Windows 10 End of Life (EOL) is October 14, 2025 – How can I prepare?

Rumors surrounding “Windows 11” have been passed around for months now, and until recently, no one believed it. Now that we have an actual date from Microsoft, we can safely assume that Microsoft is ready to move forward into the next generation of the Windows Operating System. They have stamped an official date on the End of Life for Microsoft Windows 10, and that date is October 14, 2025.

In this blog post, we’ll go over common questions like “Why is Windows 10 going End of Life (EOL)?” and “What will happen when Windows 10 goes EOL?”.

Why is Windows 10 going to End of Life (EOL)?

With new operating systems being developed, it’s in Microsoft’s best interest to channel as many resources as possible towards the new software. Think about how many people would still be running Windows XP or Windows 7 if it were still actively supported and developed.

Users can be very resistant to change and that resistance can tie up a lot of resources if every operating system was “kept afloat”. Microsoft is only committed to at least one semi-annual major update until October 14, 2025. After this date, support and development will cease for Windows 10. It’s worth noting that this includes all versions, including Home, Pro, Pro Education, and Pro for Workstations.

For more info on specific versions and their lifecycle, visit the Windows 10 Lifecycle page.

What will happen when Windows 10 goes EOL?

Much like the Windows 7 EOL, most users will not notice a difference immediately on October 14, 2025. Going forward from that date, new features (including important security updates) will no longer be developed for Windows 10. The biggest issue with that is that malicious attackers and other “bad actors” are not going to stop trying to attack the operating system. Without further development and updates, any security vulnerabilities will be exposed with no guarantee of a patch coming through. The longer you wait to make the move, the more potential danger you could be placing your system (and business) in.

What does a new version of Windows bring?

At the moment, details are unclear on what a new version of the Windows desktop OS means for users. Based on previous trends, it’s likely that you will be able to upgrade from Windows 10 to the next-generation desktop operating system. You can still upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 for free even today! This same thing happened a few years back when Windows 7 became End-Of-Line.

As far as visual differences, I can’t imagine the new version being much different than the current version of Windows 10. I don’t believe the visual change from Windows 10 to Windows 11 will be nearly as impactful as when we went from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

For large companies, changing operating systems across all PCs can cost millions of dollars in training, compatibility with other programs, device compatibility, etc. Some entire businesses are built around older, proprietary software. For home users and small businesses, compatibility issues are less of a concern.

How can I find out more details?

More details will be available later this week in the “What’s Next for Windows” event from Microsoft on Thursday, June 24th. We’re expected screenshots, demos, and more news related to the latest with Windows OS. Also, feel free to make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter and regularly check our blog, as we’ll be putting out updates as soon as they are available. As always, feel free to reach out to SandStorm IT with questions on anything technology-related.