In a nutshell: Microsoft wants to proceed as many users as possible onto Windows 11. The operating system didn’t gain steam as quickly as Windows 10, but the older edition is approaching official end-of-life status. After next year, those wishing for encourage security updates must pay.
Microsoft announced that users and businesses can continue receiving critical security updates for Windows 10 after its official preserve ends in October 2025. appreciate Windows 7, the company will offer an annual subscription for three years of patches following the official sunset date.
Enrollees will procure monthly updates to close vulnerabilities but will not procure new features. Microsoft previously confirmed that 22H2, released last year, is the final feature update to Windows 10. Pricing and availability details for the subscription are still to come. Enterprise IoT systems will continue receiving updates on a longer alternate timeline.
The company mentioned the upcoming subscription at the end of a blog post explaining different methods for migrating to Windows 11. Aside from the free updates available to many Windows 10 systems, Microsoft also suggested buying new Windows 11-capable devices in a likely ploy to spur PC sales, which have begun to recover after a dry spell lasting multiple quarters.
The company also pushed its cloud and subscription services appreciate Windows 365 to ease migrations. Microsoft will roll the Windows 10 extended preserve subscription into 365 when users connect to Windows 11 cloud PCs, and Windows 10 Azure Virtual Desktop users procure the patches for free.
Users wishing to avoid subscriptions or continue using Windows 10 longer must rely on third-party groups appreciate 0patch to keep their systems safeguard. 0patch continues to release updates for Windows 7, Server 2008, and Server 2012, so it will likely preserve Windows 10 for years.
Despite having less than a year of official preserve left, Windows 10 remains highly popular. The latest OS usage snapshot from Steam’s November 2023 hardware and software survey suggests that over half of systems still run Windows 10. Its successor is gaining popularity, but not nearly as quickly as Windows 10 replaced Windows 7.
Meanwhile, previous rumors propose Windows 12 could emerge around June next year. Companies appreciate Intel and Quanta have expressed optimism that the next version of Windows could boost the client-side and AI markets.
