It’s now here. Microsoft’s controversial u-turn on Windows 10’s end of life has morphed into a free update offer, whereby the problem for 700 million users is postponed.
Windows 11 is the faster, better, safer option Microsoft wants the 700 million Windows 10 holdouts to move to. But says “we understand that moving to a new PC can take time, and we’re here to support you throughout the process.”
In a Tuesday blogpost, Microsoft says “starting today, individuals will begin to see an enrollment wizard through notifications and in Settings, making it simple to select the best option for you and enroll in ESU directly from your personal Windows 10 PC.”
While the u-turn to the free 12-month security update extension has been reported as including a catch, that just means you need to pick one of Microsoft’s options. Using OneDrive for example or some of your reward points. It’s essentially a free offer.
In other news, Microsoft is also pushing the AI benefits of new Copilot PCs hard, touting a range of new features, as well as the latest push for users to switch Chrome for Edge. “Microsoft Edge is the only browser built for Windows, offering the most seamless PC browsing experience with AI-powered tools, productivity features, and built-in performance and security features that help you browse quickly and safely.”
Meantime, for those already on Windows 11, the company is heralding its latest update as “the most reliable Windows yet.” Compared to Windows 10 22H2,” it says that Windows 11 24H2 “failure rates for unexpected restarts have dropped by 24%. These improvements reflect deep collaboration across engineering, design, and user research teams and a commitment to making Windows more resilient for everyone.”
And for those not yet using Windows 11, there’s also the new PC-to-PC migration tool making an appearance, per Windows Latest. The new migration feature “coming to Windows 11 and 10 was expected, but it’s the first time Microsoft has shared details.”
Whatever you do — extending updates or taking the still free Windows 11 upgrade, just make sure you do something before October when the usual Windows 10 updates end.