EU, Microsoft said on September 25 that users could obtain the extra year of updates by signing in with a Microsoft account.
- A representative vzbv survey found 31 percent of users expected to buy or had already bought a new PC due to the transition away from Windows 10.
- Among current Windows 10 users, 46 percent plan to move to Windows 11, 34 percent intend to continue without updates, and only 14 percent had registered for ESU.
- Security experts, including Germany’s BSI, warn of heightened risks for users who stay on unsupported systems, while LTSC and IoT editions remain supported into 2027–2032, limiting enterprise exposure.