Windows 10 – End of Support

by Billy J Long PSA Articles

Article (PSA-0028)
Submitted by: Billy Joe Long
Company: PSA Computer Services
Titled: Windows 10 – End of Support

Microsoft has announced that it will officially end support for the Windows 10 operating system on October 14, 2025. This means you will need to upgrade to Windows 11 or switch to another operating system, if you have not already. For many people switching to another operating system, such as Apple Macintosh or Linux, is not possible and so I will not be addressing that option in this article. In this article we will take a look at the challenges related to the Windows 11 upgrade from Windows 10.

When considering the upgrade to Windows 11 you must first determine whether your computer hardware meets system requirements. Just because your computer runs really well with Windows 10 does not mean it will run Windows 11. So lets go over the most significant requirements likely to cause you issues.

First up is your CPU. The basic requirements are not overly burdensome and most computers will meet these basics: 1Ghz or faster and 2 cores or more. The real issue is that your CPU must have been “approved” by Microsoft and appear on their list which can be found here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/windows-processor-requirements. Not all CPUs running 1Ghz or faster and that have 2 cores or more are on their list. If your CPU does not appear on their list, your upgrade to Windows 11 will fail.

The next significant requirement which may prevent you from upgrading to Windows 11 is related to the System Firmware. It must be UEFI. The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, which is a modern version of the PC BIOS, supports “Secure Boot”. Secure Boot must be enabled to upgrade to Windows 11.

The final significant requirement which may cause issues is TPM 2.0. The Trusted Platform Module 2.0 chip is a secure crypto-processor and is required to upgrade to Windows 11.

So, you may be asking yourself – does my PC meet these requirements? To find out, simply search for “PC Health Check” from the Windows 10 search bar. If the app is already installed on your computer, it will appear in your search results. If it is not, you will see a link to a Microsoft site where you can download the PC Health Check app. Here is the direct link to download the app: https://aka.ms/GetPCHealthCheckApp. Once the app is installed, run it. At the top you will see a button to “Check now”. The app will scan your system to see if you meet the requirements for Windows 11. If not, it will let you know what you are lacking.

Ultimately, if your current PC can not be upgraded … you will need a new computer to run Windows 11. I understand this is problematic for many people, especially in todays economy when must of us are struggling to put food on the table, but it is a choice Microsoft made and one we all will have to live with for now.

You can reach PSA Computer Services at (707) 506-6802 or check us out on the web at https://psa-2.com/