As many people are probably aware, Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. This has created a great deal of confusion about what will happen on October 14th and what the average home computer user should do about it.
First, if you have Windows 10, you can be assured that your computer won’t stop running on October 14th. What will happen is that Microsoft will stop sending out security updates to your computer. As time goes on this will make it increasingly vulnerable to attacks, but this will not likely impact a typical computer user for several months.
Microsoft has been offering a free upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 for quite some time, BUT Windows 11 requires newer hardware that is not available on machines made before 2017 (i.e. the Trusted Platform Module 2.0).
Therefore, this requirement technically means users of older computers can’t upgrade, despite these machines still being useful and despite them having sufficient performance to run Windows 11. However, all is not lost.
Options
There are multiple options which you can choose from to keep or replace your computer after October 14:
- Windows 11 Upgrade (Computer manufactured after mid-2016)
- Windows 10 Extended Support (Computer older than mid-2016)
- Non-standard Windows 11 upgrade (Computer older than mid-2016)
- Buy a new computer and start from scratch
- Buy a new computer and transfer the entire contents of your old computer to it (Computer older than mid-2016)
1. Windows 11 Upgrade (Eligible for computers manufactured after mid-2016)
If you have a machine that is less than 9 years old, the easiest option is to upgrade to Windows 11.
At Country Road Computer Services, we’ve made this option safer by taking precautions before upgrading, such as checking for adequate or failing hardware, fixing integrity issues, and backing up the entire system before the upgrade (in case the upgrade breaks the system). We also ensure upgraded machines are fully protected and functional. The cost for this service is $160+GST.
If you’d like assistance with this option or have questions about this option, please contact us today.
2. Windows 10 Extended Support
Due to a public outcry over the forced obsolescence of over 600 million PCs worldwide, Microsoft compromised by offering extended support for Windows 10 until October 14, 2026, under two conditions:
- If you pay them $30
- OR If you sync your PC settings using a Microsoft account.
This options will buy you an additional year of use for an older computer, but you’ll ultimately have to save around $700 to $1500 for a new computer in 2026.
This option works for owners of older computers, especially for those on a tight budget who cannot afford a new computer at this time. We can provide assistance with this option, and will perform integrity checks/fixes to your computer, ensure it is up to the latest Windows 10 22H2 version, and enroll it in the ESU program for a fee of $80+GST. Contact us today if you would like our help or have questions.
3. Non-standard Windows 11 upgrade (Computer older than mid-2016)
Country Road Computer Services is offering another alternative to the Windows 10 ESU program. While more costly up front ($160+GST), this option will get you onto Windows 11, which using the latest build (24H2), provides security updates for roughly two years, and an easier path (i.e., lower cost) to transfer your old computer to a new one in 2027.
We will check your older computer for adequate or failing hardware, fix integrity issues, back up the entire system before the upgrade (in case the upgrade breaks the system), and ensure your upgraded machine is fully protected and functional.
If your machine is not adequate to upgrade to Windows 11 following our hardware and integrity checks/fixes, we will update your machine to the latest Windows 10 22H2 version and enroll your computer in the Windows 10 Extended Support program. The cost for this service is $80+GST.
Contact us if you’d like our assistance with this option, or if you have questions.
4. Buy a new computer and start from scratch
This option will get you onto a new computer with Windows 11 with all the benefits of having a new warranty. However, there is a downside. The apps and data on your old computer (i.e., programs, photos, documents) must be transferred to the new machine for you to continue working as you did with the old machine.
Microsoft has recently beta-tested a migration tool for bringing data and some apps from an older Windows 10 machine to a new Windows 11 machine. However, this tool does not transfer all apps, and relies upon Microsoft’s cloud service called OneDrive to transfer the data, which although it offers good collaboration, takes considerable time and has the possibility of failure. That Microsoft waited until a short while before end-of-support for Windows 10 to introduce this tool is also troubling to us.
Therefore, in our opinion, this migration tool appears not to be an optimal way of achieving the desired result, at least at this time.
Country Road Computer Services offers two alternatives:
- Manually transfer data from the old computer to the new, configure e-mail and accounts, and if need be, reinstall missing applications. We can provide this transfer and installation service if you’d like. Usually the cost is 1-2 hours of our time ($80-$160+GST) for basic machines that are used to surf the internet or check email, but can require 3-4 hours ($240-$320+GST) for the re-install/testing of larger sets of applications. Contact us if you’d like to discuss this option.
- For superusers, farms, or other small businesses, we can transfer the entirety of the old computer to the new, retaining all applications and their data while at the same time upgrading the old computer to Windows 11 (see option #5 below)
5. Buy a new computer and transfer the entire contents of your old computer to it (Computer older than mid-2016)
For people who have a substantial investment in their old computer (i.e., bookkeeping software, specialized agriculture or industry apps for doing business, or have a lot of applications that are older), the best option in our opinion is to transfer the entire old machine to the new. This provides the least interruption and is effectively like upgrading and testing everything at once.
As with our other options, we back up the entire system before the upgrade (in case the upgrade breaks the system), and ensure your new machine is fully protected and functional, including removal of apps specific to the old machine’s brand. The cost for this service is usually between $240 to $320+gst, including the purchase assistance (see next section below). Contact us if you’d like to pursue or discuss this option.
Purchasing a New Computer
We used to be in the business of selling new and refurbished computers to local customers. However, local companies are at a distinct disadvantage to larger stores which buy in bulk and sell hundreds, if not thousands, of computers per day. For us to make a profit, the price would have to exceed the cost of the identical machine from a large store.
We don’t want you to spend more of your valuable resources just to give us the business. We prefer to provide good value services.
As a result, we decided to offer a more valuable service: Being a trusted partner who gets you the best machine possible within the budget you have. We find the best computer, at the best possible price, based on your needs and requirements, from a multitude of sources. This spares our customers being sold a computer or warranty they don’t really need. In the short and long run, it saves you money, which is how we would want to be treated if it were us.
If you are interested in using our purchase assistance service, please contact us. We charge a flat, transparent $80 +GST fee and have no profit motive in the machine we find for you—it’s a win-win.