
Will my files be deleted or lost during the upgrade? Even if you don’t upgrade, you won’t need to pay anything to keep using your PC, even if your current Windows 10 release reaches the end of its service life. No. It’s free to upgrade to a new feature release of Windows 10. Will I need to pay anything to upgrade or keep using my PC? This will ensure your device stays updated with future patches and remains secure. Because you’ll stop receiving security updates for your current Windows 10 release, you should update as soon as possible. Should I update when I see the “nearing end of service” message? Furthermore, you’ll miss out on quality updates (fixing non-critical bugs and issues), as well as the new features in later releases. However, you’ll no longer receive any security updates, which will put your device at risk. Yes, your PC will still work, even if your Windows 10 release reaches the end of its service life. If you’ve seen a message that “Your version of Windows 10 is nearing the end of service”, it simply means you’ve not got the latest feature update installed. You shouldn’t generally experience an “end of service” situation as Windows Update usually upgrades your device to the latest feature update shortly after its release. When support expires, that specific release of Windows 10 is considered to be “end of service”, but the newer releases remain unaltered. Each feature update is treated as a distinct operating system in its own right, with each one supported for a set period of time. Although it’s still Windows 10, these “feature updates” are comparable to the new product releases of old. In order to keep moving forwards, Microsoft releases major Windows 10 updates on a biannual basis.

We’ve had Windows 10 for five years and there’s no sign of anything new coming to replace it (for desktop devices at least). With Windows 10, the company’s switched to a new approach where the operating system is continually evolved. Microsoft used to release a new Windows version every 3-4 years, giving us names like Windows Vista, 7 and 8.


Windows 10 is developed differently to previous versions of Windows. It simply means it’s time for you to upgrade to a newer release of the operating system, in order to ensure your device stays secure. The message stems from the way in which Windows 10 is updated. If you’ve seen this on your device, you don’t need to worry. Windows warnings about “nearing the end of service” can be confusing.
