This guide helps you find out the exact date when your Windows PC will stop receiving security updates, including the 2027 certificate expiry that can break Windows Update on older systems. You will check your Windows version, find its official end-of-support date, and inspect the Microsoft certificates that Windows Update relies on. The guide works for Windows 10 and Windows 11 Home and Pro editions.
Example:to verify PowerShell is ready, run `$PSVersionTable.PSVersion` — you should see "5.1" or higher.
1. Open the "About Windows" dialog.
Press Win+R, type `winver`, press Enter. A small window appears.
**Expected result:** you see the edition, version and build number, for example "Windows 11 Pro, Version 24H2, OS build 26100.3476".
Why this works: `winver` reads version information directly from the system registry.
2. Write down the version name and the build number.
A build number is the exact sub-version of the system, shown after "OS build".
**Expected result:** two short strings, for example "Windows 11 24H2, build 26100" or "Windows 10 22H2, build 19045".
Why: Microsoft publishes support dates by version name, not by device name.
3. Check the official lifecycle date on Microsoft's website.
Open a browser, search for "Microsoft lifecycle Windows 11", and enter your version name in the search field.
**Expected result:** a table row with the "End of Support" date.
**Example:** Windows 10 22H2 shows October 14, 2025 — that date has already passed, so a plain Windows 10 PC no longer receives security patches.
4. Look at the Windows Update warning banner.
Open Settings (Win+I) → Windows Update.
**Expected result:** if the version is near its end of service, Windows shows an orange banner like "Your version of Windows has reached end of service." No banner means the version is still supported.
Why: Microsoft displays this warning only for versions whose support is ending or has ended.
5. Inspect the certificates that Windows Update depends on.
A certificate is a digital stamp that proves an update package really comes from Microsoft. Right-click Start → "Terminal (Admin)" and run:
Get-ChildItem -Path Cert:\LocalMachine\Root |
Where-Object { $_.Subject -match "Microsoft" } |
Select-Object Subject, NotAfter |
Sort-Object NotAfter |
Format-Table -AutoSize**Expected result:** a table of Microsoft root certificates, each with a NotAfter date — the expiry date. Example output row: "Microsoft Root Certificate Authority 2011 | 2027-01-01" (example values).
Why: Windows Update verifies every package using certificates from this store. If a certificate expires, verification fails and updates stop installing.
6. Compare the NotAfter dates with 2027.
Look for the earliest date. If any certificate expires in 2027, that is the critical moment for your system's update access.
**Expected result:** you know exactly which certificate expires first and when.
Why: the 2027 expiration is the milestone this guide is about, so check the 2027 column in the output first.
7. Run a real update check to confirm the current state.
Go to Settings → Windows Update → "Check for updates".
**Expected result:** either updates install normally, or Windows shows an error code such as 0x80070005. Write the code down — you need it for troubleshooting.
Problem 1: Windows Update shows "Your device is missing important security and quality fixes".
Symptoms: the warning appears on the Windows Update page, sometimes with error 0x80070005.
Cause: the Windows Update service or certificate store is outdated.
Fix: open PowerShell as administrator and run `Restart-Service wuauserv`, then click "Check for updates" again. If the error stays, restart the PC and retry.
Problem 2: PowerShell says "Access to the certificate store is denied".
Symptoms: a red error message after step 5.
Cause: PowerShell is running without administrator rights.
Fix: close the window, right-click the Terminal icon, choose "Run as administrator", and run the same command again.
Problem 3: The certificate list is empty.
Symptoms: the command returns no rows at all.
Cause: your system root store does not have a Microsoft certificate under the exact matching name.
Fix: remove the filter and check all root certificates manually:
`Get-ChildItem -Path Cert:\LocalMachine\Root | Select-Object Subject, NotAfter | Sort-Object NotAfter | Format-Table -AutoSize`
Then find any subject that contains "Microsoft" or "Windows" by eye.
When exactly will my PC stop receiving updates?
Run `winver`, note the version name, then check the Microsoft Lifecycle page. Home and Pro editions get about 24 months of support from release, so a version released in late 2024 stops receiving updates around late 2026.
What is certificate expiration in 2027?
Windows Update checks a digital certificate before it installs any update. If the Microsoft root certificate expires in 2027 and your Windows version only trusts that old certificate, Windows Update cannot verify new packages anymore, so updates stop.
My PC is on Windows 10. Can I still get updates?
Windows 10 22H2 reached its end-of-support date on October 14, 2025. Microsoft offers Extended Security Updates for some devices, but the practical long-term fix is to upgrade to a supported version. Follow the step-by-step guide on how to install Windows 11 26H2 with the official ISO.
What happens if I keep using an unsupported Windows version?
The PC still works — internet, apps, files — but Microsoft sends no security patches. Over time, expired certificates, including the 2027 one, can break updates and some online services. If you upgrade and run into problems, check the list of common issues after the Windows 11 26H2 update and how to fix them.
How do I read the certificate dates from the PowerShell table?
The NotAfter column shows the expiration date in the format YYYY-MM-DD. For example, a value of 2027-03-14 means the certificate is valid until March 14, 2027.