Windows 10 End of Support: What Brisbane Businesses Need to Do Now
Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates in October 2025. Here is what that means for your business, whether Extended Security Updates make sense, and how to plan a Windows 11 upgrade without disrupting your team.
Brandon Strangman7 min read
Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025. The computers did not stop working that day, which is exactly why so many businesses are still running it. But a Windows 10 PC without Extended Security Updates no longer receives security patches, and every month that passes adds more known, unpatched vulnerabilities to it.
If your business still has Windows 10 machines, this guide covers what the risk actually is, what your options are, and how to get onto Windows 11 in an orderly way.
What "end of support" actually means
End of support does not mean Windows 10 shuts down. It means:
- No more security updates unless the device is enrolled in Extended Security Updates (ESU)
- No more feature updates or bug fixes
- No technical support from Microsoft for problems on that version
- Software vendors gradually drop support, starting with security tools, line-of-business applications and browsers
The first point is the one that matters. Attackers study each month's Windows 11 patches to work out which flaws also exist in Windows 10, then target the machines that will never be fixed.
Unpatched operating systems are one of the most common ways attackers get into small business networks. Patching operating systems is one of the ACSC's Essential Eight mitigation strategies, and an unsupported operating system cannot meet it.
Is it a compliance issue as well?
It can be. If your business holds personal information, the Privacy Act requires you to take reasonable steps to protect it. Running an operating system that no longer receives security fixes is hard to describe as a reasonable step. Cyber insurers increasingly ask about unsupported software on renewal questionnaires, and some tenders and client security assessments ask the same question.
If you are working towards the Essential Eight, unsupported operating systems need to be replaced or isolated before you can reach even Maturity Level One for operating system patching.
Your options
1 Upgrade existing PCs to Windows 11
Windows 11 is a free upgrade for PCs that meet its hardware requirements. The main ones are:
- A supported processor (broadly, Intel 8th generation or AMD Ryzen 2000 series and newer)
- TPM 2.0 enabled
- UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability
- At least 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage
Many business PCs bought in the last five or six years qualify, sometimes only after enabling TPM in the firmware settings. Older machines usually do not.
2 Replace PCs that cannot run Windows 11
For hardware that fails the requirements, replacement is usually the most cost-effective path. A new business-grade laptop or desktop ships with Windows 11, a current warranty and a processor that will be supported for years. Bundling replacements into one planned rollout is far cheaper in labour than replacing machines one at a time as they fail.
3 Buy Extended Security Updates as a stopgap
Microsoft sells Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 to businesses for up to three years after end of support, priced per device, with the price rising each year. ESU keeps security patches flowing while you finish the migration.
ESU makes sense for a small number of machines that genuinely cannot move yet, such as a PC running specialised software that has not been certified on Windows 11. It is rarely good value as a plan for the whole fleet, because you pay each year and still have to migrate at the end.
4 Isolate what cannot be upgraded
Some equipment, such as a PC attached to manufacturing, laboratory or medical hardware, may be tied to Windows 10 by its vendor. Those devices should be taken off the general network, blocked from email and web browsing, and placed on their own segment with tightly restricted access.
Treat ESU as a bridge, not a destination. Buy it only for the specific machines that cannot move yet, and set a date to retire them.
How to plan a Windows 11 migration without disrupting your team
1 Take an inventory
List every Windows device, its age, its specifications and whether it passes the Windows 11 compatibility check. Include the machines people forget: the reception PC, the boardroom computer, the PC that runs the label printer.
2 Check your business applications
Confirm your accounting, practice management, CAD and other line-of-business software is supported on Windows 11. Most current versions are, but older licences sometimes need an update first.
3 Pilot before rolling out
Upgrade two or three machines belonging to people who will report problems clearly. Let them work for a week before moving everyone else.
4 Schedule upgrades outside peak hours
An in-place upgrade takes time. Scheduling them after hours or in batches keeps your team working.
5 Use the upgrade to tidy up security
A migration is the ideal time to make sure every device has disk encryption enabled, is enrolled in device management, and has current endpoint protection.
What if we do nothing?
The PCs will keep running, and for a while nothing obvious will happen. Then one of three things usually does: a key application stops supporting Windows 10, an insurer or client asks the question you cannot answer, or an attacker uses a vulnerability that was patched everywhere except your office. All three are cheaper to prevent than to fix.
Get a clear plan for your business
If you are not sure how many Windows 10 machines you have, or which ones can be upgraded, we can find out quickly. Our IT projects team handles hardware rollouts and Windows 11 upgrades for businesses across Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast, and our managed IT support keeps every device patched once you are there.
Call us on (07) 3521 8515 or tell us what you need and we will recommend a sensible next step.
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Written byBrandon StrangmanNeed Help with Your Business IT?
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