Windows 10 end-of-support update

​PCs running Windows 10 will lose security support from Microsoft this year in October.

For folks not ready to say goodbye to their Windows 10 computers, Microsoft will offer a 1 year paid security extension, providing an extra year of security updates for $30 per computer. Microsoft will likely offer the paid upgrade by advertising it directly on Windows 10 users' screens prior to October.

Those who continue using Windows 10 unsecured after October will run the inevitable risk of security and usability problems cropping up as the system ages. Although antivirus programs often continue to function on out-of-date operating systems, hackers eventually discover unpatched security issues, which an antivirus may not be able to protect against. 

Some people are at higher risk using an unsecured operating system, and benefit more from staying on a computer that has up-to-date security:

• Researchers and people who frequently use search engines or A.I.
• People with high email volume
• Social media users (high rate of fraudulent websites linked from social media)
• People who are more likely to click on a fraudulent link, including less confident computers users

Windows 10 machines will continue to be useful, in part because web browsers will continue to function on Windows 10 for years to come. Microsoft has announced that the Edge web browser for Windows 10 will continue to receive security updates through October 2028. Chrome and Firefox will likely have a similar timeline.

Our #1 recommendation for folks currently on Windows 10? Backup your data, either via hard drive or a cloud backup service. Older computers are more likely to have data loss issues, so having a reliable backup becomes increasingly important as a computer ages. 

Considering a new computer? We can guide you through the process.