The clock is ticking on Windows 10. We’re less than a month away from the operating system’s official EOL date on October 14th, after which point, unless you’re eligible for extended updates, you’ll stop getting security updates unless they’re absolutely critical. Now, some regions are eligible for at least an extra year of updates, but probably not you.

Microsoft has announced it will provide free Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10 users within the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA includes all 27 European Union member states, such as France, Spain, and Germany, as well as certain non-member countries such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, this isn’t really a decision coming from Microsoft’s goodwill but rather European law forcing its hand. Euroconsumers, a Luxembourg-based organization representing 1.5 million households, raised concerns that Microsoft’s original plan for the ESU program could violate the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Initially, Microsoft offered the ESU program to home users for a fee of $30 for the first year, with an alternative “free” option that required users to enable Windows Backup to sync their data to the cloud (which I still think is nuts) or enroll using Microsoft Rewards points. Microsoft is still going ahead with this plan in most countries in the world, but at least in Europe, it’s not going to charge users for these updates—they should keep getting updates all the way through next year, and their effective EOL date will be October 13th, 2026.

Euroconsumers argued that linking essential security updates to engagement with other Microsoft services constituted a potential breach of Article 6(6) of the DMA. In a letter to Microsoft, the organization expressed its satisfaction with the new approach to offer free extra updates to these users, no questions asked. “We are pleased to learn that Microsoft will provide a no-cost Extended Security Updates (ESU) option for Windows 10 consumer users in the European Economic Area (EEA),” the group stated. “We are also glad this option will not require users to back up settings, apps, or credentials, or use Microsoft Rewards.”

In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that “in the European Economic Area, we’re making updates to the enrollment process to ensure it meets local expectations and delivers a secure, streamlined experience. Our goal is to support customers and provide them with options as they transition to Windows 11, with uninterrupted access to critical security updates.”

With Windows 11 having pretty stringent minimum requirements that prevent a big chunk of Windows 10 users from upgrading, this is a welcome move for European users. Too bad we can’t take advantage of this stateside, so if you want to keep Windows 10 for another year, fork up $30 or enable Windows Backup and get familiar with OneDrive.

Source: Bleeping Computer