How to Keep Using Windows 10 Past Its End-of-Life Date
The clock runs, and we are only about a hundred days before the date on which Microsoft will officially stop supporting Windows 10. However, if you need more time to spend Windows 11, Microsoft offers three options – the opportunity for one of these elements will allow you to use Windows 10 for one more year.
What does the end of Windows 10 support mean?
On October 14, 2025, just a few months after Microsoft celebrated Windows 10’s 10th anniversary on July 29, they will undoubtedly support one of the best operating systems of all time.
The end of the support does not mean that your computer running Windows 10 will automatically stop working on this date, and your screen will not become entirely black, which makes your computer unusable. In fact, you can still run Windows 10 even after October 14, but you will no longer receive software updates for the Microsoft operating system.
Microsoft will also stop publishing security updates for Windows 10 and will no longer repair bugs or problems arise. In addition, you will not receive any Microsoft technical support if you have problems with your Windows 10 system.
All these factors will eventually make your system an easy target for cyber attacks. The good news, however, is that Microsoft will continue to provide updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows 10 until October 2028. However, it is better to go to Windows 11 before the end of the Windows 10 support if you want to continue using Windows without facing major problems.
But what happens if you need more time to decide to go from Windows 10 to Windows 11? Or maybe you need time to save money to buy a new Windows 11 PC because your current device is not compatible with Windows 11?
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Like all good things, Windows 10 is coming to an end.
How to extend the Windows 10 deadline
Microsoft is aware that the transition to a brand new operating system is not easy; This is why they introduced the ESU (ESU) program of Windows 10 Extended Security updates (ESU), which will give you an additional year to spend Windows 11. The Windows 10 ESU program is further divided into three categories, with a cost of $ 30 while the others are entirely free. But don’t be too excited – there is a catch behind these two free options that you must be aware.
The $ 30 ESU program
Microsoft introduced the ESU Updates (ESU) Safety for Windows 10 in 2024. It was also available for Windows 7 users who wanted to continue using their Windows 7 business and business editions, even after the end of Microsoft, Windows 7 support in 2020.
That said, you will have to pay $ 30 if you want to continue using Windows 10 until October 13, 2026. However, this does not mean that you will continue to receive new features on your Windows 10 system. Microsoft will only provide critical and important security updates, as defined by the Microsoft Security Response. In addition, you will not receive any Microsoft technical support if you encounter problems on your device.
Overall, it’s like paying $ 30 just to protect your device from malware and cybersecurity attacks for a year. That said, to register for the ESU program, your computer must run Windows 10 version 10:2 p.m., and the Microsoft account you use to connect to your computer must have administrative privileges.
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Once you have rejected some details, it’s actually not bad.
ONEDRIVE backup track
If you do not want to pay $ 30 for the Windows 10 ESU program, you can use the “Windows backup” to synchronize your settings with the Cloud and take advantage of the program offers for free. This means that Microsoft wants you to use their cloud storage platform, OneDrive, to continue using Windows 10.
Although it may seem a lot, the capture is that Microsoft OneDrive offers only 5 GB of free space, which is much less compared to other cloud storage platforms like Google Drive, which offers 15 GB of free space. Unfortunately, it would not take long to fill these 5 GB, because the Windows backup option is currently backing up your personal data in OneDrive.
This means that you will eventually have to buy a OneDrive subscription if you want to continue to save your data. Just an advance that the cheapest OneDrive option is the Microsoft 365 basic plan, which costs $ 20 per year.
Exchange Microsoft reward points
Another way to continue using Windows 10 until October 13, 2026 is to exchange 1000 Microsoft Rewards points. If you have not aware of it, you can consider them as a return gift that Microsoft gives you in exchange for the use of their products. To check the number of Microsoft reward points, open Microsoft Edge on your computer and click on the profile icon. Currently, I have 441 points.
If you use Microsoft products such as the Bing search engine or if you are a regular buyer of Microsoft Store products, there is a strong possibility that you already have more than 1000 Microsoft reward points.
For example, if you want to earn reward points thanks to the search for Bing, Microsoft offers five points per search, and you can earn a maximum of 50 points per day if you are at level 1. If you do the calculation, you will need about 20 days to accumulate 1000 reward points.
In the end, opt for the Microsoft Reward Points option is one of the best ways to continue using Windows 10 for an additional year.
How to register your device in the Windows 10 ESU program
If your device runs Windows 10 version 10:2 p.m., you can register for the Windows 10 ESU program. Currently, it is available for all Windows initiates, but it will soon be available for the general public as well.
That said, to register your device, open the Settings application and choose “Update and safety”, then “Windows Update”. Then select the option “Register now” and choose your favorite registration method.
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It does the job!
Overall, Microsoft is in a win-win situation. If you choose to save your cloud settings for an additional Windows 10 support, they get another OneDrive subscriber (because I think 5 GB of free storage are hardly sufficient these days). If you pay $ 30, Microsoft will earn additional Windows user income just to offer security updates for a year.
If you opt for the Microsoft Rewards point method, Microsoft is taking advantage of it because you will need to use their products. And if you decide to stop using Windows 10 and go to Windows 11 … Well, that’s exactly what they want you to do.
