Windows 10 is officially ending support this November, sending many businesses scrambling for options. After all, while buying or upgrading a home PC might not be too difficult a scenario, the same can’t be said for large-scale embedded systems.

The good news is that you have some other alternatives as well. Some are temporary, to tide you through for a few years as you invest in an upgrade, and others are permanent, if you want to ditch the Microsoft ecosystem entirely. Let’s look into them.

Is Windows 10 Being Discontinued?

Windows 10 was a highly successful version of Microsoft’s flagship, becoming the widespread staple of computers across the world. But just like it once replaced Windows XP (actually Vista, but that didn’t really take off), Windows 11 is now here to supersede the older version.

The problem is that many systems aren’t ready for the transition, especially in the enterprise space, where setups last for a decade unchanged. Even for home users, the adoption of Windows 11 remains slow, as people tend to stick with the familiar Windows 10 that works well enough, since the benefits of the upgrade aren’t clear.

But Microsoft has now decided to force the issue by phasing out Windows 10 entirely, which means no more system updates. That may not sound too bad, until you realize this also includes critical bug fixes and security updates. Without these, the operating system will become increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks. And as new application requirements move further forward, the lack of updated drivers will create compatibility issues as well.  

Upgrade to Windows 11 – If Your System Is Supported

The easiest way to deal with the end of support for Windows 10 is to upgrade to Windows 11. The problem is that it’s not as simple as installing the new OS.

Windows 11 has some strict minimum system requirements, which means that many older systems don’t qualify for it at all, leaving them in a lurch. Apart from not supporting older processors, Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 chips, which are hard to find on most budget embedded boards.

There are some ways of unofficially installing Windows 11 on such unsupported computers, but needless to say, that is an unreliable method and can lead to issues and instability down the line. It is best to either upgrade your hardware to be Windows 11 compatible or try one of the other alternatives we outline below.

Enroll in the ESU Program for Windows 10

While widespread support for Windows 10 is ending, there is still a way to continue getting official support for the OS. The Extended Security Updates (ESU) program is a paid annual service that will include critical updates to let you keep running Windows 10 on older devices.

This will not include any feature updates, but simply security patches and bug fixes to deal with any vulnerabilities. That might still be a good deal for most embedded systems that don’t require frequent updates and only want technical support. Do keep in mind that the subscription price will be higher for each consecutive year you avail this service for.

You still cannot rely on this permanently, as it is an annual program offered for the next three years; by the end of 2028, you will stop receiving updates again. For some systems running on an IoT LTSC license, Microsoft will honor this commitment until 2032, so these systems are secure for several more years.

Switch to a Different OS

This may sound like the nuclear option, but it is more practical than ever before. The Linux ecosystem has matured greatly, with many embedded systems running on that platform. Then there is Google’s new Chrome OS that is making waves with its fast and lightweight performance.

Of course, switching to a whole new operating system comes with its own challenges. The entire application stack will have to change, and your staff will have to be trained to work with the new interface.

But on the flip side, this futureproofs your device for its complete life cycle. Linux distros are open source, which means technical patches keep being developed over time, and no major version is abandoned. ChromeOS is proprietary, but it is designed to be a minimalistic operating system with a low resource footprint, and can run on even the most basic boards and older processors.

The Road Ahead

Whichever way you look at it, Windows 10 is on its way out, and ultimately, you need to transition your systems as well. The ESU program can buy you some time, but it is expensive, and only worth it if your system just has a couple of years left on its lifecycle.

For setups that have a while yet to go, that is not a feasible option. The only alternative is to switch to a different OS entirely. Linux is the obvious choice, but ChromeOS has also emerged as a great platform for embedded systems.

And as it is backed by Google, we can expect the ecosystem to be developed further, perhaps even taking away Windows’ market dominance.