Microsoft will charge customers for Windows 10 security updates

Customers will have to upgrade their operating system or pay for important security patches as Microsoft is not prolonging the support period for Windows 10.

When Windows 10 support expires in 2025, Microsoft will let users purchase Extended Security Updates (ESU) for the operating system. Rather than prolonging the end of support date for Windows 10, the software giant now plans to offer paid security updates to consumers for the initial time through an annual subscription service. Normally, the company only provides these updates to enterprises that must continue operating previous versions of Windows.

October 14, 2025, is when Windows 10 will no longer be supported by Microsoft, which is a little more than ten years after the OS's first release. Given that Windows 10 is still widely used and that there was a significant amount of time (almost six years) between Windows 10 and Windows 11, many had anticipated that Microsoft would extend support for Windows 10.

Microsoft has announced that it will invest more resources in AI technologies, including its AI-powered Copilot, and will continue to provide free security updates for Windows 10. This change comes just weeks after Microsoft announced a revisit of its strategy for Windows 10. If Windows 10 support ends, Microsoft may still be required to provide free security updates, as seen in 2017, when a patch was released to prevent a ransomware outbreak.