The end of Windows 10’s support lifecycle is approaching, but Microsoft’s rollout has taken yet another twist. Officially, the operating system stops receiving free security updates in October 2025, marking the end of an era for the OS that first launched in 2015. Yet recognizing its enormous market share, Microsoft also created a one-year Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, stretching patch availability until October 2026. Unfortunately, for most users, those extra updates won’t come without effort: you’ll need to either enable Windows Backup tied to a Microsoft account, redeem Microsoft Rewards points, or pay an annual $30 fee to qualify.
That policy didn’t sit well with European regulators. The advocacy group Euroconsumers flagged Microsoft’s approach as a violation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a sweeping piece of legislation enacted in 2022 designed to rein in dominant tech firms. Under the DMA, “gatekeepers” like Microsoft are barred from conditioning access to one product on participation in another. Forcing users to integrate with Microsoft’s ecosystem or pay up simply to maintain baseline security protections appeared to be exactly the kind of behavior the law was meant to prevent.
In response, Microsoft is revising its stance in Europe. For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), extended updates for Windows 10 will now be offered without additional requirements, fees, or Microsoft service tie-ins. This applies to most of Western Europe (with the UK excluded), and Microsoft says it is actively making changes to its enrollment system to reflect this exemption. The result is that European users will receive security updates through October 14, 2026 automatically, while users elsewhere will still face the $30 annual fee or the alternative “busywork” pathways.
This divide highlights a growing challenge for Microsoft. Despite pushing Windows 11 for several years, adoption has been slower than expected, with nearly half of all Windows users still running Windows 10. Unlike previous transitions, many consumers today are reluctant to purchase new hardware or see little reason to leave behind a system that still meets their needs. With that resistance in mind—and Microsoft’s history of backtracking on hard deadlines—it’s possible the company may soften its stance yet again before Windows 10’s true “end of life” arrives.