If your computer is running Windows 10, this post is for you.

Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, about seven months ago. You may have seen a popup. You may have read a headline. You may have closed both and gone back to what you were doing.

Most people did. That's fine. Now let's talk about what it actually means and what to do about it.

What "end of support" really means

Your computer didn't stop working. Windows 10 didn't disappear. Nothing changed visibly.

What changed is invisible and important: Microsoft stopped releasing security updates.

Until October, every month Microsoft was patching holes, vulnerabilities that bad actors had found and were using to break into computers. As of last October, that monthly stream stopped for Windows 10.

That doesn't mean your computer is suddenly unsafe today. It means the gap between bad guys finding a new hole and that hole getting fixed is now permanent. The hole stays open.

A few specific things to be clear about:

• Your Windows 10 PC still runs. It will keep running for years if you let it.
• Microsoft Defender (the built-in antivirus) still works. Microsoft has said they'll keep updating its definitions through at least 2028.
• Most software still works on it. Browsers, email, Office, all fine for now.
• What's missing is the deeper system patches. Those are what protect against the more serious attacks.

The risk grows slowly, not suddenly. The longer you stay on it, the more known-unpatched holes there are. That's the curve.

The thing most people don't know about: the $30 lifeline

Microsoft did something they don't usually do. They gave home users a way to keep getting security updates for one more year, even after support ended.

It's called the Consumer ESU program. ESU stands for Extended Security Updates.

If you're on Windows 10 today and not sure what to do: enroll in ESU now. It buys you a few months of breathing room to make a real decision instead of a rushed one.

You do this from inside Windows 10 itself. Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update. If you're eligible, there's an "Enroll now" button right there.

Why ESU isn't a permanent fix

ESU runs out October 13, 2026, five months from now. After that, Microsoft says they're done with Windows 10 for home users. No second extension is planned.

So this isn't the answer. It's time to figure out the answer.

In a typical year, my advice would be: take your time, wait for prices to come down a bit, you've got a year and a half. That's not the advice right now.

Yesterday's post covered why: computer prices are rising through this period, not falling. The memory shortage from AI demand isn't expected to ease until 2027. So the "wait it out" play is more expensive, not less.

What this actually means for you, practically:

If your Windows 10 PC is less than six years old and still works fine: enroll in ESU today. Plan your next move calmly.

If your Windows 10 PC is more than six years old and feels slow: enroll in ESU anyway, but start looking at your next computer now. The longer you wait this year, the more it costs.

If your Windows 10 PC doesn't qualify for ESU: your timeline is shorter. You should be making a decision in the next 60 days.

Three paths from here

Tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday I'm walking through what your three realistic options actually look like:

• A refurbished Windows 11 PC (the right answer for most people)
• Switching to a Mac (right for fewer people than you'd think)
• Putting Linux on the computer you already have (the underdog play)

Friday's newsletter has the printable one-page decision guide that pulls all of it together. If you've been putting this decision off, this is the week.

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A remote session right now would do two specific things

If you're staring at your Windows 10 PC wondering what to do, a 30-minute remote session resolves the actual questions:

1. We confirm what you have (model, year, specs, whether it can run Windows 11, whether it's eligible for ESU).
2. We enroll you in ESU together so you have the year of coverage starting today, not whenever you remember.

That's the most useful thing you can do this month if you're a Windows 10 holdout.

Schedule a remote session → | Request a callback →