What Springfield Businesses Should Do About Windows 10
Windows 10 stopped getting security updates on October 14, 2025. If that's news to you and you're still running it on a few machines in your office, you're not alone, and you're not in immediate danger either. But you are on a clock, and the honest version of what that clock means doesn't get said often enough.
Here's what end of support actually changes. Microsoft no longer ships security patches for Windows 10, version 22H2. After this date, computers running Windows 10 will still function, but without continued software and security updates, the PC is at greater risk for viruses and malware. The operating system doesn't stop working. It stops getting fixed. Every new vulnerability discovered from here forward stays open on that machine indefinitely. Microsoft Support
For a home user with one laptop, that's a personal risk calculation. For a business running client files, financial records, or anything with a compliance requirement attached, it's a different conversation. A single unpatched machine on your network is a door that doesn't get locked anymore, and it doesn't take much for that to become everyone's problem.
There's a stopgap, and it's worth understanding what it actually buys you. Microsoft is running a consumer Extended Security Updates program that provides security updates through October 13, 2026 for eligible Windows 10 22H2 devices. Enrollment is available a few different ways, including one that doesn't cost money if you're willing to use Microsoft's cloud backup feature. But ESU is a bridge, not a destination. It doesn't include other types of fixes, feature improvements, or product enhancements, and it doesn't come with technical support. By next October, that bridge is gone for good, with no announced extension. Microsoft Microsoft Learn
So the real question for most Springfield businesses is whether your current machines can move to Windows 11 at all. This is where it gets less straightforward than "just update." Windows 11 requires a 1 GHz or faster processor with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit chip, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, and a DirectX 12 compatible graphics card. That TPM 2.0 requirement is the one that catches people. It's a security chip that's been standard on most machines built since around 2016, but a lot of older business desktops either don't have it or have it disabled in the BIOS by default. Microsoft Learn
If your machine is from the last four or five years, there's a decent chance it's eligible and just needs the BIOS setting flipped on. If it's older than that, you're likely looking at new hardware, not a free upgrade. There are unofficial workarounds that let Windows 11 install on unsupported hardware, and I'd steer clients away from those for business machines. You'd be running an OS Microsoft considers your device ineligible for, with no guarantee of stability and no support if something breaks.
Here's where I land on this, and it's not the popular take. I don't think every business needs to panic-buy new computers this month. But I also don't think "it still works fine" is a good enough answer for a machine handling client data. The right move is an inventory: what's running Windows 10, what's eligible for 11, what needs ESU as a bridge while you plan, and what needs to be replaced on a schedule you control instead of one that gets forced on you by a breach. That's a project that takes an afternoon, not a week, and it's the difference between a planned hardware refresh and an emergency one.
If you want a second opinion on what's actually running in your office and what your real options are, that's exactly the kind of thing a vCIO engagement sorts out in the first conversation: a clear picture of what's at risk, what it costs to fix, and in what order.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Q: Is my computer still going to work after Windows 10 end of support?
A: Yes. Your computer will keep running normally and won't shut off or stop functioning. The risk isn't that it breaks, it's that newly discovered security vulnerabilities won't get patched, which makes the machine a more attractive target over time.
Q: How do I know if my computer can run Windows 11?
A: Check Settings, then Update & Security, then Windows Update on a Windows 10 machine, and it will tell you if your PC is eligible. The most common blocker is TPM 2.0, a security chip that may be present but disabled in your BIOS settings.
Q: Should I enroll in the Extended Security Updates program?
A: If you have machines that can't move to Windows 11 right away and you need time to plan a replacement, ESU buys you a year of security patches through October 2026. It's a reasonable bridge, but it's not a long-term plan, and it doesn't come with technical support if something else goes wrong.
Q: What happens if I just keep using Windows 10 without ESU?
A: The computer keeps working, but every new vulnerability found from now on stays unpatched. For a business handling client data, financial records, or anything covered by a compliance requirement, that risk compounds the longer you wait.
SUMMARY
The first step isn't buying anything. It's finding out which of your machines are actually affected and what your real options are for each one.
If you want that inventory done for you, along with a plan that doesn't require replacing everything at once, a vCIO engagement is built for exactly this kind of decision.
Contact TechGents and we'll walk through what's running in your office.