Extend Windows 10’s life by turning on Windows Backup
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Microsoft has made the surprise decision to extend Windows 10 support for free for 12 months, but only if you turn on and use Windows Backup.
It’s a major U-turn by the company, which has been urging users to upgrade to Windows 11 before it ends support for Windows 10 on 14 October.
WHAT WE THINK
So, Microsoft has blinked first in its standoff with 400 million Windows 10 users. But this is no free lunch. Many users will easily hit that 5GB OneDrive limit, forcing them to pay for more storage if they want to keep receiving updates until October 2026. This is part of Microsoft’s long-term strategy to make you dependent on its online services (also see page 10). It’s cynical and clever, but you can get around it by keeping your backups under 5GB. We’ll explain how soon.