Windows 10’s support officially ends on 14 October 2025, and while the software giant has tried its absolute hardest in convincing the users to upgrade to Windows 11, some users aren’t willing to, or even able to, make the jump to the latest operating system. To that end, Microsoft is finally opening up some options for the holdouts to continue receiving security updates.
Windows 10 Users Get More ESU Options
Specifically, this falls under Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which was opened for personal users to enroll for the first time ever. The company stipulated a one-time US$30 fee (~RM127) for one year of additional security support – this is the first option which was already announced back in late 2023. In its blog post, two additional options have been announced (both of which are free): redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or enable Windows Backup to sync your PC’s settings and user folders to the cloud.
I wouldn’t blame you if you are entirely unfamiliar with Microsoft Rewards. Essentially, this is Microsoft’s version of a loyalty program: you can earn the points by doing various tasks, and by ‘various’ we mean the most random kind of tasks you can think of, such as playing various minigames, answer some quizzes, or search using Bing. The Windows Backup option is more straightforward in comparison, though you’ll have to stay under the 5GB limit as provided by OneDrive’s free tier if you do not intend to pay for extra storage.
“An enrollment wizard will be available through notifications and in Settings, making it easy to enroll in ESU directly from your personal Windows 10 PC,” the company noted. The feature rollout has now begun for Windows Insider Program users, though the full rollout process is expected to complete by mid-August. Once enrolled, their PCs will be eligible for one more year of security updates, distributed monthly, until the final support date of October 13, 2026.
Pokdepinion: I imagine the Bing usage will briefly surge as users rush to earn 1,000 points; although the Windows Backup option seems pretty accessible as long as you don’t store too much files.
