Windows 10: ESU-bypass to extend updates is working already reportedly
Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system reaches end of support in October 2025. This means no updates anymore for the operating system, including security updates.
This is a problem for many users, especially for users who run systems with hardware that is not compatible with Microsoft's official list of supported hardware for Windows 11.
One way out of this is to extend support via ESU.
What is ESU? Extended Security Updates were introduced by Microsoft for Windows 7. Organizations could pay Microsoft to extend support for up to three years.
For Windows 10, Microsoft widened the ESU-program to also include home users. Microsoft charges home customers $30 for a year of extended security updates. Notably, Microsoft is limiting the offer to a single year. Business customers on the other hand may extend support for three or even more years.
Windows 7 ESU Bypass hack
Back when Microsoft announced ESU for Windows 7, bypasses were discovered that enabled these updates on any Windows 7 machines, even home systems and devices that did not join ESU officially.
What this meant was that devices would continue to receive updates from Microsoft, even after the official end of support. These continue to work five years after Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 officially. While there are some limitations, only 64-bit Windows 7 remains supported, the bypass continues to work as to this day.
Windows 8 did not get any ESU.
Windows 10 ESU-bypass
Windows 10 customers may extend support for one or three years, depending on whether they are a consumer or business.
Preliminary tests show that Bypass ESU is working on Windows 10 devices as well. This would unlock security updates after October 2025 on systems on which the patch is installed.
The only downside, apart from the question of legality, is that Windows 10 Home updates cannot be extended for more than one year. Devices that run Windows 10 Pro on the other hand support at least three years of ESU updates in theory.
Closing Words
The end of Windows 10 support impacts millions of PC users significantly. While millions of Windows 10 PCs can be upgraded to Windows 11, tens of millions can't because of the altered system requirements of Windows 11.
These customers need to make a decision regarding the future of the device. ESU is one option to extend support, especially if the device is working perfectly fine. Another is to use the services of the micro-patching company 0Patch instead. For about $30 per year, 0Patch promises to release security patches for Windows 10 until at least 2030.
Now You: do you still run Windows 10 on your PC? What is your plan for October 2025? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
I’ve got a perfectly usable 7th gen. Core i5. TPU 1.2 so can’t officially upgrade to windows 11. Tried Ubuntu Mate and really wanted to love it. Issues with auto rotate and multi touch. Issues with external display and audio. Installed windows 11 with rufus and TPM requirement bypass. Not a single issue. No problem with windows 11 here. I think it’s great.
I wish I had the same experience. I used Rufus to install W11 on my Lenovo Yoga 900 laptop. The install went great. I was about to install MS 365, and a few apps when I suddenly got a notification about my login credentials. Additional pop ups informed me my TPM 1.x was incompatible with login security. I wasted hours on this. I’ve been in tech for 28 years and I’m a tenacious troubleshooter. It could not be resolved. I reinstalled Windows 10 Pro and will probably use oPatch in October.
Rather than pay Microsoft or a third party continually for limited security patches, it made more sense to switch operating system. Of the six PC’s I maintain, three are dual-boot Windows 10/Ubuntu, and the other three have dropped Windows entirely, and are running just Ubuntu. Though we’ve been waiting for Win10 EOL to see if there are any essential applications that run only in Windows, without native Linux version and not working under wine/mono/gecko, there has been no deal-breaker, so far.
Windows is a disaster, it’s like the European Union after listening JD Vance’s speech.
Why would I switch to a malware ridden, quasi-functional OS (OlogarchySpyware) when I have a system that works just fine without the unwanted kinks and problems, much less PAY to do so?
My current systems work just fine.
Watching the drama as WinWoes gets worse and worse, and gets updates the more frequently cause more problems than they fix (including tanking computers worldwide) has me feeling sad for folks wiling to sell themselves to “The Devil” for “freebies.”
I’ll switch when M$ provides me a “top of the line” system for free…. then I’ll yank “Loser 11 OS” off that system and install something else that works… and there are many newer and older options.
You mention twice “October 2024” instead of “October 2025”
Thank you, corrected it.
I’m not even happy seeing Windows in this sorry state. 3rd party tools and mods to achieve basic functionality. I don’t want to mention Linux, but I wish Windows could go back to the days of how it was in the XP-Vista-7 era. But I highly doubt that will happen.
As long as Microsoft are a monopoly on the PC OS market, they will continue to implement even more anti-consumer practices at the detriment of the end user. People need to stop using Windows. Even using Mac is better than Windows…………………………. And Linux… is free.
@Martin
“Windows 11 Update KB5051987: File Explorer Issues and Fixes”
Your late to the party on this one.
I still do all my work on my Windows7 computer. Not having updates breaking things and/or holding things up is lovely. The Win10 machine is set to avoid an upgrade to Windows11. I’m happy right where I am.
I’m still running Windows 7 Ultimate. I ignored all the BS from Microsoft and their fanboys about getting hacked, exploited and infected with viruses using Windows 7 out of support. If anything Windows 11 is more of malware than anything else.
I use VxKex NEXT to get newer applications to run. Unless this computer hardware dies, I will continue to use Windows 7. The last ESU update I got was in October of last year. No problems with that though.
You may want to check out Linux Mint, which resembles Windows 7. It’s fast, easy to use, very stable, lightweight, works out of the box, and doesn’t collect telemetry. Installing it is easy as well.
Most of the updates don’t even require that you restart your computer.
Quote “This is a problem for many users, especially for users who run systems with hardware that is not compatible with Microsoft’s official list of supported hardware for Windows 11.”
Windows 10 is still more common than Windows 11.
I suspect that Microsoft has special deals with manufacturers to make people buy new equipment. This is going to cause a lot of e-waste.
If people are smart, they can use their old equipment by loading Linux onto it. I have an old Lenovo M58 with a Core 2 processor. It is as fast as I need it to be with an SSD and 8GB ram. Linux Mint is exceptionally good.
Yes, but what if software you use for work doesn’t support Linux, like the software I use? Microsoft is basically forcing me and the company I work for to spend money to upgrade or purchase new equipment…