An enrollment wizard will be available through notifications and in Settings, making it easy to enroll in ESU directly from your personal Windows 10 PC. Through the enrollment wizard, you’ll be able to choose from three options:
- Use Windows Backup to sync your settings to the cloud—at no additional cost…
- Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points
- Pay $30 USD (local pricing may vary).
Once you select an option and follow the on-screen steps, your PC will automatically be enrolled. ESU coverage for personal devices runs from Oct. 15, 2025, through Oct. 13, 2026. Starting today, the enrollment wizard is available in the Windows Insider Program and will begin rolling out as an option to Windows 10 customers in July, with broad availability expected by mid-August
ESU is inherently bullshit. So they’re going to make security upgrades for the OS millions of people are using, but you only get them if you pay? Even though they’re committing dev time to make and deploy them, the SECURITY upgrades to the OS yhat millions have already paid for?
What a grift. Either you’re paying ESU and there’s no dev work (free moneyyy!) or it’s literally a ‘protection fee’ for dev work they’re doing anyway (nyeehhh nice PC ye got there, be a shame if we extorted you for it)
Dormammu! I’ve come to bargain.
Pretty sure most people are just looking forward to Windows no longer begging to reboot or just doing it when you turn your back for two seconds.
I use Linux, it’s FREE!
Windows Homs is free, too.
But here’s the thing that many people (not you) don’t understand. Windows Home is free, as in beer. Linux is free, as in speech, AND free, as in beer.
Windows Home isn’t free (legally), you can’t just install it and have a valid license available without paying money. Most people think Windows is free because you’re paying for the license when you buy a prebuilt, you’re just not seeing the line item cost.
But either way, Home is a trash fire. At least Pro lets you control more of the annoying aspects of the OS. Home you’re just opening up for whatever MS wants to shove down your throat. And even then, just run linux. That’s actually free, and a better experience.
Download the iso and install home. It won’t stop you, ask for a key, or attempt to activate later. It just installs, runs, and spies happily.
But, yes, I suppose that you’re supposed to pay for it, but they don’t seem to care that much, if at all.
I agree that Windows Pro is a slightly better experience than Windows Home, but the right Linux distro for you is where it’s at. I usually recommend Mint for newcomers, and not one has had issues (beyond the expected “this looks different” comments). I’ve installed Elementary for one person who came from a life of Mac, and she dove right in with almost no hiccups. Know your audience, I guess is the lesson here lol
Download the iso and install home. It won’t stop you, ask for a key, or attempt to activate later. It just installs, runs, and spies happily.
Well sure, anything is free when you steal it. Whether or not they care enough to come after home users, doesn’t change the fact that it’s not free.
But yea, know your audience and give them something they can use. I made my mother learn mint after the 80th time I had to clean the windows box, and she did well enough with it.
I didn’t realize they provide security update to Fedora lol
They’re scramble hard right now.
Or just switch to Linux and run windows on a virtual machine?!
Windows is just a gotcha game now lmao
I just wish to compliment Microsoft on them accurately prophesying that Windows 10 would be my last windows.
Getting a discount to hand over your data into their cloud so they can train their AIs on it? And hold you hostage in case you dare to switch the OS?
Classic enshittification, they’re stealing from Google this should be copyright stricken.
technically you don’t have to put any data in there we just have to have it enabled
Once enabled as your PC’s backup solution provider from the settings miniapp, it will backup the data on the PC. So, you can’t only enable it.
it only backs up certain folders and really only the folders you allow it to and you don’t have to put your data in those folders you have choices
Microsoft can die in a fire
Holding security updates hostage is a sicko business strategy. I hope the EU sues them for it.
they’re deprecating the product, this is pretty normal
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Microsoft gonna send someone to smash your kneecaps for talking like this. They are shaking their nice guy image and going full gangster pimp.
They want your data, your money and your PC.
But hey, you get 1000 … “Points”?
You have to spend 1000 points to get the updates.
What’s the conversion ratio of Microsoft Points to Schrute Bucks?
Yeah, Microsoft came to bargain, but I came to flip 'em the bird cause I already switched to linux.
This stinks of their enterprise practices. They are masters of creating extremely confusing plans for pricing that involve bundling, discounts for various combinations, etc. In the end, you get a fat ass bill at the end of every month. When you ask them to explain it, they will say that this component was generated by one team, another by a different…
You will never get a straight answer and if you do, it will take weeks. By then you have another bill and you get to start all over.
I am so over Microsoft and their bullshit. I don’t use any of their shit at home and I actively remove anything I can of theirs at work. Punting Defender out of our environment was my best day ever.
What did you replace Defender with?
SentinelOne
So all your users are working on Macs or Linux? That’s an impressive accomplishment for an enterprise scale work environment.
It was easier for our 500+ employees when our CFO pointed out that its either switch to Linux and have a learning curve or see some of your coworkers, maybe even yourself be laid off. We actually saved so much money dumping Microsoft products that we were able to hire tech ambassadors to help the older folks get setup with the new software.
I love this so much. We use Macs at work but there’s absolutely no reason we couldn’t just use Linux. 60% (guestimated) of the work, across all departments, is done through the browser and the other 40% is software development. I’d much rather have more smart people around than a $2000 locked down laptop.
I switched to Linux last year. I’m just a teacher but I’ve got pretty good techy skills having grown up in the late 80s with computers. Switching to Linux gave me some small problems at first, but everything works just fine for me. My husband’s been pretty curious seeing me have fun with it and mess around on my computer more. Maybe I’ll get him to switch one day too! 🙃
