Microsoft's Upgrade Mistake For 400 Million Windows Users
This huge reversal has an equally huge problem.
What a difference a week makes. Microsoft has suddenly 'given up' and confirmed the inevitable. Windows 10 support will be extended at no cost until October 2026. So it seems the October 2025 hard red line was neither as hard nor as red as expected. Unfortunately, it seems this is a mistake affecting more than 400 million users.
Ironically, after years of trying, the week Microsoft chose to drop this bombshell was also the week its Windows 11 upgrade campaign finally started hitting home, with the newer version of the OS catching Windows 10's market share for the first time.
The current Windows 10 user base divides into two camps. Somewhere around 400 million users with PCs eligible to upgrade and around 240 million that can't. With the upgrade program working, Microsoft should have limited its free support extension to only those with ineligible PCs. That's where the upgrade complexity and cost lies.
Instead, any users favoring Windows 10 who would balk at paying the expected $30 12-month ESU price get a free extension, subject to using Microsoft's cloud backup. It will be fascinating to see what happens to those upgrade stats over the coming weeks.
Windows 11 finally catches Windows 10
In my view, Microsoft has missed a trick and this is a mistake. There was a genuine case to give ineligible PC owners more time to upgrade hardware, without giving the entire Windows 10 user base a break. The fear now is this just kicks the problem down the road, stopping or even reversing the accelerating upgrade train for eligible PCs.
This is the second softening of the hard red line in recent weeks, with the other concession being a three-year security support extension for office apps on Windows 10, which had been expected to disappear come October this year.
Windows 10's free extension
On that note, there is a word of caution for Windows 10 users. Microsoft's blogpost announcing the free extension also promised it 'will continue to provide Security Intelligence Updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows 10 through October 2028.' This is not the same as full security support and should not be treated as such. The extension is a one-year deal not a three-year deal, despite some reports.
Windows Latest has published a first look at the new ESU wizard, which lists the three options: Cloud backup, reward points or $30. It then confirms that support is extended beyond October. "In our tests, it just takes a few seconds to extend support. You'll see the 'Enroll now' button on the right side of the Windows Update."
Obviously, 'you don't need to meet Windows 11 requirements to be eligible for Extended Security updates," which would be counter-intuitive. But neither is it disabled if you do.
'Right now, this enrollment feature works only in the Windows Insider Program,' Windows Latest says. 'You don't have to join the program for the 'Enroll now' button, as Microsoft says it will roll out the feature to everyone in the coming weeks.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
Microsoft Will Delete Your Passwords in One Month: Do This ASAP
Passwords are a thing of the past for Microsoft Authenticator. Starting in August, Microsoft will require you to use passkeys instead of keeping all of your Microsoft passwords on its mobile app, and your old passwords will vanish. But that's not bad news. Passkeys can cut out risky password habits that 49% of US adults have, according to a recent survey by CNET. Making it a practice to use the same password for multiple accounts or to include personal hints, like your birthday, can be risky. It could be an easy giveaway for hackers to guess, which can lead to identity theft and fraud. Here's what you need to know about Microsoft's timeline for the switch and how to set up passkeys for your Microsoft accounts before it's too late. Microsoft Authenticator will stop supporting passwords Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all of your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition such as Windows Hello, or other biometric data, like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you're logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your Microsoft accounts. In June, Microsoft stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator, but here's a timeline of other changes you can expect, according to Microsoft. July 2025: You won't be able to use the autofill password function. You won't be able to use the autofill password function. August 2025: You'll no longer be able to use saved passwords. If you still want to use passwords instead of passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting passkeys during this transition. "Passkeys use public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than relying on users themselves creating their own (often weak or reused) passwords to access their online accounts," said Attila Tomaschek, CNET software senior writer and digital security expert. Why passkeys are a better alternative to passwords So what exactly is a passkey? It's a credential created by the Fast Identity Online Alliance that uses biometric data or a PIN to verify your identity and access your account. Think about using your fingerprint or Face ID to log into your account. That's generally safer than using a password that is easy to guess or susceptible to a phishing attack. "Passwords can be cracked, whereas passkeys need both the public and the locally stored private key to authenticate users, which can help mitigate risks like falling victim to phishing and brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks," Tomaschek added. Passkeys aren't stored on servers like passwords. Instead, they're stored only on your personal device. More conveniently, this takes the guesswork out of remembering your passwords and the need for a password manager. How to set up a passkey in Microsoft Authenticator Microsoft said in a May 1 blog post that it will automatically detect the best passkey to set up and make that your default sign-in option. "If you have a password and 'one-time code' set up on your account, we'll prompt you to sign in with your one-time code instead of your password. After you're signed in, you'll be prompted to enroll a passkey. Then the next time you sign in, you'll be prompted to sign in with your passkey," according to the blog post. To set up a new passkey, open your Authenticator app on your phone. Tap on your account and select "Set up a passkey." You'll be prompted to log in with your existing credentials. After you're logged in, you can set up the passkey.
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Microsoft's Password Change Is Just Days Away—Act Now
The password era is ending. Quite the week for Microsoft. Just when its drastic u-turn on Windows 10's end of life seemed to be the headline of the week, the Windows-maker suddenly killed its blue screen of death. And now your passwords face that same fate. Microsoft warns 'the password era is ending' and 'bad actors know it, which is why they're desperately accelerating password-related attacks while they still can.' The answer is passkeys, but it also means a huge change to passwords you have saved. The biggest change to Authenticator is that from August 'your saved passwords will no longer be accessible in Authenticator and any generated passwords not saved will be deleted.' You have until August to switch to move those passwords somewhere else. But the most useful part of the Authenticator app is 'securely storing and autofilling passwords on apps and websites you visit on your phone.' And that's changing now. From July — just days away, 'you will not be able to use autofill with Authenticator.' You have the option to move the password problem somewhere else, exporting Authenticator passwords to Google Password Manager or iCloud Keychain or similar. That might be convenient for autofilling, but it doesn't make you any more secure. Instead, replace your passwords with passkeys on all your critical accounts — especially on Microsoft itself, Google, Facebook or similar. The recent 16 billion password 'breach' may have been miseadling, but those stolen passwords are out there. Half of Americans use risky passwords and less than half use two-factor authentication on accounts. You really don't want to be in either of those stats. If you use Microsoft's Authenticator app, don't just roll the problem forwards — act now and fix it. Your Authenticator app 'will continue to support passkeys,' says Microsoft. "If you have set up Passkeys for your Microsoft Account, ensure that Authenticator remains enabled as your Passkey Provider. Disabling Authenticator will disable your passkeys.'
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Microsoft's Free New Windows Upgrade: How It Works And How To Get It
Microsoft stops supporting Windows 10 in just over 100 days on Oct.14, 2025. But on June 25, the company introduced the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which will mean users will supported for an extra year, for free. Windows 10 and Windows 11 This is a big change: until a few days ago, to gain an extra year, you needed to pay the company $30. Now, there's a free option, but there are things you need to do. Essentially, you need to link your Microsoft account and sync Settings to the cloud. First, as Microsoft explains, you need to sign in to Windows on a device running Windows 10, version 22H2 Home, Professional, Pro Education, or Workstation edition with the latest update installed. To enroll your device in ESU, go to Settings, then Update & Security, then Windows Update. Assuming you meet the requirements, you should see a link to enroll. If you choose not to sync your PC settings, the $30 fee still applies. Windows Latest, ahead of the game as usual, has already done all this as part of the Insider Program, so has seen it in action. 'In our tests, it just takes a few seconds to extend support. You'll see the 'Enroll now' button on the right side of the Windows Update. On some installations, it also appears below the Check for updates button. I assume Microsoft is A/B testing the toggle, but once you click the 'Enroll now' button, it opens a pop-up window titled 'Enroll in Extended Security Updates.' The pop-up says it'll help you extend security updates support beyond October 14, 2025, when Windows 10 support ends,' Mayank Parmar explains. The wizard will check whether your PC meets the requirements which are not, of course, the same as those needed to upgrade to Windows 11. When it's all done, a success screen appears. 'You're enrolled in Extended Security Updates through Oct. 13, 2026,'it says. If you're really not interested in moving on from Windows 10, and that's the case for hundreds of millions of users, this is a simple way to keep your PC secure until late 2026 for free.
