Published February 12, 2023. Rewritten September 29, 2026: Windows 10 support has ended, so this checklist now covers moving off it.
Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025 (Microsoft Lifecycle). Computers still running it keep working, but they no longer receive security updates, fixes or technical support unless the business pays for Extended Security Updates. For a business, the right answer is a planned move to Windows 11, with ESU only as a short bridge for the machines that cannot move yet.
Is it safe to keep using Windows 10 at work?
Not for long. Microsoft is plain about it: devices “will no longer receive software and feature updates, security updates and fixes, or technical support” (Microsoft). Every new vulnerability found in Windows 10 now stays open on computers without ESU.
CISA lists the use of unsupported software as a bad practice that “significantly elevates risk” (CISA). Unsupported systems also cause trouble with cyber insurance questionnaires and compliance reviews, and vendors are following Microsoft out: Duo, for example, states it will end its Windows Logon support for Windows 10 in October 2026 (Duo).
What are Extended Security Updates, and does my business qualify?
Extended Security Updates (ESU) is a paid Microsoft program that delivers critical and important security updates for Windows 10 version 22H2 after end of support. It adds no new features and no general technical support (Microsoft ESU overview).
- Year 1 ends October 13, 2026; Year 2 ends October 12, 2027; Year 3 ends October 10, 2028 (Microsoft ESU FAQ).
- Businesses buy it through volume licensing, one year at a time, and the years are cumulative: joining in Year 2 means paying for Year 1 as well.
- Windows 10 virtual machines in Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and Azure are covered at no extra cost.
- The consumer ESU option is not for business computers joined to a domain, Microsoft Entra ID or device management (Microsoft).
ESU buys time. It does not remove the need to move, and each year of it is time a computer spends on a system nobody is improving.
Will my computers run Windows 11?
Windows 11 needs a compatible 64-bit processor with at least two cores, 4 GB of memory, 64 GB of storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0 (Microsoft requirements). The processor requirement rules out many older business computers, so check the Intel and AMD supported lists rather than guessing by age.
On individual computers, Microsoft’s PC Health Check app shows whether a Windows 10 Pro device is eligible and why not. For a whole office, your IT provider should pull the same answer for every device from its management tools.
What happens to Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10?
Microsoft 365 Apps keep receiving security updates on Windows 10 through October 10, 2028, with or without ESU. Feature updates stop at Version 2608, and Microsoft support will ask you to move to Windows 11 for problems that appear only on Windows 10 (Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10). Word and Excel keep working; the operating system underneath them is the exposure.
What is the Windows 10 to Windows 11 migration checklist for a business?
- Inventory every computer, including the one in the back office that runs a single piece of equipment.
- Check eligibility against the Windows 11 requirements and supported processor lists.
- Confirm your applications with each vendor. Microsoft’s App Assure program helps eligible customers with compatibility problems at no additional cost.
- Back up and test a restore before any upgrade.
- Order replacements early. New business computers usually take about a week to arrive; set them up before they reach the employee’s desk.
- Upgrade eligible computers with your management tools, such as Intune or Windows Autopilot for new devices (Microsoft planning guide).
- Use ESU only as a bridge for the machines that truly cannot move yet, with a date to retire each one.
- Wipe and retire old computers properly, and update your asset records and documentation.
Triton runs upgrades and maintenance overnight, roughly 8 PM to 5 AM, so staff start the day on working computers, and we do not push major upgrades on Fridays, when a bad update could leave a team without computers over the weekend.
Sources
To see where your organization stands on these controls, take the Check Your Security Readiness assessment.
- Microsoft Lifecycle, Windows 10 Home and Pro
- Microsoft, Windows 10 end of support
- Microsoft Lifecycle, Extended Security Updates FAQ
- Microsoft Learn, Windows 10 Extended Security Updates
- Microsoft, Windows 10 consumer ESU
- Microsoft Learn, Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10
- Microsoft Learn, Windows 11 requirements
- Microsoft Learn, Plan for Windows 11
- CISA, Bad Practices
- Cisco Duo, Windows Logon FAQ
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Triton Technologies delivers managed IT services, cybersecurity, and IT support for businesses across New England. Contact our team today to start a conversation about your technology environment.
