News Microsoft will charge Windows 10 users $30 per year for security updates

[Admin]

Microsoft offers consumers an option to keep using Windows 10 with security updates after support expires: an Extended Security Updates subscription for $30 per year.

Microsoft will charge Windows 10 users $30 per year for security updates : Read more

 

[stonecarver]

With this move from Microsoft for all those EOL computers that can't make the Windows 11 cutoff they can at least have a path forward with patches past the official EOL for windows 10.

$30 a year is a drop in the bucket if your not ready to do the full hardware shuffle to stay in the game with windows 11.

 

[das_stig]

So this is basically Microsoft blackmailing Windows 10 users.

1. Move to Windows 11 for free if hardware supported and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
2. Buy new hardware from our OEM friends, pay the hidden Windows tax for a "free" licence and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
3. Pay us to keep a perfectly good OS secure that you got free or via the Windows tax when equipment was new and is still perfectly good or when you purchased Windows licences and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
4. Do nothing and hope you don't get infected by security holes we created in of poor quality coding.
5. Look to a Linux derivative and tell Microsoft to go stick Windows up Satya Nadella 💩
6. and my personal recommendation, download the Windows 11 ISO, disable all of Microsoft dirty activation tricks and enjoy your computer, while flipping the bird at Satya Nadella.

How about a guide on no.6 TH for those who need assistance, if you have the guts, it's not illegal !!!

 

[voyteck]

$30 a year is a drop in the bucket.

Well, that heavily depends on country.

 

[Notton]

I still have an i5-3570k system running win10, although it's been relegated to troubleshooting and testing parts.

Might I suggest installing Linux or ChromeOS?
I am trying out Mint and it feels fine as a long time Win7/8/10/11 user.

 

[txfeinbergs]

So this is basically Microsoft blackmailing Windows 10 users.

1. Move to Windows 11 for free if hardware supported and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
2. Buy new hardware from our OEM friends, pay the hidden Windows tax for a "free" licence and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
3. Pay us to keep a perfectly good OS secure that you got free or via the Windows tax when equipment was new and is still perfectly good or when you purchased Windows licences and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
4. Do nothing and hope you don't get infected by security holes we created in of poor quality coding.
5. Look to a Linux derivative and tell Microsoft to go stick Windows up Satya Nadella 💩
6. and my personal recommendation, download the Windows 11 ISO, disable all of Microsoft dirty activation tricks and enjoy your computer, while flipping the bird at Satya Nadella.

How about a guide on no.6 TH for those who need assistance, if you have the guts, it's not illegal !!!

You seem delightful. Never had any issues with Windows 11. You continue living in the dark ages though. Better check under your bed because I think Satya is hiding there.

 

[Giroro]

Why make your new product better, when you can just spend your time and money making the old product worse?
What could possibly go wrong?

Customers are permanent, so they'll just have pay whatever you want forever, right?
Everybody knows that the best way to inspire customer loyalty is dehumanize them, ignore feedback, and generally go out of your way to make them angry.

How do I give myself the brain damage required to qualify as a Microsoft exec, because I'm sure it's more money and less work than my current job.

 

[DS426]

I can appreciate that Windows 10 ESUs are available to consumers this time around. Of course, Microsoft knows that worldwide marketshare of Windows 10 will still be at least 10%, which means millions of hosts (physical or not). I say that as StatCounter is still showing W10 worldwide market share at over 62% with W11 only at 33%.

We had to execute on a roughly 50% higher PC count for our org's recent PC lifecycle program (sounds big but this just equates to an extra 8 machines or so), but this will allow us to get across the finish line by Q2 2025. Closing in on 80% Windows 11 adoption this month.

Sucks but MS can bully around the majority of their customer base and afford to lose some here and there without batting an eye.

 

[Jeeman]

Well, that heavily depends on country.

I wonder if it will continue for another year or two afterwards.

 

[Sluggotg]

I have a few Win11 machines but I use Win10 on my daily machines. Paying 30 per year for each one will be very annoying but I will do it for some of the machines. It does solidify the fact that I do need to get into Linux.

Does anyone have a good website I should checkout for all things Linux? I will try it out on a few of my Win 10 Machines. I have waited waaay to long to try it out!

 

[bolweval]

You seem delightful. Never had any issues with Windows 11. You continue living in the dark ages though. Better check under your bed because I think Satya is hiding there.

You might want to read his signature, in it he lists the OS's he uses in his 4 or 5 machines..

 

[ThatMouse]

"For individuals who cannot move to Windows 11 due to hardware (e.g., lack of TPM 2.0) or software limitations, this $30 subscription seems viable"

LOL WUT?

 

[USAFRet]

How about a guide on no.6 TH for those who need assistance, if you have the guts, it's not illegal !!!

TH has done that repeatedly.
And MS continually changes the checkpoints.

Cat and mouse.

As far as the Win 10 longevity....how soon we forget what it used to be.
10 years (2015-2025) is MUCH longer than previous OS support from Microsoft.

 

[setx]

10 years (2015-2025) is MUCH longer than previous OS support from Microsoft.

The problem is: previous OS did significant or at least some innovation while there is none in Win11. It's the same Win10 core with worse interface.

 

[USAFRet]

The problem is: previous OS did significant or at least some innovation while there is none in Win11. It's the same Win10 core with worse interface.

That may well be true.

But also, during that same time, we had MUCH faster hardware change.

As far as 'worse interface'...thats up for opinion.
Personally, it took me about a day or two to get used to Win 11.

 

[tommo1982]

So this is basically Microsoft blackmailing Windows 10 users.

1. Move to Windows 11 for free if hardware supported and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
2. Buy new hardware from our OEM friends, pay the hidden Windows tax for a "free" licence and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
3. Pay us to keep a perfectly good OS secure that you got free or via the Windows tax when equipment was new and is still perfectly good or when you purchased Windows licences and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
4. Do nothing and hope you don't get infected by security holes we created in of poor quality coding.
5. Look to a Linux derivative and tell Microsoft to go stick Windows up Satya Nadella 💩
6. and my personal recommendation, download the Windows 11 ISO, disable all of Microsoft dirty activation tricks and enjoy your computer, while flipping the bird at Satya Nadella.

How about a guide on no.6 TH for those who need assistance, if you have the guts, it's not illegal !!!

I agree. I was reluctant to use Win10 due to all the telemetry, but O&O helped with that. However, reading about Win11 I said to myself Win10 is the last Windows system.

 

[das_stig]

You seem delightful. Never had any issues with Windows 11. You continue living in the dark ages though. Better check under your bed because I think Satya is hiding there.

and you can try reading my post rather than making a personal comment, too me you could as delightful as dysentery , I never questioned Windows 11 capabilities just how it's badly coded and how the company is behaving is insulting it's user base and as another post said, I am a Windows user.

 

[tommo1982]

I got the impression home users will get 3 years of security updates, just like enterprise users. It's contrary to the article I recently read at Arstechnica, which states home users only get a year. An error by the author?

 

[USAFRet]

I got the impression home users will get 3 years of security updates, just like enterprise users. It's contrary to the article I recently read at Arstechnica, which states home users only get a year. An error by the author?

FTA:
"Microsoft has yet to announce all the details about the ESU program for individuals."

 

[ezst036]

So this is basically Microsoft blackmailing Windows 10 users.

I think that twists the reality of the situation. @USAFRet is correct to point out that Win10 official support has gone much longer, probably longer than any other single Windows OS ever. So there's no room for a claim of blackmail. What there is though, is Microsoft's dream of a subscription-based model.

For years people have fretted that Microsoft would transform Windows into a subscription-based model instead of a (one-time) license based model. Everybody knows that is what Microsoft wants most.

Microsoft just found its excuse to introduce subscription-based Windows. Subscription-based Windows begins October 14, 2025, and it might be correct to say that Windows is the world's first ever subscription-based operating system.

I'm honestly shocked they made subscriptions for Windows as high as $30 dollars, I would've guessed something less than $9.99.

It's here. Subscription-based Windows.

 

[Dr3ams]

It wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft charged a subscription fee for future operating systems. I've been a faithful Windows user since 3.0. Charging a subscription fee for Windows would definitely push me to look for another OS.

 

[USAFRet]

It wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft charged a subscription fee for future operating systems. I've been a faithful Windows user since 3.0. Charging a subscription fee for Windows would definitely push me to look for another OS.

People said that about Win 10, literally from Day 1.

They had it on 'good authority' that an install would last only 30 days, then go directly to a paid model.

 

[USAFRet]

And this Paid Extended Support thing has existed since Windows 7.
Just now, that it is for consumers as well as business.

 

[jp7189]

The problem is: previous OS did significant or at least some innovation while there is none in Win11. It's the same Win10 core with worse interface.

? Win11 is a completely different kernel with scheduling for heterogeneous cores that Win10 can't do with the same efficiency.

 

[rx7ven]

So this is basically Microsoft blackmailing Windows 10 users.

1. Move to Windows 11 for free if hardware supported and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
2. Buy new hardware from our OEM friends, pay the hidden Windows tax for a "free" licence and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
3. Pay us to keep a perfectly good OS secure that you got free or via the Windows tax when equipment was new and is still perfectly good or when you purchased Windows licences and give us all your telemetry data and we start showing you ads.
4. Do nothing and hope you don't get infected by security holes we created in of poor quality coding.
5. Look to a Linux derivative and tell Microsoft to go stick Windows up Satya Nadella 💩
6. and my personal recommendation, download the Windows 11 ISO, disable all of Microsoft dirty activation tricks and enjoy your computer, while flipping the bird at Satya Nadella.

How about a guide on no.6 TH for those who need assistance, if you have the guts, it's not illegal !!!

been on option 6 since the windows xp days, and help all my friends and family with it.