I think Windows 10 will end on October 15, 2025. Apparently Windows 12 will be released at the end of August. a good question, I am also still using Windows 10 and according to Windows my PC is not able to run on Windows 11. Apparently you can bypass this and still install Windows 11. Does anyone have any ideas about the settings....

I also have Microsoft 365 subscription, so I assume it will still continue to run....

Wouldn't it be better if we waited for Windows 12 and installed it, then we would have peace of mind for many years to come. But if all the settings are on your trusted PC with the necessary licenses, I don't think it is obvious to just buy a new PC.

There reportedly is a bypass - Microsoft has killed it once but the work around is available on a certain website you can watch Access Learning .... com on.  I sure hope/wish Microsoft would stop doing the Android maneuver where they update the O/S every few years and stop supporting older chip sets.  I have phone that is only 3 years old but Apps won't run because my Android devices doesn't support Android 9... rant done.  This computer and my Microsoft Surface both have 11.  My older one is 10.... and I'd never force it to use 11.

Hi David, Richard records all his videos in Windows 11, so obviously Access works with Win11.  But of course, you need to have Win11 running before your Access DB can run on it.

Double check your PC's compatibility, since your decision depends entirely on that, and you don't want to be wrong about that.  The "chip" you refer to may be TPM 2.0 (trusted platform module).  Use the "PC Health Check" to check compatibility -- type "PC Health Check" on the search bar on the lower left corner of your screen to run it.

Your PC may already have TPM 2.0, but maybe (1) it is called by a different name, and (2) it is disabled by default.  So make sure if that's the case.  On my 5-year-old motherboard's BIOS, the feature is known as "Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT)" (see picture below) and was disabled by default.  That is in fact TPM 2.0.  I turned it on, and PC became Win11-compatible.  Check your motherboard's documentation.  The feature may not even be called TPM, so the original documentation may not help.  So you may also need to ask for an updated word from your mobo's manufacturer.  This is likely a FAQ so manufacturers should have this info prominently displayed on their websites.

Microsoft will officially end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. This means that after this date, Windows 10 will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, or new features from Microsoft. The final version of Windows 10 is 22H2, which will continue to receive monthly security updates until the end-of-support date.

Now, that doesn't mean that Windows 10 is just going to magically stop working in October of next year. That just means Microsoft's not going to release any new updates or fixes for it. But if you've got a machine that's working fine, I always say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. You'll be just fine. If that's your workhorse and you're happy with the way it's working now, then keep it and keep Windows 10. I kept Windows 7, and before that, Windows XP, for a long, long time after it was out of support because I had machines that it just worked on, and it was great. The only reason I upgraded to the latest and greatest is because I kind of have to for my videos.

I always say don't worry about it. When a new version of something comes out that you absolutely have to have the new updated features, then at that point consider upgrading. Don't upgrade just to upgrade.

Thank you. That works for me.

Just putting this out there... There are alternatives to windows which... Yes, makes running access difficult, but not impossible.

I grew up with windows, and was definitely the easiest and most intuitive os ever made... One upon a time, but with each version release, the screw ups and the bloating of it (not too mention all the spyware and extras steps you have to take to achieve something simple in previous versions) just proves that Windows will inevitably die.

Forcing people to upgrade machines unnecessarily is pure extortion and environmentally/economically stupid.

Anyhoo, apologies for the rant. I do agree with Richard though. If you're happy using your windows 10 machine, keep using it until you physically can't. It might be nice not getting "updates" thrown at you every day lol 😆

I've used all Windows versions since the early 90s, and the positives of a new version always outweighed the negatives of having to adjust to the new habits and idiosyncrasies of a new version.  As an IT person (in my old job), my job was to recognize no software was perfect, and to "shield" my users from as many of the negatives as possible and help them with the positives.

I don't know how long ago the "easy and intuitive" Windows versions you refer to, but this is an OS that used to be filled with horrible bugs: Win95 adjusted daylight saving time by changing 2am to 1am, then an hour later, changing 2am to 1am again, an hour later, again, etc.

If You would like to install Windows 11 on a PC that is apparently not "supported" You need to download Windows 11 instalation ISO, mount it and run setup.exe from command line like this:
setup.exe /product server
It will update Your Windows 10 to 11 and meanwhile it might inform You that it is installing Windows Server but ofcourse it isn't. I have done that on 2 PC's already, everything works fine so far.