Microsoft extends Windows 10 security updates beyond 2025 (for a price)

Microsoft ha anunciado que continuará brindando actualizaciones de seguridad para Windows 10 más allá de la fecha original de finalización del soporte del 14 de octubre de 2025. Sin embargo, este soporte extendido tendrá un costo para los clientes que quieran seguir usando el sistema operativo.

According to a Microsoft blog post, the company will offer a new service called Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10 Enterprise and Education editions, version 21H2 and later. This service will allow customers to purchase annual security updates for up to three years after the end of support date, until October 14, 2028.

Microsoft says the ESU service is intended for customers who need more time to transition to Windows 11, the next-generation operating system that was unveiled in June and is expected to launch later this year. Windows 11 will have higher hardware requirements than Windows 10 and some older devices may not be compatible with it.

The ESU service will not include new features or non-security updates for Windows 10. Customers opting for the ESU service must also have a valid license for Windows 10 Enterprise or Education, and keep their devices up to date with the latest quality monthly updates.

Microsoft has not yet disclosed pricing details for the ESU service, but it is likely to be similar to the previous ESU service that was offered for Windows 7 after its end-of-support date in January 2020. That service started at $25 per device. per year for Enterprise customers and increases by $25 each year. For Education customers, the price was half that.

Microsoft recommends that customers who want to stay secure and productive upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as possible, as it will offer better performance, security and user experience than Windows 10. However, for those who are not ready or able to make the switch, the ESU service will provide an option to extend the life of their Windows 10 devices for a few more years.

Microsoft has officially announced that support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025. But if you need to keep using that older operating system instead of upgrading to Windows 11, you can pay to extend the expiration date, Microsoft announced today.

This Extended Security Upgrade (ESU) program will be available to both individuals and corporate customers for up to three years. In the past, this has only been an option for enterprise installations. Windows experts have been asking for such an option.

The announced program will be a boon for those who can’t upgrade to Windows 11 because they use older, less secure hardware, including PCs without a TPM security chip or those using older CPUs. But it is also good for Microsoft in at least two ways: as an incentive for people to move to the new version of the operating system and as a source of revenue. The latter is probably less significant than the money coming from corporations wanting to extend the life of the OS they use on hundreds or thousands of PCs.

How much will it cost to use Windows 10 after 2025?

Extended support will be available as an annual subscription for up to three years, but Microsoft has not yet released pricing for individual PC users. That’s still almost two years away, so you have time to save.