Windows 10 end of life: date, 2025, security updates

Windows 10 has entered into its end of life phase. Microsoft will no longer add new features or improvements to its system by simply issuing security updates. The 22H2 version will remain the last.

When is the Windows 10 end of life?

It's over for Windows 10. We've known for quite some time that the system was doomed in the short term, Microsoft having decided to stop all support in October 2025. But, in a blog post published discreetly on April 27, 2023, the publisher has just brought it a new fatal blow by officially announcing the immediate cessation of functional updates. Windows 10 will no longer receive any new functions or improvements until it is abandoned. Its last major version will remain 22H2, released in the fall of 2022. And Microsoft will not release a 23H2 version at the end of 2023 as previously hoped.

"As documented on the Windows 10 Enterprise and Education and Windows 10 Home and Pro lifecycle pages, Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. The current release, 22H2, will be the final release of Windows 10, and all editions will continue to receive monthly releases of security updates until then," said Jason Leznek, product manager for Windows servicing and delivery at Microsoft. Whilst Windows 10 will no longer evolve, it will continue to benefit from security updates for a little over two years, until the fall of 2025. An essential condition for being able to use the system serenely at a a time when cyber threats are multiplying by taking advantage of the smallest security flaws.

What is the latest version of Windows 10?

The publisher therefore advises all Windows 10 users to upgrade to version 22H2 without delay to benefit from this guarantee until technical support ends, while also encouraging a switch to Windows 11, its newer system. However, this is easier said than done, as Windows 11 doesn't run on older PCs due to the technical requirements, although there are several ways to circumvent the imposed restrictions. 

Even though the end of Windows 10 had been scheduled for years, Microsoft's announcement will not make people happy. Because after an unconvincing Windows 8 – and 8.1 –, this version released in 2015 has managed to appease many users with its improved functions, its redesigned interface and, above all, its remarkable stability, the famous blue screens of death (BSOD) and other major problems becoming increasingly rare. For some, Windows 10 has even reached near perfection – in the Microsoft universe – especially since it runs like clockwork on old PCs, even those before 2010! For these users, there is no real reason for them to upgrade to Windows 11.

What to do with an old Windows 10 PC?

Anyway, despite the lack of anything new, you can continue to use Windows 10 without fear until October 2015. If your PC is compatible, you can also upgrade to Windows 11 for free now, even if it means inflating it a little by adding RAM or replacing its hard drive with a much faster SSD. Don't worry if you buy a new computer, it will already be equipped with Windows 11 by its manufacturer – unless it is sold without an operating system, or if you switch to a Mac, of course!

After October 14, 2025, on the other hand, it will be inadvisable to use a PC with Windows 10, because it will become vulnerable to threats – even if it will still work very well on the hardware level. But you can take this opportunity to install and discover another operating system, in particular a version of Linux. There are indeed many free and legal distributions of this excellent alternative OS which work perfectly on old and/or less powerful computers, like Mint which benefit from a modern and user-friendly interface by offering a host of practical functions while benefiting from the support of a large community. This is an excellent solution to get out of the Microsoft ecosystem and move into the free world.