585 Grove Street, Suite G-10, Herndon, VA 20170 · Mon-Fri 9am-6pm (703) 783-2050 · Contact

Windows 10 Is Dead. What Northern Virginia PC Owners Should Actually Do (2026)

Short answer: Microsoft ended free Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. You have three real options: pay $30 for one year of Extended Security Updates (buys time, not a plan), upgrade to Windows 11 for free if your hardware qualifies, or replace the PC. We see all three scenarios every week on our repair bench in Herndon. The right answer depends entirely on your PC's age and what it's used for.

Roughly 400 million PCs worldwide are still running Windows 10. If you are one of them, every month you wait increases the risk of malware, ransomware, and credential theft, because every new Windows vulnerability discovered after October 2025 will never be patched on your machine. Banks, the IRS, and your stored passwords are all sitting behind that lock.

We are a computer repair shop in Herndon, VA. We have walked dozens of Northern Virginia families and small businesses through this exact decision since October. Here is the honest framework and the three paths forward.

Just want us to handle it?

Bring your PC to our Herndon shop, call (703) 783-2050, or send us a message. We do a free compatibility check on the spot and tell you which path makes sense for your machine. No upsell, no fear-mongering.

Three Paths Forward (May 2026)

Path 1: Pay for ESU · $30/year individual, $61+/year business · buys time to October 2026

Path 2: Upgrade to Windows 11 · Free if your PC qualifies · the right answer for most 2018+ PCs

Path 3: Replace the PC · The right answer for pre-2018 hardware, spinning disks, or sub-8GB RAM

Or: Bring it to Fateka and we will tell you which path fits your PC in 10 minutes.

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What "End of Life" Actually Means for Your PC

Microsoft stopped releasing free security patches for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. The operating system itself still works. Your apps still open. Your printer still connects. Nothing on your PC will suddenly stop functioning.

What changed is the threat surface. Every new vulnerability that researchers (and attackers) discover in Windows from now on will never be patched on your machine. Vulnerabilities accumulate. By summer 2026, a Windows 10 PC connected to the internet without ESU will have months of unpatched bugs that ransomware authors have had plenty of time to weaponize.

The threat is real but not immediate. Most home users will not be hit tomorrow. The risk compounds slowly:

Microsoft Defender still receives definition updates through October 2028, which helps, but Defender alone is not enough on an unpatched OS. The right move is to get to Windows 11, ESU temporarily, or new hardware.

Path 1: Pay for Extended Security Updates (ESU)

Cost: $30 for one year (individual), $61 for year 1 (business, doubling each subsequent year). Coverage runs through October 13, 2026.

What you get: Critical and important security patches, delivered the same way you used to receive Windows Updates. No new features. No technical support.

When ESU makes sense:

When ESU does not make sense:

If you want help enrolling in ESU on your specific PC, including the new individual-buyer flow Microsoft introduced for 2026, walk into our Herndon shop or message us. The Microsoft-side checkout for individual ESU is more confusing than it should be.

Path 2: Upgrade to Windows 11 (Free if Eligible)

Cost: Free from Microsoft. Our shop performs the upgrade for $99 if you want it done by a technician with no risk of broken drivers or lost files.

Hardware requirements:

When upgrading to Windows 11 is the right call:

Common upgrade gotchas we see on the bench:

Local upgrade service (Northern Virginia)

$99 flat fee covers the upgrade, full pre-upgrade backup, driver verification, bloatware removal, and post-upgrade troubleshooting. We never lose your files. Most upgrades complete in 1-3 hours. Drop off in the morning, pick up after lunch.

Path 3: Replace the PC

Cost: $400 to $1,500 for a sensible replacement laptop or desktop, depending on use case.

When replacement is the right call:

We see Windows 11 upgrades that are *technically* possible on slow 2018-vintage PCs that should really just be replaced. Spending three hours coaxing Windows 11 onto a tired machine when a $500 replacement laptop would be faster, more secure, and have a warranty is rarely the right move.

Categories worth considering by use case:

Data migration when you replace (Northern Virginia)

When you buy the new PC, bring both the old and new machines to our shop. We migrate your files, photos, email, browser bookmarks, and (where licensing permits) programs. We also securely wipe the old PC's drive before you donate, recycle, or sell it. Flat-rate data migration starts at $79. Talk to us before you buy if you want help picking the replacement.

How to Check If Your PC Can Run Windows 11

The quick way: download Microsoft's free PC Health Check app from the Microsoft Store or microsoft.com/windows/windows-11. It scans your PC and tells you exactly which requirements you pass or fail, with the failure reason.

If it says you fail on TPM: reboot into BIOS (typically F2 or Delete during boot) and look for "TPM" or "Intel PTT" or "AMD fTPM" and enable it. Many PCs ship with TPM disabled by default but supported by the hardware.

If it says you fail on Secure Boot: same BIOS area. Switch from "Legacy" to "UEFI" boot mode and enable Secure Boot. This is a more involved change because the disk might need re-partitioning. If you do not know what that means, do not do it yourself.

If it says you fail on CPU: the PC genuinely does not qualify. There are unofficial workarounds, but they leave you in an unsupported state where future Windows 11 updates may not install. Replacement is the cleaner path.

Or just drop your PC at our Herndon shop. We check compatibility for free as part of the diagnostic, and we know all the BIOS tweaks for the common Lenovo, HP, Acer, ASUS, and MSI models we see.

How Fateka Handles the Upgrade

We see all three paths weekly. Our process for every Windows 10 customer:

  1. Free 10-minute compatibility check. We run PC Health Check, examine the BIOS, check disk and RAM. We tell you which path fits.
  2. If upgrading: full backup, the Windows 11 upgrade itself, driver and printer verification, bloatware removal. $99 flat.
  3. If replacing: we help you pick the new PC (mini PC, laptop, or desktop), migrate your data, securely wipe the old drive. From $79 for data migration.
  4. If sticking with Windows 10 + ESU: we enroll you in ESU on Microsoft's individual program and add extra hardening (Microsoft Defender tuning, browser security profiles, backup setup) so the year of ESU is actually safe. $79.

We are a Lenovo Authorized Service Center, so if you are bringing in a Lenovo Yoga, IdeaPad, ThinkPad, or Legion, we can also run Lenovo's factory upgrade tools and use genuine Lenovo drivers. We offer both bring-in service at the Herndon shop and on-site service at NoVA business locations for fleet upgrades. Your Lenovo warranty stays valid. See our Lenovo repair page for warranty-covered service.

Walk in, no appointment needed

Fateka Computer Store · 585 Grove Street, Suite G-10 · Herndon, VA 20170 · Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat by appointment. We serve Herndon, Reston, Sterling, Ashburn, Chantilly, Vienna, Tysons, Fairfax, Leesburg, and the entire Route 7 corridor. Call (703) 783-2050 or send us a message with your PC make and model and we will give you a quote before you bring it in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Windows 10 really dead in 2026?

Yes. Microsoft ended free support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. That means no more free security updates, no feature updates, and no free technical support. Your PC still turns on and runs, but every newly discovered security flaw will go unpatched. Paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) are available for one year, ending October 13, 2026.

Can I just keep using Windows 10?

Technically yes. Practically, every month past October 2025 makes you a softer target for malware, ransomware, and credential theft. The risk compounds: each new unpatched vulnerability stays open forever on your machine. Banking, tax filing, email, and stored passwords are all increasingly exposed.

How do I know if my PC can upgrade to Windows 11?

Microsoft requires TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, an 8th-gen Intel or AMD Ryzen 2000-series CPU or newer, 4GB RAM minimum (8GB recommended), and 64GB free storage. Run the Microsoft PC Health Check app to verify. If your PC was built before 2018, it probably will not pass. If you bought it between 2018 and 2021, it might pass with a BIOS setting change. We check this for free if you bring the PC in.

How much does Windows 10 ESU cost in 2026?

For individuals, Microsoft offers Extended Security Updates at $30 for one year (October 14, 2025 through October 13, 2026). Businesses pay $61 per device for year 1, doubling each subsequent year. ESU is a stopgap, not a long-term plan. It buys you time to plan an upgrade or replacement.

Can Fateka upgrade my PC to Windows 11?

Yes. We perform Windows 11 upgrades for $99 per PC, which includes the upgrade itself, driver verification, bloatware removal, and basic post-upgrade troubleshooting. We do not lose your files or programs in the process. Walk in or call (703) 783-2050. If your PC cannot upgrade to Windows 11, we will tell you honestly and help you decide between ESU, a replacement, or alternative options like Linux.

Should I just replace my Windows 10 PC instead?

It depends on the age and condition. If your PC is from 2018 or later and still feels fast, upgrade to Windows 11. If it is 2017 or earlier, slow, has spinning-disk storage instead of SSD, or has under 8GB RAM, replacement is usually the better value. We assess this every day on our repair bench and will give you a straight answer.

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Last updated: May 25, 2026. We review and update this guide as Microsoft adjusts the ESU program and as we see more upgrade scenarios on the bench. Browse all our buying guides.