Using Windows 10 past its end of support date, is it really that bad?

[notta]

So I had Windows 10 22H2 Enterprise last week. I changed the key so now I'm Pro. I'm fully patched but I'm still not getting anything about ESU? So I just read you have to be logged in with a Microsoft account and have admin rights? Did you guys have to do all that?

[cork1958]

Probably a dumb question, as it even sounds dumb to me, but what all services and settings must be active/running just to login to a MS account on a computer? I see the Enroll in Extended Security Updates on wife's computer but it won't let me sign in. Keep getting the Oops, something went wrong and it's probably their fault error. Yes, I do have a MS account. Been trying to figure this out for a couple weeks now.

[cork1958]

On 30/09/2025 at 08:52, cork1958 said:

Probably a dumb question, as it even sounds dumb to me, but what all services and settings must be active/running just to login to a MS account on a computer? I see the Enroll in Extended Security Updates on wife's computer but it won't let me sign in. Keep getting the Oops, something went wrong and it's probably their fault error. Yes, I do have a MS account. Been trying to figure this out for a couple weeks now.

Yep, knew it was a dumb question! Just for the heck of it, I switched to wife's user name on computer and tried to enroll in the ESU program and it worked. Only thing it asked me to do was create a pin and enter the computers password, which I thought was meaning mine but was actually hers.  It changed wife's user name to Cork1958 instead of her name, so now I have a user as Cork (me) and Cork1958 (wife) and she has to use a pin instead of password. She'll complain, but oh well. Wife does not have a MS account is what surprised me that it worked.

[notta]

I just read on another post that the free ESU only covers machines that are compatible with WIndows 11 but you're not upgrading to it for whatever reason. Is this true? I have never read that before until now. Little nugget of information that might have been useful to put out there.

[+BudMan MVC]

@nottajust saw your post - but that is clearly not true.. Because I just fired up a litte minisforum z83-f clearly not eligible for windows 11

I was going to use my ms points to update this one - it auto put up the enroll link, and once I clicked that had to login to a ms account, but was extra weird is when I logged in via the enroll link with my ms account, it said this was eligible for free - and did I want to add it.  And now it says its enrolled.  But this machine logs in with a local account, etc. 

Does enabling it for 1 machine, which I didn't pay for that is for sure - not with money or with ms points, enable other machines - how many? I have another mini coming in the mail in a few days - couldn't pass them up they on sale for 40 bucks.  I wanted to add monitoring of some upses I have about the house. And link them with the cyberpower cloud thing.. And their linux software won't run on pi, which is arm. Only intel - I bought one of the little add on cards you plug in - but that is 68 bucks, and this little pc is only 40 bucks.. I was like I will put linux on it, but then it came pre-installed with windows 10.. So figured hey lets see how this works out, can always just put linux on it if runs too ######, etc. But it works fine for my needs, not going to be playing GTA VI or it or anything  But figured test out with 1 before ordering another one - which is working out great so ordered another.

And the ups using it for doesn't even support adding the little cloud network card.. So worked out - and the other one I want to add monitoring too - while it does support the card, the little mini pc is only 40 bucks, while the card is 68 - no brainer there, especially since I can for use the mini for other things, while the card only does the 1 thing  Now 1 card comes with 3 years of free cloud for it - so break even really. But I bought one card already - and seems you can only get the 3 years of service on 1 card.

Kind of went off on a tangent there - but yeah this mini sure doesn't support 11, it runs 10 but not all that speedy - it has 4GB ram and a 64GB emmc storage.

When I get the other mini online will take some screenshots of the process of enrolling in - I am assuming the same thing will happen with the next one that happened with this one.

 

 

 

 

[Carlisle R.]

On 11/11/2025 at 06:28, BudMan said:

@nottajust saw your post - but that is clearly not true.. Because I just fired up a litte minisforum z83-f clearly not eligible for windows 11

I was going to use my ms points to update this one - it auto put up the enroll link, and once I clicked that had to login to a ms account, but was extra weird is when I logged in via the enroll link with my ms account, it said this was eligible for free - and did I want to add it.  And now it says its enrolled.  But this machine logs in with a local account, etc. 

Does enabling it for 1 machine, which I didn't pay for that is for sure - not with money or with ms points, enable other machines - how many? I have another mini coming in the mail in a few days - couldn't pass them up they on sale for 40 bucks.  I wanted to add monitoring of some upses I have about the house. And link them with the cyberpower cloud thing.. And their linux software won't run on pi, which is arm. Only intel - I bought one of the little add on cards you plug in - but that is 68 bucks, and this little pc is only 40 bucks.. I was like I will put linux on it, but then it came pre-installed with windows 10.. So figured hey lets see how this works out, can always just put linux on it if runs too ######, etc. But it works fine for my needs, not going to be playing GTA VI or it or anything  But figured test out with 1 before ordering another one - which is working out great so ordered another.

And the ups using it for doesn't even support adding the little cloud network card.. So worked out - and the other one I want to add monitoring too - while it does support the card, the little mini pc is only 40 bucks, while the card is 68 - no brainer there, especially since I can for use the mini for other things, while the card only does the 1 thing  Now 1 card comes with 3 years of free cloud for it - so break even really. But I bought one card already - and seems you can only get the 3 years of service on 1 card.

Kind of went off on a tangent there - but yeah this mini sure doesn't support 11, it runs 10 but not all that speedy - it has 4GB ram and a 64GB emmc storage.

When I get the other mini online will take some screenshots of the process of enrolling in - I am assuming the same thing will happen with the next one that happened with this one.

Because the ESU license is linked to one's account, it can be used in a number of machines without needing to pay or re-do things for all of them.

The information I can read about the consumer ESU program states it can be used on up to 10, from https://www.microsoft.com/en-ie/windows/extended-security-updates?r=1:
 

Quote

You can use your existing ESU license on up to 10 devices once you enroll in ESU. Just go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select enroll now on those additional devices. If you are already signed into the device with the same Microsoft account used to enroll your first device, select Add device. If you are not signed into the PC with a Microsoft account, you will be prompted to sign in to the Microsoft account used to enroll the first PC.

 

[Semon]

I have a laptop that’s still on Windows 10 and everything works just like before. I’ve read about the risks, so I made a backup of all the important data.

[energie10]

On 12/08/2025 at 02:42, BudMan said:

I am not moving to 11 at this time, even though my PC supports moving to it.  I just don't see anything there that makes it worth the move. My work laptop runs 11, and not like it doesn't work.. Its that my pc works exactly how I want it to work currently - and there is no feature of 11 that says oh yeah that is cool, I need to move to that. Maybe in a year or so that will be different?

My sentiments exactly.

[erpster3]

read this recent topic in another forum:

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/still-on-win-10-and-happy-to-be-there/

some people are happy sticking with Win10

[+Eternal Tempest MVC]

On 12/08/2025 at 09:09, Nick H. said:

I had my S20+ until a couple of months ago, and the main reason for switching was due to the battery life. You're right, I never really cared about security updates. I seem to remember that I was still getting them, though...

As for Linux, as I said I highly recommend giving Linux Mint a go. The great thing about most distrobutions (Mint included) is that you can put them on a USB key and boot from there rather than installing directly on the computer. That gives you a chance to have a play around and see if you like it without wiping the computer.

Because of the EU (a good thing) newer android devices been getting 5 years worth of security patches. Except some Motorola which found the loop hole, and offer ZERO updates. In addition, Google for years have been making where it can patch some stuff by updating the core Google Play Store itself. 

As echoed earlier,  you take the security risk in to your own hand beyond supported.

[+Edouard Subscriber²]

On 13/06/2026 at 08:18, erpster3 said:

read this recent topic in another forum:

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/still-on-win-10-and-happy-to-be-there/

some people are happy sticking with Win10

That's just silly imo. The lengths that man goes to just to avoid W11 is just nuts. Very, very few home users would do that. I will say this though, he is committed.

Btw, I note on askwoody that Woody Leonhard passed away March, 2025 aged 73. His site was one of my favorites back in the day. Belated yes but RIP Woody.

[notta]

Just ended up switching to Ubuntu. Not sure why I waited.