Want to Stay on Windows 10? Sign Up for Free Extended Security Updates Now
Microsoft officially ends support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14, but those who don’t want to make the move to Windows 11 yet can now sign up to remain on the aging OS for another year.
The company’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) program provides critical and important security updates for unsupported OSes, but does not include new features, bug fixes, or technical support. Initially, Microsoft planned to charge consumers $30 to enroll in the ESU program, but it recently announced two free options.
Previously limited to Insiders, the program has now been opened to all individual users. “Starting today, individuals will begin to see an enrollment wizard through notifications and in Settings, making it simple to select the best option for you and enroll in ESU directly from your personal Windows 10 PC,” Microsoft said in a blog post on Tuesday.
Windows 10 users can get ESU through one of three available options. The first is to cash in 1,000 points from Microsoft’s Rewards program; you earn points by using Microsoft’s services. Downloading the Bing app alone, for example, gets you 500 points.
The second option is to sync your Windows Backup to Microsoft OneDrive. While Microsoft won’t charge you anything extra for picking this option, you might need to buy extra OneDrive storage to fit your backup. By default, you only get 5GB for free.
The third option is the original one: pay $30 to receive critical updates for one year.
Stricter hardware requirements for Windows 11 mean some Windows 10 users can’t upgrade their aging PCs to the newest OS. There’s a workaround, though Microsoft doesn’t (officially) support it. If you’re looking for an affordable Windows 11 PC, we have a few suggestions.
The good news for Windows 10 users, however, is that they can continue using Office apps (Microsoft 365) for three additional years. But even during this period, they will only receive security updates instead of new features, bug fixes, or comprehensive tech support.
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