Microsoft officially ended mainstream support for Windows 10 last month, urging users worldwide to upgrade to Windows 11. While this shift sparked an almost overnight tech transition in Japan, it has also caused confusion elsewhere — especially among businesses still relying on certain Windows 10 editions.
Users running Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC and those enrolled in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program are supposed to continue receiving updates until at least 2027. However, many began noticing alarming end-of-support warnings in their Settings menus, despite their systems still being eligible for updates.
Even more surprisingly, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise — versions officially supported through 2032 — also displayed these incorrect notifications. The issue appears to have emerged after Microsoft rolled out the KB5066791 update on October 14, 2025.
Windows 10 LTSC 2021 End of life? What the hell, Microsoft?
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Microsoft has since acknowledged the problem, stating:
“The message, ‘Your version of Windows has reached the end of support,’ might incorrectly display in the Windows Update Settings page.”
The company confirmed this was a mistake and has already deployed a cloud configuration fix to resolve it. To apply the fix, affected users need to be connected to the internet and perform a system restart.
It’s essential to note that while Windows 10’s mainstream support has ended, not all editions are obsolete. Enterprise LTSC and IoT LTSC versions remain supported for several more years, and anyone else can extend support via the ESU program — though it costs $30 outside the EU.
For those seeing the unexpected message, there’s no need to panic. Microsoft has reassured users that:
“Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 remain in support and will continue to receive security updates according to their respective lifecycles.”
So, while Windows 10 is officially winding down for most users, businesses and organisations under extended support can continue using it safely — minus the misleading pop-up.
