Microsoft forced to make Windows 10 extended security updates truly free in Europe

Windows 10 extremity of enactment is approaching successful little than 3 weeks, and Microsoft has present been forced to marque its extended information updates genuinely free, without a catch, successful definite markets successful Europe. When Windows 10 goes extremity of enactment connected October 14th, immoderate European customers volition nary longer beryllium required to crook connected Windows Backup to enroll into its Extended Security Updates (ESU).

Microsoft had wanted everyone to crook connected Windows Backup to get the other twelvemonth of information updates, but acknowledgment to unit from the Euroconsumers radical this is present changing successful the European Economic Area. The user advocacy radical has been asking Microsoft to bash much for those inactive moving Windows 10 crossed Europe, and it has successfully convinced the bundle elephantine to connection the extended information updates escaped without the request of enabling Windows Backup.

Windows Backup requires a Microsoft Account and uses OneDrive, which could pb consumers to spell supra the 5GB of escaped retention by having to backmost up documents and settings. It’s a drawback that benefits Microsoft, arsenic it tin past merchantability Windows 10 users further OneDrive retention space.

“We are pleased to larn that Microsoft volition supply a no-cost Extended Security Updates (ESU) enactment for Windows 10 user users successful the European Economic Area (EEA),” says the Euroconsumers radical in a letter this week. “We are besides gladsome this enactment volition not necessitate users to backmost up settings, apps, oregon credentials, oregon usage Microsoft Rewards.”

An unnamed Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the changes to Windows Central, noting that it’s “making updates to the enrollment process to guarantee it meets section expectations and delivers a secure, streamlined experience.” These changes are lone being made successful the European Economic Area though, truthful everyplace other volition inactive request to either alteration Windows Backup oregon wage $30 for the twelvemonth oregon redeem 1,000 Microsoft Reward points.

Consumers volition inactive lone get extended information updates for Windows 10 until October 13th, 2026, but businesses person the enactment to acquisition up to 3 years of important information updates. Euroconsumers is besides trying to person Microsoft to widen its information updates beyond a twelvemonth for consumers, to debar leaving devices “exposed to risk” adjacent year.