Still Using Windows 10? Here’s How to Get Another Year of Updates for Free
Among these, the backup application is the most painless; It backup recorded identification information, Windows settings and Windows applications on your account. It can also save files that you specify, if your account has space for them (the derisory 5 GB that you get free will not be good for many, but it is there).
I had already used the Windows backup application with my Microsoft account at some point in the past, so I have been automatically offered free registration on the ESU program. Whatever the option you choose, click on the Registration button and your PC will be registered for the additional year of updates.
A state message in the Windows Update application will confirm that your PC has been registered. You will obtain security updates for Windows itself until October 2026, and Microsoft has signed up separately to provide updates of Microsoft Defender antivirus definitions and security updates for the Microsoft Office versions supported until 2028.
What if I don’t want to store anything with Microsoft?
We know that some of you absolutely do not want to do with a Microsoft account, despite the push of the company to demand one as a prerequisite for the use of any version of Windows 11. If that describes you, the good news is that you can register for the ESU program without having to stay registered with Windows Backup or without staying signed to a Microsoft account.
To stop using the Windows backup, go to settings, accounts and click on Windows backup and turn off all the tips to prevent future backups from occurring. You should be able to erase the previous backup settings by accessing your Microsoft account settings in a web browser, accessing the devices tab, scrolling down and clicking on “erase stored settings”. All files synchronized via OneDrive can be managed via its web interface.
To disconnect from a completely Microsoft account, access the parameters, accounts and the Your Info tab. There, you should be able to click on an labeled link “Connect with a local account instead” or “Stop signing automatically to all Microsoft applications”, depending on how you first connected. After deciding on a local account, you can also access the settings, accounts and e-mail tab and accounts and delete all Microsoft accounts you see here if you do not want to use them for Edge or other Windows applications on your PC.
Even after deleting all we would prefer to be able to obtain updates without the fun, but for people who cannot or do not want to install Windows 11, the additional year of safety fixes is 10 or 15 minutes of irritation.
This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.
