If you are running Windows 10 on your PC, then you have just two weeks until security updates end for good. That’s unless you enroll in Microsoft’s extended security update (ESU) program, which is free if you have an account and OneDrive.
But now there’s a new warning which will come as a nasty surprise. Even if you have enrolled in the ESU, your security updates could end in just 60 days.
As reported by Windows Latest, Microsoft has confirmed that the new Windows 10 ESU “will expire if you don’t sign in to your account at least once every 60 days.” Put more simply, if you forget to log in, your PC loses its security shield.
This need to have a Microsoft account even applies if you’re in Europe, despite other requirements being dropped, including the $30 fee and the OneDrive backup.
Microsoft warns that “Windows 10 extended updates will expire if you don’t play by the rules. You’ll need to use or sign in to your Microsoft account on the PC once every 60 days to retain ESU.” If you forget, “you’ll need to repeat the entire process.” Microsoft also says “it periodically scans to see if you’re meeting the ESU requirements.”
The ESU has opened the door to a new set of fun and games, such as changing your region to Europe to get a completely free ESU and then changing it back again. But the reality is that Microsoft remains under fire for not just extending the support horizon for all Windows 10 users for at least another year, without enrolling in an ESU.
Time will tell if the account login hurdle is a big deal or not — but given the complaints that an account is required at all, it’s clear some of the user base will be unhappy at this additional step to keep PCs safe from harm.
With two weeks to run, it’s unknown how many users will upgrade to Windows 11 at the last minute or enroll in the ESU. And how many will simply risk it come October 14.