Microsoft Offers No-Cost Windows 10 Lifeline (straitstimes.com)
- Reference: 0179520818
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/09/24/1943257/microsoft-offers-no-cost-windows-10-lifeline
- Source link: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/microsoft-offers-no-cost-windows-10-lifeline
> The US tech giant plans to end support for Windows 10 on Oct 14, a move that has drawn criticism from consumer advocacy groups and sparked concerns among users who fear they will need to purchase new computers to stay protected from cyber threats.
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> Users who are unable to upgrade or choose to forgo the extended security updates will face increased vulnerability to cyberattacks. In response to these concerns, Microsoft informed European users that essential security updates [1]will be extended for one year at no additional cost , provided they log in with a Microsoft account. Previously, the company had offered a one-year extension of Windows 10 security updates [2]for $30 to users whose hardware is incompatible with Windows 11. In the US, a similar free option will allow users to upload their Windows 10 profiles to Microsoft's backup service and receive security updates for up to one year.
[1] https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/microsoft-offers-no-cost-windows-10-lifeline
[2] https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/10/31/2011223/want-to-keep-getting-windows-10-updates-itll-cost-you-30
AI written article (Score:4, Funny)
Note the article says it is AI written.
It also shows no link to Microsoft. Nothing supporting it's claim.
Nor a link to let you sign up for the claimed service.
Not saying it is definitely a hallucination. Just saying that if it is not a hallucination, it is typical of what bad writing looks like. A competent human would have put some link to Microsoft in the article.
Not AI-written Re:AI written article (Score:1)
The "AI generated" refers to the 3-bullet-point summary at the top.
There is no particular reason to think the body of the article is AI-written.
There is a similar article [1]on Tech Xplore [techxplore.com].
I will concede that neither the TFA nor the Tech Xplore version have a link to Microsoft to confirm the announcement.
[1] https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-microsoft-windows-lifeline.html
Requires a Microsoft account (Score:2)
That will probably foil my plan to use a VPN to look European.
I wonder how long it will be before someone figures out how to get the update package, unpack it, then re-build it into a package anyone can use. Of course, they will have to do everything in a country that is out of reach of Microsoft's copyright lawyers, AND they will have to somehow earn the trust of people to not infect the "freed update" with malware or other vulnerabilities. Proving you are to be trusted and hiding from Microsoft's lawyer
Re: (Score:2)
It won't take long, but really ...is anyone really that desperate to use Windows ?
Most people use Windows because they cannot be bothered to / have no idea they can install something else. Most people do not see the operating system and hardware as different things. No more than one typically things of a digital wristwatch and the firmware running on it as separate things.
I was hoping that Microsoft saying "No more Windows until you jump through hoops" would get people motivated enough to figure out that th
Login to MS Account! (Score:5, Insightful)
If I wanted to log into my MS account as soon as I get to a computer, I would have already upgraded to Windows 11.
no thanks (Score:3)
I'm going to be logging in to my local computer with a local account. I don't want a microsoft account. Never have. Never will. For me at least, Oct 14 is going to signal the beginning of the year of the Linux desktop.
Microsoft is starting to panic (Score:3)
Nobody is moving over to Windows 11 anymore and Microsoft is certainly aware of the campaigns which try to save computers which don't support Windows 11 by installing ChromeOS Flex or some Linux Distribution. Microsoft wants to prevent this, and so they make it easier to extend support.
No cost? (Score:3)
It'll only cost you your personal data.
That's not no cost (Score:2)
Fuck online accounts. I run the shit on my hardware.
Hmm... (Score:2)
> essential security updates will be extended for one year at no additional cost, provided they log in with a Microsoft account
So, the overly simplified choices seem to be:
(a) Definitely give MS even more access to, and possible control over, your data, for undetermined concrete benefit.
(b) Risk a possible security incident, that may happen anyway or never.
Depending on how one feels about having a Microsoft Account, could be a tough choice, especially w/o knowing what security updates will mitigate what issues, that you may not even encounter. Microsoft isn't doing this for free out the goodness in its heart (if it has one),
Sounds like (Score:3)
Extortion. Benefit through coercion.