Hi peeps,

Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 10 last October.
My last update was KB5066791. This I did online. I rarely go online now, and do all my net stuff on an old iMac. It all works well. I backup regularly using Macrium Reflect, which is a fantastic prog.
I've heard bad things about Win11 , and really do not want to go down that path.

My worry now is that it is just a matter of time before my Win10 corrupts in some way. So (finally I get there ) is there a way to reload 22H2 with KB5066791 and leave all my progs and settings intact? Is there perhaps a repository of safe Win10 installers that won't mess with everything I now have installed (and there's quite a lot) ?
Huge gratitude.

Cheers!

 

Just stay where you are and make a full backup of a working version.

If possible, disable automatic updates for your software programs. Check what's enabled in your startup folder and disable as many as you can.
The real danger always lies in the updates themselves; on the one hand, updates fix bugs, but on the other hand, they introduce new ones.
Periodically, run a disk scan in the Command Prompt (CMD) --> sfc /scannow and scan your hard drive for viruses and malware.

Run System File Checker
In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press ENTER:
sfc /scannow

CrystalDiskInfo
- An HDD/SSD utility software that supports some USB, Intel RAID, and NVMe.
https://crystalmark.info/en/software/crystaldiskinfo/

 

I don't get it, why do you need to refresh your installation? If there's no issues, why mess with it now?

IMO just enrol in extended security updates - (free) security fixes for Windows 10 until 2027. Then, if you want or need more time, enrol in extended ESU, security fixes for the next 6 years (and probably for longer than that, free if you use one of the many tools you can find out there).

But if you really want to refresh, why only up to October 2025 and not July 2026??

If you want to verify your current ESU status, you can run "slmgr.vbs /dlv" from the Windows Start Menu or "clipesu" in a cmd.exe prompt.

Code:

clipesu
[...]
Key-based ESU is enabled for at least one year...

 

Microsoft has extended support until 12th october 2027 through their Extended Security Updates (ESU) program.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/extended-security-updates?r=1

 

You can use MAS to get the extended ESU which should be until Oct 2028, but who knows how long MS will do this as they might still extend the ESU plan.

The situation is outlined here: https://massgrave.dev/tsforge#windows-esu

 

The mickeysoft "support" thing is a giant ruse. Don't even worry about it. There's no reason to mess with "updates" unless you actually want a failed system. I have not used ms autonomous updating since winXP. I have had 0 issues and maximum system stability because of it. Many others here can attest to this. On win10, all you really need to do is shit can edge, defender (av + fw), all updating, all "tasks" that support telemetry, all services that support telemetry, if you're running office make certain "clicktorun" is nuked for network access and that's about it. Get yourself a decent 3rd party A/V and FW if the machine is used for online and you're golden. If you're thinking that apple box is "safe" you're living in a dream world.

There's no need to "refresh" anything unless you are actually allowing the updater garbage to run amok. The one thing that will kill/mame a windows system over time is allowing those shitty ms updates to run at all. that's all.

ESU - pffftt pay to have your system fucked up on a regular basis. That's rich. Leave it to mickeysoft and their user hypnosis program. Look into my corporate capitalist eyes - you must pay for worthless updates until we have hypnotized you enough to buy into our win11 "upgrade" ruse... hilarious...

 

Last edited: Jul 5, 2026 at 7:53 PM

Thanks for the input folks! Plenty to think about.

I ran sfc /scannow (after another backup) and everything still seems to be running fine. I wonder what it 'fixed'? Yes, I know there's a text file that lists everything it did, but that runs to 37,000 lines, and I've little idea how to interpret it.

I had no idea that ESU even existed. Seriously. How did that happen? I thought I was computer savvy - I built this machine myself. I'll consider it.

But on the other hand, saccamano makes some very valid points. I really don't trust Microsoft to not plant something unwanted on my system, especially since they want everyone to migrate to Win11.

It comes down to this: what do I want to use this machine for?
The Apple box sitting next to it which does go on the net has been running with no probs (that I can't easily fix) for 12 years. It has Little Snitch, Malwarebytes, etc., and Firefox has the usual adblockers, ghostery, NoScript etc., and I never go anywhere I don't trust. Boring, eh?
The PC in question is meant as a workstation, and after all the initial downloading of drivers, it never goes on the net. I have an ESET subscription, but I wonder now if I even need that. So maybe I just keep it going as is? It works fine.
My worry remains that if something gets corrupted and only becomes apparent in weird stuff happening six months down the line with some new software or an upgrade, how will I know what the cause is? And what date to set the system back to..?


For the nerds, here's the innards. 3 years old now. I made a neat job of it, eh? The drives are packed behind that panel.

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2026 at 11:35 AM

Think of it like fearing burglars: you lock the door from the inside when you're home and from the outside when you leave. You never know if a burglar will actually show up; you’re dealing with probabilities. There is no such thing as 100% security. The most common issues with PCs are user errors—changing a setting or deleting one too many files. A working backup of the C: drive helps with that. Also, be careful about what you install these days; less is often more, and a stable system is worth its weight in gold.

 

How to use Windows 10 Event Viewer
https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-use-windows-10-event-viewer.2752289/

Windows System Event Logs: What They Are, How to Use Them, and Why They're Not Enough
https://www.motadata.com/blog/windows-system-event-logs