Microsoft has confirmed that it would stop selling Windows 10 product keys/licenses on February 1, which means the 31st of January would be the last day to buy a copy of the old OS. This shouldn’t be a big surprise as Windows 11 is the company’s long-term plan, and Windows 10 will retire in October 2025.
While Microsoft will stop selling Windows 10 licenses in February, the company has no plan to take down the installation media (.ISO) files or Media Creation Tool, according to changes quietly made to the company’s documentation. This concerns all versions of Windows 10, including Home and Professional.
Microsoft has posted a message to its online store confirming that “January 31, 2023, will be the last day this Windows 10 download is offered for sale”. This message is visible in all listings of Windows 10, and it applies to the online store only, but it’s likely you won’t be able to purchase the license at Microsoft’s affiliated offline stores as well.
The notification confirmed that the company would continue to service Windows 10 until October 14, 2025. This includes protection against viruses, spyware, and other malware.
The good news is Microsoft won’t make it difficult for users to download Windows 10 via ISO, installation media or similar tools.
Windows 10 download pages for consumers do not mention “downloads” going offline as of January 31. Likewise, Windows 10 Enterprise does not feature warnings as well. This means the Microsoft Store notification applies only to “paid downloads” and not the ISOs offered via the downloads portal.
The company will also offer the operating system for download via its MSDN network. This is based on the information available on the company’s website, but it’s always subject to change.
You can still buy Windows 10 or go back to Windows 11 from Windows 10
While purchasing Windows 10 licenses from Microsoft won’t be possible, buying product keys is always possible from other online retailers.
On Windows 10 Home and Pro Lifecycle Policy page, Microsoft has clearly stated that it will continue to offer updates to older Windows 10 machines until October 14, 2025.
The company considers Windows 10 the right choice for those “who aren’t ready to transition to a new hardware” or if they prefer the old interface more than the new one.
Of course, you can purchase Windows 11 license and downgrade the copy to Windows 10 using the ISOs. Downgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 11 will remain possible, and Microsoft will automatically activate your Windows 10 license.
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