Windows 10 has ended support
Your PC still works, but it no longer gets security fixes. That matters most for a computer you use for email and banking.
What's usually going on
Microsoft stopped regular security updates for Windows 10 in October 2025, and the one-year extension for home users ended in October 2026. Many PCs from the last several years can move to Windows 11 for free. Older ones don't meet Microsoft's requirements and can't be upgraded properly.
Worth trying first
Check whether it can upgrade.
Open Settings, Update & Security, Windows Update. If the PC is eligible, it will say so and offer Windows 11. Microsoft's PC Health Check app gives the reason if it isn't.
Back up first.
The upgrade keeps your files and programs, but a backup to an external drive or OneDrive costs little and protects against the rare upgrade that goes wrong.
Upgrade from Windows Update.
Plug in, allow an hour or two, and let it restart several times. Afterward, check your printer and important programs still work.
If it can't upgrade, plan a replacement.
Keep using it for things that don't involve passwords or money, or replace it. Unofficial tricks to force Windows 11 onto older hardware leave you without guaranteed updates.
When to hand it over
If you're not sure whether to upgrade or replace, if the PC runs software you can't do without, or if you'd like the new computer set up with everything moved across. We can check eligibility remotely in a few minutes.
Your own technologist, on call.
Tell us a little about your setup. We'll take it from there.