Farewell to Windows 10 — January Update Disables Legacy Hardware
TECH GUIDE | ORIENT. The era of the “Ten” has officially come to an end, but Microsoft continues to release security patches to protect users who have not yet migrated to the new system. January 2026 brought the automatic update KB5073724, which, in addition to security fixes, introduces significant changes for owners of older PCs.
What has changed?
Windows 10 is no longer receiving new features — developers are now focused exclusively on patching security vulnerabilities.
Security:
A critical system component, WinSqlite3.dll, has been updated. This fix eliminates errors that caused antivirus software to mistakenly flag system files as threats.
Dropping legacy hardware support:
The patch permanently removes drivers for outdated internal modems (agrsm and smserial series). If your internet connection relies on such a modem, it will stop functioning after the update.
How to get the update?
The process is streamlined as much as possible. As part of the regular “Patch Tuesday,” the package installs automatically. If you want to check your protection right now, simply open Windows Update in the system settings and click “Check for updates.”
Reminder:
Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. The January patches are security-only measures, but for stable and fast performance, experts recommend upgrading to Windows 11 or current LTSC versions.
