- By Prateek Levi
- Sun, 27 Jul 2025 07:27 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Windows 10: Microsoft is officially winding down support for Windows 10 in October. Initially, they offered a paid one‑year Extended Security Update (ESU) for $30. But there’s good news: they’ve introduced a free option—as long as you back up your system to OneDrive.
You’ll also still have the original $30 option, or you can redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points to continue receiving updates until at least October 13, 2026 (businesses can pay for up to three more years).
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Why this matters: as of May 2025, nearly 53% of PCs still run Windows 10—so millions will lose official security patches soon if nothing changes. The free OneDrive option gives users more time without extra cost, though it comes with a catch: OneDrive’s free tier includes only 5 GB of storage, which may not be enough for some backups. If your backup exceeds that, you’d need to upgrade your OneDrive storage plan—about $2 per month for 100 GB—which is still cheaper than the $30 fee but might annoy some users.
Windows 10 first launched in July 2015, so it’s had a solid, decade-long run. Starting in July 2025, Microsoft will roll out the ESU sign-up wizard to eligible users. That wizard lets you choose between the free OneDrive sync, rewards points redemption, or the $30 annual plan.
It offers a useful reprieve, but it’s not a permanent fix—you’ll eventually need to upgrade to Windows 11 or later. Microsoft has struggled to push users onto Windows 11, partly due to hardware compatibility issues and controversial decisions around the newer OS interface. So this gambit is clearly a way to give users breathing room, rather than tying them permanently to outdated software.
In short: Windows 10 support is ending, but you now have options—one of them free—to keep security updates rolling for another year or more, buying time to plan your move to Windows 11.