A customer came into our “hospital” on Elm Street recently with a perfectly good Dell laptop. It turned on, checked email, printed fine, everything worked perfectly. The only problem? It was running Windows 10, and Microsoft’s totally free mainstream support ended last October.
“So what?” she said.”It still works.”
And she’s absolutely right. Your Windows 10 computer did not turn into a pumpkin on Oct. 15, 2025. It still boots, still browses, still plays solitaire. But here is the part that matters: Microsoft is no longer patching the security holes without specific actions on your part. Think of it like driving a car that runs beautifully but has no airbags and brakes that might fail. The engine runs great, but the safety net is gone.
That is not fear-mongering. That is just how software works.
So what are your real options? There are three. (Actually four, but that one is “do nothing
and hope,” which we do not recommend.)
Option one: Upgrade to Windows 11. This is free if your PC can handle it. The catch is that many computers made before roughly 2019 cannot run Windows 11 because of a security chip called TPM 2.0. Microsoft has a free “PC Health Check” app that will tell you in about 30 seconds if your machine qualifies. If it does, the upgrade is straightforward. If it does not, you cannot force it without workarounds. We can do that, but it certainly is not the best choice.
Option two: Buy a new or refurbished PC. I know, nobody wants to hear this. But if your computer is 6 or 7 years old, it may be time. We recently moved a longtime customer from a dead Windows 10 machine to a refurbished Lenovo laptop with Windows 11 for under $425, including migrating all her files and setting up her Microsoft account. It is a lot less painful than people think, especially if someone else handles the transfer.
Option three: Enroll in extended security updates. Microsoft offers three ways to do this. You may qualify at no extra cost if you are already syncing your PC settings with a Microsoft account. You can also redeem 1,000 Microsoft rewards points, or pay a one-time fee of $30. The program runs until October 2027. Businesses have a separate, much more expensive program. This is a decent bridge if you are not ready to upgrade yet, but it is a band-aid, not a cure. At some point you will still need a new PC or a Windows 11 upgrade.
Now, the scam warning. Ever since the October deadline passed, we have seen a fresh wave of fake “Microsoft” popups and phone calls telling people their Windows 10 is “expired” and they must pay to reactivate it or give remote access to fix it. That is nonsense. Microsoft will never call you out of the blue, and they will never ask for remote access because of an expired operating system. If you see a popup with a phone number, close it. If someone calls claiming to be from Microsoft, hang up.
Here is the simplest way to check where you stand. Click the start button, type “PC Health Check” and download the app from Microsoft. Run it. If it says your PC can run Windows 11, great. If it says no, you have your answer: start budgeting for a replacement or enroll in the extended updates.
Technology does not have to be scary. It just has to be current. If you are not sure what
your PC is telling you, or if you have trouble running the “PC Health Check” app, you can set up an appointment and we will check it for you, or you can take it to your favorite computer tech folks. (We believe in healthy competition!)
And if your computer is still running Windows 10, do not panic. Just do not ignore it either.
Until next time, as Mr. Spock used to say “live long and prosper.” (Do you think he knew
about Windows 10?)
Stephen Bach is the owner and chief of surgery at The Digital Docs in Marblehead.
