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Microsoft Rolls Out Conditional Free Year of Windows 10 Security Updates

Critics say the narrow relief overlooks strict Windows 11 hardware requirements, risking a surge of e-waste by leaving users without a path to upgrade.

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Overview

  • Consumers can qualify for a free year of Extended Security Updates by syncing settings to OneDrive or redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
  • Commercial customers remain excluded from the free offer and must pay $61 per device for the first year of ESU, with fees rising thereafter.
  • Public Interest Research Group campaigners warn the concession is insufficient to aid as many as 400 million Windows 10 PCs that cannot upgrade to Windows 11.
  • ControlUp’s latest report finds that 50 percent of enterprise Windows endpoints have yet to migrate to Windows 11 ahead of the October 2025 support deadline.
  • Sustainability advocates caution that unsupported devices may end up discarded in a wave of e-waste once Windows 10 security updates expire.