If you’re looking to buy a copy of Windows 10 from Microsoft, this is your last chance.
It will stop selling Home and Pro versions of the operating system on January 31, 2023, after which only Windows 11 will be available.
However, nothing has changed regarding Windows 10 support. All users will continue to receive security updates until October 2025, and new features may even be added from here there.
The fact that Windows 10 is no longer available for purchase is not nearly as significant as it seems. Here are four main reasons.
1. It will still be available at other retailers
This January 31 deadline specifically refers to Microsoft itself. Windows 10 has been available from multiple third-party retailers throughout its lifetime, and that isn’t expected to change any time soon.
In the United States, you can still purchase Windows 10 from the following:
In the UK, here are the retailers to choose from:
Remember that installing Windows 10 first is the easiest way to get a free upgrade to Windows 11. But you don’t necessarily have to pay for it.
2. You can still get Windows 10 for free
When Windows 10 was released in 2015, Microsoft offered a free upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8. It technically expired a year later, but it’s still operational in early 2023.
To get it, just go to the Windows 10 download page on the Microsoft website. Under “Create Windows 10 installation media”, click “Download tool now” and run it like any application.
Choose “Upgrade this PC now” if you’re using the device you want to update, or “Create installation media” if you want to upgrade a different device or more than one.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Find out how to get Windows 10 for free.
3. New devices come with Windows 10 (or 11) pre-installed
If you bought a pre-built Windows laptop or desktop from 2015 to 2021, Windows 10 probably came pre-installed. Support lasts until October 2025, so it’s not yet necessary to get Windows 11 unless you want to – the upgrade is free.
But all devices released since October 2021 will likely use Windows 11 instead. You can downgrade to Windows 10 if you don’t like it, and either will be fine for a while yet.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
If you’re building your own PC, that might make it harder to get a copy of Windows 10. But it’s far from impossible, as we’ve explained.
However, if you’re still using an older version of Windows for some reason, it’s important to upgrade to at least Windows 10 as soon as possible.
4. You shouldn’t be using Windows 7 or 8 anyway
Microsoft typically supports each major version of Windows for about a decade, but the timelines for Windows 7 (January 2020) and Windows 8 (January 2023) have now passed.
Unless you ignored the warnings, you will now have updated to Windows 10 or 11. Continuing to use older versions is a serious security risk, exposing you to bugs or other vulnerabilities that Microsoft will not correct.
Even if Microsoft continued to sell Windows 10 beyond January, that wouldn’t be a reason to use Windows 7 or 8. There’s no need to rush out and get Windows 10 now, because you have it. probably already. Otherwise, this delay does not change anything.
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