Hundreds of millions of PCs are still running Windows 10, and even with extended security updates, the population of unpatched PCs will spike over the next few years. How bad can it get?

Your Windows 10 laptop or desktop might not meet the requirements for upgrading to Windows 11, but you can still do it, and it likely won't cost anything.

Windows 10 has reached end of life, but you can continue using it by enrolling your PC into the ESU program for free.

Yes, you can still upgrade to Windows 11 for free. Windows 10 finally hits the wall tomorrow, officially retiring, and there’s now a surge in Windows 11 upgrades taking place. There is one check you need to do on your PC — and then you’re good to go.

Sign up for ESU by selecting Update & Security from the Settings menu. Click the "Enroll Now" sign-up link, as pictured below. Again, you may see an option to download Windows 11 if your computer meets the requirements (again, definitely do that if you see it).

Everyone is buzzing about the end of Windows 10 support next week, but one Windows 11 edition will also soon be out of support, and Microsoft wants you to know about it.

People running Windows 11 23H2 are in much the same boat as those on Windows 10, in terms of not having any security updates going forward being a bad thing. Without monthly updates to fix security flaws, version 23H2 will become vulnerable to exploits, and as time goes on, potentially more and more avenues of compromise will be left open.

After more than a decade of service, Microsoft is declaring the end of Windows 10’s usable life. If your machine still uses it, rest assured it’ll continue to work, but you won’t see any more software and security updates.