It turning on is not the same as it being safe. Here is the part of the deadline that catches Microsoft 365 users out.
Resources / Windows 10 Still Works. Do I Need to Upgrade?
Yes, and the Microsoft 365 side is the reason many businesses miss it. Your PC keeps switching on, but security patches stopped in October 2025, and your Office apps stop getting feature updates on Windows 10 through 2026.1 There is a free one-year safety net you can take, but it is a bridge, not a destination. Here is how to tell what you actually need to do, without buying a truckload of new PCs in a panic.
when Windows 10 security updates ended
when Microsoft 365 apps stop getting feature updates on Windows 10 for business
of consumer Extended Security Updates via Windows Backup
It does, and it will keep doing so for years. That is exactly why this risk is easy to wave away. Working and safe are two different things. A car with no brakes still starts. What ended in October 2025 is the stream of security fixes: when a new hole is found in Windows 10, Microsoft no longer patches it on those machines, so the gap between "runs fine" and "safe to run a business on" widens every month.2
Here is the part that surprises owners who assumed Office was separate from Windows. Microsoft is ending feature updates for Microsoft 365 apps running on Windows 10. For consumer subscriptions this begins in 2026, and for business it lands on 13 October 2026 for the Monthly Enterprise Channel and 12 January 2027 for the Semi-Annual Channel.1 Security updates for the apps continue for a while longer, but your Office stops moving forward and drifts out of step with everyone you work with. Upgrading the operating system is what keeps Office current.
Microsoft offers consumers a free year of Extended Security Updates for Windows 10, which you can turn on by signing in to the Windows Backup app or by redeeming Microsoft Rewards points.2 Take it if you need breathing room, but be honest about what it is: an extension cord, not a plan. It buys you a defined amount of time to migrate in an orderly way, and then it ends.
Many can. The Windows 11 upgrade is free for eligible Windows 10 PCs, and eligibility comes down to hardware, chiefly a TPM 2.0 security chip and a reasonably recent processor. In practice most business machines from around 2019 onward upgrade cleanly, while older ones often cannot and are better replaced. Microsoft's PC Health Check app gives a per-machine answer in seconds, so you can sort your fleet into "upgrade" and "replace" in an afternoon.
There is one reasonable exception: a machine that runs a piece of old software which genuinely will not move. Keep it if you must, but seal it off. Take it off the internet, or lock it down to the single system it needs to reach. An isolated, offline appliance is a manageable risk; an unpatched machine sitting on the open internet and reading email is the one that gets you hurt.
We run this exact program, inventory to final machine, as part of managed IT, and as part of a Microsoft 365 setup that stays current. Planned beats panicked every time.
Windows 10 support has ended: the exit plan: the security side, in full.
Microsoft 365 migration in Sydney: keep Office current as you upgrade.
Managed IT in Sydney: fleet upgrades run as a program, not a panic.
They keep working, but Microsoft 365 apps stop receiving feature updates on Windows 10 through 2026, so your Office freezes in place while everyone else's moves on. Upgrading Windows keeps it current.
Yes, if you need time. It is a genuine one-year security bridge for consumers, activated through Windows Backup or Microsoft Rewards points. Just treat it as time to migrate, not a permanent fix.
Yes, for eligible Windows 10 PCs. Eligibility depends mainly on a TPM 2.0 chip and a recent processor. The PC Health Check app tells you machine by machine.
Usually no. Upgrade the machines that qualify for free and replace only those that cannot, spread over a quarter. That is cheaper and less disruptive than a bulk purchase.
Yes, if you isolate it. Take it off the internet or restrict it to the one system it needs. An unpatched machine with open internet access is the real danger.
General information only. This article does not account for your specific circumstances and is not legal, financial, or professional advice. For guidance on your situation, get in touch.
Tell us how many PCs you run and roughly how old they are. We will sort them into free upgrades and planned replacements, keep your Microsoft 365 current, and give you a timeline that beats the 2026 deadlines.
Prefer to talk? Call (02) 9053 8789.
Belivanis Information Systems