Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates on 14 October 2025. Windows Server 2016 stops on 12 January 2027. Windows 11 Home and Pro, version 24H2, stopped on 13 October 2026. A computer without security updates keeps working but stays exposed. Listonics audits your PCs and servers, then plans upgrades, paid extended updates or replacement, whichever costs least for each machine.
Proof, not promises
Real reviews from Trustpilot and Google, word for word. Google rating 5.0 from 5 reviews, checked 2026-10-17.
Best team I’ve ever hired. All in one place.
As a construction company, we have a lot to manage, so finding one team that can handle our IT and digital requirements has been really helpful. Listonics has supported us with office networking, cybersecurity, website development and SEO. Their team knows what they’re doing and has been easy to work with. We no longer need to coordinate with different companies for every requirement, which saves us time and effort. Overall, it’s been a good experience, and we’re happy to have them supporting our business.
We needed a custom ERP and HR system…
We needed a custom ERP and HR system for our business, along with a new website, and Listonics helped us with all three. The team was approachable, listened to what we wanted and made the process easier than we expected. We could discuss changes directly with them, which made a big difference. It was also convenient having one team handle everything instead of dealing with multiple companies. Overall, we’re happy with how things turned out and glad we chose them.
Listonics projects run from AED 2,500 to AED 30,000 as a fixed scope; support is a fixed monthly fee with response times written into the agreement. The IT support cost guide and managed IT pricing guide set out how the numbers are built.
Which Windows dates matter for a Dubai office?
Three dates catch most small and mid-sized offices. They come from Microsoft's own lifecycle pages, which are the place to check if anything changes.
| Product | End of security updates | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 Home and Pro | 14 October 2025 (passed) | Older office PCs and laptops |
| Windows 11 Home and Pro, version 24H2 | 13 October 2026 (passed) | PCs not moved to a newer Windows 11 version |
| Windows Server 2016 | 12 January 2027 | File servers, domain controllers and older line-of-business systems |
What does end of support actually mean?
The computer does not stop working. It stops receiving security fixes. Every month after the date, new weaknesses are found and published, and the machine stays open to all of them. Microsoft states on its Windows Server 2016 lifecycle page and in its Windows release health notices that the January 2027 update is the last one for Server 2016.
The practical risk is that one unpatched machine becomes the way into everything else on the network, and that cyber insurers and auditors increasingly ask whether every system is still supported. Our cybersecurity for small business page explains why patching sits near the top of the list.
Windows 10 PCs: upgrade, pay for extended updates, or replace?
There are three honest options, and the right one differs from machine to machine. Many PCs bought in the last few years can move to Windows 11 at no licence cost. Older machines that cannot may still be worth keeping for a while under Microsoft's paid Extended Security Updates programme, which for businesses is an annual per-device subscription whose price doubles each year, for a maximum of three years. Everything else should be replaced.
There is one exception worth knowing. Microsoft includes extended updates at no additional cost for Windows 10 running as a virtual machine in Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop. For a small team that only needs one older application, a cloud PC can be cheaper than keeping old hardware alive, though it adds a monthly subscription of its own, so we compare both on paper first.
Windows 11 machines also need attention. Home and Pro editions on version 24H2 stopped receiving updates on 13 October 2026, as Microsoft's Windows 11 lifecycle page shows, so those PCs need moving to a newer version. That is usually a managed update rather than a project, if someone is managing them.
- Upgrade: PCs that meet Windows 11's requirements, usually the cheapest route.
- Extended updates: a short bridge for machines you cannot replace yet, at a rising yearly cost.
- Replace: older machines, where the extended update cost would soon pass the price of a new PC.
Windows Server 2016: what are the options before January 2027?
Most small office servers do one of three jobs: share files, run sign-in and permissions, or host an older business application. Each has a different answer, and the cheapest is often not a new server at all.
Shared files usually move well to SharePoint and OneDrive as part of Microsoft 365 and cloud, or to a business NAS with tested backup through our NAS storage and backup service. Sign-in and permissions often move into Microsoft 365 as well. An older business application is the hard case: it needs the vendor to confirm it runs on a supported Windows Server version before anything is ordered, and new hardware can be sourced through our IT equipment procurement service.
What does a Windows deadline audit include?
Before anyone quotes for new hardware, you need a list of what you have. The audit produces that list and a plan, and it is the same discipline as our wider IT audit work.
- Every PC and server, with its Windows version, edition and age.
- Which PCs can move to Windows 11, and which cannot.
- What each server actually does, and the cheapest supported home for it.
- A per-machine recommendation: upgrade, extended updates or replace.
- A dated plan and a fixed price for the work.
How the project runs, and what it costs
The audit comes first, then a written plan with a fixed scope. Upgrades and migrations are scheduled outside working hours where possible, with files and settings checked afterwards so staff arrive to a working machine.
Listonics projects run from AED 2,500 to AED 30,000 depending on requirement. Microsoft licences, extended update subscriptions and any new hardware are listed on their own lines at the vendor's price, so you can see which part of the quote is our work.
Frequently asked questions
The PCs will keep working, but without security updates they stay exposed to every new weakness found after October 2025. For business machines that is a real risk. If a PC cannot be upgraded or replaced yet, Microsoft's paid extended security updates can cover it for a limited time, at a cost that rises each year.
Microsoft publishes the business price on its extended security updates page. It is charged per device per year, and the price doubles each year, for a maximum of three years. Because it rises, it suits a short bridge while machines are replaced, not a long-term plan. We include it on its own line in any quote.
Not necessarily. Many small office servers only share files or manage sign-in, and both can move to Microsoft 365 or a NAS without buying a new server. A new supported server is only needed when an application must stay on premises, and even then the vendor should confirm compatibility first.
Many PCs bought in the last few years can, at no licence cost. Older ones often cannot, because Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements than Windows 10. The audit checks every machine and tells you which can upgrade, which need extended updates for now, and which should be replaced.
It depends on the number of machines and servers, but most small offices can be audited in days and upgraded over a few weeks, scheduled around working hours. A server move takes longer if an older business application is involved, because the vendor has to confirm the new setup first, so start well before January 2027.
Written by Srinivasan Ramachandran, Founder, Listonics · Last reviewed October 29, 2026