If your computer has started nagging you with messages about "support ending" or "this PC can't run Windows 11", you've probably felt a little flutter of worry. Take a breath — you've done nothing wrong, your computer isn't broken, and you are very far from alone. Millions of people are in exactly the same boat. Here's what it all means, in plain English, and the calm, sensible options in front of you.
Windows 10 stopped getting free security updates on 14 October 2025. Your computer still switches on and works — but it's no longer being protected against new threats. The safest long-term answer is to move to a computer that runs Windows 11. That needn't be expensive.
What's actually happened?
Microsoft, the company that makes Windows, has retired Windows 10 — the system many laptops have run for years. "Retired" doesn't mean your computer stops working. It means Microsoft no longer sends out the free security updates that quietly patch up weaknesses each month.
Think of those updates like a locksmith popping round regularly to fit better locks as new burglary tricks appear. The locksmith has now stopped calling. The house still stands and the doors still open — but the locks are frozen in time, and over the months that becomes a real risk.
So what? Nothing breaks today. But an unprotected computer becomes a gradually riskier place to do your banking, emails and shopping.
Why won't my PC just update to Windows 11?
This is the part that catches everyone out. Windows 11 is free to upgrade to — but only if your computer meets its requirements. Microsoft set a stricter security bar, and a great many perfectly good older computers simply don't clear it.
The usual sticking points are a security chip called TPM 2.0 and the age of the computer's processor. If your laptop is roughly seven years old or more, there's a fair chance it falls just the wrong side of the line — hence the message "This PC can't run Windows 11."
To find out for certain, search your computer for the free "PC Health Check" app from Microsoft (it's often already installed). Open it, click "Check now", and it tells you in one click whether your machine can run Windows 11 — no guesswork.
So what? It isn't that your computer is "too slow" — it's a security-standard cut-off. Many fine machines are caught by it through no fault of their own.
Your options, honestly weighed
There are really four roads from here. Let's lay them out plainly, good and bad.
| Option | The honest verdict |
|---|---|
| Carry on with Windows 10 as-is | Risky over time — no new security protection. Fine for a few weeks while you decide; not a long-term plan. |
| Pay Microsoft for "Extended Security Updates" | A one-year stopgap that keeps the updates coming. Buys you breathing room, but only delays the decision. |
| Upgrade to Windows 11 (if eligible) | Ideal and free — if PC Health Check gives you the green light. Back up your files first. |
| Move to a Windows 11 computer | The clean, safe, long-term answer when your current PC isn't eligible. A refurbished one keeps the cost (and the waste) right down. |
So what? If your machine can take Windows 11, upgrade it — free and done. If it can't, a different computer is the sensible next step.
Do I really need to spend a fortune?
No — and this is where we'll be straight with you, because we sell computers and have every reason to be honest about it. You do not need the newest, priciest laptop in the shop. For emails, browsing, video calls, photos and shopping, a well-chosen machine from a few years ago runs Windows 11 beautifully.
This is exactly what a properly refurbished laptop is: a quality computer, checked over, cleaned up, set up with Windows 11, and sold at a fraction of the new price. It's kinder to your purse and kinder to the planet — the same machine, given a second life, rather than a brand-new one built and an old one binned.
Back up your photos and documents. Whatever path you choose, copy anything precious to a memory stick or the cloud first. Our guide How to back up your data safely walks you through it gently, step by step.
What should I do?
- Don't panic, and don't be rushed — especially by any phone call or pop-up claiming your PC is "infected" because of this. That's a scam (see our guide on spotting them).
- Run "PC Health Check" to see if your computer can have Windows 11 for free.
- Back up your files to a memory stick or the cloud.
- If eligible: accept the free Windows 11 upgrade.
- If not: consider a tested, Windows-11-ready refurbished laptop — and bring your files across.
The bottom line
The end of Windows 10 sounds dramatic, but it's really just a nudge to make sure the computer you bank and shop on is properly protected. Check whether yours can upgrade for free; if it can't, a sensible refurbished machine running Windows 11 will keep you safe for years — without spending big or adding to the scrap heap. No fear, no fuss. Just a tidy decision, made once.
Tell us its age and what it says on screen, and we'll give you a straight, jargon-free answer about your best move — free of charge. Visit Ask IT Man.
