Microsoft Offers Windows 10 ESU Free for One Year, Mandating Microsoft Account and OneDrive Backup

Microsoft has announced an Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme for Windows 10 that grants an extra year of security updates, with free access in select markets such as the United States. According to Microsoft’s announcement, Windows 10 will remain functional after 14 October 2025 but will stop receiving default security updates, so ESU will continue updates until October 2026.

To qualify, users must link their devices to a Microsoft account and enable OneDrive backup, which means cloud integration is now required for those enrolled. OneDrive’s free storage is capped at 5 GB, and users can exclude certain folders from synchronization to stay within the limit.

For devices meeting hardware requirements, Microsoft still recommends upgrading to Windows 11, though many older systems may not support TPM 2.0 or CPU compatibility, making Windows 10 ESU a transitional safeguard for hundreds of millions of devices.