Microsoft will let consumers purchase security updates for Windows 10 after its end of life, but only for a single year

In brief: We're little than 1 twelvemonth distant from Windows 10's end-of-support date. Microsoft has already revealed really overmuch businesses will person to salary if they want to proceed receiving charismatic support aft October 14, 2025. Now, nan institution has announced that customers will besides beryllium capable to acquisition Extended Security Updates (ESU) astatine a costs of $30 for a azygous year, pinch nary action to proceed beyond that period.

With Windows 10, Microsoft is allowing some consumers and businesses to enroll successful its ESU program. The Redmond elephantine revealed successful April that endeavor and acquisition customers will beryllium capable to salary $61 per instrumentality for nan first twelvemonth of ESUs, $122 for nan 2nd year, and $244 successful nan 3rd – doubling each year.

For nan first clip ever, Microsoft is besides introducing ESUs for individual use. It will costs users $30 to proceed receiving Critical and Important information updates for Windows 10 aft nan October 14 date. However, consumers will only beryllium eligible to person a azygous twelvemonth of these updates. Microsoft notes that caller features, bug fixes, and method support will not beryllium included successful nan program.

Microsoft is apt making nan ESUs disposable to consumers owed to Windows 10's enduring popularity. It was still nan astir commonly utilized OS among Steam study participants successful September, having retaken nan lead from Windows 11 pinch a 48.6% share. Globally, Windows 10's 61% stock is astir 25% higher than its predecessor, though Windows 11 has been making gains recently.

Microsoft will uncover specifications connected really consumers tin enroll successful nan ESU programme adjacent year, person to Windows 10's end-of-support date.

Microsoft besides wrote that Microsoft Defender Antivirus successful Windows 10 would proceed to get caller definitions updates done astatine slightest October 2028.

Microsoft would alternatively group move to Windows 11 alternatively than paying for ESUs, of people – nan announcement station is called 'How to hole for Windows 10 extremity of support by moving to Windows 11.' It goes into item astir nan benefits of Windows 11 and really to cheque if your PC tin tally nan latest version.

Those hardware demands are 1 of nan large reasons why Windows 11 take has been slow. The OS' requirements see support for TPM 2.0 information chips, meaning it can't tally connected older machines. There are workarounds, of course, specified arsenic nan caller Flyby11 instrumentality that bypasses these restrictions.

In June, 0patch, a "microscopic" patching solution for Windows and different package products, announced its scheme to support Windows 10 22H2, offering in-memory micropatches for astatine slightest 5 years.