Windows 10 and Microsoft
New Start menu design for Windows 10 in a teaser posted by Microsoft

The end of an era is upon us, as Windows 10 is slowly being retired after more than eight years of launch. Announced in 2015, the official retirement of Windows 10 is on October 14, 2025, and comes nearly ten years after its release on July 2015, when Windows 8 was under heavy criticism.

In an update to the Microsoft Store list, Microsoft confirmed that 31st January was the last day to purchase Windows 10 product keys. In other words, Microsoft won’t offer product keys for the OS at its official online or offline stores.

This means Microsoft Store will only offer Windows 11 product keys, and you won’t be able to purchase Windows 10 anymore.

“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 stated in an alert posted to its website.

As of February 1, Microsoft started redirecting Windows 10 Home and Pro product pages to Windows 11.

Windows 10 stopped selling
Cached page of Microsoft Store with Windows 10 downloads notice

This sounds like bad news for those who still prefer Windows 10 over Windows 11 and plan to buy the old operating system, but the change doesn’t necessarily mean Windows 10 product keys will cease to exist.

First and foremost, you can always purchase Windows 10 product keys from other online stores, such as Amazon or eBay. Offline retailers will continue to offer Windows 10 products across the world.

It’s also important to understand that Microsoft isn’t blocking Windows 10 activation. You can always buy Windows 11 product key and downgrade to Windows 10, which will be activated automatically using a digital copy linked to Microsoft.

It’s still possible to activate Windows 10 with Windows 7 and 8.1 product keys, and even Windows 11 keys can activate Windows 10 copies.

Microsoft to terminate Windows 10 updates in 2025

As mentioned at the outset, Windows 10 isn’t going anywhere, and it will continue to receive security and improvements via monthly cumulative updates until at least October 2025. Microsoft previously confirmed the OS is supported until October 14, 2025, but support will likely extend for enterprise customers.

In other words, you can continue to use Windows 10 without rushing if you haven’t upgraded already. Remember, Windows 11 is optional, and Microsoft isn’t forcing users to upgrade to the new operating system.

That’s because Windows 11 isn’t for everyone, and Windows 10 has more to offer when it comes to advanced features and customization options.

It is also worth noting that Microsoft is working on a successor to Windows 11 called ‘Windows 12’ with reports suggesting the update could go big on AI, but we don’t know when it will arrive in the market.

About The Author

Mayank Parmar

Mayank Parmar is an entrepreneur who founded Windows Latest. He is the Editor-in-Chief and has written on various topics in his seven years of career, but he is mostly known for his well-researched work on Microsoft's Windows. His articles and research works have been referred to by CNN, Business Insiders, Forbes, Fortune, CBS Interactive, Microsoft and many others over the years.