Theโข Looming End of Windowsโฃ 10 Support and the Future of โขpcs
The official end of support for Windows 10 is rapidly approaching, raising concernsโฃ among security experts and driving a surge in the PC market. Microsoft will ceaseโค support on โฃOctober 14th, โค2025, leaving systems vulnerable too emergingโฃ threats without continued securityโ updates.
Security professionals warn that โcontinuing to use Windows 10 beyond โฃthis date poses important risks.โ Charaka Goonatilake, CTO at Panaseer, likened it to “leaving an open front door in a hazardous neighborhood,” highlighting the potential for permanent exposure toโฃ newly discovered vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals are anticipated to actively target unsupported systems with malware, phishing attacks, and ransomware.Beyond security,compatibility issues with newer software and hardwareโฃ are also expected to increase.
Microsoft offers a temporary solution throughโ the Extended Security Updates โข(ESU) program, providing critical security patchesโ for Windows 10 for one year, until October โ2026. โฃThe program is available for purchase,costing $30 for privateโฃ users,but also offers freeโค access underโ specific conditions.โ Users can obtain the ESU updates for free โbyโข linking theirโค PC settings to a Microsoftโข account and utilizing Windowsโฃ Backup with โขOneDrive,โ or byโข redeemingโข 1,000 Microsoftโฃ Rewards โpoints. โNotably, citizens โof the European Union โฃare eligible for the ESU program without the requirement of using Microsoft cloud services. It’s โimportant to note that the ESU program โฃisโฃ a limited-term solution, offering security updates only and excluding new โfeatures or โtechnical support.
The impending end of โsupport is already impacting the PCโ market. According to โฃthe โInternationalโ Data Corporation (IDC), globalโ PC โขsales increased by 9.4 percent to 75.8 million โdevices in the third quarter of 2025. Analysts attribute this โฃgrowth directly to the approaching deadline, labeling itโ an โฃ”immediate catalyst.”
However,many users are hesitant to upgrade,citing โขcost concerns or hardware incompatibility.This reluctance could lead to a substantial โคincrease in electronic waste. Canalys estimates that up to 240 million PCs could become obsolete as their resale value diminishes without ongoing operating system support.
Looking ahead, โthe industry is โshifting towards โAI-powered PCs. Gartner โpredicts that AI PCs will achieve a 31โ percent market share by the endโฃ of 2025, and โbecome standard by 2029. This technological advancement is expected โto further accelerate the โคtransition away from older operating systems like Windows 10.
As millions of users navigate these challenges – balancing โsecurity risks, upgrade costs, โคand environmental impactโฃ -โ the era of Windows โฃ10 is drawing to โขa close, marking a significant shift in the landscape of personal computing.