Microsoft Offers $30 Windows 10 Security Extension for Home Users

[AleksandarK]

Microsoft will allow home users to extend security support for Windows 10 beyond its October 2025 end-of-life date for a $30 fee per year. This marks the first time the Redmond giant has offered such an option to individual consumers, as extended security updates were previously available only to business and education customers. While the extension will maintain essential security patches, users won't receive new features, bug fixes, or technical support from Microsoft. This decision affects millions of Windows 10 users worldwide who may be unable or unwilling to upgrade to Windows 11, either due to hardware limitations or personal preference. While Microsoft strongly encourages users to transition to Windows 11, which offers enhanced security features and AI capabilities, many older computers don't meet the newer operating system's stricter hardware requirements.

The company will begin enrollment for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program closer to the 2025 deadline. Microsoft will also continue providing Security Intelligence Updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus through at least October 2028, offering an additional layer of protection for Windows 10 users. This move can be interpreted as Microsoft's acknowledgment of the significant number of users still running Windows 10 and the potential security risks of leaving them unprotected. Using an ESU package from an official source like Microsoft is always better than sourcing them from third-party like 0patch offers, and it is a welcome addition for millions of PCs running Windows 10 today.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[Chaitanya]

$30 is quite reasonable for 1st party extended support, might consider paying for my PC(even though it stays primarily offline) by 2028 my AM4 system might be up for upgrade anyways.

 

[Vayra86]

They finally figured it out. Earn money while keeping users happy AND the OS secure. Win win win.

Took them long enough!

 

[Caring1]

They worked out they can announce EOL and then charge more

 

[windwhirl]

$30 is quite reasonable for 1st party extended support, might consider paying for my PC(even though it stays primarily offline) by 2028 my AM4 system might be up for upgrade anyways.

I'm not going to lie, I didn't expect anyone to pay for it at all.

That aside, 30 dollars is just for the first year, and you only get that year. The other two years seem to be exclusive for Business/Education markets.

For Business, the extra two years will be more expensive than the first.

Post-2025 Windows 10 updates for businesses start at $61 per PC, go up from there

Consumer pricing hasn’t been announced; schools will pay just $1 per user.

arstechnica.com

 

[_roman_]

30$ / year is very cheap for security fixes for your operating system of choice. I hope this keep going. I wish some older microsoft operating system would get that modell also.

Some guys are on older computer and are unwilling to migrate to newer operating system or hardware. 30$ is very very very cheap.

 

[Hecate91]

$30 for a year seems reasonable, though disappointing if MS is only going to extended updates for 1 year.
But realistically I don't expect most consumers to pay for updates unless Microsoft really starts to bother users with messages to pay up or buy a new PC when W10 goes EOL.

 

[Onasi]

It’s a reasonable price if one absolutely must stay on 10 for a year. I would assume MS hopes/intends that in this year those users will find means to upgrade to a PC that’s 11 “compatible” according to their specs.
Needless to say, using a PC with an unsupported OS is a pretty bad idea, unless it’s disconnected from the net and is specifically for some niche use. So not a bad move on MS part.

 

[Tek-Check]

This is not going to work. There will be a huge backlash against Microsoft for trying to capitalise on Win10 and force people into Win11. Typical for-profit BS.

They are not suddenly going to stop providing free updates to hundreds of millions of PCs in schools, hospitals, transport hubs and other institutions. State governments need to intervene finally and have some serious conversations with MS.

This is prevent similar $$ that happened a few weeks ago grounding airplanes and causing severe disruption globally.

 

[Onasi]

This is not going to work. There will be a huge backlash against Microsoft for trying to capitalise on Win10 and force people into Win11. Typical for-profit BS.

They have announced dates for 10 EOL a long time ago. They’ve previously supported it for a decade. There’s nothing different from previous OS releases here that MS is doing and certainly nothing illegal.

They are not suddenly going to stop providing free updates to hundreds of millions of PCs in schools, hospitals, transport hubs and other institutions.

Those are not, or at least SHOULD NOT, be on a Home licensing. So they will get support for longer.

This is prevent similar $$ that happened a few weeks ago grounding airplanes and causing severe disruption globally.

Ah, you mean the one that had nothing to do with MS at all and was caused by a third-party security firm pushing out a scuffed update?

 

[Raiden85]

Nothing stopping you from using 11 unless your CPU is prehistoric. Been running 11 from day 1 and it's been a rock solid OS.

 

[loracle706]

Means that windows 11 is shit and they are not sure about windows 12, and no i'm not going to pay every year for that, they are dreaming a lot and i hope no one will encourage things like that !!

 

[TheDeeGee]

As long as Windows 11 continues to be in the news with bugs and errors i'll gladly pay $30 for another year of security updates.

 

[windwhirl]

schools, hospitals, transport hubs and other institutions.

Education gets three years for 1 dollar each user each year, seemingly. So quite cheap and mostly symbolic.

Hospitals and institutions should be on business-like contracts so each case might be different and can't really be dumbed down to "oh Micro$oft is bleeding everyone dry"

State governments need to intervene finally and have some serious conversations with MS.

State governments should be on business like contracts as well and they should have budgeted their goddamn systems upgrades as well.

Also, intervention? The only government that could intervene is the US one, and it would be seen as the government getting into things they shouldn't so it will never happen.

 

[Squared]

I have 3 Windows 10 computers. Would I have to pay for all of them?

 

[A Computer Guy]

They worked out they can announce EOL and then charge more

Then get you to pay for maintenance without also removing their intrusive-wares. Still no perfect solution but I guess that's life.

 

[Shrek]

And to think I just got another PC for Windows 11 when I could have kept the Core 2 running

 

[Ayhamb99]

I have a feeling they will offer extended support just like what they did with Windows XP and 7, We're 1 year away from their planned end of support but according to statistics from this site Windows 10 still has more than 60%+ marketshare, now that figure would probably continue to decline throughout 2025 but considering W11 is still pretty unpopular and somewhat disliked plus the hardware requirements, people are still going to be reluctant to upgrade.

I seriously doubt that they would not offer extended support for W10 just like what they did with XP and W7.

Called it in another thread lol.

While paying sucks, I would honestly rather pay $30 than upgrade to W11.

 

[Mindweaver]

The amount of people saying it's okay to pay 30 bucks for security updates is alarming.. lol

 

[Raiden85]

The amount of people saying it's okay to pay 30 bucks for security updates is alarming.. lol

Really is, because if MS can see people paying for this then they'll be charging for the large yearly updates like 24H2 next.

 

[bonehead123]

"If ya wanna play (on W10), ya gotzsta pay"

'nuff said !

A money grab by M$ ? Yep, but at least it is a reasonable amount, and is within M$'s usual practices of trying to squeeze people for anything & everything they can....

 

[kondamin]

Making it pretty dangerous for them selves there.
They are killing outlook and replacing it with the POS that is 'new outlook' there is even less of a reason to stick to Microsoft office and windows for small businesses that don't have their own software running on windows and now demanding an other $30 to keep things going for just an other year.

 

[Raiden85]

Making it pretty dangerous for them selves there.
They are killing outlook and replacing it with the POS that is 'new outlook' there is even less of a reason to stick to Microsoft office and windows for small businesses that don't have their own software running on windows and now demanding an other $30 to keep things going for just an other year.

I wouldn't say they are demanding it because if you’re on 11 then the updates will be free as usual. It's only by choice that some may want to stay on 10 which is EOL as it's an old OS. They've offered additional support to businesses for years, just a nice bonus they are offering to consumers and for a very reasonable price if they want to stay on a dead OS.

 

[Wirko]

Here's how problems will be solved in the real world...

 

[mtosev]

I'm surprised that the price isn't higher. If someone asked me I would thought it would be higher.