Your PC Still Works – But Microsoft Says Its Security Clock Is Ticking

Older laptops with slightly yellowed plastic edges and intact but fading Windows 10 stickers still glow in display windows outside electronics stores in Lahore and Faisalabad. They start up without any issues. The startup chime continues to sound. Nothing seems to be broken. However, something silent and urgent is about to happen inside those computers: the Secure Boot certificates that have protected Windows PCs for over ten years are about to expire.

The Secure Boot certificates that were initially implemented in 2011 will expire in June 2026, and Microsoft has started alerting users to this fact. It sounds distant and technical on paper. In actuality, it affects almost all Windows computers produced in the previous 15 years. By preventing firmware-level malware that can withstand a complete reinstall and ensuring that only trusted software loads before the operating system takes over, Secure Boot serves as a gatekeeper during startup.

The business maintains that nothing significant will occur right away. Computers will continue to run. Programs will start up. Users’ documents will stay in their original location. However, systems that don’t get updated certificates will enter what Microsoft refers to as a “degraded security state,” which seems like a slender term for what is effectively a deteriorating immune system.

It’s easy to understand why this matters when you walk through an office floor with dust-lined desks and older desktop computers humming. Many homes and businesses still use outdated hardware that is unable to meet Windows 11’s security chip requirements. It is expensive to replace those systems, and delaying becomes a tactic in uncertain economies. Millions may have just opted for stability rather than upgrade prompts.

Seldom does Secure Boot draw notice on its own. Pre-boot malware cannot insert itself before Windows loads thanks to its covert operation. This stage, where attackers can insert code below the operating system’s awareness, is frequently characterized by security researchers as particularly dangerous. Outdated systems may no longer be able to install future boot-level protections once certificates expire, progressively increasing exposure as new vulnerabilities appear.

Instead of raising an alarm, it seems like Microsoft is handling a transition. The majority of Windows 11 systems will automatically receive new certificates, which are already being distributed through Windows updates. The updated certificates are already present in a large number of PCs shipped since 2024. It is unlikely that newer devices will be disrupted.

Older Windows 10 computers are directly responsible for the tension. After the operating system’s official support ended in October 2025, users were left without regular security updates unless they signed up for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. Patches, including updated Secure Boot certificates, will be sent to enrolled users until October 2026. Those who aren’t might eventually discover that their systems are more susceptible.

A portion of the story is revealed by statistical snapshots. Windows 10 still has a sizable installed base that might remain in this gray area of partial protection, even though Windows 11 currently commands the majority of the desktop market. This unfolds in a familiar way. In most cases, technology fades into incompatibility rather than failing all at once.

New drivers, firmware, or operating systems may eventually refuse to load due to out-of-date certificates. A security update that won’t install, a new device that doesn’t initialize, or a boot warning that shows up where none previously existed are all examples of compatibility friction that will probably show up gradually. Whether the majority of customers will notice these changes right away or only after something breaks is still unknown.

The cultural reality of personal computers is another. Individuals develop attachments to their computers—the smoothed-out keyboard from years of typing, the decal from a long-forgotten conference, the folder arrangement that only the owner understands. Rarely is upgrading merely technical; it often feels like moving.

Microsoft advises users to make sure they have the most recent updates installed and to inquire with device manufacturers about firmware updates that might be necessary in order to install new certificates. A reminder of how multi-layered modern security has become is that some systems will require firmware and software updates.

It’s a strange perspective to watch Secure Boot certificates expire after 15 years. Cloud storage felt experimental when the feature first came out, and smartphones were still developing. Machines that have outlasted several technological cycles are still protected by the same certificates today.

Like infrastructure, security is often unseen until it ages. And it’s aging now, quietly.

The computer on the desk won’t abruptly stop working for millions of Windows users. However, if nothing is done, its defenses might progressively and silently erode. The true warning concealed in Microsoft’s most recent alert might be that small change—not a catastrophic failure, but gradual exposure.