Windows 10 Extended Security Updates Programme

[Tommie38]

Microsoft have finally provided some security update options for Windows 10 users that do not want to upgrade their devices. The long and the short of it is that you can get updates for another year, meaning Windows 10 machines can run to October 2026 before needing upgrade or replacement.

All good, however I have not been able to get my machine enrolled. Has anybody succeeded in doing it?

It may be that Microsoft is rolling out to different regions at different times and ours may be a later region.

Would welcome any experience.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/window...

[Harpoon]

This is on my list of things to do with a spare / throw away MS account so I can keep my local logins.

This video has a good walk through of doing the minimum needed (at zero cost) to get enrolled:

[JoshSm]

Tommie38 said:

The long and the short of it is that you can get updates for another year, meaning Windows 10 machines can run to October 2026 before needing upgrade or replacement.

In theory it's anything up to 3 years depending on how you get it.

[Tommie38]

JoshSm said:

Tommie38 said:

The long and the short of it is that you can get updates for another year, meaning Windows 10 machines can run to October 2026 before needing upgrade or replacement.

In theory it's anything up to 3 years depending on how you get it.

Apologies - 12m was my understanding.

[Tommie38]

Harpoon said:

This is on my list of things to do with a spare / throw away MS account so I can keep my local logins.

This video has a good walk through of doing the minimum needed (at zero cost) to get enrolled:

Thanks for this.

I’ve done all of the steps but it still isn’t showing. A few places like Reddit are saying it will go out on general release later this month, so hopefully it won’t be too long.

[eeLee]

you get a year for free by enabling Windows Backup. If you did not see this option yet, fret not, simply keep updated and it should offer you it at some point before October. Since they came out with this idea 3 weeks ago, don't worry yet.

[Tommie38]

eeLee said:

you get a year for free by enabling Windows Backup. If you did not see this option yet, fret not, simply keep updated and it should offer you it at some point before October. Since they came out with this idea 3 weeks ago, don't worry yet.

Yes aware of the guidance online and definitely not fretting.

More checking in to see if anybody has been offered the option yet. If it is a geographic rollout (which I suspect it is), Pistonheads with a mostly UK user base seemed like a good place to ask.

Overall positive that MS is offering a solution. Other machines already on Windows 11, this is just a handy way of keeping a spare laptop functional.

[Mr Whippy]

Nice to see they bribe you into services to get support.

Pretty nasty behaviour for those on bought retail pro copies.


I think I’ll just be hardening my versions, likely easily done by turning off all the attack surface bullst

[JoshSm]

There's a lot of messing around to get the 1 year consumer ESU, and I can see more options popping up as we get closer to the cutoff.

There is a tool/script that can be found out in the wild that can activate the full 3 year ESU among other things.

[Tommie38]

Mr Whippy said:

Nice to see they bribe you into services to get support.

Pretty nasty behaviour for those on bought retail pro copies.


I think I’ll just be hardening my versions, likely easily done by turning off all the attack surface bullst

When you say attack surface BS what are you thinking of?

[Mr Whippy]

Tommie38 said:

When you say attack surface BS what are you thinking of?

I’m certain I saw a firewall rule in there for the calculator.

Fine, until it turns out it’s vulnerable and needs patching by an update.


Some of the biggest vulns in years past have been due to stupid defaults/legacy stuff.
Ie, SMB1 left kicking around.
Imagine how many people wouldn’t have suffered from that vulnerability if it was just off by default?

Win10 can live on about 5 inbound firewall rules, and an internet browser. And no inbound rules unless you’re waiting for connections.

It has hundreds of rules for IO by default.

One has to assume ALL those apps exposed to inbound connections are 100% vulnerability free?

[Tommie38]

Mr Whippy said:

I’m certain I saw a firewall rule in there for the calculator.

Fine, until it turns out it’s vulnerable and needs patching by an update.


Some of the biggest vulns in years past have been due to stupid defaults/legacy stuff.
Ie, SMB1 left kicking around.
Imagine how many people wouldn’t have suffered from that vulnerability if it was just off by default?

Win10 can live on about 5 inbound firewall rules, and an internet browser. And no inbound rules unless you’re waiting for connections.

It has hundreds of rules for IO by default.

One has to assume ALL those apps exposed to inbound connections are 100% vulnerability free?

Understood. Thanks for coming back.

[Tommie38]

Meanwhile, I have now been offered ESU in Windows Update. All very straightforward and an easy way for another 12m of use of the device.

Thanks all.