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After nine years of being the go-to operating system for many companies worldwide, Windows 10 is beginning to reach the end of its lifespan. This means that it will no longer receive any updates, and will no longer be officially supported by Microsoft.
Of course, Windows 10 will still be useable even after its end of life. But, what does that actually mean for your business? How will you be affected by this change, and what do you need to do to make sure you’re prepared for the challenges that come with moving away from Windows 10?
We’ve got you covered on every front. In this article, we’re going to go over what you can expect with Windows 10 End of Life, as well as the steps you need to take to ensure you don’t get stranded by this massive change.
Windows 10 is reaching the end of its life. The official date — October 14th, 2025 — will mark the end of official support for the operating system. This means there will be no new security updates, quality-of-life updates, bug fixes, or general support for the platform.
This is massive for any business. After all, there are a lot of repercussions that you’ll need to consider if you’re a business that runs on Windows 10. While you can still use the operating system, lots of things are going to change — which will ultimately impact your business going forward.
Here are some of the main things that you’ll need to consider —
• Security: Security is a massive concern here. After all, when Windows 10 reaches its end of life, there will be no security enhancements or updates. This means that you’ll never receive new protection and that you’ll ultimately remain vulnerable to new malware, viruses, and exploits without any chance of them becoming patched or fixed.
• Compatibility: As Microsoft moves away from Windows 10, so will developers. This means that new applications and software will eventually stop being compatible with Windows 10 — and existing software may become unable to receive new updates. In and of itself, this is also a security risk.
• Functionality: Ultimately, a lack of updates means no new features, and the possibility of glitches and limitations all around.
But, this isn’t going to be an instantaneous change. These issues will arise over time, and so you might find everything is fine at first. This is why it’s vital to be aware of these things — if you choose to use Windows 10 going forward, these are the challenges you can face.
The above issues are an issue for any Windows 10 user. But, how should a business take action to make sure that they have a path forward?
The first challenge is upgrading. After all, the aforementioned issues mean that there is no choice but to move forward to Windows 11 — there is no room to cut corners on security for a business.
However, it’s important to make sure that the rest of your organisation is also prepared for this. There are a few challenges that you can expect —
• Software: You need to make sure that your software is all compatible with Windows 11. This means testing all of your applications, ensuring that any legacy software is made compatible via virtualisation, and ensuring that all software is documented so nothing gets lost in the move.
• Upgrading: Upgrading is a whole process, so making sure you undertake the process correctly is vital. This means upgrading each machine, and ensuring that you’re aware of what machines in your business are unable to be upgraded. On top of this, you’ll need to backup to avoid issues during the upgrade process.
• Training: Users will need to be trained on the new software, meaning that you need to run user training and ensure there’s clear communication on what changes employees can expect.
The main, obvious upgrade path is upgrading to Windows 11. Windows 11 is the next operating system and is Microsoft’s answer to the needs of the modern computer user. Sticking with Windows 11 will help keep familiarity with your users, as well as make the transition simple.
However, there are other options —
• Alternative operating systems: You could switch to an alternative operating system, like Linux or MacOS. However, this means learning a new (and possibly more complex) operating system and having to work out which operating system meets your needs.
• Extended Security Updates: If you want to stay on Windows 10 past its end-of-life date, you can take advantage of Windows 10 Extended Security Updates. These are paid updates that will give you an extended duration of security updates, meaning you can stay with Windows 10 for a little longer. However, this is meant with the goal of eventually transitioning to Windows 11.
A managed service provider, like Typetec is here to support you and ensure that you have everything that you need when moving past Windows 10.
By partnering with a managed service provider, you’ll have a trusted partner that will help you find the best options for your organisation, as well as ensuring that you’re not only prepared but also able to implement your preferred solution correctly.
Plus, a managed service will ensure that your systems are maintained in the long term, meaning you don’t have to worry about maintenance.
Windows 10’s End of Life is very important to know about for most businesses. By being aware of its approach, you can make sure that you can prepare for it next year.
If you’re looking to get started with Windows 11, or need support making the transition away from Windows 10, reach out to us today. We’re here to help and will ensure that you have support throughout the whole process, and afterwards too.
Get in touch with our experts now, and see how we can help.