{"id":519116,"date":"2025-07-30T22:36:38","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T05:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/?p=519116"},"modified":"2026-02-18T13:02:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T20:02:12","slug":"windows-10-end-of-support-options-for-a-free-1-year-extension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/windows-10-end-of-support-options-for-a-free-1-year-extension\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows 10 End of Support Options for a Free 1-Year Extension"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Written with the help of AI Research Assistants: Claude.ai, Perplexity.ai and Google Gemini<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Part of a series:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/windows-10-end-of-life-road-to-windows-11\/\">Windows 10 end-of-life<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.6; color: #333;\">\n    <p>\n        <strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> \n        <em>I personally love to share my learnings, thoughts, and ideas; I get great satisfaction knowing someone has read and benefited from an article. This content is created entirely on my own time and in a personal capacity. The views expressed here are mine alone and do not represent the positions or opinions of my employer.<\/em>\n    <\/p>\n    <p>\n        In my professional role, I serve as a Workforce Transformation Solutions Principal for \n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dell.com\/en-us\/work\/learn\/by-service-type-deployment\" style=\"color: #007db8; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;\">Dell Technology Services<\/a>. \n        I am passionate about guiding organizations through complex technology transitions and \n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delltechnologies.com\/en-us\/what-we-do\/workforce-transformation.htm\" style=\"color: #007db8; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;\">Workforce Transformation<\/a>. \n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delltechnologies.com\/en-us\/index.htm\" style=\"color: #007db8; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;\">Learn more at Dell Technologies<\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n    <hr style=\"border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #ddd; margin: 12px 0;\">\n<\/div>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc\"]{font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-lg, 2rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519116_c03e24-bc\"><em>Windows 10 lives beyond End of Support!    <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this time, it is estimated that there are 700 million devices on Windows 10 still in operation world-wide (and probably out in space too!)   Out of those, it is thought that are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/zakdoffman\/2025\/04\/05\/microsoft-warns-240-million-windows-users-stop-using-your-pc\/\">at least 240 million<\/a>&nbsp;PCs that are not capable of updating as they do not meet the Windows 11 minimum capabilities like TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a Windows 10 user concerned about the upcoming end of support, you\u2019re not alone. With many devices unable to upgrade to Windows 11, Microsoft has announced a surprising new path forward: several free and affordable ways to keep your PC secure for another year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Support for Windows 10 has been extended for a year, pushing the cliff edge from October 2025 to October 2026, but there are some requirements. Here is what you need to know about the new Windows 10 support extension options and how you can take advantage of them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Windows 10 support is being extended for many users, past the original October 14, 2025 end date.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can get free security updates until October 13, 2026 if you either:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Link your Microsoft account and sync settings to the cloud with Windows Backup.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you want to keep a local account and don\u2019t want to sync or redeem points, you can <strong>pay $30 for another year of support<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This option will appear in Windows starting in August 2025 via a notification\/wizard.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Businesses must pay higher fees (starting at $61\/device, doubles yearly) for up to 3 more years of support.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cloud PC users get updates automatically with their subscription.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The move is because many users cannot upgrade to Windows 11, so Microsoft is giving more ways to stay secure on Windows 10<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>See also my <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/windows-10-end-of-life-road-to-windows-11\/\">Windows 10 End-of-Life Series<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/computing\/windows-10-users-can-get-extended-security-updates-for-1000-microsoft-rewards-points-170023129.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Windows 10 users can get extended security updates for 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/zakdoffman\/2025\/04\/05\/microsoft-warns-240-million-windows-users-stop-using-your-pc\/\">Microsoft Warns 240 Million Windows Users\u2014Stop Using Your PC<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/zakdoffman\/2025\/06\/24\/microsofts-free-upgrade-deadline-for-400-million-windows-users\/\">Microsoft Extends Deadline For Windows 10 Users To 2026<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thehackernews.com\/2025\/06\/microsoft-extends-windows-10-security.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft Extends Windows 10 Security Updates for One Year&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/windows-10-consumer-extended-security-updates-esu-program-33e17de9-36b3-43bb-874d-6c53d2e4bf42\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theregister.com\/2025\/06\/25\/microsoft_free_esu_tier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft opens a free tier for Windows 10 extended updates<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.windowslatest.com\/2025\/06\/24\/microsoft-gives-up-extends-windows-10s-support-for-free-if-you-meet-the-requirements\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft gives up, extends Windows 10&#8217;s support for free if you meet the requirements<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do you have ideas of comments? <\/h2>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7\"]{font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-md, 1.25rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading517671_7a57f6-b7\">Please let me know!   Send me a note to my X account: <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jorper98\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jorper98\">@jorper98<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-template-part\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\"]{text-align:center;font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-md, 1.25rem);line-height:60px;font-style:normal;background-color:#f5a511;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\">Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/go.35s.be\/jtb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>JorgeTechBits  newsletter<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.6; color: #333;\">\n    <p>\n        <strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> \n        <em>I personally love to share my learnings, thoughts, and ideas; I get great satisfaction knowing someone has read and benefited from an article. This content is created entirely on my own time and in a personal capacity. The views expressed here are mine alone and do not represent the positions or opinions of my employer.<\/em>\n    <\/p>\n    <p>\n        In my professional role, I serve as a Workforce Transformation Solutions Principal for \n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dell.com\/en-us\/work\/learn\/by-service-type-deployment\" style=\"color: #007db8; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;\">Dell Technology Services<\/a>. \n        I am passionate about guiding organizations through complex technology transitions and \n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delltechnologies.com\/en-us\/what-we-do\/workforce-transformation.htm\" style=\"color: #007db8; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;\">Workforce Transformation<\/a>. \n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delltechnologies.com\/en-us\/index.htm\" style=\"color: #007db8; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;\">Learn more at Dell Technologies<\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n    <hr style=\"border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #ddd; margin: 12px 0;\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written with the help of AI Research Assistants: Claude.ai, Perplexity.ai and Google Gemini Part of a series:&nbsp;Windows 10 end-of-life Windows 10 lives beyond End of Support! At this time, it is estimated that there are 700 million devices on Windows 10 still in operation world-wide (and probably out in space too!) Out of those, it&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":365026,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[681,441],"tags":[742,875,779],"class_list":["post-519116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-moderneuc2","category-tech-talk","tag-moderneuc1","tag-windows-10-eol","tag-windows-11"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":681,"label":"ModernEUC"},{"value":441,"label":"Tech Talk"}],"post_tag":[{"value":742,"label":"ModernEUC"},{"value":875,"label":"Windows 10 End-Of-Life"},{"value":779,"label":"Windows 11"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Windows10Logo2.png",780,330,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Jorge Pereira","author_link":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/author\/jorge\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":681,"name":"ModernEUC","slug":"moderneuc2","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":691,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":261,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":681,"category_count":261,"category_description":"","cat_name":"ModernEUC","category_nicename":"moderneuc2","category_parent":0},{"term_id":441,"name":"Tech Talk","slug":"tech-talk","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":451,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":672,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":441,"category_count":672,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Tech Talk","category_nicename":"tech-talk","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":742,"name":"ModernEUC","slug":"moderneuc1","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":752,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":284,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":875,"name":"Windows 10 End-Of-Life","slug":"windows-10-eol","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":885,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":12,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":779,"name":"Windows 11","slug":"windows-11","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":789,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":23,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=519116"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":519134,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519116\/revisions\/519134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/365026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=519116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=519116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=519116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}