Windows 10 end of support: what Sandwell businesses should do now

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025. Since then, security updates have only come through the Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme. In June 2026 Microsoft extended the free version for home users to 12 October 2027. For businesses it’s different. ESU for organisations is paid per device, and the price goes up every year. If your office or charity still has Windows 10 PCs, here’s what that means and what to do about it.

What “end of support” actually means

Your computer keeps working. It still starts up, and your files and programs are still there. What stops is the monthly security fixes. On any PC that isn’t enrolled in ESU, each new weakness found in Windows 10 stays open, and attackers know which ones they are.

For a business that matters for three reasons:

• Ransomware and data theft usually get in through unpatched systems and email.
• UK GDPR expects you to keep personal data secure. Running an unsupported system is hard to defend if a breach happens.
• Cyber Essentials requires supported software. A Windows 10 PC only counts as supported if it’s enrolled in ESU, otherwise it has to be removed from scope or kept off your main network. If a contract, funder or insurer asks for Cyber Essentials, this affects you directly.

Your four options

1. Upgrade to Windows 11 for free. If the PC meets Microsoft’s requirements (a TPM 2.0 chip and a supported processor, among others), the upgrade is free. Check under Settings → Windows Update, or run Microsoft’s PC Health Check app. Back up first.

2. Upgrade the hardware. A PC that meets the Windows 11 requirements but feels too slow may only need an SSD or more memory. That’s usually much cheaper than a new machine.

3. Replace the PC. If it can’t run Windows 11, replacing it is normally the long-term answer. Plan it rather than waiting for the old one to fail. We can move your files, email and programs across.

4. Pay for business ESU while you plan. Microsoft sells Extended Security Updates to organisations for up to three years after end of support, until October 2028. It’s priced per device and the price doubles each year. If you join late, you also pay for the years you missed. It buys time. It isn’t a plan on its own.

A note on the free home ESU. The free programme to October 2027 is for personal PCs signed in with a Microsoft account. Business machines should use business ESU, or better, move to Windows 11.

A one-hour checklist for your office

1. List every PC and laptop, and note which ones run Windows 10. (Settings → System → About shows the edition and version.)
2. Mark the ones that can run Windows 11.
3. For those, back up and upgrade, one machine at a time, starting with the least critical.
4. For the rest, decide: upgrade parts, replace, or ESU for now.
5. Check the other things running on those PCs: old printers, accounting software, card machines. Ask the supplier whether they work on Windows 11 before you upgrade.
6. Turn on two-factor authentication for email and banking while you’re at it. Our free 2Factor.co.uk guides show how.

What about Microsoft 365 on Windows 10?

Microsoft has said it will keep providing security updates for the Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 until October 2028. That protects Word, Excel and Outlook, not Windows itself, so it doesn’t make a Windows 10 PC safe.

Charities and community groups

If replacing machines isn’t in the budget, talk to us. Because we’re a CIC, we refurbish donated computers, and some of our community impact work goes to local groups. We can also help you work out which machines are worth upgrading first.

Want someone to check for you?

Our free remote IT health check looks at your office’s computers, updates and security settings, and tells you which Windows 10 machines can upgrade and which can’t. There’s no obligation.