Microsoft released Windows 11 at the end of 2021 and shifted the development focus from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Customers with Windows 10 devices can upgrade to Windows 11 for free, but due to Microsoft changing the requirements for the new operating system, not all Windows 10 devices can be upgraded.
#While it is possible to bypass these requirements, it opens up a lot of cannibals as some features may not work properly or at all, and it may happen in the future that some updates fail to go through Windows Update on incompatible devices Install.
Most Windows 10 devices that don't meet the minimum system requirements will continue to use that version of Windows, but what happens when Windows 10 is no longer supported in 2025? Microsoft has listed October 14, 2025 as the retirement date for Windows 10 Home and Pro editions (basically all consumer versions of Windows 10). Some users will definitely replace their devices with new ones that may include Windows 11 or at least be compatible with the new operating system.
There will still be millions of devices in use in 2025 that won't be officially upgraded to Windows 11 because Microsoft won't happen to meet the system requirements for the new operating system. Some users may be able to bypass restrictions and upgrade to Windows 11.
The main issue Windows 10 users will encounter in October 2025 is that Microsoft will no longer create security updates for the operating system. Windows 10 devices will continue to work as before, but Microsoft will not fix some security issues after the last patch day on October 14, 2025. Other companies, including 0Patch, may step in and make some security updates for Windows 10, but the company won't release patches for every issue, and some patches may not be released for free.
Continuing to use Windows 10 after October 2025 may still be a valid scenario, for example, if the PC is not connected to the Internet, or if security settings block most attacks before they can cause any harm.
Windows 10 users with most devices incompatible with Windows 11 have two main options if they want to continue using the device:
Neither option is ideal from the perspective of a user who wants as little disruption as possible. The first option, upgrading to Windows 11 without support, brings most setup and installed programs to a Windows 11 system. Most programs continue to work and data is not lost.
The main problem with this approach is that Microsoft does not officially support this. While Microsoft did release upgrade instructions for incompatible devices, it warned users that their devices "may malfunction" and "are no longer guaranteed to receive updates, including but not limited to security updates."
The official disclaimer even states that damage is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty and that the PC will no longer be supported in any way.
This PC does not meet the minimum system requirements to run Windows 11 - these requirements help ensure a more reliable and higher-quality experience. Installing Windows 11 on this PC is not recommended and may cause compatibility issues. If you continue to install Windows 11, your PC will no longer be supported and will not be entitled to receive updates. Damage to your PC due to lack of compatibility is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
Windows Update currently works fine on incompatible Windows 11 devices, but this may not be the case in the future. Feature update installations in particular can be problematic, as users may need to bypass restrictions again to install these updates.
The second option for users is to switch to Linux. This change requires more research and work on the user side: a Linux distribution needs to be chosen for this, which may require some testing before migrating. Most Linux distributions can be run as Live systems without affecting the data on your PC's hard drive.
The following are the main problems users will encounter:
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