Windows 10 end of support: what to do with your business PCs

Windows 10 end of support for business arrived on 14 October 2025, and a year on plenty of offices still have a few Windows 10 PCs in the corner. Some firms paid Microsoft for a year of extra security updates. That year has now run out, and the second year costs twice as much. Here's what each option really involves, what it means for Cyber Essentials, and how to decide PC by PC.

The short answer

• Windows 10 PCs still work, but they no longer get free security fixes. Every new flaw found in Windows 10 stays open unless you pay for Extended Security Updates (ESU).
• ESU year one has ended, and year two is running now. Microsoft's price doubles each year: $61 per PC for year one, $122 for year two (US list prices). A PC that never had year one has to pay for both.
• For Cyber Essentials, a Windows 10 PC must be covered by ESU or removed. An unsupported PC fails the assessment.
• If a PC can run Windows 11, upgrade it. It's usually the cheapest fix and lasts for years, not months.
• If it can't, replace it, or pay for ESU just long enough to replace it on your own timetable.

What Windows 10 end of support means for a business

Since 14 October 2025, Microsoft no longer gives Windows 10 technical support, feature updates or security fixes. The PCs carry on working. The problem is quieter than that: when someone finds a flaw in Windows 10, it doesn't get fixed, and those known flaws are what attackers look for first.

ESU is Microsoft's paid stopgap. It sends only critical and important security updates: no new features, no other fixes, and no technical support. It only works on Windows 10 version 22H2, the final version, with recent updates installed. Microsoft sells it a year at a time, for a maximum of three years after end of support, so the very last updates come in October 2028.

How much do Windows 10 Extended Security Updates cost?

Microsoft publishes its business ESU price in US dollars. As of October 2026:

Three rules catch people out:

• The years are cumulative. Microsoft says that if you buy in year two, you pay for year one too. A PC joining today costs $183 for one year of updates.
• You can't buy part of a year. Even if the PC is being replaced in March, you buy the full year.
• The free consumer version isn't for businesses. Microsoft offers home users a cheaper ESU running to 12 October 2027, but it says that programme can't be used commercially. It also isn't offered to PCs joined to a company domain or Microsoft Entra, or managed through device management.

UK prices depend on the reseller and the exchange rate, so ask for a quote in pounds before you commit. We can supply and activate ESU, but our general advice is to move to Windows 11 rather than pay for more time on Windows 10. Windows 10 PCs that connect to Windows 365 (Microsoft's cloud PCs) get ESU included, but that only makes sense if you were heading to cloud PCs anyway.

Does Windows 10 fail Cyber Essentials?

Without ESU, yes. The NCSC's Cyber Essentials requirements (version 3.3, April 2026) say every piece of software on an in-scope device must be "licensed and supported", and removed when it becomes unsupported. Critical and high-risk updates must go on within 14 days of release.

IASME, which runs the scheme, is clear on Windows 10. From 14 October 2025, any in-scope Windows 10 PC not enrolled in ESU counts as unsupported and isn't compliant. A PC that is enrolled, with the updates installed, does count as supported. IASME also calls ESU a short-term fix, not a long-term plan.

So if you renew Cyber Essentials this winter, every Windows 10 PC needs to be upgraded, replaced, covered by year two of ESU, or taken out of scope. Taking a PC out of scope means fencing it into a separate part of the network with no internet traffic in or out. That suits a machine running one old bit of kit, not a desk PC. Our Cyber Essentials team can tell you which applies before the assessment, rather than during it.

Can my PCs run Windows 11?

Microsoft's minimum for Windows 11 is:

• a compatible 64-bit processor (on Microsoft's supported list) with two or more cores;
• 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage;
• UEFI firmware with Secure Boot;
• TPM 2.0 (a small security chip, built into most business PCs from the last several years).

The processor list and TPM 2.0 are where older PCs fall down. On Windows 10, Settings, Update & Security, Windows Update tells you whether a PC can run Windows 11. Bear in mind that 4GB is the bare minimum: for everyday office work, more memory makes a big difference.

Windows 10 or Windows 11: a PC-by-PC decision

What about Microsoft 365 on Windows 10?

Microsoft will keep sending security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps (Word, Excel, Outlook and the rest) on Windows 10 until 10 October 2028. That doesn't make Windows itself safe, though. New features stopped at version 2608 of the apps. And if a problem only happens on Windows 10, Microsoft's support will ask you to move to Windows 11 before looking further.

A checklist for this month

1. List every Windows 10 PC. Include laptops at home, the PC in the workshop and the one running the till or the alarm software.
2. Check each one against Windows 11. Note which can upgrade and which can't.
3. Check whether any PC already has ESU. If year one was bought, year two needs buying and activating separately.
4. Decide per PC using the table above: upgrade, replace, ESU or retire.
5. Check your old software. Ask suppliers of anything older or specialist whether it's supported on Windows 11.
6. Back up before upgrading. An upgrade usually keeps files and apps, but have a copy first.
7. Check your Cyber Essentials date. If renewal falls before the work is done, plan ESU for the gap.
8. Book replacements before October 2027, when ESU year two ends and year three costs double again.

How we can help

We'll check every PC, tell you honestly which ones are worth upgrading, and do the work. A Windows 11 upgrade or machine setup is £70 +VAT per PC. If a PC can't make the jump, our hardware team can supply refurbished PCs from £200 +VAT (with a 3-month warranty) or new desktops from £384 +VAT, and every PC we supply comes with Windows 11. If you really do need more time, we can supply ESU, though upgrading is almost always the better spend.

On managed IT support, from £16.50 +VAT per machine a month, we keep an eye on every machine, including what it runs and how old it is, so the next end-of-support date isn't a surprise. For another example of why unpatched software matters, see our write-up of the PHP2Shell flaw. Get in touch and we'll start with a list of what you've got.