Windows 10 End of Support (EOS) in October 2025

What does your organization need to do before October 14, 2025 to prepare and migrate to Windows 11?

Microsoft is ending security and support for Windows 10 on October 14th, 2025.

They actually announced this date back in 2021, but a lot of organizations had more urgent things to think about at the time, so it’s catching a lot of organizations off guard.

Windows 10 has been a great operating system, and we are also sorry to see it go. However, it has had a long and healthy life, and Windows 11 is better equipped for the modern workplace and offers better protection from cyberattacks.

What Does Windows 10’s EOS Mean for You?

Your Windows 10 devices won’t suddenly stop working on October 14th. However, it does mean that the longer you continue to use Windows 10 after that date, the more you’re exposing your organization to unnecessary risk.

Microsoft does offer an option to purchase additional support and security updates after October 14th, but it’s not something we would typically recommend for our clients. You’d essentially be paying more to keep technology that’s so outdated it needs to be updated anyway. And this option will cost you more in the long run.

Your Windows 11 Migration: Action Items and Pro Tips

Complete an assessment of your current infrastructure, including apps
Analyze the compatibility of any devices or apps that were purchased before October 2021
Where your budget allows, plan to replace incompatible devices and tools before October 2025
If some incompatible items can’t be replaced before October 2025, identify critical systems and prioritize replacing those first
Identify the risks associated with each device or tool that can’t be replaced in time, and try to minimize the potential impact they might have on your business

What Could Go Wrong?

If you don’t have a current comprehensive list of every PC, server, printer, scanner, app, and component your staff is using — including when it was purchased — you may have difficulty producing one in a limited amount of time.

Some organizations that have attempted to migrate to Windows 11 in-house have experienced unpleasant surprises caused by unanticipated app or device incompatibility issues.

As your technology partner, we are here to help! In fact, we have already received urgent requests to resolve IT disruptions caused by an internal Windows 11 migration error. We are ready and willing to resolve these kinds of things, but we’d just rather they didn’t happen to any of our clients!

Helpful Microsoft Resources

If you have PCs running on Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) that are Windows 11 eligible, you can upgrade for free. You can either do this through your updates menu, or you can download Windows 11 manually.

What We Can Do To Make Your Migration Painless

We can basically offer as much or as little help as you need! Over the past year, many of us inside Team Marco have worked together to create a list of service options that organizations might want or need.

Here's how we can help:

Device audits to clarify what items you’ll need to update and what you can keep
A comprehensive tech assessment to offer you a prioritized list of updates based on your goals, timeline, budget, and risk tolerance
Automation of device lifecycle management tasks going forward
A complimentary Microsoft assessment, which would allow us to help you optimize your Microsoft tools and simplify license management moving forward
Our expert advice (which is also free!) about how you can accomplish more with fewer apps and devices
The management of your entire Windows 11 migration
The customized setup and delivery of new PCs to both remote and in-person staff
Insider deals on new AI-powered laptops from HP
Ongoing help securing and configuring your Microsoft environment

Additional Windows 11 Migration Tips and Resources

If you haven’t yet, it’s a good idea to reach out to your Marco rep to see which of these options might be a good fit for your organization. And if you’ve got the situation taken care of in-house, please let them know. We really do worry — especially when it comes to complex tech updates like these!

We’ve also prepared a new page dedicated to helping organizations understand how Windows 10’s EOS could affect them! We’ll be adding more resources there over time.