My Office Is Still Running Windows 10. How Bad Is the Risk Really?

I was on-site at a local accounting firm last Tuesday for a routine network audit. While I was waiting for their office manager to pull up some vendor documentation, I glanced around the bullpen. Out of the dozen or so monitors I could see, almost every single one featured the unmistakable, chunky search bar of Windows 10.

When the manager finally handed me the paperwork, she caught me scanning the screens. She let out a heavy sigh, braced herself for the inevitable IT lecture, and asked, "Look, I know the deadline passed. We just haven't had the time or the budget to replace all of these machines right now. Is it actually a massive risk if we just ride it out for another year?"

If you find yourself in the same boat, let me start by saying that I completely get it. When Microsoft first announced that Windows 11 would require strict hardware upgrades like TPM 2.0 chips, my subjective opinion was that it felt a little heavy-handed. It meant that perfectly good computers suddenly had an expiration date, and replacing hardware just to appease an operating system update feels incredibly frustrating. It is completely understandable why so many companies pushed this project to the back burner and held on to the old system well into late 2025.

However, as a professional in this space, I also have to look at the objective observations. Microsoft officially pulled the plug on Windows 10 support back on October 14, 2025. This means no more free security patches, no more bug fixes, and no technical assistance. Every single day that your team logs into a Windows 10 machine now, you are essentially leaving the front door to your business wide open.

The Reality of Zero-Day Exploits

When an operating system is actively supported, security researchers and Microsoft engineers are constantly playing a game of whack-a-mole with hackers. A vulnerability is found, Microsoft writes a patch, and your computer downloads it during your next reboot. Now that Windows 10 has passed its expiration date, that process has stopped completely.

When hackers discover a new flaw in Windows 10 today, it becomes a permanent vulnerability. They know millions of businesses are still using the outdated software, making those networks incredibly lucrative targets.

Compliance Nightmares Are Real

If your business operates in a regulated industry like healthcare, finance, or defense contracting, running an unsupported operating system is a direct violation of compliance standards. You cannot maintain HIPAA or CMMC compliance if your endpoints are not receiving security updates.

If you want to understand what happens when an operating system reaches the end of its lifespan, you only need to look at the massive fines levied against organizations that ignored the end of Windows 7.

The Hidden Costs of Doing Nothing

You might think you’re saving money by squeezing another year out of those aging laptops. But the reality is far more expensive. The cost of a data breach, the downtime from a ransomware attack, and the emergency IT rates you will pay to recover your files will dwarf the price of a few new computers. For a deeper dive into this concept, check out our post on the sneaky expenses of delaying IT upgrades. It’s a classic case of stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. As a provider of managed IT services Cleveland business owners trust, we have seen firsthand how devastating this can be for local companies.

What You Need to Do Right Now

If you’re staring at a fleet of Windows 10 machines, you need a plan, and you need it today. Here’s what we recommend:

• Evaluate your current hardware: You might have computers that are perfectly capable of running Windows 11 but just need a firmware update or a settings tweak to activate the required TPM 2.0 module. Don’t assume every machine needs to be thrown in the dumpster.
• Look into Extended Security Updates: If you absolutely cannot upgrade right away, you must look into purchasing Extended Security Updates (ESU) directly from Microsoft. While they’re not cheap and the price increases every year, they will buy you a temporary lifeline. You can read more about the official ESU program on the Microsoft community forums.
• Partner with experts: Don’t try to navigate this alone. You need an experienced partner who can help you chart a course without breaking the bank.

If you want to see what an outsourced IT partnership should look like, it starts with having a proactive team that never lets your business fall this far behind. And if you’re curious about a comprehensive look at how to protect your network, making the jump to a modern operating system is step one.

Don’t let an expired operating system be the reason your business makes the evening news. The clock has already run out on Windows 10, but there’s still time to protect your livelihood before the hackers find you.