REDMOND (dpa-AFX) - Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) has announced that it will be discontinuing support for Windows 10 from October 14, 2025. This means that users who wish to continue using the operating system securely will need to pay an annual fee.
To help with this, Microsoft will provide Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10, which will start at $61 for the first year. However, the pricing for ESU will increase as time goes on, doubling to $122 in the second year and then doubling again to $244 in the third year.
Any organizations that join the ESU program later will need to cover the costs for the period they missed. Businesses have three paid options to extend support: the traditional 5-by-5 activation key method, a cloud-based activation method, or activation included with a Windows 365 subscription. Microsoft is offering a 25% discount for organizations using a Microsoft cloud-based update management solution, bringing the cost of ESU to $45 per user for up to five devices in the first year.
It's important to note that these solutions are only available for Commercial Organizations and EDU customers, with details for regular consumers to be disclosed later. Microsoft is advising users to make the transition to Windows 11 or Windows 365 and highlights the attractiveness of purchasing new PCs in most cases. The aim of ESUs is to facilitate a gradual shift to the new operating system.
For regular customers, an extended security update paid program will be introduced closer to Windows 10's end-of-support date in October 2025. Final pricing and enrollment conditions will be announced as the end-of-support date approaches.
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