Microsoft will stop regular support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, but a newly expanded consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program gives users a one‑year safety net — and for the first time offers legitimate free enrollment paths if you meet the conditions. This feature‑limited safety...
consumer esu
critical update
end of support
end of support 2025
esu
esu enrollment
esu paths
extended security updates
microsoftaccountmicrosoft rewards
onedrive
onedrive backup
privacy
security updates
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 esu
windows 11
windows update
Microsoft has given Windows 10 users a narrow, conditional lifeline: you can keep receiving security updates after the OS’s official end-of-support date — but only if you complete a short, specific checklist and enroll in the consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) pathway before the deadline...
backup
end of support
enrollment
esu
extended security updates
hardware requirements
microsoftaccountmicrosoft rewards
migration
onedrive
privacy
secure boot
security updates
tpm 2.0
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 esu
windows update
It still works to let you install Windows using a local account instead of a microsoft account, but the microsoft store, and its related apps, including notepad, photos, and windows terminal, will not work properly, and you can't switch to a microsoft account either.
account switch
app installation
app troubleshooting
local accountmicrosoftaccountmicrosoft store
notepad
photos app
sign-in issues
store-not-working
windows 11
windows settings
windows terminal
Microsoft’s decision to let eligible Windows 10 users keep receiving security-only updates for a single extra year has turned a firm end-of-support deadline into a short, conditional lifeline — but it comes with precise technical gates, privacy trade-offs, and a hard expiration that should make...
Microsoft has given Windows 10 users a narrow, conditional lifeline: you can keep receiving security updates after the platform’s official end-of-support date, but only if you complete a short, time-sensitive checklist before October 14, 2025.
Background / Overview
Microsoft has set a firm...
Microsoft is giving a time‑boxed lifeline: if you need to keep a Windows 10 PC protected after October 14, 2025, you can enroll eligible machines in the consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program to receive security‑only patches through October 13, 2026 — but enrollment has strict...
22h2
consumer esu
end of support
enrollment
esu
extended security updates
kb5063709
microsoftaccount
msa enrollment
onedrive
onedrive backup
privacy
security updates
windows 10
windows 10 esu
windows 11 upgrade
windows update
More than half of the world’s personal computers remain on Windows 10 even as Microsoft’s official support deadline looms, creating a wide and growing security gap that affects consumers, small businesses, and enterprise networks alike. New telemetry shared publicly via cybersecurity vendor...
22h2
activation
ai governance
ai security
ai threat landscape
ai tools
australian smbs
azure virtual desktop
backup
budget
chromebooks
chromeos flex
cloud pc
compliance risk
consumer esu
copilot echoleak
cve-2025-32711
cyber risk smb
cybersecurity
cybersecurity risks
data governance
digital license
disaster recovery
edr
end of life
end of support
end of support migration plan
enterprise esu
enterprise it
esu
esu program
extended security updates
generative ai
governance and risk
hardware compatibility
hardware refresh
hardware upgrade
incident response
installation assistant
inventory
iso
it planning
linux
linux alternatives
media creation tool
mfa
microsoftaccountmicrosoft licensing
migration
patch management
pc health check
phishing
privacy
ransomware
risk management
rufus
secure boot
security checklist
security risks
security updates
small business
smb
smb security
tiny11
tpm
tpm 2.0
uefi
unofficial workarounds
unsupported hardware
unsupported upgrade
upgrade guide
upgrade options
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 end of life
windows 10 end of support
windows 10 esu
windows 11
windows 11 migration
windows 11 requirements
windows 11 upgrade
windows 365
windows 365 cloud pc
windows backup
windows lifecycle
windows upgrade
zero-click exfiltration
Microsoft’s October deadline for Windows 10 support has arrived like a ringing bell for an industry that—by several measures—wasn’t ready: large numbers of consumer and corporate endpoints still run Windows 10, many organisations face compatibility and budget constraints, and the safety net...
2024 update
22h2
22h2 end of life
account linking
avd
azure virtual desktop
backup
backup and recovery
budget
build 19045.6388
chromeos
chromeos flex
cloud backup
cloud computing
cloud enrollment
cloud migration
cloud pc
commercial esu
compatibility
compliance risk
consumer advocacy
consumer esu
consumer reports
copilot
cross-platform
cumulative update
cybersecurity
cybersecurity risks
cybersecurity updates
data recovery
data security
decision framework
deployment
device compatibility
device inventory
digital equity
digital inclusion
e-waste
edge case
edge webview2
end of life
end of support
endpoint management
enrollment
enterprise esu
enterprise it
enterprise migration
eol 2025
esu
esu enrollment
esu pricing
esu program
extended security updates
firmware
hardware refresh
hardware requirements
hardware upgrade
home users
insider
intune
it administration
it planning
kb5063709
kb5065429
kb5066198
lifecycle
linux
linux alternatives
ltsc
macos
microsoftmicrosoft 365
microsoft 365 apps security updates
microsoftaccountmicrosoft lifecycle
microsoft policy
microsoft rewards
microsoft support
microsoft update catalog
migration
migration playbook
network security
oem bios
onedrive
onedrive backup
os build 19045.6332
os end-of-life
os lifecycle
os migration
os retirement
patch management
pc health check
pc maintenance
pc migration
pilot testing
pirg
policy
policy-makers
privacy
public sector
regulatory compliance
release preview
risk management
rollout risk
secure boot
security
security inequality
security risks
security updates
servicing
servicing stack update
small business
smb
software compatibility
software lifecycle
support lifecycle
support timing
tech regulation
tpm 2.0
trade-in
update management
upgrade
upgrade options
upgrade path
upgrade planning
virtualization
windows 10
windows 10 21h2
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 end of life
windows 10 end of support
windows 10 esu
windows 10 upgrade path
windows 11
windows 11 migration
windows 11 requirements
windows 11 upgrade
windows 365
windows 365 cloud pc
windows backup
windows lifecycle
windows market share
windows options
windows support timeline
windows update
wsus
Microsoft has confirmed a firm deadline: the October 2025 Patch Tuesday will be the last regular monthly security update for mainstream Windows 10 installations unless you take immediate action to enroll in the consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. That confirmation tightens an...
backup and recovery
consumer esu
eligibility
end of support
enrollment
enterprise licensing
esu
extended security updates
kb5063709
microsoftaccount
migration
patch
phased rollout
privacy
servicing stack update
version 22h2
windows 10
windows 10 end of support
windows 11 upgrade
windows update
If you’re planning to abandon Windows 10 when Microsoft ends support, the sensible advice is not just “pick a Linux distro” — it’s “pick the right one for your skills, hardware, and use case,” because some distributions are effectively designed to be a learning project rather than a drop-in...
arch linux
debian sid
end of support
esu
esu enrollment
extended security updates
gentoo linux
kb5063709
linux from scratch
linux mint
microsoftaccount
migration
openbsd
windows 10
windows 10 end of support
windows 11 upgrade
windows to linux migration
windows update
zorin os
Microsoft’s Office 2024 is real, shipping as a buy‑once desktop suite with updated apps, clearer system requirements, and a complicated relationship with AI — but claims that you can “download Microsoft Office 2024 full 32 and 64 bit, activated for life” from third‑party sites are both...
activation
activation scams
ai in office
authorized reseller
copilot
end of support
enterprise licensing
lifecycle
ltsc
microsoft 365
microsoftaccount
office 2024
perpetual license
piracy
security risks
subscription vs purchase
system requirements
windows 10 end of support
Microsoft has given Windows 10 users a narrow, conditional lifeline: if you plan to keep a Windows 10 PC beyond the platform’s formal end-of-support date, you must complete a specific enrollment flow — or enable a OneDrive backup path — before the October 14, 2025 cutoff to receive one...
22h2
august 2025
backup
disk imaging
end of support
enrollment
esu
extended security updates
kb5063709
microsoftaccountmicrosoft store
onedrive backup
rewards
security updates
windows 10
windows 11 migration
windows update
The tiny11builder project has received a significant refresh: the PowerShell-based builder now supports Windows 11 version 25H2 builds, adds explicit removal of Copilot and the new Outlook for Windows client, switches to more efficient recovery compression for smaller ISOs, and introduces...
25h2
adk
automation
autounattend
bloatware
bootable iso
copilot
copilot removal
core variant
debloat
dism
end of support
esd
esu
image customization
image optimization
iso
iso compression
it admin
kiosks
lzms
lzx
microsoftaccount
offlineimage
oobe
open source
oscdimg
osimage
osimagecustomization
outlook
outlookremoval
powershell
privacy
recovery compression
scripting
teams
teamsremoval
tiny11
tiny11builder
unattended
virtualization
vms
wim
windows 11
windows adk
Microsoft pushed Windows 10 cumulative update KB5065429 to 22H2 machines this week, a mandatory security rollup that arrives as the platform approaches its October 14, 2025 end‑of‑support deadline — and it’s tightly linked to Microsoft’s consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) enrollment path...
22h2
arch linux
august 2025
azure virtual desktop
backup
backups and imaging
consumer esu
debian sid
defender updates
device backup
device management
disk image
edge
end of support
end of support 2025
endeavouros
enroll now
enrollment
enterprise esu
esu
esu 2025-26
esu enrollment
esu license
esu program
extended security updates
fedora
firmware
firmware vulnerabilities
gentoo linux
hardware requirements
hardware upgrade
home users
kb5063709
kb5065429
lifecycle
linux
linux for beginners
linux from scratch
linux gaming
linux mint
live usb testing
manjaro
microsoft 365
microsoft 365 updates
microsoftaccountmicrosoft ecosystem
microsoft rewards
microsoft update catalog
migration
migration checklist
multi-device license
office updates
offline installation
onedrive
onedrive backup
openbsd
opensuse
os build 19045.6332
os migration
paid esu
patch
phased rollout
pricing
privacy
rewards
secure boot
security updates
security-only
servicing stack
settings sync
software update
steam proton
support
tpm
tpm 2.0
uefi secure boot
webview2
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 end of support
windows 10 esu
windows 11
windows 11 migration
windows 11 upgrade
windows 365
windows backup
windows update
zorin os
Microsoft’s support clock for Windows 10 has a hard stop: after October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer issue routine security or feature updates for Windows 10, and millions of PCs will face a growing security and compatibility risk unless owners act — by upgrading to Windows 11, enrolling...
22h2
azure ad
azure virtual desktop
backup
chromeos flex
cloud pc
consumer esu
device migration
end of support
endpoint management
esu
esu enrollment
esu license
esu program
extended security updates
hardware refresh
hardware upgrade
in-place upgrade
installation media
intune
it governance
lifecycle
linux alternatives
microsoft 365
microsoftaccountmicrosoft rewards
migration
onedrive backup
onedrive sync
pc health check
secure boot
security risks
security updates
tpm 2.0
tpm-2-0
uefi
upgrade guide
windows 10
windows 10 end of life
windows 11
windows 11 requirements
windows 11 upgrade
windows 365
windows autopatch
windows backup
windows update
Microsoft quietly built a practical pause button for millions of Windows 10 PCs: if you meet a few requirements and follow the enrollment wizard, you can receive one extra year of security updates—without paying—by using Microsoft’s built‑in backup/sync option or by redeeming Microsoft Rewards...
22h2
consumer esu
end of support
enrollment
enterprise esu
esu
esu enrollment
extended security updates
hardware upgrade
microsoftaccountmicrosoft rewards
one-time purchase
privacy
security updates
windows 10
windows 10 end of support
windows 10 esu
windows 11 upgrade
windows update
If you use Microsoft 365, updating your password regularly is one of the quickest — and most effective — ways to reduce your exposure to account takeover, phishing, and password-spraying attacks. This guide walks through three fast, practical ways to change a Microsoft 365 password (personal...
Most Windows 10 users who meet Windows 11’s hardware rules can upgrade and keep their existing license — the process is usually automated, free, and handled by Microsoft’s activation servers — but there are important caveats: license type (retail vs. OEM), major hardware swaps (especially the...
activation
activation issues
digital license
hardware change
license transfer
microsoftaccount
motherboard swap
oem license
retail license
retail vs oem
secure boot
system builder
tpm 2.0
unactivated windows
windows 11
windows 11 upgrade
windows upgrade
Windows 11’s setup still nudges you toward a Microsoft account — but a handful of reliably tested workarounds let you get a classic, offline local account instead, and the choice you make affects everything from BitLocker recovery to OneDrive sync and feature availability.
Background
Microsoft...
Microsoft has given Windows 10 users a narrow, conditional lifeline: if you want to keep receiving security updates after the platform’s official end-of-support date, there’s a single, time-sensitive action you must complete — enroll the eligible PC in Microsoft’s consumer Extended Security...
consumer esu
end of support
enrollment
esu
extended security updates
kb5063709
microsoftaccountmicrosoft rewards
onedrive
privacy
windows 10
windows update