Microsoft’s latest announcements may alert a lot of users. The firm has announced drastic changes to come for a version of Windows that is still mostly used.
Although Microsoft is well-regarded for its numerous Windows updates, the company seems on the verge of making a drastic and historic decision. For several years now, Microsoft has regularly updated certain versions still distributed of its famous operating system for desktop and laptop PCs.
The only thing is, Microsoft cannot decently keep all the versions of Windows available on the market up to date. This is why the company has just announced the upcoming end of support for a version that is still very widely used. The latter would equip a little over a billion devices at the time of writing these lines.
By October 2025, Microsoft will stop offering security updates for Windows 10. This includes bug fixes, possible new features and especially updates against security vulnerabilities. within the operating system. Any computer that is still equipped with a Windows 10 or older license (Windows 8, 7, XP and Vista are no longer supported by Microsoft) is subject to risk.
To check which version of Windows your computer is using, the procedure is simple. Go to the “Start” menu then “Settings”, “System” and finally “About” where you will find your current version of Windows.
Although your Windows 10 computer will continue to work once this fateful date has passed, it will be subject to numerous security risks. Microsoft engineers will no longer look into possible problems, leaving a real avenue for hackers and malicious people who will abuse the slightest security hole to break into your machine and steal your personal data.
Fortunately, it is always possible to avoid this type of problem. The simplest way is to update the version of Windows that currently equips your machine with the latest: Windows 11. To do this, use the “Start” menu > “Settings” > “Updates and security” > “Windows Update” and select “Check for updates”. If your device is compatible with Windows 11, you should be offered this version. Keep in mind, however, that Windows 11 is not supported on older machines, and you may need to consider changing computers if yours is not compatible with the most recent version of Windows .
The other solution is to use your computer under Windows 10 without connecting it to the internet or other devices. It can still be used to launch offline applications such as video games, graphics software, note-taking software and many others.