Windows 10 support ends today, but here’s how to get an extra year for free

When you’re nonetheless operating Home windows 10 in your PC, we have some information for you. As of right now, Microsoft is transferring the software program to “finish of life” standing. The excellent news: Home windows 10 PCs will nonetheless proceed to work after right now. The unhealthy information: they will cease getting necessary safety updates by default. That leaves you with three options if you wish to be certain that your pc stays safe:

1. You possibly can select to improve to Home windows 11 without spending a dime in case your pc is appropriate.

2. You possibly can buy a new PC that already has Home windows 11 pre-installed (or go for another, like a Mac or a Chromebook).

3. Overlook about Home windows 11 proper now and join the Prolonged Safety Updates (ESU), which helps you to kick the can down the highway for a 12 months.

Choice three is fairly straightforward — and might now be performed without spending a dime in lots of instances — so we’ll give attention to that one right here. We’ll stroll you thru the steps of maintaining Home windows 10 in your PC… for now, not less than.

How to enroll in Home windows 10 Prolonged Safety Updates in your pc

We will question Microsoft’s motives for killing off Home windows 10, although it really works completely effectively on most older PCs. However with out these periodic safety updates, your PC will change into more and more prone to malware with every passing week. To that finish, enrolling in Prolonged Safety Updates (ESU) provides you with one other 12 months of utilizing Home windows 10 securely.

At one level, Microsoft steered the 12-month extension would require a $30 charge. Whereas that is nonetheless an possibility, there’s now a free path for Home windows 10 customers within the US. Here is learn how to make it occur.

Step 1: Be sure your PC is updated

Yow will discover out in case your pc is up-to-date by going into your Settings > System > About, then scroll right down to see what model you are operating. If not, you will need to be sure you additionally set up all of the Home windows 10 updates accessible.

Step 2: Ensure you’re utilizing an administrator account

When you share a pc with a number of folks in your family, be sure you’re signed in to the administrator account. Sometimes, it is the primary account created on the pc. You may know it is the proper one whenever you see “Administrator” beneath the title. (You possibly can double-check beneath Settings > Your Data.)

Step 3: Confirm in case your PC is eligible to improve to Home windows 11 (or not)

When you see an choice to improve to Windows 11, simply do this. It is free and it retains you within the Home windows loop. In any other case, proceed following the steps beneath so you possibly can maintain your pc secure with safety updates.

Step 4: Enroll in Prolonged Safety Updates

Join ESU by deciding on Replace & Safety from the Settings menu. Click on the “Enroll Now” sign-up hyperlink, as pictured beneath. Once more, you may even see an choice to obtain Home windows 11 in case your pc meets the necessities (once more, positively do this in the event you see it).

When you’re not seeing the “Enroll now” hyperlink, you most likely have to replace and set up the most recent Home windows 10 updates (as famous above).

Step 5: Select your improve technique

Subsequent up is selecting the way you need to enroll, and you’ve got just a few choices. The simplest means is to again up your PC settings. It is free, nevertheless it takes a little bit little bit of time since you will have to again up your knowledge. Once more, you will want to make use of your administrator account to get began.

That stated, the free possibility right here comes with two catches, not less than for customers within the US. (European customers will get the free possibility with no strings attached.) The primary is that you will be linking your Home windows login to Microsoft’s cloud-based on-line service. Most customers have possible already performed this (in the event that they’re utilizing CoPilot, Workplace 365, GamePass, OneDrive or considered one of Microsoft’s different varied on-line providers). However in the event you’ve particularly opted for a neighborhood login to Home windows, the worth you are paying for this “free” extension is becoming a member of the cloud-connected Microsoft universe.

The opposite potential subject is that the free backup solely applies to the primary 5 GB of storage. Something extra, and also you’ll have to pay up for Microsoft’s OneDrive providers. However fortunately, you possibly can flip off something you do not need to again up by going to Settings > OneDrive and toggling off choices like Paperwork, Footage and Movies to get in beneath the free threshold to begin.

When you’re signed in, a window will pop up that claims “Add this gadget to obtain Prolonged Safety Updates.” Click on Add Gadget to enroll it. Click on Performed.

A observe: Because of YouTube’s Explaining Computers channel, the place we grabbed the screenshot above (since our check PC was already signed up for cloud backups, and did not present the splash display screen to decide on choices). You possibly can watch their full video if you would like a deeper dive into the method.

That is it, you are performed! (Till subsequent 12 months)

You have bought 12 extra months to determine another improve path to Home windows 11. If something adjustments subsequent 12 months, we’ll replace this story with what your subsequent steps are.