September 15, 2025

Windows 10 Is Ending: Don’t Let It Take Your Projects Down With It

Here’s the plain truth: Microsoft is pulling the plug on Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. That means no more security patches, no more bug fixes, no more safety net. Your computers will still turn on, but they’ll be sitting ducks.

If you’re running an AEC firm in Kansas City, you already know what that spells: risk. Not the “maybe someday” kind, but the kind that can cost you a deadline, a contract, or even your reputation.

Why This Hits Harder for AEC

For most businesses, an old PC is just an annoyance. For us? It’s a project killer.

  • The Model Grind: You’ve got a 10GB Revit file that takes five minutes to open. Now imagine it crashing because the OS isn’t supported.

  • The Jobsite Silence: Trailers go dark mid-pour because the patch that would’ve fixed a Wi-Fi issue never came.

  • The Compliance Trap: You finally get a shot at that federal bid, but the auditor sees unsupported Windows 10 machines in the mix. Goodbye, contract.

This isn’t about “keeping up with Microsoft.” It’s about protecting your projects, your people, and your future.

What’s Really Keeping You Up at Night

I’ve sat across from principals and ops leads in KC long enough to know the sleepless questions:

  • “If something breaks in the field, will I know before the GC does?”

  • “What if we fail a compliance audit because of something as basic as an outdated OS?”

  • “Am I about to spend thousands on new machines just to keep the lights on?”

You’re not just worried about the tech. You’re worried about the ripple effect — crews waiting around, inspectors delayed, reputation on the line.

Your Choices, Plain and Simple

Here’s the fork in the road:

  1. Upgrade to Windows 11 if your machines qualify. Best long-term move.

  2. Buy new PCs where they don’t. Expensive, yes, but often unavoidable.

  3. Extended Security Updates (ESU) will buy you a year of breathing room. Think duct tape on a cracked pipe — it’ll hold, but not forever.

  4. Ignore it and hope for the best. Please, don’t. That’s a bet with your firm’s future on the line.

And whatever you do: back up your data before making changes. Losing a week’s worth of project files because of a bad migration is a nightmare you don’t need.

How Kansas City Firms Should Play This

KC isn’t just any market. We’re building data centers out by KCI, keeping downtown offices alive, and juggling more federal-adjacent work than ever. Every firm in this city is leaning harder on compliance, security, and uptime.

If you’re still on Windows 10 by fall 2025, you won’t just be behind — you’ll look behind. And in this town, reputation moves faster than concrete cures.

A Smarter Way Through This

The best AEC firms I know aren’t trying to do this alone. They’re leaning on MSPs who actually speak BIM, not just IT buzzwords. The right partner will:

  • Upgrade your machines without killing field uptime.

  • Make sure Revit and Civil 3D run faster after the switch, not slower.

  • Line up your OS upgrades with your CMMC or NIST compliance roadmap.

  • Be the single point of contact for Microsoft, Autodesk, Procore, and that stubborn plotter that always fails before a submittal.

Because let’s be honest: you don’t need “more IT.” You need your models to open in 90 seconds, your trailers online in less than a day, and your compliance ready before the auditor asks.

The Bottom Line

October 14, 2025, is coming whether you’re ready or not. You can scramble at the last minute, or you can make the shift now — with a plan that keeps your projects moving and your compliance airtight.

Here’s the plain truth: Windows 10’s end isn’t the problem. Waiting too long to act is.

👉 Next Step: Don’t wait for another late-night panic about “what if the system crashes tomorrow?” Schedule a quick 10-minute call with an AEC-focused IT partner. In less time than it takes to walk the jobsite, you’ll know exactly what needs upgrading, what it’ll cost, and how to do it without putting your projects at risk.