Keeping up to date

On October 14, 2025, Windows 10 will reach its end-of-life date. This doesn’t mean that your computer running Windows 10 won’t turn on or will stop working. What it does mean is Windows 10 will no longer receive updates, including critical security patches.

Making sure our devices are up to date is kind of like flossing or making sure you eat enough fibre. Neither task is particularly exciting, but they are important ways to keep your body healthy and functioning. Sure, if you don’t floss or get enough fibre your body will still work, but you’ll be at greater risk of certain things going wrong. Likewise, if you don’t keep your phones, computers, and tablets updated with the latest updates and security patches, you’ll be at risk of certain things going wrong with them too.

Hardware and software are developed and released on a schedule determined by the manufacturer or company that make them. Roughly speaking there’s a launch date, a period through which they are actively updated with improvements, a period through which they are updated for critical security purposes, and then the end-of-life date after which they are no longer supported.

Devices running software after that end-of-life date are much more susceptible to being hacked. This can include anything from stealing your sensitive personal and financial information to being recruited to a botnet where its computing power is used for illegal purposes. If you are using a device that connects to the internet, it is important that you keep those devices up to date.

For most devices and operating systems there is an option to download and install updates automatically as they are released. Ensuring this is enabled, which it usually is by default, will mean that your device will update overnight when you’re not using it. Different corporations handle how their products are updated differently. Microsoft, for example, tends to send out critical updates for Windows to users more or less all at once. Similar with Apple updating their iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads.

With Android phones things can be a bit more complicated. The Android operating system itself is updated regularly, however it can depend on the phone manufacturer and even the cellular network when individual phones receive those updates. According to an October 2024 Forbes article, at that time 25% of Android phones were running end-of-life software – a whopping 750 million phones vulnerable to some very serious security issues.

As software is updated, it may become incompatible with older hardware, adding an extra layer of complexity, as is the case with Windows 10’s replacement, Windows 11. This newer version of Windows relies on hardware introduced into most computers after 2017. If your computer is newer than 2017, odds are you will be able to upgrade to Windows 11 without an issue. If your computer is older, you may be unable to upgrade to Windows 11. For most in this situation, this means having to buy a new computer.

There are alternatives to buying a new computer if you’re determined to keep that older computer working safely. If you’re a computer enthusiast interested in learning a new operating system and understanding what needs to be done to keep that operating system secure, old hardware can be revived by switching to an operating system like Linux or Chrome OS. However, the average computer user who “just wants it work” likely won’t be satisfied, or safe, with those options. If you are interested in learning though, there are many online tutorials geared toward the hobbyist for giving an older machine a new lease on life.

If you’re in the position where buying a new computer is the answer, the good news is that you’ll be purchasing less than halfway through Windows 11’s probable lifecycle as most Windows versions have around a 10-year lifespan (though that’s not to say every computer will last that long). Whenever you buy a new computer, phone, or tablet, it pays to get a sense of how long you can count on support for it to help decide whether it’s worth buying.

Updates can be a pain, and no one likes being forced into buying a new computer or phone. But keeping things up to date is an important part of owning and operating any device connected to the internet. Being vigilant about scams, being careful what you click on, and ensuring that your devices have critical updates installed are all important things you can do to stay safe online.

Learn more

Samsung, Pixel, Android Update Warning - 500 Million Phones ‘Vulnerable To Attack’. 2024. Zak Doffman. (Forbes) Last accessed 2025/03/19.

Your system can keep you secure. 2021. (GetCyberSafe.ca) Last accessed 2025/03/19.

Correction log

Here's a more updated article about Android updates and the proportion of devices at risk:

Google Update Warning—30% Of All Android Users Now At Risk. 2025. Zak Doffman. (Forbes) Last accessed 2025/07/06.