Time to upgrade Windows 10 as Microsoft ends support for older versions

If you have been holding off upgrading Windows 10 because of concerns about problems with updates for the operating system, Microsoft is given hangers-on a very good reason to take the plunge.

The company is holding a fire the feet of people doggedly holding on to older versions of Windows 10. The support lifecycle of another build of the operating system has now come to an end meaning that the oldest supported edition of Windows 10 is now version 2004.

See also:

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• Microsoft withdraws AMD driver that causes INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error in Windows 10

As of yesterday -- May 11, 2021 -- Windows 10 version 1909 is officially no longer supported. End of support applies to both the Home and Pro editions of the operating system, but businesses that are signed up to the Long-Term Servicing Channel are still able to use older versions and benefit from support from Microsoft.

The end of support for Windows 10 version 1909 means that Microsoft will no longer receive security updates, and it is for this reason that Microsoft will strongly encourage updating to version 2004.

A note on the health dashboard for version 1909 points out:

As of May 11, 2021, the Home and Pro editions of Windows 10, version 1909 and all editions of Windows Server, version 1909 have reached end of servicing. Devices running these editions will no longer receive monthly security and quality updates containing protections from the latest security threats. Education, Enterprise, and IoT Enterprise editions of Windows 10, version 1909 will reach end of servicing May 11, 2022.

As always, we recommend that you update your devices to the latest version of Windows 10 as soon as possible to ensure that you can take advantage of the latest features and advanced protections from the latest security threats. For information about servicing timelines and lifecycle, see the Windows 10 release information and Lifecycle FAQ - Windows.

So now really is the time to get up-to-date, but it's worth remembering that the Windows 10 May 2021 Update (21H1) is now just around the corner.

Image credit: tanuha2001 / Shutterstock