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Many organizations are still running Windows 10 after end of support, often while planning hardware refreshes and Windows 11 migrations. This guide explains how IT teams and MSPs can assess readiness, manage unsupported devices, and build a structured migration strategy.
Level
Friday, May 15, 2026
Windows 10 migration is still ongoing because many organizations continue to run Windows 10 after its October 14, 2025 end of support date. While Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 11, migrations take time due to hardware requirements, application dependencies, budget cycles, and operational constraints. Some organizations are using Microsoft's Extended Security Updates (ESU) program as a temporary bridge while they complete their transition, according to Microsoft. The challenge for IT teams and MSPs is no longer deciding whether to migrate, but determining how many Windows 10 devices remain, whether those devices are ready for Windows 11, and what plan exists for each endpoint.
Windows 10 officially reached end of support on October 14, 2025. According to Microsoft, devices running Windows 10 no longer receive standard security updates, feature updates, or technical support unless enrolled in the ESU program.
Despite this milestone, Windows 10 remains widely deployed. Industry analysis from Omdia notes that hundreds of millions of devices worldwide are still running Windows 10 following the end of support date.
Organizations continue migration efforts for several reasons:
For many businesses, migration is not a single project. It is an ongoing endpoint modernization initiative that may span months or even years.
Microsoft's Extended Security Updates program provides critical and important security updates for eligible Windows 10 devices after the operating system's end of support date, according to Microsoft.
However, ESU should not be viewed as a replacement for migration.
Organizations sometimes misunderstand ESU as a way to continue operating Windows 10 indefinitely. In reality, ESU is intended to provide additional time for organizations that require a phased transition to Windows 11.
ESU does not include:
Instead, it serves as a temporary security measure while organizations complete migration projects.
For IT teams, every Windows 10 device should fall into one of four categories:
If a device does not fit into one of those categories, it likely lacks sufficient migration planning.
As operating systems age beyond their supported lifecycle, maintaining security becomes increasingly difficult.
Guidance from NIST emphasizes the importance of identifying, managing, and documenting unsupported system components as part of an organization's overall security program.
For organizations still running Windows 10, risks can include:
The issue is not simply whether a device still functions. The issue is whether the organization can identify the device, understand its risk level, and justify its continued operation.
For MSPs, visibility is particularly important. Many clients do not realize how many Windows 10 devices remain active until a comprehensive endpoint inventory is performed.
One of the biggest obstacles to Windows 11 adoption is hardware compatibility.
According to Microsoft, Windows 11 requires supported processors, TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, sufficient memory, and adequate storage resources.
As a result, many Windows 10 migration projects quickly become hardware refresh initiatives.
Organizations frequently discover that older devices:
This creates both a technical and financial challenge.
Instead of budgeting for software upgrades alone, organizations often need to plan for device replacement, procurement schedules, deployment services, and user onboarding.
For MSPs, this creates an opportunity to help clients understand the difference between upgradeable devices and devices that require replacement.
A successful migration starts with readiness assessment.
Many organizations assume Windows 11 deployment is simply a matter of installing an update. In reality, readiness involves hardware validation, software compatibility testing, policy reviews, and user planning.
A comprehensive readiness assessment should evaluate:
Without this information, migration projects can experience delays, failed upgrades, and unexpected support requests.
Readiness assessments help organizations prioritize resources and establish realistic timelines rather than treating every endpoint identically.
A structured migration checklist can significantly reduce deployment risk.
Before initiating upgrades, organizations should:
The most important step is creating a complete inventory.
Organizations cannot migrate devices they cannot see.
Readiness tracking provides visibility into migration progress and helps organizations make informed decisions.
A useful readiness report typically includes:
This information allows IT teams to distinguish between devices that are immediately upgradeable and those requiring additional work.
For MSPs, readiness reporting also creates meaningful business conversations with clients because recommendations are based on actual endpoint data rather than assumptions.
Manual upgrades become increasingly difficult as endpoint counts grow.
Automation can help organizations streamline:
However, automation should be implemented carefully.
Organizations should first validate application compatibility, conduct pilot testing, and establish rollback procedures before broad deployment.
Successful migration projects combine automation with monitoring, reporting, and user communication.
Automation accelerates the process, but visibility remains the foundation.
Some devices will remain on Windows 10 longer than expected.
These devices should be actively managed rather than ignored.
A formal exception process should include:
The goal is not to eliminate all risk immediately. The goal is to ensure that every unsupported device is known, documented, and managed.
Unknown devices present significantly greater risk than known devices operating under approved exceptions.
Organizations should periodically review all exceptions to ensure they remain valid and aligned with migration objectives.
Windows 10 migration is fundamentally an endpoint management challenge.
Before organizations can upgrade devices, replace hardware, enroll systems in ESU, or retire unsupported endpoints, they must first identify and manage those devices.
Level is relevant because endpoint visibility and management are central to successful migration planning. IT teams need accurate device inventories, operating system reporting, endpoint monitoring, scripting capabilities, and workflow automation to manage migration efforts efficiently.
For MSPs, Windows 10 migration also presents a valuable client engagement opportunity.
One simple question can start the conversation:
How many Windows 10 endpoints are still in your environment?
Many organizations do not know the answer.
Helping clients answer that question can lead naturally into readiness assessments, hardware planning, migration projects, and long-term endpoint management improvements.
Windows 10 migration is more than a technology upgrade.
It is a business planning exercise that affects security, budgeting, compliance, hardware lifecycle management, and user productivity.
MSPs can help clients understand:
This makes Windows 10 migration a practical and measurable discussion rather than an abstract technology recommendation.
Clients may not know how many devices remain, but they understand inventory, risk, budgeting, and timelines.
That is where MSPs can provide immediate value.
Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. According to Microsoft, standard security updates and support have ended.
Yes. Organizations can continue using Windows 10, and some may be enrolled in Microsoft's Extended Security Updates program while completing migration projects.
Windows 10 ESU is Microsoft's Extended Security Updates program, which provides critical and important security updates after end of support, according to Microsoft.
Many devices do not meet Windows 11 hardware requirements, including TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, or supported processor requirements, as documented by Microsoft.
In many cases, yes. Devices that cannot meet Windows 11 requirements may need replacement as part of a broader hardware refresh strategy.
MSPs can provide device discovery, readiness assessments, migration planning, hardware lifecycle recommendations, automation, reporting, and ongoing endpoint management.
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