Windows 10 Is Dead: What SMBs Still Need to Do Now

Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Since then there have been no more security updates, no bugfixes, no technical support from Microsoft. Period. And yet the operating system is still chugging along uncomplainingly in many small and medium-sized businesses. Just one thing: “running” doesn’t mean “secure”.

Why This Is Not a Side Issue

Every new vulnerability found in Windows 10 from now on stays open. No patches, no exceptions. For company machines with customer data, accounting, or network access, that’s an open barn door. And if something does go wrong, things get uncomfortable with your cyber insurance and liability too, if it turns out an insecure system was demonstrably in use.

The Options at a Glance

Migrating to Windows 11 is the standard route. The requirements are TPM 2.0 and a supported processor; many PCs bought before 2018 fall at the technical hurdle. First step: run the PC Health Check tool and see which devices in your business are actually compatible.

Microsoft also offers a paid ESU program (Extended Security Updates) that keeps delivering security updates for Windows 10 for a while longer, at an extra charge. That’s a stopgap, not a permanent state. The costs go up every year, and sooner or later it ends here too.

For devices that are at the end of their lifespan anyway, it usually makes more sense to buy new machines with Windows 11 preinstalled rather than putting money into ESU for hardware that will have to be replaced soon regardless.

The Pragmatic Roadmap

  1. Take inventory: Which machines are still running Windows 10? Which ones are Windows 11 capable?
  2. Prioritize: Machines with access to sensitive data or on the public-facing network first.
  3. Draw up a migration plan with a time frame. Not everything at once - check updates, driver compatibility, and legacy software (old line-of-business applications!) beforehand.
  4. Plan ESU only as a bridge, not as the solution.

Bottom Line

Keeping Windows 10 running isn’t saving money, it’s postponed risk with interest. Anyone who takes inventory now and draws up a realistic migration plan saves themselves stress, data loss, and in the worst case a reportable security incident later on.

Not sure whether your systems are affected or how best to handle the migration? Get in touch. I’ll do a quick assessment and tell you honestly what needs to be done.