Overview

• Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates program offers one additional year of Windows 10 patches, with enrollment free via a Microsoft account cloud sync or 1,000 Rewards points, or available for $30, and it now supports up to 10 devices.
• Windows Update and the ESU Assistant are surfacing new “Enroll now” prompts, though they have not reached all machines ahead of the October cutoff.
• A newly surfaced in‑OS link labeled “Learn about options to trade-in or recycle your PC” directs some users to a Microsoft Store trade‑in program, according to Windows Latest and PCWorld, though Microsoft has not formally announced it.
• Consumer groups estimate 200–400 million PCs cannot run Windows 11 and note that about 46.2% of PCs still use Windows 10, while security firms warn unpatched systems will be prime targets after support ends.
• Refurbishers and repair advocates are pushing alternatives, with Back Market selling limited ChromeOS Flex or Ubuntu refits and The Restart Project offering an “End of 10” toolkit, alongside guidance to migrate to Linux or ChromeOS or buy a new PC.