As the October 2025 deadline for windows 10 support looms, many users and organizations face a difficult transition. Millions of personal computers running the popular operating system cannot meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11. microsoft recently announced a limited program offering Extended Security Updates (ESU) for these devices, but the terms have ignited significant criticism. Experts and privacy advocates argue the offer falls short, potentially forcing users into costly upgrades or leaving devices vulnerable, contradicting goals of device longevity and sustainability.
The core issue stems from microsoft’s decision regarding the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10. ESU is designed to provide vital security patches beyond the standard end-of-support date, typically reserved for commercial customers willing to pay. For the first time, Microsoft is offering ESU to individual consumers, but with strict conditions.
Understanding Microsoft’s Limited ESU Offer
Under the new plan, individuals can potentially receive the first year of ESU for free. However, this isn’t automatic. Users must either synchronize their device settings to the cloud using Windows Backup or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. While seemingly straightforward, critics argue these conditions add unnecessary complexity and may not be accessible or desirable for everyone. This offer explicitly excludes commercial customers, who face significantly different terms.
For businesses and organizations, the path to continued security updates is purely transactional. Microsoft intends to charge $61 per device for the first year of ESU. This price is slated to double in the second year, escalating costs rapidly for organizations managing large fleets of Windows 10 machines. Alternative solutions like Windows 365, a cloud-based offering, are presented as ways to keep devices patched, but these come with their own subscription costs and infrastructure requirements.
Why Critics Call the Plan Insufficient
Advocacy groups are particularly vocal about the limitations of Microsoft’s approach. Lucas Rockett Gutterman, Campaign Director for Designed to Last at the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), has been a prominent voice, stating that the “new options don’t go far enough.” PIRG estimates that up to 400 million Windows 10 PCs globally cannot upgrade to Windows 11 due to Microsoft’s stringent hardware compatibility rules.
PIRG petitioned Microsoft back in 2023 to extend the life of Windows 10 specifically to prevent electronic waste and promote device reuse. They acknowledge some prior concessions, including ESU for individuals and more affordable pricing for schools, but maintain Microsoft hasn’t addressed the core concerns: automatically providing longer support or loosening the hardware requirements for Windows 11. Gutterman argues forcefully that restricting essential security updates behind a paywall, especially after the initial free year for individuals, is fundamentally a “business decision, not a technical one,” given that Microsoft is already committed to developing these updates through the ESU program.
The Business Challenge and Migration Hurdles
The financial burden on businesses is a major point of contention. Marcel Calef, field CTO Americas at workplace monitoring firm ControlUp, believes the $61 per device fee is prohibitive, especially as it doubles later. While ESU offers organizations a buffer period to plan upgrades or replacements, Calef notes that the functional disparity between Windows 10 and Windows 11 will continue to widen, impacting features like Universal Apps and integrated cloud/AI capabilities. This growing gap adds pressure to migrate or face decreasing productivity and compatibility.
ControlUp’s recent Windows 11 Readiness Report sheds light on the scale of the enterprise challenge. Their data indicates that a significant portion of business endpoints remain on Windows 10. Although the report showed improvement, 50 percent of enterprise Windows endpoints still hadn’t completed the migration to Windows 11 at the time of their analysis. While this is better than the 82 percent figure from the previous year, it highlights that vast numbers of corporate machines are nearing the support deadline without a clear upgrade path. The report also found varying migration rates across industries, with sectors like Education and Technology showing faster adoption compared to areas like Healthcare, where just over 41 percent of endpoints were running Windows 11. Alarmingly, ControlUp’s data suggests that 19 percent of enterprise endpoints will likely require complete hardware replacement, a substantial capital expenditure for many companies.
Navigating Alternatives and Uncertainties
With limited time remaining until October 2025, organizations and individuals unable to upgrade to Windows 11 must seriously consider their options. Paying for ESU is one route, albeit costly for businesses. Exploring alternative operating systems like Linux is technically feasible but presents compatibility and training challenges, particularly for large business environments standardized on Windows software. Cloud solutions like Windows 365 offer another path, allowing access to a cloud-streamed Windows experience that stays updated, bypassing local hardware limitations but introducing ongoing subscription fees and reliance on internet connectivity.
The situation is compounded by a perceived pattern of administrative headaches associated with Microsoft’s update processes, as evidenced by recent incidents requiring out-of-band patches to fix issues inadvertently introduced by regular updates (like those affecting Intune policies, Surface Hub devices, or causing Windows 11 boot errors). While Microsoft addresses these issues, the frequency can add to the burden on IT administrators already grappling with the complex Windows 10-to-11 transition and ESU planning.
Ultimately, the sentiment among users appears to be one of frustration. Gutterman captured this feeling, noting that users “feel yanked around” by Microsoft’s policies and do not view the current ESU announcement as a viable, long-term solution for the millions of PCs facing obsolescence. Relying on the hope that Microsoft might offer further, broader concessions before the deadline is a gamble few individuals or organizations can afford to take. The high cost for commercial ESU and the conditional nature of the individual offer strongly signal Microsoft’s preference is for users to move to newer hardware or adopt subscription-based cloud services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Windows 10 end-of-support date, and what does Microsoft’s ESU offer entail?
The official end of support for many editions of Windows 10 is October 2025. After this date, devices will no longer receive regular security and quality updates, leaving them vulnerable. Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) program provides patches beyond this deadline. For the first time, individuals can get the first year of ESU free by syncing settings with Windows Backup or redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. However, this free offer does not apply to businesses.
Why can’t many Windows 10 PCs upgrade to Windows 11, and what are the options if they can’t?
Millions of Windows 10 PCs cannot upgrade to Windows 11 primarily due to Microsoft’s strict hardware requirements, including the need for a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip. Estimates suggest around 400 million incompatible devices exist. If a PC cannot upgrade, options include paying for Windows 10 ESU (free first year conditionally for individuals, $61/year for businesses), purchasing new hardware compatible with Windows 11, exploring alternative operating systems like Linux, or adopting cloud solutions such as Windows 365.
How does Microsoft’s Windows 10 ESU plan specifically impact businesses?
Microsoft’s ESU plan significantly impacts businesses due to the cost. Unlike individual consumers, commercial customers must pay for ESU starting from the first year ($61 per device), with prices doubling annually thereafter. This cost can be substantial for organizations with many devices. It adds pressure for IT departments, many of whom still have a large percentage of devices on Windows 10 (around 50% enterprise-wide, per one report), requiring complex migration strategies, potential hardware replacement costs (estimated for 19% of devices), or forcing a shift towards subscription-based cloud services like Windows 365.
References
- <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/01/windows10updates_criticism/”>www.theregister.com
- <a href="https://www.theregister.com/AMP/2025/07/01/microsoftintuneforgetfulness/”>www.theregister.com
- <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/02/exchangeskypesubscription_versions/”>www.theregister.com
- <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/17/microsoftsurfacehub_v1/”>www.theregister.com
- <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/03/windows11oob_fix/”>www.theregister.com
