Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 operating system, which was released in 2013, will no longer receive Extended Security Updates (ESUs) beginning early next year, on January 10th, 2023, according to the company’s support article. Microsoft will notify existing users beginning in July, with additional reminders following in the coming months.
On January 9, 2018, Windows 8.1 reached the end of mainstream support. And now is the time for existing users to consider upgrading to the latest version of Windows 11. However, Windows 11 will require Intel 8th Gen Coffee Lake or Zen 2 CPUs and up, TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) support, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage hardware requirements, which are likely to be met by the majority of PCs running the OS. As a result, users can switch to Windows 10 and use it without risk until October 14, 2025.
Microsoft on its support article,
Most Windows 8.1 or Windows 8 devices will not meet the hardware requirements for upgrading to Windows 11, as an alternative, compatible Windows 8 and 8.1 PCs can be upgraded to Windows 10 by purchasing and installing a full version of the software.
So, if you’re running Windows 8.1, consider upgrading to the next version of the operating system as soon as possible to ensure a secure Windows environment. If you have any questions about upgrading to the next Windows version, you can check Microsoft’s FAQ support article.