Global tech firm Microsoft has announced it will discontinue free software updates and support for users running on Windows 10 operating system by October 14, dealing a blow to businesses that will be forced to pay for the services or upgrade to Windows 11.
The tech giant said in an update that while the Windows 10 would function after the deadline, it would be at a greater risk for viruses and malware with the suspension of support.
“As of October 14, 2025, computers running on Windows 10 will still function but Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, feature updates and security updates or fixes,” said the firm.
“We recommend you transition to a version of Windows that is still supported. If your existing device cannot run Windows 11, a new PC (personal computer) that can run Windows 11 makes for an easy transition and great experience.”
Windows 10 went live in Kenya in July 2015 as part of a global release, succeeding Windows 8.1, which had been opened for retail in 2013.
Released in October 2021, Windows 11 is the most current version of the Microsoft computer operating system series, and the firm says users with some versions of older computers will need to buy new ones to upgrade to Windows 11.
“If your PC meets the minimum system requirements and is able to upgrade, you should see an option in ‘Windows Update’ to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 for free,” Microsoft wrote in the update published on its official website.
“Windows 11 is the most secure Windows ever built, with comprehensive end-to-end security that covers antivirus, firewall, Internet protections, and more. This means more security features, dashboard displays, and ongoing updates to help safeguard against future threats–all built-in at no extra cost.”
Last July, Microsoft systems were hit by a worldwide tech outage that caused massive and far-reaching disruptions across global corporate firms particularly those in aviation, banking, healthcare and financial services sectors.
Cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike would later confirm that the problem emanated from a ‘defect’ in a content update for Microsoft Windows operating system, resulting in flights being grounded, healthcare services being halted and online payments systems shut down.
Technology pundits who spoke to the Business Daily thereafter acknowledged that even though an outage of such nature does not pose a critical risk to companies’ network systems in terms of data loss and security breach, denial of service and the attendant backlogs due to delays in processing transactions poses reputational damage and financial loss risks.
