Users must be willing to pay for extended support in order for Microsoft to continue providing updates for Windows 10.
Microsoft has good news for Windows PC users, especially those who are still running the old version of Windows 10 on their systems. As you may know, Windows 10 will lose official support from the company in 2025, which is only a few years away.
But Microsoft is making sure that if someone wants to continue using the Windows version, they can do so and get support through a series of security updates. So how is this possible?
Microsoft has always offered businesses a special security package that allows them to continue using older versions of Windows for an annual fee. The company’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) is a program where customers receive security updates until they pay a fee to Microsoft to keep Windows 10 running.
Upgrading to a new version can be more expensive for businesses because they have to upgrade machines, which is never affordable. So instead of paying for new PCs, Microsoft lets them extend their Windows platform for a few more years.
And now the company is bringing ESU to individual Windows PC users if they pay an annual fee for the next three years after October 14, 2025. “If you are an individual consumer or an organization that chooses to continue using Windows 10 after support ends on October 14, 2025, you have the option to enroll your computer in the paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) program,” Microsoft mentions on its support page.
Some of you may feel that extending Windows 10 support isn’t the worst idea, which will avoid choosing and upgrading to a Windows 11-compatible PC for a few more years. However, we don’t yet know how much Microsoft will charge you for these extra security updates and how long it will continue to support.
Microsoft decided to limit the number of existing Windows PCs that can be upgraded to Windows 11 due to its specific requirements. Millions of Windows 10 PCs are made to upgrade, but if they can pay to extend the fee for a few more years, most of those people might sign up, and in the end, Microsoft will almost break even.
