Microsoft's latest in‑product marketing has moved from polite persuasion to explicit incentives: when some Windows users search for "Chrome" inside Microsoft Edge, Bing can now surface a prominent, Promoted by Microsoft card offering up to 1,300 Microsoft Rewards points to "try Edge" instead of...
Microsoft’s latest marketing gambit has turned a routine search for Google Chrome into a literal offer: a prominent, unskippable Bing banner promising up to 1,300 Microsoft Rewards points if users “try Edge” instead of downloading Chrome. The move is more than a push‑notification; it’s a...
Microsoft’s latest in‑product marketing tactic — a targeted Bing prompt offering 1,300 Microsoft Rewards points to users who search for “Chrome” while using Edge on Windows 11 — has reignited a long‑running debate over whether an operating‑system vendor can lawfully, or ethically, steer users...
Microsoft is now dangling Microsoft Rewards points — and the promise of gift cards and subscriptions — in front of Windows 11 users who search for “Chrome” in Microsoft Edge, a move that swaps the old passive “use Edge” nudge for a small, explicit financial incentive meant to stop users from...
Microsoft has quietly begun dangling tangible rewards in front of Windows 11 users as part of a new push to keep people inside its browser and search ecosystem: a promotional Bing card promising up to 1,300 Microsoft Rewards points for trying Microsoft Edge, redeemable for gift cards...
Microsoft has quietly begun paying you—in Microsoft Rewards points—to stay on Microsoft Edge when you search for Google Chrome in Bing, a tactic that combines in‑product advertising, loyalty incentives, and UX nudging to keep Windows 11 users inside Microsoft’s ecosystem.
Background
Microsoft’s...
Microsoft has given Windows 10 users one clear, short-lived option to avoid an immediate upgrade: a consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program that can keep eligible PCs receiving critical security patches for a single extra year — but only if you meet the prerequisites and enroll before...
22h2
consumer esu
end of support
enterprise esu
esu
esu enrollment
extended security updates
kb5063709
microsoft account
microsoftrewards
onedrive
onedrive backup
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 esu
windows backup
windows update
Microsoft’s October 14, 2025 deadline for Windows 10 support has become a high‑stakes public policy moment: consumer advocates, press trackers and at least one lawsuit are pressing the company to change course or widen the safety net, arguing that tens—possibly hundreds—of millions of...
cybersecurity
e-waste
end of support
esu
esu enrollment
extended security updates
hardware compatibility
microsoftmicrosoftrewards
privacy
privacy tradeoffs
secure boot
statcounter
tpm 2.0
uefi secure boot
windows 10
windows 10 end of support
windows 11 migration
Windows 10 will reach its official end-of-support on October 14, 2025 — but Microsoft has built a narrowly scoped, one-year Extended Security Updates (ESU) escape hatch that lets many consumers continue receiving security-only patches through October 13, 2026 if they enroll before the deadline...
end of support
end of support 2025
esu
esu 2026 window
esu enrollment
esu options
extended security updates
june 2025 update
kb5063709
microsoft account esu
microsoftrewards
security updates
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 esu
windows 11 upgrade
windows backup esu
windows update
Windows 10 users facing the October 14, 2025 end-of-support deadline have one practical lifeline: Microsoft’s consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program can keep eligible machines receiving critical and important security patches through October 13, 2026 — but enrollment is time-sensitive...
backup
cloud pc
consumer esu
cybersecurity risks
end of support
enterprise esu
esu
esu enrollment
extended security updates
hardware compatibility
lifecycle
microsoftmicrosoft account
microsoftrewards
migration
os migration
privacy
secure boot
security updates
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 end of life
windows 11 migration
windows 11 upgrade
windows 365
windows lifecycle
windows update
Windows 10 will stop receiving free security fixes on October 14, 2025 — and if your PC can’t take the free Windows 11 upgrade, you have five realistic paths forward: enroll in Extended Security Updates (ESU), buy or rent a new Windows 11 PC (including cloud PCs), perform an unsupported upgrade...
22h2
active directory
admin rights
affordability
ai hardware
alternative os
august 2025
avd
azure virtual desktop
backmarket
backup
backup and migration
budget
business continuity
business it
canalys
certifiedmodels
channel management
chromebooks
chromeos
chromeos flex
cloud migration
cloud pc
cloud sync
commercial-refresh
compliance risk
consumer
consumer advocacy
consumer esu
consumer protection
consumer reports
consumer technology
copilot
copilot platform
cpu
cpu upgrade
cybersecurity
cybersecurity risks
data backup best practices
data security
ddr2 ram
demand
deployment strategies
device eligibility
device migration
device upgrade
digital equity
digital inclusion
digital sustainability
diy pc
do nothing
e-waste
e-waste environmental impact
edge webview2
end of life
end of life policy
end of support
endpoint management
endpoint security
enrollment
enterprise
enterprise esu
enterprise it
enterprise security
environmental impact
esearch
esu
esu enrollment
esu program
extended security updates
fedora
firmware
free enrollment
gaming
gaming hardware
gpu
hardware
hardware compatibility
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hardware refresh
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hardware upgrade
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intune
inventory
inventory risk
it admin
it governance
it leadership
it planning
it risk management
it strategy
jon peddie research
jpr
kaspersky
kb5063709
legacy hardware
licensing
lifecycle
lifecycle policy
linux
linux distributions
linux gaming
ltsb
ltsc
market growth
market outlook
mdm
mfa
micropatches
microsoftmicrosoft 365
microsoft account
microsoft account esu
microsoft azure
microsoft policy
microsoftrewardsmicrosoft store
migration
migration and hardware refresh
motherboard upgrade
msp
oem
oem partnerships
onedrive
onedrive backup
os lifecycle
os migration
os upgrade
patch management
pc components
pc health check
pc market
pc shipments
pc upgrade
pci dss
phase rollout
phased rollout
pilot testing
policy privacy debate
prebuilt pc
privacy
privacy tradeoffs
recycling
refurbished
regulatory compliance
retail-slowdown
risk management
sccm
secure boot
security
security compliance
security patch
security risks
security updates
servicing stack
small business
small organizations
smb it
software lifecycle
software support policy
statcounter
steam survey
steamos
stranded pcs
supply chain
support lifecycle
sustainability
switching os
tariff-uncertainty
tariffs
testusb
tpm
tpm 2.0
tpm secure boot
trade-in
trade-in program
ubuntu
uefi secure boot
update policies
upgrade
upgrade options
upgrade path
upgrade planning
vbs
vdi
vendor compatibility
vendor management
version 22h2
virtualization
web apps
windows
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 end of life
windows 10 end of support
windows 10 end updates
windows 10 eol
windows 10 esu
windows 10 sunset
windows 11
windows 11 adoption
windows 11 migration
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windows 365
windows 365 cloud pc
windows apps
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windows compatibility
windows ecosystem
windows end of life
windows endpoints
windows lifecycle
windows market share
windows security
windows update
wsus
zero trust
AMD's recent engineering notes and driver rollouts close several long-standing installation pain points for Windows users, but they also expose recurring process weaknesses that enthusiasts and IT pros should know before clicking "Install."
Background
Over the past two years, AMD has been...
22h2 eligibility
amd
amd cleanup utility
backup and recovery
boot issues
carbon removal
cloud sync
copilot+ pcs
ddu
device lifecycle
driver installation
e-waste
end of support
esu enrollment
factory reset
hardware refresh
installer progress
it pros
microsoftrewards
oem
oem customization
pc recycling
preflight checks
privacy
radeon adrenalin
ryzen chipset
sustainability
system restore
teladvance
tpm 2.0
trade-in program
update control
windows
windows 10 esu
windows 11 upgrade
windows update
Consumer Reports has formally asked Microsoft to extend free security updates for Windows 10, arguing that the company’s current end-of-support plan will strand millions of still-functional PCs, widen digital inequity, and accelerate electronic waste unless Microsoft changes course.
Background...
consumer esu
consumer reports
digital equity
e-waste
end of support
environmental impact
esu
extended security updates
hardware compatibility
microsoftmicrosoftrewards
secure boot
security updates
tpm 2.0
windows 10
windows 10 end of support
windows 11 requirements
windows backup
Consumer Reports has formally urged Microsoft to extend free support for Windows 10, warning that tens — possibly hundreds — of millions of still-working PCs will be left exposed when mainstream updates and security patches stop on October 14, 2025. The advocacy group’s letter to Microsoft’s CEO...
22h2
advocacy
azure virtual desktop
chromeos flex
cloud backup
cloud pc
commercial esu
compliance risk
consumer advocacy
consumer esu
consumer protection
consumer reports
consumer rights
costofownership
cybersecurity
device retirement
device upgrade
digital equity
e-waste
edge updates
education
end of support
enterprise it
environmental impact
esu
esu pricing
esu program
extended security updates
forced obsolescence
hardware compatibility
hardware refresh
hardware requirements
hardware upgrade
household tech
it admin
it planning
linux
mainstream support
microsoftmicrosoft account
microsoft policy
microsoftrewardsmicrosoft support
migration
operating system
os lifecycle
os migration
patch management
pc health check
per device cost
policy
policy debate
pricing
privacy
public safety
regulatory scrutiny
rewards
secure boot
security updates
small business
software lifecycle
sustainability
tech policy advocacy
tech regulation
tpm 2.0
trade-in
upgrade options
upgrade path
volume licensing
windows 10
windows 10 end of life
windows 10 end of support
windows 11
windows 11 requirements
windows 11 upgrade
windows 365
windows backup
windows defender
windows lifecycle
windows update
Microsoft has quietly escalated the browser wars by using a prominent Bing advertisement to label Microsoft Edge as the “recommended” browser for Windows 11 users who search for Google Chrome, deploying a full comparison table that highlights Edge-only features such as a built‑in VPN, AI...
ai personalization
antitrust
bing ads
browser
browser nudges
chrome
dark patterns
default programs
digital markets act
edge security
microsoft edge
microsoftrewards
user choice
windows 11
Microsoft has set a firm deadline: Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025, and that change alters the security, upgrade, and disposal calculus for millions of PCs worldwide. Microsoft will stop providing routine OS security patches, feature and quality updates, and standard...
cloud computing
consumer esu
e-waste
end of support
enterprise esu
esu
extended security updates
microsoftrewards
migration
onedrive
privacy
security updates
upgrade planning
windows 10
windows 11 upgrade
windows lifecycle
Consumer advocates have formally demanded that Microsoft reverse course and continue providing free security updates for Windows 10 beyond the company’s announced end‑of‑support date, warning that the planned cutoff on October 14, 2025 will leave hundreds of millions of still‑working PCs exposed...
backup sync
consumer advocacy
digital equity
e-waste
environmental impact
esu program
extended security updates
hardware requirements
microsoftmicrosoftrewards
patch management
pc health check
policy debate
public safety
secure boot
tpm 2.0
windows 10
windows 10 end of support
windows 11 upgrade
windows market share
Microsoft’s last-minute lifeline means you can keep receiving security updates for Windows 10 — but only if you act before Microsoft’s hard cutoff, and only for a strictly time‑boxed period with important caveats that change what “staying on Windows 10” actually means.
Background
Microsoft has...
august 2025
consumer esu
end of support
enrollment
esu
esu enrollment
kb5063709
microsoft account
microsoftrewards
migration
onedrive
privacy
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 end of support
windows 10 esu
windows 11 upgrade
windows update
Microsoft’s October deadline for Windows 10 support has become a hard stop for millions of users — but the company quietly carved out no-cost escape routes that let many stay patched for another year without handing over cash. What once looked like a strict $30 paywall for Extended Security...
end of support
esu
esu enrollment
esu pricing
extended security updates
hardware upgrade
microsoft account
microsoftrewards
onedrive
security updates
sync settings windows backup
tpm 2.0
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 end of support
windows 11
windows update
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
microsoft account
microsoftrewards
onedrive
onedrive backup
privacy
security updates
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 esu
windows 11
windows update