With the impending end of support for Windows 7, and the relatively low uptake of Windows 8.1, the next natural question to ask is, of course: how long will Windows 10 be supported?
It’s complicated.
Unlike prior versions of Windows with specific end-of-support dates, Windows 10 doesn’t really have one.
Or, if you look at it differently, its support ends every six months.
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It’s all about feature updates
The short, simple rule of thumb is this: each Windows 10 “feature update” is supported for 18 months — a year and a half.
A “feature update” is the major update that happens every six months, usually around May or September. You’ll see them referenced with a four-digit number, like 1809 for the September 2018 feature update, or 1903 for the March 2019 update.
Regardless of the name, each feature update is supported for 18 months from its actual release date. For example, according to the current Windows lifecycle fact sheet, the most recently released feature update — 1903, or March 2019 — will be supported until December 8, 2020, 18 months from its actual release date.
Determining your feature update
To see which feature update you have installed, right-click on the Start button and click on System in the resulting menu.
You may need to scroll down in the resulting window to make “Windows specifications” visible. It’ll include “Version”, which is the feature update we’re looking for.
Keep updating
As long as you continue to take feature updates as they’re made available, your machine will continue to be supported. Your end-of-support date will jump ahead each time to 18 months from the date that particular feature update was released.
In theory, that means your machine will be supported forever — feature update after feature update.
In theory.
If you can’t update
I vaguely recall a statement to the effect that “Windows 10 will be supported for the life of the hardware on which it’s installed” when it was first introduced. I’m either mistaken, or that rule no longer applies. Based on this quote from the lifecycle page, I suspect the latter:
A device may not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, lacks current drivers, lacks sufficient storage space, or is otherwise outside the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) support period.
I’ve certainly heard reports of specific machines not being able to receive the latest feature update. Changes were introduced that make the feature update incompatible with that machine.
If you can’t move forward, you can’t alter the end-of-support date. Your installation of Windows 10 will reach end-of-support 18 months from the date of the latest feature update you were able to install.
End of support doesn’t mean end of use
As we’ve seen with both Windows 7’s impending end-of-support, and Windows XP’s, which is long past, if your Windows 10 installation does reach its end-of-support date, it’ll keep working just fine.
Over time, more and more software will become incompatible as it also moves forward, but you can keep using the machine and all the software that runs on it, with one important caveat: you must pay special attention to security.
When support for a Windows 10 feature update ends, the primary problem is that no further security updates will be released. That means that eventually, it’s possible that a vulnerability will be discovered that won’t be patched. Similarly, while security software — including Windows Defender — will continue to work and be updated for some time past the Windows end-of-support date, eventually, that will also cease. You’ll need to ensure that your security software, in particular, continues to work properly for as long as you run that edition of Windows 10 — or replace it with software that will.
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“I vaguely recall a statement to the effect that “Windows 10 will be supported for the life of the hardware on which it’s installed” when it was first introduced. I’m either mistaken, or that rule no longer applies. Based on this quote from the lifecycle page, I suspect the latter:”
Actually, whether Microsoft specified it or not, “A device may not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, lacks current drivers, lacks sufficient storage space,” would have always been true. It’s technically impossible to run an OS on a computer which doesn’t have the capacity to run it. MS may have just updated the lifecycle page to reflect that reality.
Well, to be nitpicky we’re talking about updates here. So the machine already runs Windows 10. This clause seems to give them an out to alter the hardware requirements such that a machine running update X of Windows 10 may not be able to get update Y. It’s that “alter the requirements” that kind of invalidates that original “for the life of the hardware” clause.
I just had one of my devices update itself to 1909. No problems other than the clock being set to the wrong time after restart.
I have Windows 7 Pro. Can I download Windows 10 Pro on my machine? I’ve heard that it’s not advisable. Even MS say’s so.
If MS says no, then no — but i’m not sure where you’re getting that information.
The best way to find out is to try it. Do a full image backup of your machine, and then download and try to install it.
Let’s clarify what’s meant by “support”. There is no support here from Microsoft, not in the traditional sense of the word. Try calling MS and asking for help and see how much “support” you get. Trying calling MS and complaining that the latest update bricked your computer and see if they could care less. In the case of Windows 10 “support” is a euphemism for “you are allowed to use this OS until MS decides you are no longer worthy.” But Leo, thank you for exposing a method or loop-hole to permanently suppress all Windows 10 updates: I’ll buy a computer and shelf it for 18 months and after that I’ll be free and clear of Windows 10 updates! Thanks.