14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 11 is Microsoft's long-term big bet right now, and with Windows 10 scheduled to be retired in October 2025, the next move the company had in mind made perfect sense.
The software giant will stop selling Windows 10 licenses on February 1, with a message posted on the online listings of the operating system in the Microsoft Store warning that the last day when product keys can be purchased is January 31.
As PCWorld notes, the announcement concerns all versions of Windows 10 that are available right now, including Home, Professional, and Workstation.
“January 31, 2023 will be the last day this Windows 10 download is offered for sale. Windows 10 will remain supported with security updates that help protect your PC from viruses, spyware, and other malware until October 14, 2025,” the company says.
On the other hand, buying Windows 10 product keys will still be possible as the licenses will continue to be available at other online retailers.
But on the other hand, Windows 10 is slowly but surely becoming a second-class citizen of Microsoft’s lineup, especially as the retirement date is already on the horizon.
Microsoft will continue to ship updates for Windows 10 devices until October 2025, but on the other hand, big feature updates with new functionality are becoming not only rarer but also less exciting.
“For customers who are using a PC that won’t upgrade, and who aren’t ready to transition to a new device, Windows 10 is the right choice. We will support Windows 10 through October 14, 2025 and we recently announced that the next feature update to Windows 10 is coming later this year. Whatever you decide, we are committed to supporting you and offering choice in your computing journey,” Microsoft said when it announced Windows 11.