Firms on Windows 10 will get more time before support runs out

The impending end of support for Windows 10 has been delayed for some users, giving accounting firms still on the operating system—a sizable minority—a little more time to make upgrades before it is officially obsolete. 

Support for Microsoft Windows 10 had been previously scheduled to end on Oct. 14, 2025, which meant no more security updates or monitoring. This led users to prepare upgrades, which have, on certain older machines, necessitated new hardware as well; this is particularly the case if the user plans to make heavy use of AI, as the operating system is designed to work with special chips called neural processing units that are made for AI operations. While many have already made the switch, a significant portion of users—including many CPA firms—have not. 

While the clock is still ticking, the hands are moving a little slower after Microsoft announced recently that it will be extending support for certain Windows 10 users by an extra year via a new Extended Security Updates program. Organizations wishing to take advantage of this program need to pay $61 per device and they will continue to receive security updates. This price then doubles every consecutive year for a maximum of three years. This security update-only subscription does not include new features, customer-requested non-security updates, design change requests or general tech support. 

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CPA firms have been making steady, but slow, progress over the years in upgrading. A December 2023 report from the CPA Firm Management Association said Windows 10 remained the most popular operating system, with 47% of accountants saying the vast majority of their work uses it. 

Roman Kepczyk, director of firm technology with accounting-focused cloud services provider Rightworks—who was one of the report authors—said in a follow-up email that he would estimate that the number of Windows 10 PCs actively being used in accounting firms today is around 25%. However, he caveated that estimate by saying that he works mostly with large and mid-size firms, so for smaller local firms the proportion is likely higher. Still, the recent announcement by Microsoft buys all firms some time. 

"I think the big concern with Windows 10 is that Microsoft slated Oct. 14, 2025, to discontinue support, with security updates being the primary concern. Microsoft has since backtracked and said they would provide security updates beyond that  (no/small fee) so the security push to upgrade to Windows 11 is minimized as long as the Windows 10 user continues to get updates," he said. 

Whatever reprieve firms can get is likely favorable, as Randy Johnston, co-founder and principal at accounting tech consultancy K2, said a lot of the practices he has observed are "in trouble on this, and may be suffering from the misperception that being in the cloud eliminates the problem." While he couldn't name a precise figure for how many firms overall are using Windows 10 right now, he estimated "it is north of 40%." 

But even as people work to upgrade from Windows 10, more than half of all devices are already using Windows 11, representing about 52% of the market. However, both Kepczyk and Johnston cautioned against concentrating solely on joining them, as Windows 12 is currently in the pipeline. It would not do a firm well to go through all the trouble of migrating to Windows 11 and then immediately have to do it all over again for Windows 12. 

But just as there is now more time to go from 10 to 11, there is probably also more time to go from 11 to 12. Microsoft recently announced that Windows 11 version 25H2 is now available to the Windows Insider community, in advance of broader availability planned for the second half of 2025. While it was anticipated that Windows 12 would be released later this year, perhaps in the fall or late summer, the recent announcement could indicate that Microsoft intends to develop Windows 11 a little bit longer. With this in mind, Kepczyk recommended people wait a while before upgrading. 

"With most work being done in the cloud, I am holding off recommending firms upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 as long as security is automatically updated. With Windows 12 being scheduled [soon], we believe it will be even more optimized for AI and the updated NPU hardware, so we anticipate recommending firms buy new PCs with Windows 12 starting May 2026 as long as no significant technical flaws have been identified," he said. 

Johnston also advised accountants on Windows 10 to think in terms of Windows 12 versus 11. 

"Upgrades are needed, and NPU purchases would be wise," he said. "For many, this will require hardware purchases. I want them to buy enough to support Windows 12."