Tick-tock, Windows 10 users! The upgrade drumbeat does not cease beating for your trusty-old-school PC. With the support bays winding down in October 2025, Redmond is now extending lifelines, offering an extra year of updates for Windows 10. The catch? You’d better prove yourself by jumping through hoops, three of them.
Microsoft Knows Windows 10 Isn’t Going Away
Windows 11: Upgrade or Else? There seems to be strong resistance to Microsoft’s unprecedented push for Windows 11 uptake. Billions confront a costly choice between getting a new PC and holding to their familiar environment. Awhile ago, the incessant upgrade nags died down; however, a deadline has been set to come due. Being off the deadline failure to upgrade means the cessation of essential security updates, which is to say your protection is at stake. This warrants either an investment or is the investment on the old one worthy of the risk?
The ESU service came out last October as a lifeline to older systems by Microsoft. Think of it as a cheap reprieve: pay just a fraction of a new PC’s cost to get another year of critical updates. It’s the ultimate geeky stay of execution.
Now, Microsoft’s changing the rules and offering a few free ways to enroll in the ESU program.
Watch for the ESU Notification
Windows 10 holdouts, listen up! Insiders are getting a sneak peek at the ESU notification. But don’t worry, you haven’t been forgotten! So mark calendar months, July and August 2025, to board the ESU program and keep those critical Windows 10 updates coming.
Look at the tray at the right side of the taskbar. When ready to upgrade, a message will appear there. Otherwise, check for the enrollment wizard inSettings >Windows Update. If it’s not there yet, do not worry! This update is on a slow rollout, slowly reaching everyone in the next couple of months.
Image source: Microsoft
Simply follow the enrollment wizard prompts to choose how you want to get updates.
Enroll in Windows Backup
Good news first: Windows Backup gives you a free option! You just have to have a Microsoft account. Now, the bummer: that free storage only amounts to 5GB in the cloud. Honestly, my guess is that if you are anything like me, your digital life would have long passed this limit.
Microsoft is playing the long game here. Free OneDrive users are basically being converted into paying subscribers through lured expanded storage. No need for an annual Windows 10 update fee now; Microsoft is instead aiming for monthly revenue.
Using Microsoft 365 to its full potential already? Well, there might just be some luck for you! Perhaps Windows Backup might have been turned on by default, granting an automatic year of updates for you.
The thought of being stuck with Microsoft 365 for using Windows Backup? Nope! You can still use it without getting extra storage. The trick? Minimalist backups. Treat Windows Backup as a little time capsule in very neat and orderly fashion. You might want to leave out your important documents and cherished photos. Just throw in a couple of blank Word docs and maybe a few stock images. The files you actually care about-they stay elsewhere, unaffected by this backup. You can actually use Windows Backup with zero cost for storage.
Ditch the data drama! Keep your files safe, just explore beyond OneDrive for backup bliss.
Spend Microsoft Reward Points
Ditching OneDrive, yeah? Windows Backup feeling a little under the weather? Fear not! Henceforth, after October, you can obtain the crucial Windows 10 updates absolutely free of charge. How, you ask? Make good use of Microsoft Rewards! A mere 1,000 points-the very least possible-by all accounts will guarantee the ongoing update. Trying to gather these points is fairly easy-just accumulate them through everyday Microsoft activities while logged into the account. Quick clicks, searches, and so forth, should come to mind.
- Search using Bing (works on all platforms)
- Search online using your taskbar’s search box
- Check in daily on Microsoft Edge
- Play daily trivia games
- Take quizzes
- Buy items from the Microsoft Store
- Complete quests or play select games on Xbox One
- Complete random tasks, such as translating text or checking the weather
Visit Microsoft Rewards to view your progress and check out extra tasks beyond searching.
Scoring 1,000 points isn’t a sprint but a marathon. The sooner you begin, the sooner you get to cross the finish line. If you are just starting from zero, you might be able to make it in a span ranging anywhere between two to six months; therefore, it is wise to plant the seeds now for a proper harvest later!
Pay a One-Time Fee
Finding yourself stuck with Windows 10? For $30, you get a lifeline that ensures critical updates reach your system for one more year. Think of this as a software staycation! Compared to spending hundreds (or even thousands!) on a fresh machine equipped with Windows 11, this is a steal. Consider it an inexpensive way of breathing new life into the old faithful.
I’d probably say a free option- those are fairly easy to set up. This also makes sense if your trusty personal computer kicks the bucket or acts up before Christmas: that paid-for subscription will disappear with it. No refund, poof!
Got a Windows 11-ready PC but an old hard drive? Don’t let storage space be a hinderance! Imagine carving out a slim and sharp Windows 11 installation. Or, strip the bulk and go Linux instead-the alternative is far less boring than the average user would imagine.
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