The operating system, released in July 2015, is by far Microsoft's most popular today
     Anyone can continue using it indefinitely, but if you want security patches, the price will be high

On October 14, 2025, official support for the Windows 10 operating system, which was launched on July 29, 2015, will end. However, it will be possible to continue using it safely, because Microsoft will guarantee security patches for this version at any time. from that date... as long as you pay.

61 dollars a year to have peace of mind. The Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10 users will be activated as soon as the official support period ends in October 2025. It will have a starting cost of $61 for the first year

For business users, but also end users. The novelty in this case is that Microsoft will offer these security updates not only to users who use Windows 10 in companies, but also to end users. Both will have to purchase ESU licenses for each Windows 10 device that they intend to keep updated.

Continuing to use it will become more and more expensive. For companies, the first year, as we say, will cost $61 per device, but the second year the price will double and will be $122, and the third will double again and cost $244. In addition, the cycles are cumulative: if you sign up for the ESU program in the second year, you will also have to pay for the first year of updates.

The price for users is unknown. What is not certain at the moment is what these licenses will cost for end users, and Microsoft only indicates that the details in this regard "will be shared later."

They want you to upgrade to Windows 11. Microsoft's proposal is a striking strategy to force users to upgrade to Windows 11. The cost of ESU licenses is high - especially the longer we want to continue using the operating system -, So this measure may convince those who until now had resisted change. At Microsoft they make it clear that this program "is not intended to be a long-term solution, but rather a temporary one."

Windows 10 is the king of Windows. As the Statcounter GlobalStats data indicates, Windows 10 has been the most popular version of Windows for years, and currently has a 69.07% share compared to the discreet 26.68% of Windows 11. Microsoft's clear objective is Those percentages may turn around in the next 18 months, but that will be difficult.

Windows 10 will continue to work even if you don't pay (be careful). The truth is that, as has happened in the past, Microsoft establishing life cycles in its products and deactivating support for them does not always make users move to new versions. In fact, anyone can continue using Windows 10 indefinitely, but they will be exposed to security vulnerabilities that can put their computer and data at risk.

The case of Armenia. It is already common to find real life cycles much longer than those that Microsoft officially proposes for its Windows systems. The best example of this is Windows XP, which was launched in October 2001 and is still used in a residual way today (0.39% share) although in some countries its popularity is astonishing. In Armenia its market share is 77.34%, an unusual situation even if certain entities need that version to maintain compatibility with old software developments.