For Windows 10 editions that reached end of support on Oct 14, 2025, an accounting firm should decide whether to upgrade eligible PCs, replace hardware, or use an appropriate commercial Extended Security Updates bridge while migrating. Hosting applications can change the infrastructure the firm manages, but it does not remove the need to secure the local device.
Begin with an inventory. The words “Windows 10” do not identify the exact edition, servicing channel, update status, or tax-software support position.
Key takeaways
Check each PC’s exact Windows edition, lifecycle and actual security-update status.
Test Windows 11 eligibility and tax-software compatibility separately.
Use applicable commercial ESU as a planned bridge with an owner and migration endpoint.
Hosted applications still require secure local PCs and a defined support scope.
Table of Contents
Which Windows 10 devices are affected?
Microsoft’s end-of-support guidance explains the end of regular support for the affected Windows 10 releases. Machines can continue running; continued operation is not the same as continued regular security support.
Also verify whether a device is actually enrolled in an applicable ESU program and receiving the expected updates. A planned purchase or a partner’s assumption is not evidence of successful enrollment.
Option 1: Upgrade an eligible PC to Windows 11
Use Microsoft’s Windows 11 requirements to check eligibility, including processor support, TPM, and firmware requirements. Do not decide from the amount of RAM alone.
Test the firm’s applications, printers, scanners, remote-access client, and document workflow before rolling out the change. Confirm backups and a recovery route for the device.
An eligible machine may still be too slow for the user’s workload. Review practical performance separately from operating-system eligibility.
Record the result for each device so the firm can distinguish “ready to upgrade” from “requires replacement” or “needs further testing.”
Option 2: Replace devices that cannot meet the requirements
Specify replacements against both the operating system and the applications. A supported processor for Windows 11 does not automatically mean every tax product supports that processor architecture.
For example, Drake’s 2026 requirements exclude ARM processors. Its supported desktop operating system is Windows 11, and its published server list includes Windows Server 2019, 2022, and 2025.
That sheet distinguishes 8 GB minimum RAM from a 16 GB optimal-performance recommendation. Do not describe the recommendation as an absolute minimum.
Validate a representative return, printing, e-filing setup, and integrations on the chosen hardware. Keep old devices controlled until migration and retention responsibilities are complete.
Option 3: Use commercial ESU as a defined bridge
For firm-managed business devices, evaluate the commercial Windows 10 ESU program rather than assuming consumer enrollment is the appropriate route.
Microsoft describes commercial coverage for eligible devices for up to three years after end of support. It provides security updates, not a return to the full feature and general-support lifecycle.
Commercial ESU is purchased by year, with cumulative licensing conditions. Confirm eligibility, activation, the applicable coverage period, and current costs with the licensing provider.
Assign an owner and a migration endpoint. A bridge should buy time for a planned transition, not become an undocumented decision to keep the same platform indefinitely.
ESU also does not force a tax-software publisher to support Windows 10. Check application support independently.
“I run my whole 4 person virtual tax firm with them hosting Ultra Tax, all of our files, and all of our other programs.”
Skylar Dubrow · Google, Dec 2025
Option 4: Move suitable applications to a hosted environment
A hosted environment can move the desktop application and working data to a managed server or desktop, depending on the service. Compare the software licensing, supported deployment, remote access, integration, and recovery responsibilities.
For a Drake firm considering Drake on the cloud, Verito’s Drake hosting is a relevant starting point. Discuss the application’s actual configuration and test the intended workflow before accepting a migration.
The local PC still handles sign-in, screen access, printing, and possibly downloaded documents. Malware on that device may capture credentials or misuse an active session. Hosting therefore does not justify leaving the endpoint unmanaged.
How should the firm choose a path?
For each device, record the application dependencies, Windows 11 eligibility, security-update status, replacement cost, and operational importance.
Choose an accountable path:
Upgrade where the hardware and tested workflow are suitable.
Replace where eligibility or workload needs make an upgrade impractical.
Use commercial ESU where a justified temporary bridge is needed.
Consider hosting where a managed application environment fits the firm’s needs, alongside a local-device plan.
Assess servers separately. A workstation upgrade does not resolve an unsupported file server or establish that backups can restore the environment.
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What must be checked before retiring the old PC?
Confirm that the user’s working files, required application settings and permitted records have moved to the approved locations. Test the replacement workflow, including printers, scanners and remote access, before signing off the handover.
Remove or transfer access through the firm’s offboarding process and handle the old device under the approved retention and disposal procedure. A successful first sign-in on the new PC does not establish that local client documents on the old one have been handled correctly.
“Additionally, its automatic daily backups ensure that I don’t have to worry about data safety.”
DIANE Z., Owner, Zayechek Services, Inc. · G2, Oct 2025
How Verito helps plan the device and hosting transition
VeritSpace hosting is relevant when the firm wants to move supported desktop applications into a dedicated hosted environment. VeritGuard managed IT is relevant to device support, patching, and endpoint protection.
For firms considering both, review the VeritComplete bundle and confirm the coverage of the proposed plan.
Bring the device inventory and application requirements to the discussion. The outcome should be a documented migration and support scope, including the computers staff continue to use locally.
Camren Majors is co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Verito Technologies, a cloud hosting and managed IT company built exclusively for tax and accounting firms. He is the co-author of Beyond Best Practices: Modernizing the Successful Accounting Firm (2026). His work has been featured in NATP TAXPRO Magazine and he has presented for NATP, NAEA, and NSA.
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