Starting this October, support for Windows 10 security updates will become a paid service. Microsoft is adding two options to avoid this and receive updates until October 13, 2026.
Either way, this year Windows 10 will lose feature updates But a fee of $30 per year for extended updates security risks can be avoided by using Windows Backup to synchronize your settings with OneDrive. You can also redeem 1000 Microsoft Rewards points for this.
Until October 15, 2025, users need to use one of the three options listed above or stop receiving important security and stability updates. On the other hand, the situation is not so dramatic. Microsoft will continue to update the free Defender antivirus for Windows 10 until October 2028. The first line of defense against things like viruses, trojans, and spyware will still work, but without the updates to the system itself that are sometimes necessary to counter new threats. Microsoft 365 apps will also continue to receive feature updates until August 2026 and security patches until October 2028.
As of yesterday, Microsoft allows users to sign up for the Advanced Security Updates program and choose from the options listed. In fact, the new options mean that many people will be able to receive security updates at no additional cost or restriction. If you don’t take advantage of any of the options, some people you will need to upgrade your PC to a Windows 11 compatible one — it is much more expensive than $30.
This is the first time that Microsoft has opened up the Advanced Security Update program to regular users. Previously, it was only available to business customers. The security updates will be valid from October 15, 2025 to October 13, 2026.
Sources: Microsoft, PC World, Windows Report
Spelling error report
The following text will be sent to our editors: