30% of HP Users Still on Windows 10 as Security Deadline Looms in October

30% of HP Users Still on Windows 10 as Security Deadline Looms in October

HP’s CFO confirms a substantial share of its installed base has yet to make the jump to Windows 11 — and sees a commercial opportunity in the holdout. For users remaining on Windows 10, the clock is ticking: extended security coverage ends October 13, 2026.

Nearly a full year after Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 10, a significant portion of PC users have not yet transitioned to its successor. HP, one of the world’s largest PC makers, disclosed during its most recent investor call that roughly three in ten of its customers are still running the older operating system — and the company views that as a short-term sales tailwind.

What HP Said — and What It Means

HP reported its fiscal second-quarter 2026 results in late May, posting revenue of $14.41 billion — a 9% year-over-year increase — and beating analyst expectations. On the investor call that followed, both CFO Karen Parkhill and Ketan Patel, President of Personal Systems, highlighted the lingering Windows 10 user base as an opportunity.

The logic is straightforward: many older machines running Windows 10 cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 because they fall short of Microsoft’s hardware requirements — notably the TPM 2.0 chip and 64th-generation processor requirements. Estimates from last year suggested around 400 million systems globally may be ineligible for a free Windows 11 upgrade. For users in that situation, buying a new laptop pre-loaded with Windows 11 is often the most practical path forward, which is exactly what HP hopes they will do.

HP also noted that the Windows 11 refresh drive has been particularly active in Europe, the Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific & Japan (APJ), where refresh rates have now caught up with North America.

One headwind HP acknowledged: rising memory and storage costs are putting upward pressure on new laptop prices, with CFO Parkhill noting that cost peak is anticipated in Q4. This makes the upgrade pitch harder for cost-conscious consumers.

Windows 10 Extended Security Updates: Free, But With Conditions

Microsoft ended standard security support for consumer editions of Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. However, the company introduced an Extended Security Updates (ESU) program that provides consumers with an additional year of critical security patches, through October 13, 2026.

The ESU program covers only critical and important security patches as classified by Microsoft’s Security Response Center. It does not include feature improvements, quality-of-life updates, or technical support. Users who are not enrolled remain on an unsupported, unpatched version of Windows 10, which is increasingly risky as newly discovered vulnerabilities go unaddressed.

Enterprise Users: Paid ESU, No Free Option

For business and enterprise customers, the situation differs. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support for commercial users on October 14, 2025, and offers up to three years of paid ESU — potentially extending coverage to 2028. Unlike the consumer program, there is no free enrollment route for enterprise users. The subscription price is structured to increase annually, which Microsoft uses as a pricing lever to encourage organizations to migrate to Windows 11 or pay progressively more to stay behind.

For enterprises, upgrading to Windows 11 also typically requires purchasing new licenses and hardware, since the majority of enterprise deployment tools require qualifying hardware configurations.

The October 2026 Deadline: What Happens Next

For consumers who have enrolled in the ESU program, October 13, 2026 is a hard stop. After that date, the program closes entirely — there is no further paid extension available to home users. Devices still running Windows 10 after that date will receive no further security updates whatsoever, leaving them exposed to newly discovered exploits.

Users who are unwilling or unable to upgrade to Windows 11 do have one alternative worth considering: Windows 10 IoT LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) editions. Microsoft offers 5–10 years of support for these versions, covering security, stability, and compatibility fixes. However, transitioning to an LTSC edition is a non-trivial process that requires a clean reinstall and is generally more suited to technically experienced users — it is not a simple in-place upgrade for average home users.

For the vast majority of Windows 10 holdouts, the realistic choices will narrow considerably after October: upgrade to a Windows 11-compatible machine, perform a manual hardware bypass to install Windows 11 on an unsupported device (an option Microsoft discourages and does not support), or accept the security risks of running an unpatched operating system.

Bottom Line

HP’s disclosure puts a concrete number on what has been broadly understood: Windows 10 remains widely deployed despite Microsoft’s end-of-support milestone. While that creates near-term PC upgrade demand that benefits HP and other OEMs, it also means a large population of users faces a genuine security risk if they do not act before October 2026. Whether they upgrade their hardware, enroll in the ESU program before it closes, or explore LTSC alternatives, time is running short.