Still running Windows 10? What businesses should do now

Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. A Windows 10 PC still switches on and works, but unless it’s enrolled in Microsoft’s paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme it no longer gets security fixes, which makes it an easy target and means it can’t pass Cyber Essentials. For most businesses the answer is straightforward: upgrade the PCs that can run Windows 11, replace the ones that can’t, and use ESU only as a short bridge for machines you genuinely can’t move yet.

Where things stand now

• No more updates or support. Since October 2025, Microsoft no longer provides security fixes, feature updates or technical support for Windows 10, unless a PC is covered by ESU.
• Microsoft 365 apps are a separate case. Microsoft will keep sending security updates for Word, Excel, Outlook and the other Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 until 10 October 2028, but from version 2608 of the apps those PCs get security fixes only, with no new features. That protects the apps, not Windows itself.
• Support is limited. Microsoft says that if a problem with its apps only happens on Windows 10, its support team will ask you to move to Windows 11.

How Extended Security Updates work for businesses

ESU is a paid, annual subscription that keeps critical and important security updates flowing to Windows 10 PCs. It doesn’t include new features or general technical support, and Microsoft describes ESU programmes as a last-resort, temporary bridge while you move to something supported. The details for organisations:

• Up to three years. Year one ran to 13 October 2026, year two runs to 12 October 2027 and year three, the last, to 10 October 2028.
• Eligibility. PCs must be on Windows 10 version 22H2. Pro, Enterprise and Education editions in business use qualify.
• Price. Microsoft’s published price is US$61 per device for year one, doubling each year after that. The years are cumulative: if you join now, in year two, you pay for year one as well. UK pricing comes through a Microsoft licensing partner.
• The home version isn’t for business. Microsoft’s consumer ESU programme can’t be used in commercial settings, and PCs joined to a company domain or Microsoft Entra ID, or managed by a device management tool, aren’t eligible.
• Cloud PCs are different. ESU is included at no extra cost for Windows 10 running in Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop, and Windows 10 PCs used to connect to a Windows 365 Cloud PC are covered while that subscription is active.

As an example, take an office with four PCs that can’t run Windows 11. Joining ESU now means paying for two years per PC, US$183 each at Microsoft’s published price, for cover only until October 2027, then US$244 each for the final year. That’s money spent keeping old machines going rather than replacing them.

Windows 10 and Cyber Essentials

The Cyber Essentials requirements say all software in scope must be licensed and supported, meaning the vendor is still committed to regular security fixes and has published the date they’ll stop. Unsupported software has to be removed, or isolated in a part of the network that has no internet access at all. Critical and high-risk updates must be installed within 14 days.

So a Windows 10 PC without ESU can’t be in scope. A PC enrolled in ESU is still receiving Microsoft’s security updates, with a published end date, so it can meet the requirement as long as those updates are installed within 14 days. Check with your certification body what evidence of enrolment it expects.

Two of this year’s changes matter here. Everything in scope must be supported on the day the certificate is issued, and the director’s declaration now covers keeping the controls in place for the whole year. If an ESU year runs out partway through your certificate, you need a plan for that date. Our article on what changed in Cyber Essentials in 2026 covers the new rules.

Upgrade or replace?

Start by checking whether each PC can run Windows 11. Microsoft’s minimum requirements include a compatible 64-bit processor with two or more cores, 4 GB of memory, 64 GB of storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app will tell you.

• If it qualifies, the upgrade to Windows 11 is free. Check your backups, test the software your business relies on, and do the upgrade out of hours.
• If it doesn’t, plan to replace it. Forcing Windows 11 onto hardware that doesn’t meet the requirements isn’t something we’d recommend for a business PC.
• If specialist software holds you back, ask the supplier about a Windows 11 version. ESU can buy time while that’s sorted, but set a date to finish.

Spreading the cost of new PCs

Replacing several PCs at once can be a big bill. Our Evergreen IT leasing lets you spread the cost of new hardware over time and set a budget that suits you, so you’re not running old machines simply because replacing them all at once isn’t affordable.

A sensible plan

1. List every Windows 10 device, including the reception PC, home-working laptops and any PC that runs a door entry, CCTV or other system.
2. Check each one against the Windows 11 requirements.
3. Upgrade the eligible PCs now, testing your key software first.
4. Replace the rest in planned batches, leasing if it helps the budget.
5. Use ESU only where you must, with a retirement date for each machine.
6. Isolate anything that has to stay on unsupported Windows 10, such as a PC that controls equipment, so it has no internet access.
7. Wipe old PCs securely before they’re sold, recycled or thrown away.

How we can help

If we manage your IT, we already know which devices are on Windows 10 and can plan the move with you. Upgrades and replacements are IT projects we quote for separately, and new hardware isn’t included in the monthly fee, so you’ll know the cost before we start. If you need Cyber Essentials, we’ll make sure every device in scope is supported first. Book a call and we’ll help you work out the cheapest safe route for your PCs.

Sources

• Microsoft Learn, Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10
• Microsoft Learn, Product Lifecycle FAQ: Extended Security Updates
• Microsoft, End of support for Windows 10 and Windows 10 consumer ESU programme
• Microsoft Learn, Windows 10 end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps
• Microsoft, Windows 11 specifications
• NCSC, Cyber Essentials: Requirements for IT Infrastructure v3.3
• IASME, Changes to Cyber Essentials for April 2026
• NCSC, Secure sanitisation and disposal of storage media