Windows 10 Support Has Ended: Your Windows 11 Options Explained

Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10 in October 2025. If your computer is still running it, the machine keeps working — but it no longer receives security updates, which means every new vulnerability discovered from here on stays unpatched. Over time that makes a Windows 10 PC a steadily bigger target for viruses, ransomware and scams. This is the single most common question I am getting in Lake Country right now, so here is the honest rundown.

Does my computer need to change today?

It will not stop working overnight. But I would not do online banking, shopping or email on an unsupported system for long. The safe move is to get onto Windows 11 — and whether that is free or needs new hardware depends entirely on how old your machine is.

Can your PC run Windows 11?

Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements than Windows 10 — mainly a newer processor and a security chip called TPM 2.0. Roughly speaking, computers from 2018 onward usually qualify; older ones often do not. I can check yours in a couple of minutes and tell you for certain.

Your three honest options

1. 1.Free upgrade — if your PC meets the requirements, I can upgrade it to Windows 11 cleanly and move all your files and programs over.
2. 2.Upgrade the hardware — on some machines a small upgrade (and an SSD while we are in there) gets you eligible and faster at the same time, for far less than a new computer.
3. 3.Replace or build new — if the machine is genuinely too old, I will tell you straight, and I can build or set up a new one around how you actually use it, with your files moved over.

What I would not do

• Do not panic-buy a computer from a big-box flyer before someone checks whether your current one qualifies for the free upgrade
• Do not ignore it for another year on a machine you bank on
• Do not pay for "Windows 10 extended support" schemes advertised in pop-ups — bring it to a person first

If you are not sure which camp your computer falls into, bring it by or call (604) 817-1069. The $40 diagnostic — credited to any work — includes a Windows 11 eligibility check and a straight recommendation. I serve Lake Country, Kelowna and Vernon.

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