the era of Support for Windows 10 ends on October 14. After more than ten years Microsoft prioritizes updates for the latest operating system, Windows 11, and stops security updates for Windows 10.
If upgrading to Windows 11 isn’t an option, you can get one year of extended security updates for the previous operating system for $30. If you’re on a budget, there’s a free option that lets you keep extended security updates for a year. All you need to do is connect your OneDrive account and enable cloud backup.
Getting free updates for Windows 10, which was released over a decade ago in July 2015, is a big deal. It is the most widely used Windows operating system just over 53% of installations by May 2025. Millions of people would be left without security support if they did not update. The cloud backup option gives users freedom of choice.
The only potential problem is OneDrive. Anyone with a Microsoft account gets up to 5GB of free storage. However, as The Verge underlinedSome backups may exceed this limit, requiring users to purchase a monthly or annual subscription. At $2 per month for 100GB of cloud storage, a year of OneDrive is still less than $30 for a year of additional security updates, but that may still cause frustration for some customers.
How to get free security updates for Windows 10
Of Microsoft blog postFor those who want to stay on Windows 10 while receiving security updates, there are now three options:
- Use Windows Backup to sync your settings to the cloud via OneDrive.
- Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. When you redeem these points, you can purchase a year of security updates.
- Pay $30 for the Extended Security Updates program.
These options are now available. Microsoft began offering its extended security update program in July. If you sign up for this option, updates are guaranteed until October 13, 2026. However, businesses have the option to purchase additional updates for up to three years. So this is not a long term solution but gives you more time to upgrade to Windows 11.
It was an uphill battle for Microsoft as people were reluctant to upgrade their existing hardware. There are many differences between the two operating systems, but Microsoft’s series of unpopular decisions and compatibility issues with Windows 11 have kept the previous generation operating system on the market much longer than usual.