Ohio repair shops brace for Windows 10 cutoff

By Farah Siddiqi

Microsoft has officially ended free security updates for Windows 10, leaving millions of users, including many in Ohio, vulnerable to cyberattacks unless they pay for extended support or buy new computers.

Local repair technicians said there is another option.

Alex Garvin, owner of Computer Repair Doctor in University Heights, said the change has already brought an influx of customers trying to decide whether to replace or rescue their aging machines. He pointed out many of the older devices can still be upgraded to keep running safely.

"With a little bit of work, a lot less expensive than having to buy a whole new laptop or a whole new desktop, you can upgrade that computer to run Windows 11," Garvin explained. "I definitely push all of our customers to have their device looked at by a professional repair shop before they just go throw it away and buy a brand-new $1,000 machine."

Consumer advocates estimate more than 400 million computers worldwide still rely on Windows 10, including thousands in Ohio schools, rural homes and small operations unable to afford widespread replacements.

Nathan Proctor, Right to Repair Campaign senior director for the Public Interest Research Group, said many users will soon be left exposed or forced into unnecessary purchases.

"You have people needing to replace these computers," Proctor observed. "Then the people who can’t afford to or just ignore those warning messages all of a sudden will become way more likely to fall victim to some kind of cyber crime."

Proctor and others warned of a surge in discarded computers, especially in rural and low-income communities.

The Ohio EPA encouraged proper recycling or reuse and maintains a statewide directory of drop-off facilities, part of a $5.9 million grant program supporting reuse education. Local experts like Garvin hope affordable upgrades can keep computers in service, not in landfills, as the Windows 10 era ends.

Reporting by Ohio News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.