Microsoft will stop issuing free security updates for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, and for home users it’s now a choice between upgrading to Windows 11, paying for a one‑year Extended Security Updates (ESU) bridge, or accepting increasing risk — Microsoft has also published a consumer ESU that extends only critical and important security patches through October 13, 2026, and offers three enrollment routes: sync your PC settings to a Microsoft account (free), redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards...