Windows 10 support has ended

Microsoft Windows 10 support has ended on October 14, 2025. Released in 2015, the operating system (OS) was in use by over 1 billion people across 200 countries by 2020. 

A statement on Microsoft's Singapore website states that there will no longer be free software updates, security fixes or technical assistance. "Your PC will still work, but we recommend moving to Windows 11," the company said. 

Microsoft positions Windows 11 as a more modern, secure, and efficient computing experience. If devices do not meet the technical requirements to run on Windows 11, the company recommends that they be replaced with something Windows 11-compatible. Businesses can also enroll in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10, but that will only protect Windows 10 devices up to a year after October 14, 2025.

TeamViewer, a provider of digital workplace solutions, revealed that over 40% of global endpoints that recently received support via a TeamViewer session still run Windows 10. The results are based on an analysis of an anonymised sample of 250 million TeamViewer connections initiated between July and September 2025, and includes connections from users with both paid and free licenses. 

Jan Bee, CISO at TeamViewer said that two in five endpoints will no longer receive patches and updates, leaving them exposed to vulnerabilities: "Companies and individuals need to upgrade to a newer, supported operating system as soon as possible. Keeping your systems up to date is one of the most effective ways to protect individuals and businesses against cybersecurity threats.”

While Singapore leads globally with 59.38% of devices already upgraded to Windows 11, nearly 30% still run Windows 10, TeamViewer said, cautioning that even small gaps in system readiness can lead to significant security and operational consequences especially for a digitally-dependent economy with facing growing cybersecurity risks. 

Lee Anstiss, Regional Director for Southeast Asia and Korea at Infoblox, predicted that most enterprises won’t have "the luxury of a clean cutover" to Windows 11. "Large fleets, shadow IT and outdated inventories mean that some Windows 10 endpoints will linger — creating blind spots just as attackers are looking to exploit them," he warned. 

"That’s why the first step in any migration plan isn’t hardware, it’s data. Without a live, authoritative view of what devices exist, who uses them and what they connect to, cloud strategies are not yet fail-safe. Too many projects still rely on static configuration management databases (CMDBs) that are incomplete or out of date. 

"The result: migrations that run over budget, cutovers that fail and rollbacks that take longer than expected."

"The message is simple: don’t let asset truth be an afterthought. Make it your first cloud workload, and the rest of your migration will move faster – with fewer surprises," said Anstiss.

According to Anstiss, modernising the asset layer — pulling IP addresses, hostnames, user mappings, DHCP leases and DNS flows into a single, living inventory — will give organisations the map they need to move securely into Cloud PCs or Windows 11. "It also delivers a governance record that satisfies both auditors and regulators," he added.

TeamViewer, on the other hand, helps businesses upgrade at scale through TeamViewer DEX. A Windows 11 Readiness Pack gives IT teams a clear, real-time view of their entire device landscape, automatically checking compatibility requirements such as processor generation, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) configuration, and Secure Boot. This visibility helps organisations identify and prioritise which devices are ready for upgrade, which require remediation, and which may need replacement, TeamViewer explained.

In addition, TeamViewer DEX validates devices after the upgrade to confirm configuration and compliance, helping IT teams ensure migrations are successful. By combining readiness checks with post-upgrade validation, the solution enables companies to manage the transition to a supported operating system in a structured, scalable, and resource-efficient way. 

Adrian Todd, VP Product Management at TeamViewer, said: “Our solution gives IT teams the clarity they need on which devices are ready to upgrade, where issues are, and confidence that everything is compliant once the upgrade is complete.”

Ondrej Kubovič, Security Awareness Specialist at ESET noted that 240 million PCs cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 due to hardware limitations.

“As of October 14, many users worldwide have lost access to free security updates for their Microsoft operating system. This change impacts a significant number of people - over 40% of Windows users were still running Windows 10 in September 2025. While devices in the EU will continue to receive extended security updates for free for another year, this is only a temporary reprieve. Eventually, updates will stop everywhere, leaving systems increasingly vulnerable," he said.

"Unsupported operating systems represent a significantly larger attack surface than isolated known – or zero-day – vulnerabilities in individual applications. Risks range from unauthorised access, data theft to malware infection potentially leading to operational disruptions, legal and even reputational consequences.

Attempts to avoid upgrading by using unofficial methods can offer short-term solution, but can introduce new security flaws and compatibility issues. Microsoft offers paid extended support for Windows 10, now available to private users as well, but costs double each year. For businesses, delaying migration is especially risky, as outdated systems can impair productivity and damage customer trust." 

Where patching isn’t possible, Kubovič said compensating controls like hardening, strict policies, and minimising exposed services should be implemented. "However, same as in case of regular users, these are only temporary measures. A full upgrade to a supported OS is ultimately required. For critical systems that cannot be upgraded immediately, the recommended setup is to run users with the lowest possible privileges, minimise installed software and exposed services, and if possible, deny all inbound connections or route necessary ones through VPN or SSH," he advised. 

"Consider also physical security measures like USB port blocking or air-gapping, paired with expanded log collection and frequent audits to help detect and respond to incidents and anomalies. The bottom line: temporary fixes can buy you time, but they are not a substitute for a full upgrade. Start planning your transition now to avoid unnecessary risks.”

SSH stands for Secure Shell, and VPN refers to virtual private network. 

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Learn more about the ESU programme for Windows 10 at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/extended-security-updates