The end of Windows 10 support in October 2025 means important changes for users. This article explains the effects, possible risks, and safe options for continuing to use Windows 10.
After October 14, 2025, Windows 10 officially reached the end of its support life. This means Microsoft no longer provides technical assistance, feature updates, or security updates for the system. Your Windows 10 computer will still work as usual, but it will become less secure over time since no new patches or fixes will be released. As a result, your device could face more security risks and software compatibility issues in the future.
Can you still use Windows 10 after October 2025? Yes, you can. To stay protected and up to date, Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 11 if your devicea meets the system requirements. You can check for eligibility by going to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, then selecting Check for updates. If your device cannot run Windows 11, you may consider enrolling in the Windows 10 extended support program, which offers paid security updates for up to one year after support ends.
For users planning to replace their computers, purchasing a new PC with Windows 11 preinstalled is another option. This ensures better performance, security, and access to new features. If not, you can seek an alternative to protect your information security.
In short, Windows 10 will continue to function, but without updates, it will gradually become outdated and vulnerable. Choosing to upgrade, enroll in ESU, or move to a new device can help you maintain a secure and smooth computing experience after October 2025.
After Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 in October 2025, you can choose to upgrade to Windows 11, which offers better performance, modern features, and stronger protection.
Before starting the upgrade, it is important to make sure your PC meets Windows 11’s system requirements. Microsoft has listed specific hardware standards, including processor type, RAM, storage, and security features like TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. You can also use tools such as the AOMEI Partition Assistant that provides Windows 11 Update Checker to easily see if your device is ready for the upgrade. UEFI is a modern firmware that replaces BIOS for faster, more secure startup; with AOMEI Partition Assistant, you can switch to UEFI and convert MBR to GPT safely for Windows 11 installation. If your PC meets all the requirements, you can move on to the next steps to safely and successfully upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
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Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Right-click the target MBR boot hard drive and select "Convert to GPT".
Step 2. Click "OK" to confirm your operation.
Step 3. Click "Apply" to commit the conversion.
After converting the disk to GPT partition scheme, you need to take the following steps to change Legacy BIOS to UEFI boot mode.
Step 1. Restart your computer and continuously press a specific key to enter the EFI Setup menu. If you don’t know which key to press, just press Esc to get a full menu, and then you can select BIOS Setup.
Step 2. Access to Boot tab and hit on UEFI/ BIOS Boot Mode, disable Legacy and enable UEFI.
Step 3. Press F10 to save the settings and then exit to finish Legacy BIOS to UEFI switch.
Now, you have converted MBR system hard drive to GPT and changed the boot mode from Legacy BIOS to UEFI. Next is how to complete Windows 10 version 20h2 upgrade to Windows 11.
Step 1. Go to Start Menu, and click on "Settings".
Step 2. Click on "Updates&Security" on the Windows Settings screen.
Step 3. In the Windows Update screen, click "Check for updates". If the free Windows 11 upgrade is available, you’ll see an option to download and install it.
Step 4. Click "Download and install". Follow on-screen prompts and configure Windows 11 settings.
If the Windows 11 update is not available your computer, you can directly turn to Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Open the Download Windows 11 page and click the "Download now" button under the Windows 11 Installation Assistant section.
Run the downloaded Windows11 Installation Assistant.exe file. Click the "Accept and install" button and your Windows 11 installation will upgrade to Windows 11. After the installation finishes, you will be prompted to restart your PC immediately or wait for the 30-minute time to end if you need time to save important data. After reboots, you can sign into Windows again. Once the final setup is complete, you will enter your new Windows 11 desktop.
After October 14, 2025, Windows 10 will stop receiving security updates, which makes computers more exposed to online threats and data leaks. For users who cannot upgrade to Windows 11 or join the ESU program, protecting important files becomes even more necessary. One effective way to enhance security is by enabling drive encryption.
BitLocker is Microsoft’s built-in encryption feature that helps prevent unauthorized access to your data. However, it is not available for Windows 10 Home users. In this case, you can use AOMEI Partition Assistant, which provides a similar BitLocker encryption function that works on all versions of Windows 10. With it, you can easily encrypt your system drive and ensure your personal data stays safe. Even after Windows 10 support ends, this protection will continue to keep your files secure.
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Step1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Click the "Tools" main tab and select "BitLocker".
Step 2. All drives on the system will be displayed, including operating system drives, fixed data drives, and removable drives. Please find the system partition you would like to encrypt BitLocker and click the "Turn on BitLocker" option. (Here, we take the drive D: as an example.)
⚠️Notes: It only supports encrypting NTFS partitions. Other partition file systems, for example, FAT or FAT32 cannot be encrypted. To fix this, you can convert FAT32 to NTFS without losing data.
Step 3. Please set and confirm a password to encrypt the drive and click "Next".
Step 4. Select a way to back up your recovery key. You can either select "Save to a file" or "Print the recovery key".
🌟Tips: Please do not save the recovery key in the encrypted drive path. For example, it is unable to encrypt D: and save the recovery key on the same D: drive.
Step 5. If you select "Save to a file", please choose a location on your PC to save the recovery key.
Then, please click the "Next" button to start the encryption process, then you will be required to restart your PC to enter into the Windows PE environment to BitLocker encrypt system drive. Please click "OK" to continue.
The program will automatically create a Windows PE environment on your PC.
Tips: AOMEI Partition Assistant will automatically detect whether your system has installed Windows AIK/ADK or not. If yes, it will start the Windows PE creation and then enter into WinPE to encrypt the drive. If not, please download and install Windows AIK/ADK first.
After it is created successfully, the PC will reboot into Windows PE mode to encrypt the drive. After the encryption is completed, you will get an encryption complete window and you can click "OK" to restart your PC.
Step 5. The encryption process might take time to encrypt the drive. Before the process is finished, please do not terminate the program, remove the drive, or turn off the power. Once the encryption process is finished, please click "Completed". Finally, the system drive is BitLocker encrypted.
Enabling BitLocker on Windows 10 is a practical way to protect your files, as it encrypts your drive and prevents unauthorized access if your computer is lost or stolen. However, BitLocker cannot defend against system-level threats like malware or attacks that exploit unpatched vulnerabilities. While it provides an added layer of data protection, it does not replace regular security updates. For complete and long-term protection, especially when browsing online, upgrading to Windows 11 remains the most reliable choice.
Windows 10 will continue to run after October 2025, but without Microsoft’s official updates, it becomes more vulnerable to security risks. To stay protected, users should take action based on their device’s condition and needs. Upgrading to Windows 11 is the most recommended solution for better security and performance. If your PC cannot support Windows 11, joining the Extended Security Updates program or enabling BitLocker encryption with AOMEI Partition Assistant can help reduce potential risks. No matter which option you choose, keeping your system secure and your data protected should remain the top priority after Windows 10 support ends.
The Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer