Think Microsoft Will Extend Windows 10 Support? Think Again

February 7, 2025

Later this year, Windows 10 will no longer be supported—October 15, if you want to be exact. Are you taking steps to ensure you’re upgrading away from Windows 10? If not, you might want to get on that… and consider upgrading away from Office, while you’re at it, since Microsoft is pulling support for that around the same time, too.

Again, it’s imperative that you take action now to prevent security breaches and operational issues moving forward. We want to discuss why it’s so important today.

Windows 10 is Still Incredibly Popular

In December 2024, Windows 10 was used by most individuals who utilize Microsoft products: 62.7 percent, to be specific, compared to 34.12 perent for Windows 11.

But why are these numbers so dramatically different? For one, the specs required to run Windows 11 are much more demanding than Windows 10. Hardware is expensive to implement, and it is only going to get worse in the near future, leaving most to consider the upgrade not worth it for the time being.

Of course, that’s failing to take into account the immense costs that could be associated with a security breach or disaster.

There’s No Ifs About Upgrading

On October 14, 2025, Microsoft 365 and Office applications (including Word, Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, and others) will no longer be supported on Windows 10.

Whether you’re ready or not, if you’re a part of the majority still using the aforementioned services and solutions, you’ll be left with less secure, more buggy, and less reliable tools as time goes on. User security is the primary reason Microsoft is taking such a hard stance on this issue, but Microsoft is, of course, committed to CoPilot AI as a Windows 11 feature.

Your business needs to take action now, well ahead of the Windows 10 end-of-support date, or else you’ll get left behind.

First Column IT can help your business take appropriate action, whether it’s upgrading or implementing new solutions entirely. Learn more by calling us today at (571) 470-5594.

‍

Back Up Your Data (Or Regret It)

Most businesses don’t have what it takes to survive a hardware failure or natural disaster, and we don’t mean in terms of “grit.” What we mean is in the sheer technological capacity to recover their data and continue operations. It’s bizarre, too, how easy data backup can be, provided you follow these three key tenets. With a little help from a qualified backup professional, your business can stay resilient even in the worst of times.

December 31, 2025

3 Questions You Should Ask About Your Current Backup and Disaster Recovery Strategy

The conversation around B2B data security is no longer about having a backup, but about whether your backup actually works when you need it most. Data backup and disaster recovery solutions were once seen as “set it and forget it” tools, but this is no longer the case. In reality, your data backup strategy is much more complex, and if you fail to give it the attention it deserves, it could result in an extinction-level event for your business.

December 30, 2025

How to Lock Your Screen in a Flash

You may leave the house door wide open when you step out to grab the mail. Sounds reasonable, but if a stray cat were to wander in, that was the risk you ran. The same logic applies to your digital life. Locking your computer, tablet, or phone screen is one of the simplest yet most effective steps you can take to protect your privacy and security.