Overview
- Microsoft’s cutoff will leave Windows 10 without regular security patches, with recent estimates showing about 46.2% of desktops still on the OS and 200–400 million PCs unable to move to Windows 11.
- Microsoft’s one‑year Extended Security Updates option is rolling out with enrollment prompts, available free by signing in and syncing to a Microsoft account or via 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or for $30.
- Consumer Reports sent a letter to CEO Satya Nadella urging free updates for all affected users and calling Microsoft’s stance hypocritical given its security claims for Windows 11.
- Security firms, including ESET, caution that unsupported systems could become attractive targets once updates stop, intensifying concerns as the deadline nears.
- Microsoft is surfacing trade‑in and recycling links in update tools, with reports of offers via the ESU Assistant, while refurbishers promote ChromeOS Flex and Linux installs as alternatives for aging hardware.