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Windows 10 EOL

Your options for handling Windows 10 after EOL

As many of you know, Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will reach its end of support and officially enter End of Life (EOL) status on on 14 of October 2025. This means it will no longer receive any critical security or stability patches, so new vulnerabilities discovered in the OS won’t get patched, opening the door for malware and making it not safe to use or connect to the internet. This article discusses the options you have if you are still using Windows 10.

Choices to Consider

Section titled “Choices to Consider”

1. Upgrading to Windows 11

Section titled “1. Upgrading to Windows 11”

On hardware that supports Windows 11 requirements, we urge you to upgrade to it. If you are not sure whether your hardware supports Windows 11, you can use this tool to check that.

If your hardware doesn’t support Windows 11 and you want to stick to Windows, this may be a good time to consider hardware upgrades.

2. Using a Different OS

Section titled “2. Using a Different OS”

When it comes to operating systems that you can install besides Windows, the main options nowadays are Linux and ChromeOS.

These days, Linux distributions are a solid alternative to Windows. Linux is stable, secure, and capable of handling most tasks an average user needs, whether that be watching youtube or writing essays. If you are into gaming, Linux has thousands of native titles, and many more are available via Steam’s ProtonDB. Proton support is expanding daily, you can see if your favorite games will work here. There is also compatibility layers that enable you able to play the majority of games. That said, some games with intrusive anti-cheats like valorant wont work, you can check that from this link.

If you are insterested, check our linux installing guide.

Aside from Linux, ChromeOS is a viable option, especially if your main tasks are browsing the internet and working with documents. It is designed for ease of use and feels similar to using a tablet, making it easy to get comfortable with.

If you decide to go with chromeOS, check out this official guide.

3. Windows Extended Security Updates

Section titled “3. Windows Extended Security Updates”

Microsoft is offering to provide Extended Security Updates (ESU) for consumers. You can enroll in ESU at any time until the program ends on October 13, 2026. for more info, visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/extended-security-updates .

Important

We do not support devices enrolled in ESU, and there’s no guarantee that third parties (such as Steam or game developers) will offer assistance for them. Their support for Windows 10 may be dropped at any moment.