Windows 10 End-of-Life Information
Windows 10 is an operating system that runs on a portion of university-managed and personally-owned PCs. On October 14, 2025, Microsoft ended support for Windows 10. Computers running Windows 10 will no longer receive updates and will be vulnerable to security threats and unpatched bug fixes. Users with PCs running Windows 10 must immediately upgrade their machines to Windows 11 or replace them.
University-owned and managed devices running Windows 10 display the following desktop background:
Why do I need to upgrade?
Windows regularly receives updates from Microsoft. These updates fix bugs and other stability issues. They also patch security vulnerabilities, which can leave your data, the data of others, and other machines on the UConn network exposed to malicious actors. ITS regularly applies these patches to ensure your computer is running in peak condition.
As of October 14, 2025, Microsoft no longer publishes updates for Windows 10, which was released in 2015. Without these updates, your computer will be vulnerable to exploits if it is not upgraded to Windows 11, which is the newest version still supported by Microsoft. To comply with university IT security policies, all Windows 10 computers must be upgraded or retired.
For computers that support Windows 11, the upgrade from Windows 10 is free. Standard computers models being used at UConn that fall within the standard 5-year lifecycle will support Windows 11.
Is my computer running Windows 10?
Most university-managed computers are running Windows 11, which is the newest supported version of Windows. You can see if your computer is running Windows 10 using these steps:
When logged in, press Windows key + R to open a Run window.
In the new window, enter
winverthen select OK.Take note of the Windows version shown. It will either show Windows 10 or Windows 11 in the window header. If you are running Windows 10, you will need to take action before October to prevent interruptions to your workflow.
If your computer is already running Windows 11, you do not need to take any action at this time. Thank you for keeping your computer up-to-date!
How can I upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11?
If your computer supports Windows 11 but has not automatically upgraded, you may need to manually install it using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant.
On most devices, the upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 will take less than an hour.
Navigate to the Microsoft support website to download the Windows 11 Installation Assistant:
Download Windows 11
Save any open documents and close out of all other applications.
Once downloaded, double-click the installer to run it. You will need administrator rights to run the tool.
Follow the on-screen installation instructions. When you get to the full-screen installation screen, you can let the installer take it from here. Your computer will restart several times.
When you get to the login screen, the upgrade is done! Thank you for updating your computer. Please note that the first sign-in after upgrading may take a few minutes. This is a one-time process.
If the installer indicates at any point that your computer does not support Windows 11, please move forward to the next section.
My computer cannot upgrade from Windows 10
A certain portion of computers (generally from 2018 or older) will not support Windows 11. Microsoft has set hardware requirements for Windows 11 to ensure modern data security practices are upheld. UConn and the State of Connecticut follow similar security practices. Therefore, if your computer does not support Windows 11, it is too old to be used for University-related work or research and must be replaced.
UConn Faculty and Staff
ITS provides options for purchasing new machines tailored to their intended usage. To learn more about our PC Refresh Program, check out this article: https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IKB/pages/10853879237
If you are supported by a distributed IT department, reach out to them for purchasing guidance.
The vast majority of software and connected hardware that supports Windows 10 will support Windows 11. If your computer is for a very specific use case (e.g. running a piece of lab equipment in a research environment) instead of general computing and you believe that upgrading from Windows 10 will break compatibility with that workflow, ITS can work with you on solutions. Please reach out to techsupport@uconn.edu or your local IT support contact to explore options.
Information for students' personal devices
If your personal device is running Windows 10 and cannot upgrade to Windows 11, you should look into upgrading to a newer machine. All devices that are used on the UConn network must be fully up-to-date and patched to protect your data and the data of others. Additionally, applications that you use for your classes will eventually drop support for Windows 10. This is up to the software manufacturer and they usually will drop support around the time that Microsoft retires a Windows version. Microsoft 365 apps (Word, PowerPoint, etc.) will experience performance and reliability issues on Windows 10 after October 14th.
How ITS is helping you prepare for Windows 10 retirement
Throughout the approach to end-of-life date, ITS has communicated via email to faculty and staff who are using Windows 10 on a university-owned device. These emails are targeted on a per-machine basis and provide identifying information to help users identify which machine is out of date in the case that they have several machines assigned to them.
ITS can also help with your computer’s upgrade if you run into issues or would like assistance from a technician. To receive support at your campus, please open up a ticket with techsupport@uconn.edu or your local IT support.
In the situation where your computer cannot support an upgrade to Windows 11, ITS will provide purchasing guidance and options so that you can keep your workflow going with minimal disruption.