In yet another episode of “We hate our customers but we don’t want to admit it openly”, Microsoft wrapped up October with a significant announcement for Windows 10 users. On one hand, it confirmed that it will enable access to the ESU (Extended Security Updates) program for end consumers; on the other, it said that possibility will be limited to the first year.
Let’s start with the obvious: On October 14, 2025, Windows 10 will stop receiving security updates in its retail editions. LTSC builds will be supported until 2032 (in the best case), but there is another option for educational institutions and businesses: the ESU program.
In essence, Extended Security Updates lets companies pay for extended support: $61 per PC for the first year, $122 for the second, and $244 for the third, with a cumulative scheme (if a company decides to enter the ESU in its last year, it will have to pay for the two previous ones). For schools, the pricing is very different: $1, $2, and $4 per license. But what happens with “normal” Windows 10 users?
Microsoft Limits the ESU Program for Windows 10 End Users to One Year
Yusuf Mehdi, Executive Vice President and CCMO (Consumer Chief Marketing Officer), announced in a couple of bullet points that Microsoft will for the first time offer consumers access to the ESU program. As always, that doesn’t mean Windows 10 will be on par with Windows 11 in terms of new features, but rather that the updates will be limited to “critical” and “important” security hotfixes. On the surface, that is good news… but there’s more: The Windows 10 ESU for those consumers will only last one year.
Now, Microsoft tries to sweeten this with a reduced price of $30 and Windows Defender updates at least until October 2028, but if an independent user wants to go further, they simply won’t be able to. The “enrollment” process will begin next year, closer to the final support cut-off date.
Personally, I imagine some users won’t think twice (investing $30 to postpone a hardware change is reasonable in certain environments)… but this is Redmond. The beating will continue until morale improves.
Sources: Windows Experience Blog, Ars Technica
