Windows 10 Is No Longer Supported: What Should I Do?

Your Windows 10 machines keep working normally, and that is what makes this topic deceptive: nothing breaks overnight. What stops are the security updates. Every new vulnerability discovered in Windows 10 after end of support will no longer be patched on uncovered machines. The risk is therefore not immediate, it is cumulative: it grows as vulnerabilities pile up without fixes. Add two indirect effects that are often underestimated: third-party vendors progressively drop support for their software on that version, and an unmaintained machine can create a problem with your security obligations, your cyber insurance or clients who audit you.

Three paths exist, and they often combine. Migrating to Windows 11: this is the target, free for compatible machines. The difficulty lies in hardware prerequisites (notably the TPM security module and processor generation), which exclude some older machines. The Extended Security Updates (ESU) program: Microsoft offers, for a cost, to keep receiving security fixes for a limited period. It is a paid reprieve, useful to spread a budget, not a lasting solution. Replacing hardware: necessary for incompatible machines, and it is an opportunity to arbitrate between classic PCs, virtual desktops or AI-capable machines depending on user profiles.

Before any budget decision, you need to know exactly where you stand. The first step is a fleet inventory: how many machines are still on Windows 10, which are Windows 11 compatible, which are not and why. This inventory is automated if your machines are managed through an endpoint management tool, and it often changes the perception of the problem: many companies discover that a majority of their machines are actually compatible and can be migrated at no hardware cost, with the real budget applying only to a minority of older machines.

The mistake would be trying to do everything at once. A wave approach works better, both budget-wise and for people. Start with the most exposed machines: those accessing sensitive data, those of profiles most targeted by phishing, those leaving the premises. Then migrate compatible machines in groups, checking at each wave that your line-of-business software is compatible, which is what causes the most unpleasant surprises. Keep hardware renewal for last, folding it into your usual cycle rather than an exceptional expense. And if some machines must temporarily stay on Windows 10, isolate them and document that choice rather than simply enduring it.