Microsoft has officially set the end-of-life (EOL) date for the Windows 10 (Win10) OS to October 14, 2025. This means that as of that date, there will be no more security updates, bug fixes, or official support for most users. While that date may seem far off (I rarely plan what I’m doing this weekend), it’s wise to start planning now, especially if you’re running Win10 on older hardware or aren’t ready (or able) to jump to Windows 11 (Win11).

Before we get into some options, including how to run Win11 on unsupported hardware that lacks a TPM 2.0 chip and secure boot, you should ask yourself the following questions:

Question 1. Can your hardware run Win11 well?

Win11 is a heavy operating system, which means it is more resource-intensive than Win10. Don’t just check if your system can technically install Win11, ask yourself “Will Win11 run well on the hardware I have?” If your system is already showing its age under Win10, jumping to 11 might create more problems than it solves.

In my opinion, if you’re going to run Win11, you’ll need a system that has at least the following:

• At least an 8th-gen Intel CPU or AMD Zen 2 processor
• 16GB+ RAM
• 500GB+ SSD (not a HDD!)
• A GPU that has drivers still supported (if your system has a discrete GPU)

Question 2. What do you actually use this PC for?

This question matters more than you might think.

• If it’s a gaming rig, you may be less exposed to threats if you stick with Win10 since you’re mostly running Steam, Epic, or single-purpose applications. You can take steps to isolate the machine from the rest of your network and avoid sensitive tasks like banking or email.
• If it’s used for web browsing, email, or document editing, you’re more at risk if you don’t upgrade to Win11, especially once security updates stop. Browsers and productivity tools often drop support for EOL OSes faster than you’d expect.
• If it’s a special-purpose workstation (e.g. music production, CNC controller, lab equipment), changing OS versions might break compatibility with legacy software or drivers, so you’ll have to Google the software to learn more about Win11 compatibility.

In short, the more internet-facing and general-purpose the machine is, the higher the pressure to stay on a modern supported OS like Win11.

Question 3. Do you trust the hardware to last?

PC hardware doesn’t last forever. Parts fail or heat up and slow down. If your system is more than 7-8 years old, it’s probably best to buy a new machine (Option D below). If your system is under 5 years old, you’ve probably got at least a few more years of life in it. Sometimes, the OS question is really a hardware question in disguise.

So what are your options?

Once you’ve honestly assessed the above, you’ll likely fall into one of a few categories. Here’s a breakdown of the most practical paths forward:

Option A: Keep Win10 and pay for Extended Security Updates (ESU)

Microsoft is offering Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Win10 until October 2028, but the offer is targeted at enterprise and education customers for now. A consumer-facing plan may appear later, possibly similar to what Windows 7 had, or it might not. But you get to keep things the way they are… no need to reinstall or change anything. However, this option requires that you have good hardware and is still a ticking clock.

Option B: Install Win11… even if your hardware is unsupported

There are workarounds to install Win11 on unsupported hardware (see Step 5 from this previous blog post or Google it yourself). Many users have done so without issue, including myself. But this path requires that your hardware has enough horsepower to run Win11 (in my case, a Core i9 with 64GB RAM). If you go this route, be sure to keep full backups and test thoroughly before committing.

Option C: Stick with unsupported Win10… but harden it!

If upgrading isn’t feasible and ESU isn’t an option, you can continue running Win10 with caveats to get around the reduced security after the EOL. This would involve leveraging one or more hardening techniques:

• Use a 3rd-party antivirus and enable all local security features (e.g. SmartScreen, Defender Exploit Guard)
• Restrict usage to trusted apps only (e.g. games)
• Put the machine on a separate VLAN or subnet
• Disable unneeded network services (SMB, RDP, etc.)
• Avoid web browsing/email/logins on the machine entirely

This is the digital equivalent of “drive it ’til the wheels fall off.”

Option D: Migrate to Linux

If you’re OK with migrating to an entirely different OS, this might be the moment to switch to Linux. Modern Linux distributions have come a long way in terms of usability and hardware support. For many workflows (web, media, development, general productivity), Linux can be a drop-in replacement as you can find the same or equivalent apps – often free! – and it runs MUCH faster on older hardware compared to Windows. Moreover, Linux will give you the same modern security benefits (including secure boot) without the TPM 2.0 hardware.

Popular beginner-friendly Linux distributions include:

• Linux Mint (Windows-like UI, great out of the box)
• Ubuntu (widely supported, lots of community help)
• Pop!_OS (especially good for gaming or creative work)

If you only use your PC for general computing or want a safer fallback than Option C, Linux is absolutely worth exploring. Dual-booting is an option too if you want to ease in gradually.

Option E: Buy a new PC running Win11

Sometimes the simplest (but not cheapest) solution is to just move on to new hardware, especially if your hardware is older or not strong enough to run Win11 well. Win11 was designed with newer hardware in mind anyway. Many of its features, including virtualization-based security (VBS), DirectStorage, and better power management, are only fully functional on modern CPUs and motherboards.

My recommendation is to buy a Win11 system that uses a Snapdragon X Elite CPU (It outperforms many recent Core i9 CPUs, runs x86 code at near native speed, and gives you insane battery life if you prefer a laptop).

Option Summary:

Conclusion

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. The right path depends on your hardware, your workload, and your risk tolerance.

But what you shouldn’t do is wait until October 2025 to decide. Start testing, exploring, and planning now. That gives you time to migrate data, test alternatives, or upgrade on your own terms… not when you’re forced to.

Have thoughts or experiences on the Win10 transition? Share them in the comments!