Microsoft ended free support for Windows 10 in October 2025. A year later, we still find Windows 10 PCs at the front desk, in the shop office and on the owner's laptop in businesses across the Fraser Valley. They still turn on and still run, which is exactly why they get forgotten. This guide explains where things stand now, what staying on Windows 10 really costs, and how to move to Windows 11 without disrupting your week.
Where things stand
- No more free updates. Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates and technical support on October 14, 2025.
- Extended Security Updates (ESU) for businesses are sold per device, one year at a time, and the price doubles each year. Microsoft's published pricing is US$61 per device for the first year, US$122 for the second year (October 2026 to October 2027) and US$244 for the third and final year, ending in October 2028. Joining late means paying for the years you missed.
- Consumer ESU for personal-use PCs now runs to October 12, 2027, but it is meant for home computers, not business fleets.
- ESU is security fixes only. No new features, no general support, and growing numbers of apps and devices that stop supporting Windows 10.
The real risk of staying put
An unpatched PC is one of the easiest ways into a small business network. Once Windows 10 machines fall outside updates, every newly discovered flaw stays open. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security lists keeping operating systems patched and supported among its baseline controls for small and medium organizations. There is also a privacy angle: BC's PIPA expects organizations to make reasonable security arrangements to protect personal information, and running unsupported software on a PC that holds client records is hard to defend after a breach.
This article is general information, not legal advice. A lawyer can confirm your obligations under PIPA or PIPEDA.
Upgrade, replace or pay for ESU?
- Upgrade in place when the PC meets Windows 11's hardware requirements, including TPM 2.0 and a supported processor. Most business PCs bought from about 2019 onward qualify, and the upgrade itself is free.
- Replace when the PC cannot run Windows 11 or is more than five or six years old. A second year of ESU plus the labour to keep an ageing machine running often adds up to a good share of a new business-grade PC.
- Pay for ESU only as a short bridge for a machine you cannot change yet, such as a PC that runs specialized equipment or software with no Windows 11 version. Put a firm replacement date on it.
A simple upgrade plan
- Inventory every PC: who uses it, its age, its Windows version and whether it is Windows 11 compatible. The PC Health Check app or your IT provider's management tools will tell you.
- Check your software. Confirm accounting, point-of-sale, design and line-of-business apps support Windows 11, and note any printers, scanners or label makers that need new drivers.
- Back up first. Make sure files are in OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive or a tested backup before anything changes.
- Pilot one machine, ideally a staff member who is comfortable with change, and fix anything that breaks before rolling out.
- Schedule the rest outside busy periods, a few machines at a time.
- Retire old PCs properly. Wipe or destroy drives before recycling. In BC, Return-It Electronics accepts computers at depots across the province.
Budgeting tips
- Spread replacements over a few months rather than buying everything at once.
- Choose business-grade models with longer warranties, which tend to last longer and are easier to manage.
- Ask your accountant how new equipment is treated for capital cost allowance purposes.
- Use the change to tidy up: enable BitLocker encryption, multi-factor sign-in and automatic updates on every new PC.
How we help
Bitlogix plans and carries out Windows 11 upgrades and PC replacements for businesses in Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley and across the Lower Mainland, with remote support anywhere in BC. We take care of the inventory, compatibility checks, data migration, setup and secure disposal of old machines. Book a free 30-minute consultation and we will help you work out which PCs to upgrade, which to replace and what it will cost.
Useful references
- Windows 10 end of support, Microsoft
- Extended Security Updates FAQ, Microsoft Learn
- Baseline cyber security controls for small and medium organizations, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security
- Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia: guidance on security safeguards under PIPA
- Return-It Electronics: computer recycling in BC