"This is the end, beautiful friend. This is the end."
-Jim Morrison of The Doors
October 14, 2025, marks the end of the line for our tried-and-true, stable, and generally "good enough" Windows 10 OS. Windows 95, Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 10 have proven to be very stable OSes that we haven't had to think about a whole lot over the years.
However, Microsoft wants us all to evolve to newer OSes with more, dare I say, ads. That means Windows 11. However, Windows has very precise hardware requirements that not all our Windows 10 machines can properly do - TPM.
Microsoft has even gone out of its way to blow up Windows 11 implementations that could work around the TPM requirement.
I have no issues with Windows 11 per se. I have two Windows 11 machines and two Windows 10 machines.
You have this school year to figure out your Windows 10 dilemma.
Your choices are:
- Upgrade the Windows 10 machines that can be upgraded.
- Retire at least all the Windows 10 machines that cannot be upgraded - if not all Windows 10 machines.
- Subscribe to Microsoft for Extended Windows 10 Update Support.
The later follows the Windows 7 model - just for a higher price.
You can purchase Windows Updates for 1-3 years from October 2025 to keep your systems safe while you upgrade your equipment later.
The pricing for K-12 is straightforward:
- Year 1 - $1 / machine
- Year 2 - $2 / machine
- Year 3 - $4 / machine.
You can read about Microsoft's K-12 announcement here.
If you haven't already, you need to make a plan. You cannot responsibly let your Windows 10 machines that will be in production after October 14, 2025 lack ongoing security updates.
If you need our assistance to figure it out, please call us.
-Scott Quimby, CISSP
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