Windows 10 Life Line

Microsoft Offers a Lifeline for Windows 10 Users—But It's Only Temporary

With Windows 10 officially reaching its end of life on October 14, 2025, Microsoft has extended a short-term lifeline to personal users still clinging to the aging operating system. For the first time, individual consumers can opt into Extended Security Updates (ESU)—a program previously reserved for businesses and education sectors.

Two Paths Forward for Personal Users

Microsoft now offers two options to extend support for Windows 10:

• Pay $30 USD for 12 Months of Security Updates
  This one-time fee grants an additional year of critical security patches through October 2026. However, this extension is only available for one year and only for personal devices.
• Sign into a Microsoft Account and Back Up Your Data
  Users can also extend support for free by syncing their settings and data to the cloud via a Microsoft account. This method offers a temporary reprieve but still ends after 12 months.

Important: These options do not apply to business users. If you're running Windows 10 in a commercial environment, you'll need to pay $61 USD per device for Year One of ESU—and the cost doubles each year for up to three years.

Why iFix Computers Recommends Planning Your Exit:

While these extensions may sound appealing, they’re just delaying the inevitable. Windows 10 will no longer receive feature updates, and many apps may stop working reliably over time. Worse, unsupported systems become increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats.

At iFix Computers, we strongly recommend:

• Replacing obsolete devices with hardware that supports Windows 11
• Upgrading to Windows 11, which offers enhanced security thanks to TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and virtualization-based protection
• Factoring in ESU costs if you're a business and need time to transition

Windows 11: Built for Modern Security:

Unlike Windows 10, Windows 11 enforces strict hardware requirements that enable advanced security features by default. These include:

• Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0
• Secure Boot
• Virtualization-Based Security (VBS)

These enhancements make Windows 11 significantly more resilient against modern threats—especially important for businesses handling sensitive data.