Microsoft is offering free security updates temporarily to Windows 10 users before its official end-off-port deadline on 14 October 2025. The proposal would first serve as an alternative to an $ 30 annual fee, which was declared by the company for the extended security update (ESU) last year. However, free update comes with a condition: free users must enable Windows backup to get an extended updates, which uses Onedrive Cloud Storage.

Cloud syncing on Onedrive provides storage to users for individual files. Each Microsoft account contains 5GB free onedrive storage. However, if you need more space for large local file collection, you may need to buy additional storage. Onedrive schemes begin at $ 1.99 per month for 100GB. In India, its price is Rs 140 per month or Rs 1,400 per year. While membership is cheaper than $ 30 ESU fee, it is still an additional cost.

How to enroll for free Windows 10 extended updates

Starting from July 2025- Windows 10 will include an underlying nomination wizard for the ESU program in Microsoft. This will give users three options to get safety updates through 13 October 2026. This includes

– Enable Windows Backup, Syncing Data on OnDrive (Free)
– Redege 1,000 Microsoft Reward Points for one year of update
– Pay $ 30 directly for extended safety coverage

This enrollment process will also guide users through the process setup and automatically nominate eligible equipment.

The availability of this free safety option aligns with the continuous use of Windows 10. Despite continuous efforts to push users towards Microsoft’s new Windows 11, Windows 10 is still one of the most commonly used versions of the Microsoft’s operating system. It is reportedly running on more than 53 percent PCs by May 2025. This high use has made the upcoming support cutoff a concern for many users that either do not intend to upgrade to new hardware or not support Windows 11.

In particular, individual devices running on Windows 10 will stop receiving updates by October 2026. Meanwhile, business users will have the option to buy up to three additional years of security aid. Microsoft is allowing free ESU access to Windows 10 devices that connect Windows 365 cloud PC or virtual machines.

Windows 10 was released in 2015. Now, after almost a decade, the OS is reaching the end of official support in October 2025. After that, the ESU program will stop receiving the enrolled equipment safety updates. This will make them more sensitive to cyber threats. Microsoft 365 apps will continue to receive security updates on Windows 10 via October 2028, but the feature update will be closed by August 2026.