Windows 11 has had poor adoption, with many people sticking to the good old Windows 10. Microsoft has been pushing users to upgrade, threatening to end software support and warning about potential cybersecurity risks. But Windows 11 isn’t exactly the best OS to come out of Redmond. Even if it were, many people simply can’t upgrade because of its steep system requirements.

In fact, it took Windows 11 nearly four years after its 2021 debut to finally surpass its predecessor in user numbers. Now that Windows 10 is being phased out, many users, especially those with older PCs that don't meet the hardware requirements, are understandably concerned. Tony from Wisconsin recently asked us the same thing:

"I heard that Microsoft will stop providing security patches for Windows 10 after October. My laptop can't be upgraded to Windows 11 because the CPU is too old. Since I'm not tech-savvy and don't feel comfortable replacing the CPU (nor do I want to), I'm wondering if I have a good antivirus program, do I still need to upgrade? Or will my system still be vulnerable to hackers and viruses?"

I understand your concern, Tony. Sticking with an unsupported OS brings security risks. Security researchers warn that unsupported systems, such as Windows 10, will become increasingly attractive targets for hackers. Hackers often reverse-engineer patches released for newer systems like Windows 11 to find similar flaws in older ones like Windows 10. With no more fixes coming, those vulnerabilities remain wide open, making unsupported systems a tempting target.

However, you are not without options, and you have a defense. Let's walk through what you can do if your PC is still running Windows 10.