Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Plenty of South Jersey offices are still running it on the front desk PC, the bookkeeping laptop, or the computer that runs the camera software in the back room. Those machines still turn on and still open email, so it is easy to put the decision off. But a year later, the clock on the cheap options has run out: the first year of Microsoft's paid business security updates covered PCs only through October 13, 2026, and the price doubles each year after that. Here is what that means for a small business from Atlantic City to Vineland, and a simple plan for getting every PC onto a supported system.
What end of support actually means
When Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, it stopped sending free security updates, feature updates, and technical help for it. The computer keeps working, but every new security hole found after that date stays open unless the PC is enrolled in a paid program.
For a business, that matters more than it does at home:
- Card payments and customer data. Unpatched PCs are an easy way in for ransomware and credential theft, and payment processors and cyber insurance questionnaires often ask whether your systems are supported.
- Software vendors move on. Accounting, practice management, and point-of-sale software eventually stop supporting old versions of Windows, and browsers follow.
- One weak PC exposes the whole network. If the old machine is on the same network as everything else, an infection there can reach shared files, printers, and other computers.
Your three options, with real numbers
Every Windows 10 PC in the business ends up in one of three buckets.
- Upgrade it to Windows 11 for free. If the PC meets Windows 11's hardware requirements, the upgrade costs nothing. You mostly need a supported processor (roughly Intel 8th generation or AMD Ryzen 2000 series and newer), TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, at least 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of storage. Microsoft's PC Health Check app tells you in a minute.
- Buy Extended Security Updates (ESU) to buy time. Businesses can pay Microsoft for security updates on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise PCs for up to three years. Microsoft lists Year 1 at $61 per device, and the price doubles each year. ESU is cumulative, so a business enrolling in Year 2, which started on October 14, 2026 and runs through October 12, 2027, also has to pay for Year 1. The last possible coverage ends on October 10, 2028.
- Replace it. PCs that fail the Windows 11 check are usually five or more years old. Once you add up a couple of years of ESU on top of a slow machine, a new business PC is often the better spend.
One common mix-up: Microsoft's low-cost consumer ESU option, the one people use on a home computer, is not for business use and won't enroll domain-joined or managed work PCs. Business computers fall under the commercial program.
A simple upgrade plan for a small office
You don't have to do every computer at once. A clear plan keeps the cost predictable and the downtime short:
- Take inventory. List every PC and laptop, who uses it, what it runs, and whether it passes the Windows 11 check. Include the "forgotten" machines: the one that runs the time clock, the camera recorder software, or the label printer.
- Check your key software. Confirm your accounting, point-of-sale, practice management, and any specialty programs are supported on Windows 11 before you upgrade.
- Back up first. Make sure files, email, browser bookmarks, and printer settings are backed up before anything changes.
- Upgrade the machines that qualify. Do it after hours or one desk at a time so nobody loses a workday.
- Replace or isolate the rest. Budget for replacements on the oldest PCs. If one machine has to stay on Windows 10 for a while to run old equipment, enroll it in ESU and keep it on its own network segment, away from payment terminals and guest Wi-Fi.
- Clean up while you're there. Remove old user accounts, turn on automatic updates, and confirm antivirus and disk encryption are on for every machine.
Signs a PC should be replaced, not upgraded
Some computers technically limp along but cost you time every day. Replacement usually makes more sense when a PC:
- fails the Windows 11 check because of its processor or missing TPM 2.0,
- still has a spinning hard drive instead of a solid-state drive and takes minutes to boot,
- has 4 GB of RAM or less and freezes with a few browser tabs open,
- has a worn-out laptop battery, a failing fan, or a cracked screen.
A new business-class PC with a solid-state drive and Windows 11 Pro is often noticeably faster and comes with years of security updates ahead of it.
Get help from a local IT team
Izzo Network helps South Jersey offices, shops, and practices inventory their computers, upgrade eligible PCs to Windows 11, set up replacement machines, and move files and settings over with minimal downtime, from Mays Landing, NJ 08330 to Egg Harbor Township, Hammonton, Galloway, and the rest of Atlantic and Cape May counties. Call or text (609) 415-0011, or use the contact form, to set up a walkthrough of your office's PCs.
FAQ
Will my Windows 10 computer stop working?
No. It will keep turning on and running your programs. It just stopped getting free security fixes after October 14, 2025, which makes it riskier to use for email, banking, and customer data over time.
Can I use the cheap home ESU option on my business PCs?
No. Microsoft's consumer ESU program is for personal devices and can't be used for commercial computers. Business PCs need the commercial Extended Security Updates program, which is priced per device.
How do I know if a PC can run Windows 11?
Run Microsoft's free PC Health Check app on it. It checks the processor, TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, memory, and storage, and tells you whether the free upgrade is available.
Do we have to upgrade every computer at once?
No. Most small offices upgrade in stages, starting with the PCs that qualify for the free upgrade and budgeting replacements for the oldest machines over a few months.