Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 are both coming to an end, and it is long past time to start phasing those systems out.
Microsoft has officially announced that support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025, and support for Windows Server 2016 — built on the Windows 10 platform — will end on October 13, 2026.
EOL doesn’t mean that computers and systems stop working overnight. Instead, it means Microsoft will stop providing security updates and feature releases. That leaves any outdated system exposed to newly discovered threats, software compatibility problems and potential compliance violations.
For businesses, this translates into real risk. Hackers actively target unsupported systems because these systems won’t get patched or checked for operational security. Many high-profile cyberattacks spread rapidly by exploiting old, unpatched versions of Windows.
Upgrade or replace?
If computer hardware is relatively new, it may be eligible for an upgrade to Windows 11. While Microsoft has official system requirements that can be referenced, the decision to upgrade or replace can be more nuanced than a simple pass/fail check with the requirements. Performing an upgrade can take several hours, and that labor time and cost may be better spent on a new system with a longer expected life span and improved performance.
An important consideration when upgrading server infrastructure is application compatibility with newer versions of Windows. If business applications also need to be upgraded to support the newer OS, that cost and effort can be just as significant, if not more so, than the Windows upgrade itself.
Microsoft does offer extended security updates for Windows 10 after the EOL date. These are paid extensions to the security update deadline. While extending the security patching for Windows 10 can be helpful in the immediate short-term, it does nothing to address the long-term problem and will not help when third-party software providers abandon the older editions of Windows.
Consequences of inaction
The October deadline for Windows 10 will come and go almost imperceptibly, so what are the consequences of sticking with outdated systems?
- No patches mean every new vulnerability is an open door.
- Many policies require that all systems be supported and patched. If a breach is suffered while running EOL software, the claim could be denied.
- Industries subject to HIPAA, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard or other regulations must run supported systems to remain compliant or can be found liable for any data breach.
- As Windows 10 software ages out, apps and services will begin dropping support
Old systems for outdated software
Some industrial or specialized environments may still depend on legacy software that does not support newer versions of Windows. This is common in some industrial applications, where software controls a piece of equipment that simply cannot run on anything newer.
In those cases, mitigations should be put in place to protect the rest of the network from that outdated system. A common mitigation in this case would be isolating the older computer from the rest of the now updated network.
In addition, extra steps can be taken to protect the mission-critical outdated machine from failure. This could include taking extra backups of that system, as well as acquiring spare parts or a complete spare system to plan for the inevitable failure in the future, when appropriate vintage hardware may no longer be available.
Waiting until the last moment to address Windows EOL is like waiting until a lease expires before looking for a new office; it adds unnecessary stress and expense. Planning ahead ensures all systems remain secure and compliant, and it is the right move for any business in 2025. Organizations should treat the upcoming Windows 10 and Server 2016 deadlines as an opportunity to modernize, not as a crisis to manage later.
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