If you’re loath to surrender Windows 10 when help expires in about two years, there’s some excellent news and dangerous information: Microsoft is extending your help choices — however you’ll be compelled to pay an extra price.

Microsoft’s Windows 10 will attain the top of help on October 14, 2025. That will nonetheless imply, because it often does, that Microsoft will launch no new options after that date.

What it often additionally means is that Microsoft received’t launch any new safety patches after a product exits its help window. That sometimes interprets to an end-of-life state of affairs: Without safety updates, your use of Windows 10 or one other product is topic to any bugs or vulnerabilities which might be found. You use it at your personal danger, principally.

Microsoft typically provides an escape hatch. As it has achieved beforehand, companies will likely be provided an Extended Security Update — an opportunity to pay Microsoft for extra bug fixes and patches whereas it transitions over to Windows 11. What’s totally different is that buyers will now be provided the prospect to purchase an Extended Security Update, too — the primary time that Microsoft has allowed shoppers to do that.

“While we strongly recommend moving to Windows 11, we understand there are circumstances that could prevent you from replacing Windows 10 devices before the EOS date. Therefore, Microsoft will offer Extended Security Updates,” Microsoft mentioned in a blog post.

“Like the Windows 7 ESU program, your organization will be able to purchase a yearly subscription to security updates. The yearly commitment is renewable for three years. Devices enrolled in ESUs will receive monthly security updates to keep these Windows 10 PCs secure.”

Though that assertion refers back to the enterprise subscriptions, shoppers are being provided the identical deal. The ESU program simply contains essential and/or necessary safety updates on a month-to-month foundation, however no new options, or customer-requested safety enhancements or options. More importantly, Microsoft won’t present technical help, both.

Businesses will likely be offered Windows 10 ESUs in the event that they subscribe to Windows 365, Microsoft’s Windows-in-the-cloud answer. But a Microsoft consultant confirmed that this loophole received’t be utilized to the buyer ESU subscriptions.

The query that Microsoft isn’t answering is, how a lot will this all price? Microsoft goes to make you wait earlier than it solutions. We do know that Microsoft absolutely loves subscriptions, so this resolution doesn’t come as an absolute shock. And sure, you’ll have to ultimately transfer to Windows 11. But there’ll a minimum of be a security internet, although it’ll minimize into your pockets.