Do You Need Windows 10 Extended Security Updates?
As we've written before, Windows 10 reaches its end of life in October 2025, one year from now, when Microsoft stops patching security holes. By then almost all Windows 10 computers should have been upgraded or replaced. But what if you can't replace all your old PCs in time?
Microsoft plans to offer Extended Security Update (ESU) support to businesses for Windows 10. It only costs $61 per PC for the first year, but doubles each year after that, to $122 and $244 in the final, third, year. The licenses can't be skipped; anyone starting in year two must also pay for year one. Education-qualified organizations receive a large discount, to $1, $2, and $4. Unless the PC is managed by/licensed under Microsoft Intune each license key must be installed on each PC, so that may add to the cost.
For the first time Microsoft will also officially offer paid ESU licenses to consumers but has not said if they will see different pricing.
Update: Microsoft will limit end users to only one year of extended security updates, for $30.
For the most part computers that can't upgrade to Windows 10 were purchased in 2017 or earlier. These will be 8 years old next year, and past our recommended replacement timeframe. The risk of hardware failure increases with age, so we recommend replacing PCs older than that.
The rare Long Term Servicing and IoT versions of Windows 10 have a later end date, but Pro and Home versions only have 12 months of security updates remaining.
October 2024
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