Are you still running Windows 10 Build 1511? If so, your machine is now officially insecure.
On October 10, 2017, Microsoft announced it would no longer update Build 1511 with security patches. Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Education, and Windows 10 Enterprise are all affected.
Your computer will still work, but the longer you wait, the more vulnerable you will be. It won't take long until hackers and cyber-criminals have exploited every bug, no matter how small. You will be a walking target. So, what should you do?
Check Your Build Number
The first step is to establish whether you're at risk.
Start by opening either the Search bar or the Start menu. Type winver and press Enter.
A new window will pop up. The second line tells you which Windows 10 build you are running. As you can see from the image below, my machine is safe.
Are You Running Build 1511?
Assuming the worst happens and you see Build 1511, you need to update your machine as soon as possible. You have two options open to you:
- Go to Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update > Check for Updates.
- Go to windows.com/security and click Verify you're updated. It will open Edge (if you're in a different browser) and run the necessary checks.
Both methods will scan your machine and advise you of any available updates. Follow the on-screen instructions to upgrade your system.
Remember, Build 1511 is one of the earliest Windows 10 builds; you will be upgrading to the Creators Update. Therefore, any updates could take a long time to download and install. Make sure you're not going to need access to your machine for a couple of hours.
Note: If you're running Windows Enterprise, you cannot install your own updates. You will need to speak to your system administrator.
Are you still running Build 1511? Why haven't you already upgrade to a newer Windows release? Let us know in the comments.