Microsoft will make users pay if they want to keep using Windows 10

Source: Unsplash

Windows 11 has now been around for almost two years. Yet, there are a lot of users — commercial and personal — who are still running Windows 10 on their personal computers. In a bid to migrate more users to Windows 11, Microsoft had earlier announced Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025.

For organisations, Microsoft has made it clear that if they must continue using Windows 10 after support ends, they can enroll those PCs in the paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program. Microsoft has now revealed the cost of being part of the ESU program. The cost of the ESU program starts at $61 per year. In the second year, the cost goes up to $122 and on the third to $244 per year. The ESU licenses for Windows 10 devices will be available starting in October 2024, one year before the end of support date.

While Microsoft revealed the prices for organisations, it said that the pricing structure for individual/personal users will be revealed at a later date. Irrespective of an individual or a commercial customer, support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025.

Microsoft has made it clear that Extended Security Updates are not “intended to be a long-term solution but rather a temporary bridge.” Furthermore, it said that ESUs do not include new features, non-security fixes, or design change requests. The ESU program does not extend technical support for Windows 10, Microsoft added.

According to Microsoft, organisations that run legacy software are at a higher risk of security breaches and potential compliance violations. While Windows 10 PCs will continue to function after they reach end of support, they will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, feature improvements, or security issue resolutions. Once an organisation unrolls in ESU, the only benefit they get is security updates and nothing else. This is why Microsoft wants organisations to upgrade to Windows 11 for a better and secure user experience.