Microsoft Simplifies Access to Windows 10 Updates

Users of Windows 10 in the European Economic Zone (EEZ) will receive an additional year of free security updates after Microsoft was forced to adjust its original requirements for the Extended Security Update (ESU) program. This change comes following pressure from consumer rights organizations.

Mainstream support for Windows 10 is officially scheduled to end on October 14, 2025. Microsoft had initially offered users a way to extend critical security patches for one more year, but with specific conditions. To get free access, users were required to back up their system settings to the cloud using a Microsoft account—unless they opted for the paid support plan.

This requirement raised concerns among European consumer advocates. The organization Euroconsumers pointed out that tying the updates to a cloud service could be seen as bundling, forcing an additional service on users. They also noted that the free tier of the OneDrive cloud storage is limited to 5GB, which could pressure users into buying a subscription. As a result, Microsoft has revised the rules for the 30 countries within the EEZ. Residents of these countries will no longer need to sync their settings to the cloud or pay a fee to receive updates until October 2026. According to Windows Central, they will only need to confirm their Microsoft account once every 60 days.

For users outside the European Economic Zone, the original terms still apply. To extend support for a year, they must either pay $30 (approximately 2,500 rubles) or use points from the Microsoft Rewards loyalty program.

Microsoft's decision is linked to the need to comply with strict European regulations, specifically the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This is particularly relevant as hundreds of millions of PCs worldwide are still running Windows 10, making security a pressing issue for their owners.