Prime Highlights:

• Microsoft is announcing October 14, 2025, as the final free upgrade deadline from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
• The customers will have to pay $30 a year for standard security updates after the deadline if they stick with Windows 10.

Key Facts:

• Technically, the support for Windows 10 would expire on October 14, 2025.
• Free upgrade to Windows 11, i.e., TPM 2.0, is dependent on hardware support.
• Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10 will be priced at $30 yearly for a maximum of 3 years.

Key Background :

Microsoft formally announced the end-of-support date for Windows 10: October 14, 2025. From this date, the users who still use Windows 10 will no longer be entitled to free security updates, bug fixes, or Microsoft technical support. The company again assured that eligible users can upgrade to Windows 11 for free until this date, but after it’s done, they must pay for ongoing protection.

The upgrade to Windows 11 for free can be done only on hardware-supported computers, i.e., with the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 feature, which is safer. Some of the older machines do not have this feature, and hence users who cannot upgrade to Windows 11 have another option.

To make this happen, Microsoft is launching an Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. The plan will continue with those who are hanging on to Windows 10 with critical security updates past the October 2025 cutoff—but for a price. The ESU program will cost $30 per year for consumers, raising prices in subsequent years. The subscription will come with no added features or performance updates—only necessary security patches.

The switch is a transition to convince the other Windows 10 users to make the change to Windows 11 because the uptake of the new OS has been slow. Despite being released to the market in 2021, the majority of Microsoft’s customers are still using Windows 10 because the hardware is not compatible with the new system as well as due to familiarity with the older system.

Microsoft continues to insist on the need for an upgrade to Windows 11, notifying users of improved performance, improved user experience, and improved security infrastructure as some of the major benefits. Hardware-based protection, virtualization-based security, and protection against phishing are less advanced in Windows 10.

For customers who opt to stick with Windows 10 but turn down the ESU, lacking future security updates may leave computers open to malware, cyber attacks, and data vulnerability. Microsoft urges customers to be smart—either by choosing suitable hardware for Windows 11 or taking on the ESU in an attempt to stay safe.

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