Windows 10 extended security updates free!

[koolkat]

Jun 24, 2025

Microsoft now makes Windows 10 extended security updates free, but there’s a catch. Users will have to turn on Windows Backup to get a year of free Windows 10 security updates.

Microsoft revealed last year that it will charge consumers $30 for a year of extra security updates to Windows 10. Now, it’s allowing users to enroll into its Extended Security Updates (ESU) free of charge, ahead of the Windows 10 end of support on October 14th. But there’s a catch.

Users will have three options to get ESU on their personal Windows 10 PCs, and the free option involves enabling Windows Backup to sync your settings and folders to the cloud. Windows Backup uses OneDrive, so while it’s possible to stay below the 5GB of free storage, if you have a lot of files stored locally in the Documents folder, then you’d need to purchase additional space for Windows Backup to work fully. That’s the catch for free extended updates on Windows 10 until October 13th, 2026.

The other two options to get ESU on Windows 10 involve paying the $30 fee for a year of updates, or redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Reward points (obtained with purchases from the MS Store or using Bing). And of course, you'll need a MS account

Microsoft is adding an enrollment wizard to Windows 10 in July that will have these three options.

https://www.theverge.com/news/691811/microsoft-windows-10-free-extended-security-updates