The era of Windows 10 support ended back on Oct. 14. After more than a decade, Microsoft is prioritizing updates for the latest OS, Windows 11, and has thus stopped providing security updates for Windows 10.
If updating to Windows 11 isn’t an option, you can snag a year of extended security updates for the prior OS for $30. If you’re on a budget, there’s a free option that will let you keep extended security updates for a year. You’ll just be required to connect your OneDrive account and enable cloud backup.
Getting free updates on Windows 10, which was released more than a decade ago in July 2015, is a pretty big deal. As the most widely used Windows OS, it accounts for just over 53% of installs as of May 2025. Millions of people would be left without security support unless they upgrade. The cloud backup option gives users a choice without incurring a cost.
The only potential issue is OneDrive. Anyone with a Microsoft account gets up to 5GB of storage for free. However, as The Verge points out, some backups may exceed this limitation, requiring users to purchase a monthly or yearly plan. At $2 a month for 100GB of cloud storage, a year of OneDrive still costs less than the $30 for a year of additional security updates, but it may still cause frustration among some customers.
How to get Windows 10 security updates for free
Per Microsoft’s blog post, there are now three options for those who want to stay on Windows 10 and still receive security updates:
These options are available now. Microsoft began offering its Extended Security Updates program in July. Signing up for this option will guarantee updates through Oct. 13, 2026, although businesses can purchase up to 3 years of additional updates. So, this isn’t a long-term solution, but rather gives you more time to upgrade to Windows 11.
It’s been an uphill battle for Microsoft, as people have been reluctant to upgrade their existing hardware. There are myriad differences between the two operating systems. Still, Microsoft’s string of unpopular decisions, along with Windows 11 compatibility issues, have kept the prior-generation OS around a lot longer than it normally would.
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