Millions of Windows 10 users need to start contemplating the move to Windows 11 as Microsoft nudges PC owners about an important date looming on the horizon. As you may know, the US company has just ended all support for Windows 8.1 and during the recent shutdown confirmed the news that Windows 10 is also reaching its end of life.
Granted, that important end-of-support date is still a few years away, but it’s a timely reminder that Windows 10 won’t last forever.
In fact, Microsoft will stop releasing upgrades, updates, and bug fixes in 2025, meaning there’s just a little over two years left before this hugely popular operating system is completely obsolete.
Earlier this month, Microsoft advised Windows 8 users to update their PCs to keep getting the latest updates.
However, it has also warned that buying a Windows 10 PC might not be the best investment due to the changes ahead.
In a post on its Software Upgrades page, Microsoft said, “Most Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 devices will not meet the hardware requirements to upgrade to Windows 11, alternatively compatible PCs can be upgraded to Windows 10 through purchase become and install a full version of the software. Before investing in a Windows 10 upgrade, please keep in mind that Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025.”
READ MORE: Android Alert! Whatever you do, don’t buy a Samsung Galaxy this month
Once that date is on the calendar, it seems unlikely that upgrades or security patches will be released for Windows 10 users, putting the devices at serious risk from cybercriminals and PC bugs.
It also means no shiny new features will be released for devices.
If you’re still using Windows 10, you clearly have plenty of time to think about the switch.
Note, however, that you’ll need to make the jump to Windows 11 if you don’t want to face any more problems in the future.
If you’re one of the lucky ones, you might find that your current laptop or desktop computer meets all the system requirements to run Microsoft’s latest and greatest operating system.
Most older devices cannot run this latest operating system because it requires certain system requirements, including a powerful processor and TPM 2.0. TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module and is a hardware built-in security feature found on newer devices.
If it’s not compatible, you’ll face the nightmare of buying a new device – at least the 2025 deadline gives you some time to save!