Thursday, April 4th 2024

Windows 10 Security Updates to Cost $61 After 2025, $427 by 2028

Microsoft Windows 10 is an operating system quite a few people don't want to upgrade from, and some don't even consider the move to Windows 11 an upgrade. This is especially true for businesses or other organizations that aren't sold on Windows 11. Microsoft already has a retirement plan in place, which sees the company discontinue regular security updates for the operating system on October 14, 2025, but you can keep getting these updates beyond that date, for a price.

Under the Extended Security Updates (ESU) plan for Windows 10, you can purchase a year's worth regular "patch Tuesday" security updates at $61, and keep Windows 10 alive till October 2026. Here's where it gets crazy—the price of ESU doubles each year. The October 2026 to October 2027 leg will cost you $122. This doubles again the following year, with the final October 2027 to October 2028 leg costing $244. If you plan on keeping your Windows 10 through till 2028, it will cost you a total of $427 for the three years, per machine. ESU licenses resemble the OS's main license—you either buy them electronically through the Microsoft Store or Windows 365; or as 25-digit codes in retail.
Source: PC World
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84 Comments on Windows 10 Security Updates to Cost $61 After 2025, $427 by 2028

#26
ThrashZone
Hi,
TPM is a weird requirement
Bitlocker all one needs is a flash drive to use just as it's always been lol
Posted on Reply
#27
efikkan
I see that Microsoft will continue to make it difficult for anyone developing/maintaining software for "legacy" OS' (as usual). :(


I can certainly understand anyone who don't have the fastest PC would like to hold on to their Windows 10 over getting a more laggy Windows 11, not to mention all games and software which may not work as well, just as many were clinging to Windows 7, and XP before that.

But both Windows 11 and 10 are a mess in my opinion. Whenever I use any of them I need to google where did they hide that setting now?
I do miss the good old days of Windows 98 in terms of usability. Sure it was unstable, very unstable, though.
But the overall "best" version (when it was supported) was probably not XP as many talk about, I would argue it was the often overlooked "XP 64-bit", which was actually Windows Server 2003. Best in terms of usability, stability and performance.
ThrashZoneI did add another utility recently to kill windows update service from turning back on seems to work pretty well so far
Windows Update Blocker v1.8
All you need to do is set your network connections to being "metered", and then disable windows update for metered connections. The only downside I know of is if you rely on something like Outlook, it will stop automatically refreshing your inbox, because it's "metered". ;)
Posted on Reply
#28
Dr. Dro
FierceRedThe TPM is the sticking point especially at that generational level. Very easy to have a Sky/Kaby Lake and not have a TPM.

I built the PC in my profile specs in July 2016 using a ROG motherboard released late 2015, and don't have a TPM. "Just upgrade bro" is destroyed when that's a moderate timeframe for PC ownership, especially given that 2000-series GPUs still dominate Steam hardware surveys.

I intend to upgrade to AM5 this summer, but with the recent earthquake I wouldn't be surprised if retailers surge-price the parts out of my range for lulz.
However, a dTPM chip isn't exorbitantly priced and is a suitable upgrade for many systems. It's also noteworthy that these are now eight to nine year old computers. They work, of course, which is justification enough for ongoing software support... but there's no denying they're old by now
Posted on Reply
#29
ThrashZone
efikkanAll you need to do is set your network connections to being "metered", and then disable windows update for metered connections. The only downside I know of is if you rely on something like Outlook, it will stop automatically refreshing your inbox, because it's "metered". ;)
Hi,
I love it when people keep saying metered does anything to updates service lol
That does nothing to the update service It runs and runs like the energizer bunny and keeps communicated nonstop

Even if you disable the update service WaaSMedicSvc kicks it back on soon after and now it doesn't thanks to the app :cool:
Posted on Reply
#30
starfals
Shame, my 2017 laptop cant upgrade to 11. Its a perfect laptop too. Gorgeous screen, tons of ram, speedy and all. I see 0 reason to leave it anytime soon. I guess i gotta learn how to turn off the windows protections/checks so i can install it on my device. Nice tho, instead of being automatic and simple, i gotta suffer! Thanks Microsoft... You wonder why W11 ain't doing too good? Saw the new steam stats? W11 even lost some users lol. I mean, you literally stop customers from upgrading lol. I want to, but i can't. It says it's not possible, and buying a new laptop is also not possible or needed. Why waste money when this one works soo good?
Posted on Reply
#31
Darmok N Jalad
EasoQueue outrage again about what has always been Microsoft's policy. Never change internet, never change.

Windows 10 will be 10 (kek) years old in next year, as far as I am concerned 10 (kill me) years of support is pretty good.
I don't think you'd see near the outrage if Windows 11 was an OS worth upgrading to, or at least was a neutral upgrade. It's not--it's more intrusive and more limiting, and even if you can get past that, you still might be screwed because your hardware that is more than adequate for the task is not supported. These aren't complaints about going to curved window edges, but about getting left behind arbitrarily, and the ramping up of getting the latest half-baked ideas from MS jammed in your face (New Outlook, Copilot, latest crazy Edge feature, etc). MS craves telemetry and user data now, which is a far cry from the MS that used to attack Google for doing just that. I can run 11 on my Ivy Bridge E system perfectly fine. Zero issues, other than the fact that it almost feels like it's not my PC anymore, but Microsofts.
Posted on Reply
#32
ThrashZone
Hi,
Well nothing will get better on win-12 or what ever MS ends up calling 24h2 or it's successor
Just more mandates.
But then again that is why a lot of people didn't like win-11 enough to update to it hehe
I did because it really made no difference 10 and 11 sux so net zero loss using 11 :sleep:
Posted on Reply
#33
b1k3rdude
So the same old scare tactics from M$, I will continue to use Win10 untill they fix all the issue they introduced in Win11 or I will skip 11 entirely.
Posted on Reply
#34
mechtech
$61 sounds like a good deal to avoid W11 for a full year ;)
Posted on Reply
#35
Craptacular
QuitessaUh-huh, and what about those computers that Can't upgrade from 10 to 11 due to arbitrary M$ limitations?
They are nearly a decade old and can be left behind.
Posted on Reply
#36
maxfly
CraptacularThey are nearly a decade old and can be left behind.
Not all of them.
Posted on Reply
#37
NukeySMK
I may be singularly subjective here, but I prefer Win11 for nothing more than the better multi-monitor support.
Posted on Reply
#38
Darmok N Jalad
CraptacularThey are nearly a decade old and can be left behind.
Leaving hardware behind is not how windows has worked historically. It's been one of its biggest selling points, really. I guess in the more distant past, old hardware was mainly left behind because it was insufficient for increasingly complex basic tasks, but that's not true for a lot of the hardware W11 obsoletes. I can still photo edit and play games on Ivy Bridge E, and the hardware actually runs W11 perfectly fine when you bypass the restrictions. I'm curious if MS will backpedal a bit when W10 goes dormant and millions of PCs that can't upgrade stay in service.
Posted on Reply
#39
chrcoluk
The real EOL date is when vendors drop support, this is hard to predict. I assume Microsoft will be leaning on the vendors, I still remember when coffee lake initially supported Win 7/8, then one day a magician appeared, and the drivers disappeared of the net, websites were changed, all in sync across multiple vendors to drop Win 7/8 support. Then that same day Microsoft rolled out an update blocking security updates on that hardware as well, something Windows had never done previously.

Finally with Windows 10 eventually becoming good after half a decade, and a high % of users are on it, what do Microsoft do? They decide to kill it and bring the old split user base problems back. Not only that they announced they going back to more rapid OS updates. So by the time the last stragglers of 10 upgrade, 11 will either be on its last legs or already expired.

Can see Microsoft are busy fixing various UI regressions they introduced in 11, they wont all get remedied of course, but I expect by the time 11 resembles something usable, it will be 12 getting released.

So why are they rollout major OS updates again? Seems they wanted to copy over more mobile OS UI design from Apple, pressure from hardware industry to obsolete old kit. The actual enhancements in 11 were planned for 10 previously and could have been put in 10, the reasons in my view are primarily UI and hardware related.
Posted on Reply
#40
kapone32
Just to put some perspective on this. The latest update from MS has the OS telling me that my One drive subscription has expired. I have never accepted One Drive during install but I am pretty sure it is hooked into the mail program in W11. Anyway they want me to pay $6.99 per month or I don't remember per year to maintain my One drive account going forward. My issue is how is MS going to get the word free away from the community understanding of that being associated with MS.
Posted on Reply
#41
Gmr_Chick
SirBBeen on 11 from prerelease days. Works great. 11 haters are kind of slow people it seems. Reminds me of XP luddites from the past. Probably the same people bitching about 11 now.
No need for insults to peoples' intelligence, man. My rig is fully capable of running Win 11, but if I enjoy Win 10 and it's not broken, why risk breaking what isn't broken by moving to 11? Besides that, there's nothing truly compelling about 11 for me at the moment to make me want to move on from 10. :p
Posted on Reply
#42
Darmok N Jalad
chrcolukThe real EOL date is when vendors drop support, this is hard to predict. I assume Microsoft will be leaning on the vendors, I still remember when coffee lake initially supported Win 7/8, then one day a magician appeared, and the drivers disappeared of the net, websites were changed, all in sync across multiple vendors to drop Win 7/8 support. Then that same day Microsoft rolled out an update blocking security updates on that hardware as well, something Windows had never done previously.

Finally with Windows 10 eventually becoming good after half a decade, and a high % of users are on it, what do Microsoft do? They decide to kill it and bring the old split user base problems back. Not only that they announced they going back to more rapid OS updates. So by the time the last stragglers of 10 upgrade, 11 will either be on its last legs or already expired.

Can see Microsoft are busy fixing various UI regressions they introduced in 11, they wont all get remedied of course, but I expect by the time 11 resembles something usable, it will be 12 getting released.

So why are they rollout major OS updates again? Seems they wanted to copy over more mobile OS UI design from Apple, pressure from hardware industry to obsolete old kit. The actual enhancements in 11 were planned for 10 previously and could have been put in 10, the reasons in my view are primarily UI and hardware related.
I do feel like there's something pressuring this need to throw out what works just to replace it with something that's marginally better, at least for most people who expect very little from their PCs. What we've had for about a decade can handle the basics of computing with little fuss. Just give the system an SSD and plenty of RAM, and it will do the web browsing, emailing, social media stuff, etc, with ease. I find it quite ironic that plastered in the W11 control panel is MS's commitment to the environment and recommendations for energy savings. The very OS that wants to send millions of functional PCs to the graveyard to be replaced with new gear is talking to us about environmental stewardship.
Posted on Reply
#43
ghazi
I have a feeling those who are using LTSC will manage to consume these security updates without paying for them.
Posted on Reply
#44
silapakorn
Honest question: What are disadvantages of not having security updates for a home user like me?

So far all I see is not having to undergo annoying forced updates every now and then, which is obviously a good thing for me.

Ps. I have been using Win10 Home since 2015 and never install any antivirus software. Not sure if windows defender's doing an excellent job or my usage is just low-risk.
Posted on Reply
#45
Easo
ghaziI have a feeling those who are using LTSC will manage to consume these security updates without paying for them.
So, pirates at home? :)
Posted on Reply
#46
Wirko
chrcolukFinally with Windows 10 eventually becoming good after half a decade
Yes. And here lies the problem. The support period of 10 years (plus extensions) is actually quite good by itself; we can complain about other MS's decisions and policies but not this one. However, to me at least, an OS doesn't even exist until its user interface has stabilised, which for Win 10 took too many years, and those should be subtracted from the effective support period.
Gmr_ChickNo need for insults to peoples' intelligence, man.
Yeah maybe you're right but I don't mind being called slow. Made the switch to XP 4 years after its introduction; for 7, it was 7 years; by extrapolation, I'll install 10 two weeks before support runs out. I'm slower than slow!
Posted on Reply
#47
Readlight
Look for light iso. Optimized for gaming window install.
Posted on Reply
#48
mb194dc
Presumably ltsc IOT enterprise users roll on to 2032 :cool:..?

Windows 11 (and likely 12) are seemingly about pushing crapola few have any use case for on to users if they like it or not?

Microsoft all in on "AI" and they don't care if you want or have any use for it..?
Posted on Reply
#49
ThrashZone
mb194dcPresumably ltsc IOT enterprise users roll on to 2032 :cool:..?

Windows 11 (and likely 12) are seemingly about pushing crapola few have any use case for on to users if they like it or not?

Microsoft all in on "AI" and they don't care if you want or have any use for it..?
Hi,
Well atm AI is not tough to get rid of no telling when it will need altering though but I'm sure Brink will be on it hehe
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Created by: Shawn Brink
; Created on: March 7, 2024
; Tutorial: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/completely-disable-and-remove-copilot-in-windows-11.23264/

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot]
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot]
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"HubsSidebarEnabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=dword:00000001
Posted on Reply
#50
Frick
Fishfaced Nincompoop
Dr. DroHowever, a dTPM chip isn't exorbitantly priced and is a suitable upgrade for many systems. It's also noteworthy that these are now eight to nine year old computers. They work, of course, which is justification enough for ongoing software support... but there's no denying they're old by now
Harder to upgrade on laptops.
Posted on Reply
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