If your business is still running Windows 10 in 2026, this one is worth five minutes of your time. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025 — which means no more security updates, no feature updates and no technical support for the operating system. Nine months on, plenty of Perth businesses are still running it, often without realising the risk is quietly growing every week.
Here's what "end of support" actually means, the real-world risks for a small business, and a sensible plan to get sorted without panic-buying.
What "end of support" actually means
Your Windows 10 computers still turn on and still work — that's the part that lulls businesses into leaving it. The problem is what's happening underneath.
When an operating system reaches end of support, Microsoft stops shipping the monthly security patches that fix newly discovered vulnerabilities. Attackers know this, so unsupported systems become a growing target: every new Windows flaw found after October 2025 stays open on your machines. There are also no bug fixes, no feature updates and no official support if something breaks.
In short: the computer works, but it gets less safe every month.
"But our computers still work" — the real risks
For a Perth small business, running an unsupported operating system creates four practical problems:
- Security. Unpatched vulnerabilities are one of the most common ways ransomware and attackers get in. Windows 10 is now a standing, unpatched target.
- Cyber insurance. Many policies now require you to run supported, patched software. Running end-of-life Windows can reduce a payout — or void a claim — after an incident.
- Compliance. Frameworks like the ASD Essential Eight (and many client or government contracts) require operating systems to be patched and supported. Windows 10 no longer meets that bar.
- Software and vendor support. Over time, business applications, browsers and hardware drivers drop support for Windows 10, so things gradually stop working or updating.
None of these are dramatic on day one. They're a slow build of risk — which is exactly why they're easy to ignore until something goes wrong.
Your options
There are really three paths, and most businesses use a mix.
1. Upgrade eligible PCs to Windows 11 (usually free)
If a computer meets the Windows 11 hardware requirements, the upgrade is free and keeps your files and applications in place. For most businesses this is the bulk of the answer — many machines bought in the last few years are eligible and just need the upgrade done properly, tested and rolled out in a controlled way.
2. Replace hardware that can't run Windows 11
Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements than Windows 10 — notably TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and a supported processor. Older machines (roughly pre-2018) often don't qualify. Those are best replaced with new Windows 11 PCs, ideally staged over a sensible budget cycle rather than all at once.
Is my hardware Windows 11-ready? You can check an individual PC with Microsoft's free PC Health Check app, but for a whole fleet it's faster to have your IT provider audit every device and tell you what upgrades, what gets replaced, and roughly when.
3. Extended Security Updates (ESU) — a short bridge, not a strategy
If you genuinely can't move some machines in time, Microsoft offers paid Extended Security Updates for Windows 10. For businesses, ESU costs around US$61 per device for the first year, and the price doubles each following year, for a maximum of three years. Importantly, ESU delivers security updates only — no features, no bug fixes and no technical support.
ESU is a useful bridge for a handful of stubborn machines while you finish a migration. It is not a way to avoid the problem — paying a doubling annual fee to keep an ageing OS on life support rarely makes sense for long.
A sensible plan for a Perth business
You don't need to rip everything out this week. A calm, staged approach works best:
- Audit. Get a full list of your devices, which are Windows 11-ready, and which aren't.
- Prioritise. Upgrade or replace the highest-risk machines first — anything handling sensitive data, finances or remote access.
- Stage the rollout. Upgrade eligible PCs in controlled batches (tested first), and budget hardware replacements across a quarter or two rather than in one hit.
- Use ESU sparingly. Only for the few devices that genuinely can't move yet.
- Tidy up while you're there. A fleet upgrade is the perfect time to standardise security settings, MFA and backups.
Done properly, most businesses can be fully off Windows 10 with minimal disruption — the key is a plan, not a scramble.
How we can help
At Computer Mechanics, we've guided Perth businesses through every Windows transition since 1997. We'll audit your devices, tell you plainly what to upgrade versus replace, handle the Windows 11 rollout in controlled batches using tools like Microsoft Intune, and make sure security and backups are tightened along the way — so the move is smooth and your business stays protected.
If you're still on Windows 10 and want a clear, no-jargon plan (and a realistic budget), get in touch with our Perth team or call (08) 9325 1196.
In short: Windows 10 support ended on 14 October 2025, so running it in 2026 means an unsupported, increasingly vulnerable system — with real cyber-insurance and compliance implications. Upgrade eligible PCs to Windows 11 (usually free), replace what can't be upgraded, and use paid Extended Security Updates only as a short bridge. Plan it in stages rather than panic-buying.
