If you’re using Windows 10 and want to use it beyond end of support next fall, Microsoft is offering a business for you: $30 for one year of updates. The software giant announced that as Windows 10 nears the official end of life on October 14, 2025, it will begin selling access to its Extended Security Updates program.

Of course, Microsoft won’t complain if you hurry up and make the change. Yusuf Mehdi, executive vice president and director of consumer marketing, noted that the announcement “is intended to help you prepare for the end of support for Windows 10 by outlining the considerations for moving to Windows 11 today …”.

The announcement lists a host of reasons why Microsoft thinks users should move away from one of its most beloved operating systems. And it is not wrong that Windows 11 has newer security features and GUI updates.

But Windows 10 has had a death grip on its users for years. Even now, the latest Statcounter Numbers estimated Windows 10’s global market share at 62.75% in September, while Windows 11 grabbed just 33.42%. If it seems like Windows 11 has been around for a long time, that’s because it has. The replacement of Windows 10 has been released in October 2021.

Credit: StatCounter

Microsoft originally targeted business, education, and government users with its ESU program, but it left out the general public. And he emphasizes that the expanded updates are intended to help with the transition to Windows 11, rather than being the long-term solution for users who just want to stick with Windows 10. The $30 gives you an extra year, but it looks like that’ll be it.

In his announcement, Mehdi highlights that Copilot+ PCs, delivered with Windows 11, have added security features such as Windows Hello ESS (Enhanced Sign-in Security) and Pluton chip-to-cloud security functionality. (Pluto requires a specific processor and Windows 11 version 22H2 and later.) Whether Copilot+ will become a significant driver for Windows 11 PCs remains to be seen. The security improvements are certainly welcome.

By the way, a new feature for Copilot+ PCs is experiencing yet another delay. As a reminder, a feature that has sparked both excitement and security concerns, won’t arrive in the Windows Insider program until December. Recall promises to help you quickly find things you’ve seen or worked on in the past, but it works by using AI to sort through screenshots of your activity. Microsoft delayed the release of the feature several times this year as he grapples with the security implications.