From October 2025, Microsoft will start charging for security updates to Windows 10.

Windows 10 will reach “end of support” in 22 months—Microsoft is already talking about its program of paid-for Extended Support Updates (ESU). After October, getting Patch Tuesday and other security fixes will cost you money.

Two thirds of PCs still run Windows 10. In today’s SB Blogwatch, we fear the inevitable cybersecurity consequences.

Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention: FELIZ.

Micro$oft Window$ E$U

What’s the craic, Zac? Mister Bowden reports—“Paid subscription for Windows 10 users”:

“Won’t get any more security updates”
Similar to the Windows 7 ESU program, Microsoft will continue to support the OS for three years beyond the 2025 cut-off date for customers who are willing to pay. … Previously, the ESU program was limited to Microsoft’s commercial customers, but for the first time ever the company is opening the program to everyone.
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Microsoft [has] no plans to extend … beyond the current date of October 14, 2025. This means Windows 10 users will need to pay for monthly security updates.
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Of course, users will not be forced to pay for this subscription. [They] just won’t get any more security updates.

Oh, this’ll be “fun.” Taras Buria says it “will be a nightmare for consumers”:

“Scammers”
Windows 10 is an extremely popular desktop operating system with more than one billion monthly active devices. For comparison, Windows 11, after two years on the market, is installed on only 400 million+ computers. … With Windows 11 having steep hardware requirements, millions of computers, if not hundreds of millions, will remain forever on Windows 10.
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Most “regular consumers” rarely pay attention to Windows updates unless they break things. … A solid chunk of Windows 10 users will not care about their PCs running an outdated operating system.
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I can only imagine scammers … shouting in joy. It will soon become much easier to scam inexperienced people: … Just buy me ten Amazon gift cards to continue receiving updates and keeping your computer free from viruses.

Microsoft’s not saying how much it’ll cost. star-strewn suggests a nice, round number:

Here’s hoping that Home and Pro installs get updates free of charge, otherwise I don’t believe there will be uptake. … I have a perfectly serviceable home desktop that cannot run Windows 11 due to its hardware requirements, and I don’t plan on abandoning it until I need to.

Should we be surprised? AmiMoJo thinks we should have seen this coming a mile off:

The only reason that Microsoft released Windows 11 was to drop support for older hardware. They realized that supporting older systems was costing them a lot of money, and making it difficult to roll out new features … when they had to maintain full compatibility with every machine that could run Windows 10 when it launched back in 2015.
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They could have just dropped older hardware support in Windows 10. But then people would have been even more confused and upset.

But is that fair? Dave Null agrees with both comments:

This. Microsoft has always supported technical debt, and it harms everyone ultimately. It means that cruft stays in OS and apps, it hampers development and it slows progress and improvements to security and reliability. Historically the thing that killed old PCs is that the new OS just runs slow/badly on it and I can see why a line in the sand needs to be drawn by MS.
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It’s going to annoy a lot of people, but what’s the alternative? … I think if I were controlling it, I’d allow consumers ESUs for free/low charge for a period of time, which is probably what they’ll do.

OK, but continuing the updates free of charge? davidjhupp thinks they’ll feel forced to:

This plan is bad for society, and if a critical mass of consumers are still using Windows 10, I expect that Microsoft will end up having to backtrack on charging. … Charging money for security updates is bad for the whole community. The stragglers on Windows 10 who don’t end up paying for security updates will end up being vectors for security problems for everyone.
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It’s not just the consumers with unpatched computers recruited to botnets who suffer, but also those who end up being targeted by those botnets. We need herd immunity to protect the community, not just immunity for those willing to pay for security.

What’s stopping people from upgrading to Win11? HotThunder rumbles on:

They will have to “revisit” their decision to require the utterly pointless trusted platform hardware requirement. … Because there is a [huge] amount of perfectly good PCs that don’t have it and can’t upgrade to Windows 11.

So it’s people with ancient, low-end PCs? Not necessarily, says Dacker503:

My i7-7700 with 32GB of RAM and multiple SSDs is much more than capable of running Windows 11 … and I’m not willing to spend my money on a new PC just to get Windows 11. If they start charging for Win10 updates, I’ll just install Windows 11 via a hack.

Meanwhile, a slightly cynical VeryFluffyBunny translates Microsoft’s warning:

“Nice operating system you have there. Shame if anything were to happen to it.”

And Finally:

Leo: Go Puerto Rico

Previously in And Finally

You have been reading SB Blogwatch by Richi Jennings. Richi curates the best bloggy bits, finest forums, and weirdest websites … so you don’t have to. Hate mail may be directed to @RiCHi, @richij or [email protected]. Ask your doctor before reading. Your mileage may vary. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Do not stare into laser with remaining eye. E&OE. 30.

Image sauce: Geraldine le Meur (cc:by; leveled and cropped)