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JorTech · a free first opinion · no fix, no fee on the repair, £50 call-out if we come out

Windows 10 has ended: your options

Microsoft support for Windows 10 ended on 14 October 2025. The PC still works, and there is time to choose calmly. Tick what applies.

1. What does PC Health Check say?

Open PC Health Check (search for it from the taskbar) and select Check now.

  • It can run Windows 11. Go to A.
  • The processor is not supported. More memory or an SSD will not change that. Go to B, C or D.
  • TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot. It may only be a firmware setting. Read the note below first.
  • Under 4 GB of memory or 64 GB of storage. More memory or a bigger drive can sometimes fix this.

Before any firmware change, back up, and have the BitLocker recovery key if the drive is encrypted. Microsoft lists turning off or clearing the TPM among the things that make Windows ask for it.

A. Upgrade to Windows 11

  • Back up first. Microsoft recommends it before any new version of Windows.
  • It is in Settings, Update & Security, Windows Update, and Microsoft says it is free.
  • If it does not suit you, you have 10 days to go back to Windows 10 and keep your files.

B. Keep Windows 10 for now

  • Enrol in Extended Security Updates (ESU) on the same screen. Cover runs to 12 October 2027.
  • In the UK: sync your settings with Windows Backup, redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or pay once: $30 USD or the local equivalent, plus tax. Up to 10 PCs.
  • Keep Defender on, and let Edge and Microsoft 365 update: all three get updates until October 2028.
  • Back up regularly.

C. Replace the PC

  • Keep the old PC untouched until your files have opened on the new one, then wipe it.

D. Give an older PC a different operating system

  • ChromeOS Flex (Google, free of charge): 64-bit Intel or AMD, 4 GB of memory, 16 GB of storage. Google only guarantees its certified models.
  • Linux Mint 22.3: 2 GB of memory (4 GB recommended), 20 GB of disk, supported until April 2029. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS: 6 GB of memory, 25 GB of disk, five years of security updates.
  • Try it from the USB stick first: a full install can wipe the drive.
  • Your Windows programs do not come across. Make sure what you rely on works there.

Do not

  • Do not install Windows 11 on a PC that fails the requirements and expect updates: Microsoft does not recommend it or guarantee them.
  • Do not ring a number from a pop-up. Microsoft says its real error messages never include one.

Not sure which fits?

Tell us the make and model and what PC Health Check says, and you get a first opinion: which option fits, and what it is likely to cost. The software side, such as ESU or a backup, can often be done over a remote link, anywhere in the UK.

Would you rather just ask a real person? Book a repair at jortech.co.uk/contact or email hello@jortech.co.uk: we read every one. We come to you across Leeds, West Yorkshire, Harrogate, Knaresborough and York, and a first opinion is free. A visit has a £50 call-out, the same wherever we come out to, agreed before we travel. It is the first £50 of your job, not an extra on top: if you go ahead, it is part of the price you pay, and if you do not, it is all you pay, because it covers the journey and the time spent finding the fault. You get a fixed quote before any work, and no fix, no fee on the repair, £50 call-out if we come out.

jortech.co.uk · Last updated 3 November 2026

Read the full guide, with a link to every source: Windows 10 is no longer supported: your options, in plain English. Before you change anything, see how to back up your files, and if a new PC is the answer, moving your files across.

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