If you are one of the millions of users or organisations who has a Windows 10 operating system on their device, then since October 14th you will no longer be receiving free security updates to protect your system. This doesn’t mean your device will explode at any point but does increase the risk that your device may be subject to threats, and in the world that we live in this is perhaps a risk you might not want to take.
What are your options?
Upgrade your device to Windows 11
If compatible Windows Update should give you the opportunity to upgrade the device to Windows 11. This is a very simple process and is simply a matter of letting Windows Update do it’s job. If you’ve not had Windows 11 made available to you then you may want to install the PC Health App and check to see if your device is compatible. If not compatible then you may want to consider the options below.
Enrol in the free Windows 10 Extended Security Updates scheme (ESU)
The free ESU scheme which Microsoft announced in the past few weeks is primarily for non-commercial devices. If you are a user of a device which has Windows 10 on it, the user is an administrator account, is not signed in to “Azure AD”, and is up to date with Windows Update then in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, you should see an option to enroll in the free scheme. This gives you free security updates for 12 months. If you don’t see the option then you are not eligible. Unfortunately a lot of businesses & charities are not eligible because their device is joined to something called “AzureAD” which is Microsoft’s login system.
Pay for the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates scheme (ESU)
Microsoft, and their charity licensing provider Techsoup, have also announced in recent weeks the ability to purchase ESU licenses at a significantly reduced rate of as little as £2 per device. This gives you 12 months of security updates. You do need to be a registered charity to apply these licenses and you need an account with Techsoup. You also need to be using Microsoft 365. If you are a home user or business user then you can also pay Microsoft’s standard rate to receive security updates.
Replace the device
If none of the above is applicable to you, or you simply wish to choose a different route, then replacing the device with a Windows 11 compatible device is the ultimate next step. These devices can be brand new or reconditioned and will be the long term solution to this issue.
Contact
If you’d like any advice around these areas then please contact me at [email protected] or call me on 01473 345321.
