In July 2025, Windows 10 will officially hit ten years old, and in October 2025, Windows 10 will also hit end-of-life status.
Indeed, Microsoft typically only supports its Windows operating systems for "free" up to a certain point, with development work and security updates focusing on the more modern versions after a certain point. Microsoft's current policy grants Windows versions 5 years of broader support, and then an extended 5 years of security updates support. After that point, it expects consumers and businesses alike to begin upgrading to the latest version to maintain security updates. Businesses have the option to pay hefty fees to retain Windows security support for older versions, but the idea is that it should be more cost effective to simply upgrade at that point.
