The end-of-service of Windows 10 has sparked a global hot discussion. Is it a window period for domestic operating systems? Experts: Technological iteration is cruel, but it is also an inevitable process.
After 10 Years of Operation, Windows 10 Officially Ends Its Run
Nearly a decade after the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft has officially announced that this generation of operating system will officially stop providing free security updates, feature updates, and technical support at 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Eastern Time. This means that starting from this date, over a billion devices worldwide still running Windows 10 will reach a turning point with the end of updates.
Microsoft stated in an official website statement that ending support for Windows 10 is "a natural part of the operating system lifecycle" and is also to allow users to enjoy a newer and more secure computing experience. The company pointed out that with the continuous evolution of AI features, chip architectures, and hardware designs, Windows 11 and Copilot + PC represent a new stage in personal computing. "As AI becomes a more natural and practical part of daily life, 2025 will continue to be the year of upgrading to Windows 11 PCs," Microsoft wrote.
Since its release in 2015, Windows 10 has been one of Microsoft's most successful operating systems, providing global users with security patches and feature upgrades for nearly a decade. Now, Microsoft is shifting its focus to the Windows 11 platform, which centers on security and AI.
Microsoft said that Windows 11 not only offers a comprehensive upgrade in performance and design but also introduces multi - layer security protection, Virtualization - Based Security (VBS), TPM 2.0 encryption chips, and intelligent application control. According to Microsoft's data, security incidents on newly installed Windows 11 devices have been reduced by up to 62%, and firmware attacks have been reduced by three times.
"Windows 11 builds on the experiences you know and trust while providing a more modern and secure computing environment," Microsoft said.
According to the schedule announced by Microsoft, support for Windows 10 will officially end on October 14, 2025, Eastern Time. At that time, Microsoft will no longer provide security patches, feature updates, or technical support for the system.
This means:
- Windows 10 computers can still run, but they will no longer receive security updates and will be vulnerable to malware and virus attacks;
- If enterprises and institutions continue to use Windows 10, they may have difficulty meeting compliance requirements;
- Some applications that rely on new system components may stop being compatible or experience performance degradation.
However, Microsoft also emphasized that some services will continue temporarily. For example, the Microsoft 365 applications running on Windows 10 will continue to receive security updates until October 10, 2028, and support for feature updates will last until August 2026. In addition, the security intelligence updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus will also be extended until October 2028.
Considering that there are still a large number of users globally relying on Windows 10, Microsoft announced the launch of the "Extended Security Updates" (ESU) program to help individuals and enterprises continue to receive critical security patches during the transition period.
So, what exactly is this ESU program?
- According to Microsoft's statement, individual users can register for ESU in three ways:
- Use Windows Backup to sync data to the cloud (free);
- Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points (free);
Pay $30 to purchase a one - year ESU (prices may vary by region). The ESU service period is from October 15, 2025, to October 13, 2026.
For enterprise users, they can subscribe to a one - year ESU at a price of $61 per device through Microsoft's volume licensing program and can renew it for up to three years, with the cost increasing year by year. Cloud users who access Windows 11 cloud PCs through Windows 365 or virtual machines can get ESU support for free without additional registration.
Microsoft also reminded that ESU only provides critical security updates, does not include new features, design adjustments, or technical support, so it is "not a long - term solution."
Yusuf Mehdi, the executive vice - president of Microsoft, said in a blog post that phasing out old operating systems and upgrading to new ones is "a natural part of the lifecycle."
Microsoft will no longer provide security and feature updates and technical support for Windows 10 PCs. Although these devices can still run, they will no longer receive regular security updates, making them more vulnerable to cyber threats such as malware and viruses.
He said that since the Windows 10 platform no longer receives feature updates, applications running on Windows 10 may no longer be supported. "Therefore, the functionality of some applications may decline."
A Collective Sigh from Global Users
The discontinuation of Windows 10 has sparked heated discussions globally.
As early as 2021, Microsoft said in its third - quarter earnings conference call that Windows 10 had covered more than 1.3 billion active devices. According to Statcounter, as of July 2025, about 43% of people still continued to use Windows 10.
In the UK, the consumer guide magazine "Which?" estimated that there were still 21 million people using Windows 10.
In September, "Which?" conducted a survey and found that even after the official support from Microsoft ended, about a quarter of users planned to continue using it. About one - seventh of people said they planned to buy a new computer.
Other consumer groups have criticized the termination of Windows 10 support, saying that it will lead to unnecessary spending and environmental waste.
"People are tired of living in a world full of short - lived devices that cannot be repaired, lose software support, or are forced into the waste stream," said Mr. Proctor, who advocates for the right to repair in the United States.
He added: "We deserve long - lasting technology."
Nick Gelling, a consumer product testing writer in New Zealand, told 1News, "It will just stop receiving free security updates, which can protect you from cyberattacks. Over time, you will face more and more risks."
Gelling said that for users who cannot upgrade to Windows 11, "the first and best option" is to join the ESU program, which extends the protection period until October 2026.
However, he said that the program is not automatic, and some users reported difficulties in registering.
"Since it is not automatic, many vulnerable computer users will be left out."
Since earlier this year, the New Zealand Consumers' Institute has been calling on Microsoft to extend support for Windows 10. Although the ESU program is now free for individual users, Gelling said that it may still leave many people behind.
"Thousands of New Zealand consumers who rely on the Windows ecosystem and want to stay cyber - secure may feel that they have no choice but to throw away still - working computers."
He said that this may lead to a surge in e - waste as users discard fully functional computers and switch to new models that can run Windows 11.
"Globally, the discontinuation of Windows 10 may be one of the most wasteful events in modern technology history."
On Reddit, some netizens questioned that didn't Microsoft previously say that Windows 10 was "the last Windows system"? Why are they forcing everyone to upgrade to Windows 11?
It can be seen that some users have less trust in Windows 11 than in Windows 10.
In addition, some Reddit users called on everyone to take this opportunity to switch from the Windows system to other open - source systems.
"Guys, Debian (Debian is an open - source Linux operating system known for its stability and security, widely used in servers and desktops) and Linux Mint (Linux Mint is an open - source Linux operating system based on Ubuntu, with a user - friendly interface, suitable for Linux beginners, and focusing on user experience and usability) are right there. You can consider switching to these two operating systems."
Some users also said that since they really don't like Windows 11, they have already switched to a new system. The netizen said:
"I recently switched to CachyOS (CachyOS is an open - source operating system based on Arch Linux, characterized by optimized performance, user customization, and rolling updates), and it works really well for me."
Actually, it's not just the Windows operating system that is being replaced by open - source operating systems. Microsoft's Office is also having its market share eroded by domestic software.
Last week, the Ministry of Commerce released an official document, and the office software used has been switched from Office to WPS.
On X, some users said that WPS Office has about 500 million active users and is more affordable than Microsoft Office.
"For those who think Microsoft Office is the only mainstream office software, WPS Office is from China. It is suitable for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire OS, and HarmonyOS."
Is It a "Window of Opportunity" for Chinese Operating Systems?
When Microsoft officially terminates free support for Windows 10, not only are ordinary users discussing "whether to upgrade" and "whether to switch to Linux" - there are also disputes over the selection from Debian to Linux Mint and CachyOS. It has also sparked a deep - seated thinking about "reconstructing the operating system ecosystem" in the technical circle.
For technical professionals, this is not just a simple system switch: How can enterprise - level applications adapt to the new environment? Will the discontinuation of Windows 10 stimulate technological innovation in the domestic ecosystem? More importantly, will this global change in the operating system landscape open a "window of opportunity" for the development of Chinese self - developed operating systems?
With these core questions in mind, InfoQ invited Ma Tao, the chairman of the OpenAnolis community and an expert with years of experience in operating system research and development, to jointly analyze: Behind the discontinuation of Windows 10, is it a breakthrough opportunity where "opportunities outweigh challenges" for Chinese operating systems, or is it a tough stage where they need to overcome "ecosystem shortcomings" and "adaptation costs"? We hope to dig deep into these key issues with technology practitioners and explore the development path of Chinese operating systems in the new ecosystem landscape.
InfoQ: From your perspective, what does Microsoft's announcement to terminate support for Windows 10 mean? What impacts will it have on the global operating system ecosystem landscape?
Ma Tao: First of all, the discontinuation of Windows 10 is essentially driven by the business model of a commercial company. It once again proves that the "inertia" problem of a desktop operating system dominated by a single commercial giant still exists. In fact, this is not an isolated event. After the discontinuation of CentOS, it has once again sounded the alarm for global users, especially enterprise users: Entrusting the fate of critical infrastructure entirely to a single commercial entity poses huge supply - chain risks and uncontrollable lifecycle issues.
Of course, the impact of such an event on the global operating system ecosystem landscape is also subtle. It will accelerate the development of ecosystem diversity, prompting enterprises and individual users worldwide to re - evaluate and explore alternatives to Windows. It also brings more attention and trial opportunities to various Linux distributions and more emerging operating systems. At a deeper level, it also has the opportunity to reshape the value chain of the operating system industry, allowing the value of operating systems based on the open - source model, with a more transparent lifecycle and a more open ecosystem, to be re - evaluated.
InfoQ: Will the discontinuation of Windows 10 stimulate technological innovation in the domestic ecosystem?
Ma Tao: Facing the huge potential replacement market opportunity in China, domestic operating system manufacturers must make greater investments in user experience, interaction design, performance optimization, and ecosystem development to solve the problem of smooth customer transition and win the "votes" of real users. Moreover, from the experience of the OpenAnolis community in supporting the replacement after the discontinuation of CentOS in the past few years, the replacement of an operating system is not an isolated event. It will involve upstream chip and hardware manufacturers, downstream application software and peripheral device manufacturers, as well as developers, solution and service providers. This will further promote full - stack collaborative adaptation and innovation across the entire industrial chain. More importantly, the discontinuation also means the transfer of security responsibilities, which will also help us make continuous investments in technical fields such as stability, security, and performance, building a security guarantee system independent of the external supply chain. The OpenAnolis community is also using a "systematic, platform - based, and intelligent" strategy to address security challenges in this regard. It is believed that the Windows discontinuation event will accelerate this process.
InfoQ: Will the discontinuation of Windows 10 become an important node in promoting the replacement of domestic systems?
Ma Tao: Yes, the discontinuation of Windows 10 is definitely another important event in promoting the replacement of domestic systems after the discontinuation of CentOS. If the discontinuation of CentOS was an "earthquake" in the server field, shaking the foundation of enterprise IT infrastructure; then the discontinuation of Windows 10 is a "tsunami" in the desktop office field, directly impacting hundreds of millions of end - users.
InfoQ: From the perspective of domestic manufacturers, where are the technical thresholds for migration and replacement?
Ma Tao: Referring to the experience of OpenAnolis in supporting the replacement after the discontinuation of CentOS, the technical thresholds for migration and replacement are mainly reflected in the following three aspects:
1. The "long - tail effect" of the ecosystem: In both server and desktop scenarios, the compatibility issues of core applications have basically been resolved. The real challenge lies in the massive non - standard "long - tail applications." For example, specialized software in specific industries, in - house developed management systems in enterprises, various U - shield plugins in banks, and niche peripheral device drivers. These applications are numerous and have different standards, forming the hardest and most trivial "technical iceberg" in the migration process.
2. The "muscle memory" of users and system administrators: The "muscle memory" of hundreds of millions of users and IT administrators around the world regarding the Windows or CentOS operation interface, interaction logic, operation and maintenance tools, and script commands formed over the past few decades is an extremely powerful inertia. How to enable users to make a smooth and seamless transition and even experience a better experience is a huge test for our product design, tool support, user guidance, and training systems.
3. Deep - seated "hardware - software collaboration": For a truly smooth replacement, seamless collaboration at the firmware and driver levels is required. For example, functions such as power management, sleep and wake - up, and touchpad gestures need to achieve the same stability and smoothness as the native Windows system. This requires in - depth joint testing and optimization between operating system manufacturers and hardware manufacturers, which tests the collaborative ability of the industrial chain.
InfoQ: What key breakthroughs has the domestic system achieved in compatibility? Can it run mainstream office, development, and design applications smoothly?
Ma Tao: In recent years, domestic operating systems have made great progress in compatibility. It can be said that the goal of "smoothly running mainstream applications" has basically been achieved, mainly reflected in the following three aspects:
First, native support for core office and communication software: National - level applications represented by WPS Office, DingTalk, WeChat, QQ, and Tencent Meeting have all launched very well - developed Linux native versions. This is the biggest breakthrough because it covers the core work scenarios of most users.
Second, full embrace of the development toolchain: Modern development tools such as VS Code, JetBrains series of IDEs, Docker, and Kubernetes are cross - platform by nature. Users