What happens to all Windows 10 devices that are not compatible with Windows 11 in 2025?

Microsoft released Windows 11 in late 2021 and shifted the development focus from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Customers using Windows 10 devices can upgrade to Windows 11 for free, but not all Windows 10 devices can be upgraded as Microsoft changed the requirements for the new operating system.

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While it is possible to bypass the requirements, it opens a can of worms because some features may not work properly or not at all, and because it may happen in the future that some updates cannot be installed via Windows Update on incompatible devices.

Most Windows 10 devices that don’t meet the minimum system requirements will remain in this version of Windows, but what happens when Windows 10 support runs out in 2025? Microsoft menus October 14, 2025 as the retirement date for Windows 10 Home and Pro (basically, all consumer versions of Windows 10). Some users will almost certainly replace their devices with new ones, which will likely include Windows 11 or at least be compatible with the new operating system.

Millions of devices will still be in use by 2025, and it cannot be officially upgraded to Windows 11, because Microsoft will not only change the system requirements for the new operating system. Some users may upgrade to Windows 11 bypassing the restrictions.

The main problem Windows 10 users will face in October 2025 is that Microsoft will no longer create security updates for the operating system. Windows 10 devices will continue to work as before, but there will be security issues that Microsoft won’t fix after the last patch day on October 14, 2025. Other companies, including 0 patchHowever, it may intervene and produce some security updates for Windows 10, but the company will not release patches for all problems and some may not be released for free.

Continuing to use Windows 10 after October 2025 may be a valid scenario, for example if the computer is not connected to the Internet, or if the security setting blocks most attacks before they can do any harm.

Most Windows 10 users whose devices are not compatible with Windows 11 have two main options, if they want to continue using the device:

Upgrade to Windows 11, bypassing the system requirements check in the process.
Switch to Linux.

Upgrade incompatible systems to Windows 11

Both options are not ideal from the perspective of a user who wants as few interruptions as possible. The first option is Unsupported upgrade to Windows 11, brings most settings and installed programs to Windows 11. Most programs continue to work and data is not lost.

The main issue in this approach is that Microsoft does not officially support this. While Microsoft has released upgrade instructions for incompatible devices, warns users that their devices “may crash” and “will no longer be guaranteed to receive updates, including but not limited to security updates.”

The official disclaimer states that damages are not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty and that the PC will not be supported in any way.

This PC does not meet the minimum system requirements to run Windows 11 – these requirements help ensure a more reliable and higher quality experience. It is not recommended to install Windows 11 on this computer and may cause compatibility issues. If you continue installing Windows 11, your computer will not be supported and will not be eligible to receive updates. The manufacturer’s warranty does not cover damage to your computer due to incompatibility.

Windows Update works fine now on incompatible Windows 11 devices, but there is a chance that this may not be the case in the future. Feature updates in particular can become an issue with installation, as users may need to bypass restrictions again before they can be installed.

Switch to Linux

The second option that users have is to switch to Linux. The change requires more research and work on the user’s part: a Linux distribution must be chosen for it, which may require some testing before making the move. Most Linux distributions can run as live systems, which will not affect the data on your computer’s hard drives.

Here are the main problems that users will encounter:

Files must be manually migrated to Linux. It is a good idea to back up important data before making any changes to the system. It is recommended to use an external hard disk or an internal hard disk.
Many applications will not work under Linux. This depends on the programs used on Windows, and programs like WINE may help, but there’s a good chance that some programs won’t run at all.
There is no data migration between programs, unless the programs support synchronization.
Handling, management and organization are different, and they must be learned. Many modern Linux distributions require little or no command line knowledge. While it is recommended for advanced users, most casual users do not need to worry much about this if they choose a distribution suitable for beginners.

Now you: Are you running Windows 10 devices that are not compatible with Windows 11? What will you do?