1-Year Countdown: Microsoft to End Support for Windows 10, but Paid Extension Plan Available

Microsoft has announced that support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025. After this date, except for the Long-Term Servicing Branch (LTSB)/Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) editions, other versions will no longer receive security updates to fix vulnerabilities.

As the end of support date approaches, Microsoft has published a blog post urging users to upgrade to Windows 11. However, Microsoft acknowledges that a significant number of PCs may not be eligible for the upgrade.

In response, Microsoft has previously revealed plans to offer a paid extension support plan for Windows 10. Traditionally, these plans were aimed at enterprise users, but next year, Microsoft will also make paid support plans available to individual and home users.

The specific pricing details for the paid extension support have not yet been disclosed. Usually, these plans last for three years, with the cost increasing each year. It remains unclear if the same pricing structure will apply to individual and home editions.

For many users, the simplest solution might be upgrading to Windows 11, even if hardware limitations necessitate certain workarounds. However, the user experience with Windows 11, especially regarding gaming, has led many gamers to prefer staying with Windows 10.

Lifecycle Information:

Affected Versions: Windows 10 Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, Home China, Pro Education, Enterprise, and Enterprise Education.

End of Support Date: October 14, 2025

Unaffected Versions: Windows 10 LTSB 2015, LTSB 2016, Windows 10 LTSC 2019, LTSB 2021, Windows Server 2016~2019, etc.