Windows 10 Support Ends on October 14, 2025 !!

[c627627]

Windows 10 Home and Pro Retirement date is October 14, 2025.

PROOF:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro


Fortunately Windows 8.1 will still go on for another couple of years, until 2023.
At first I though that's a little weird for us Windows 8.1 users, we would be looking at only two years of Windows 10 before whole'nother Microsoft Operating System comes out... But no, surely Microsoft will release the new OS before 2025, that's just when Windows 10 will reach the end of life.

Educated guess: It should be out before 2023 because that's when Windows 8.1 reaches end of life, so they're not going to have Win8 users switch to 10 for only a couple of years.


Also no prizes for guessing Microsoft will try to squeeze in the subscription-based model for Windows 10's successor. It will be interesting to watch the push-back.

 

[EarthDog]

Good to know! I guess this follows the (typical?) decade-long coverage for OSs? I know 10 is like that, 8.1, W7 was 10 years and a couple of months. I think when you look those up in the modern lifecycle policy (where your image is from I'd imagine), it showed that 10 year date from release.

I'm sure I'll (and most users) be on the next version well before then unless it's somehow like the Millenium Patc...err Edition.

New Windows (W11?) is supposed to be released pretty soon. There's an announcement on 6/24. I expect to see it by the EOY or perhaps October 2021 as that is when they release their big 2nd half updates IIRC.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/event

 

[Blaylock]

I heard a rumor years ago that Mr. Gates claimed the next version of Windows will simply be called Windows. But you know how rumors go. Here's what Tom's has to say about it.

https://www.tomshardware.com/features/windows-11-everything-we-know

 

[c627627]

I thought in a couple of years they would just stop making drastic changes to 10 that inevitably break stuff - so people who stayed on 8.1 wouldn't have an excuse of 'stability' for staying with 8.1 any more.

Instead, they're going in another direction, complete with messing with the Start Menu again - no start menu is the one single biggest thing that sunk 8.0 on release day.


So the question is this, if this is a pay-for switch from 10 to [insert name for successor] then what are the top few reasons for switching?

Is it another Direct X version which won't be available on 10? That's the trick they used to try to make people switch from 8.1 - withholding Direct X from Win 8.1, implying you can't play future games on 8.1.


That would be an interesting question to answer, what they will use as reasons to make us switch?

 

[Janus67]

FWIW 1809LTSC is through 2029 [or at least January 2029].

I'm curious to know if the next Windows will be the one where the store allows .exe installs instead of just UWP crap. Or if that will be built into Windows 10. Not that I want to use their store for literally anything, the installation and such is a mess and very inconsistent.

 

[BugFreak]

8.1, 10, 12, 36, its all the same thing to me: $100 per machine.

 

[Janus67]

$100!? Time to get those cheap OEM keys lol. I paid about $15 or 20 for my keys!

 

[BugFreak]

Do what now?

 

[EarthDog]

Do what now?

I.e...https://www.urcdkeys.com/microsoft-windows-10-pro-oem-new-cd-key-global.html

 

[BugFreak]

How do those differ from buying the retail key at Newegg? Not sure I trust a third party to sell me operating system keys but maybe I just need to understand better.

 

[EarthDog]

It differs by about $80.

There's been a few threads here about it IIRC. My best advice on these is to use the key ASAP. I believe these are bulk licenses that haven't been used...but someone please correct me on that.

 

[wagex]

^ this is basically right. I have had some of them work 6 months later and ive also had some not work 2 weeks later after purchase. They have all worked forever once activated though.

 

[Culbrelai]

Not particularly worried about Windows 11 provided it isnÂ’t compatibility breaking like Windows Mistake Edition or Vista was. I heard the start menu will be similar to 10, just the button will be centered, along with the taskbar toward the center of the screen like Mac, with the option to justify it to the left like it is in Windows 10.

 

[don256us]

I agree that the start menue is *the* area that MS has created the most hatred. Don't mess with my start screen. Since '95 the button was in the lower left and when I get into work in the early hours of the day, the last thing I want to do is re-learn new muscle memory to get my day going. I've got decades of muscle memory going here. DO NOT MESS WITH IT!

I had thought for a long time that MS was going to keep the Windows 10 monikar and just release newer versions of that like Apple.

 

[c627627]

Yes. They don't even realize how correct you are. You are not alone.

Classic Shell has been continued as a project here:
https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

Hopefully they will have a version for new Windows.
When they do, it'll be easier to accept the switch.

 

[trents]

The Windows 10 start menu corrected a lot of the issues with that in 8/8.1 IMO. It was good enough to put Classic Shell out of business. I've always like it.

 

[trents]

Microsoft is saying that Windows 11 will require a UEFI bios, a board with TPM 2.0 and, in effect, may only be compatible with Intel Gen 8 or later and AMD Ryzen gen 2 or later. Some are reporting MS may be walking that back to Intel Gen 7 and Ryzen Gen 1.

https://www.techspot.com/news/90206-what-tpm-why-does-windows-11-require.html

https://www.techspot.com/news/90231-microsoft-may-tweak-windows-11-minimum-requirements-include.html

I expect MS will get a lot pushback on the TPM requirement and it wouldn't surprise me if they nix that one.

 

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

The system requirements has me looking elsewhere. I mean TPM actually needed? I dont even know what that is still (unfortunately) and I am already looking at linux...

I was looking forward to buying a windows 11 license.

 

[Janus67]

The system requirements has me looking elsewhere. I mean TPM actually needed? I dont even know what that is still (unfortunately) and I am already looking at linux...

I was looking forward to buying a windows 11 license.

TPM stands for trusted platform module. It is used for security, more specifically, disk encryption.

It is stated it will be a free upgrade, just like 10 was.

 

[Edel]

And then? My Win 10 will stop to work or something? The games on it aswell?

Sure, my video/music-files do not worry at all... they can be run on any OS and machine the next thousand of years, but... my games always got certain issues as soon as the system is changing to much. I own games with a maximum age of 25 years, of course with a updated engine and whatelse, but ultimately every big OS change will put a new challenge on keeping games "able to become playable"... this is the sensitive part of all those never-ending and sometimes huge OS- and/or even driver and hardware-changes: Even 100 year is a big challenge.

In general, the new Win 11 OS looks terrible to me, because this is some sort of "Phone OS" and not a true PC OS. The entire start menü with the loved live-function. incl. the ability to group apps, was completly wiped from MS and now there is a much more reduced version of those "Apps"... i will call it app now because this looks like a Phone-OS to me with a simplified start-menü and rounded edges... so it will more easy fit a phone-screen, they all got rounded edges.

Once again, the same junk MS did with Windows 8 and we know what happened to the 8... it has been declined by the community. Win 10 was a big improvement and even better than Win 7 for the startmenü... and now... again... they are gonna screw it, im sad.

Why can`t they just make a true PC OS and for those loving it a Phone-OS... why to mix the stuff in a explicit way? This is simply not gonna work... a PC works different and got different needs... this is not a fake Phone-App OS with Android-functions, still.

I hope MS will face a fatal defeat... using this simplified "next gen kiddies OS", this is simply not the stuff a true gamer and Windows user need.

I mean, MS is now handling it more the way a Phone OS is handled and not like a Win OS... even calling it now "App" and the entire interface is made for touch-input... not using a mouse. I dunno why any true Windows user could be loving it... this is a phone OS, not a PC OS.

It the same MS was trying to achieve using Win 8, now they are going back the same way, but with some, in their mind, improvements. To me it looks even worse... i`m really disappointed... even frustraded the way this entire industry is heading. Dont`t we already have enough of portable systems and OS everywhere? Do we need such a PC-OS too?

So, Aero Peak removed, Grouping removed, all the functions great by using a mouse... simply wiped, and programs are now apps.... hard to believe they can screw it up so much.

The system requirements has me looking elsewhere. I mean TPM actually needed? I dont even know what that is still (unfortunately) and I am already looking at linux...

I was looking forward to buying a windows 11 license.

NO, the system-demand of Windows 11 is NOT high, you only need either a Rasperry Pi or a Lumia-Portable... if your PC can`t handle it... sorry for your crappy PC.
https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-11-on-lumia-950-xl-raspberry-pi-4/

Who needs PCs anyway... this is outdated... we need phones, phone-games and a portable such a Lumia.

The world is portable now... no one needs a datacenter or home PC, the world is free like a bird... with a walking system attached somewhere else.

And for every true gamer GPU you could buy 2 or even 3 of the best Smartphones... so this is clearly the new Smartphone-age, welcome!!

Gamer GPUs are for miners and scalpers... a Power-Phone with Win 11 is for gamers... in case you didn`t notice already. So, say goodbye to your PC...