The long-term solution is to simply upgrade to Windows 11. However, Microsoft has placed hardware requirements for the upgrade, and most users will simply not be able to do that since it requires buying a new machine with compatible hardware.
For personal users, Microsoft had provided some free options. By using 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points or backing up data to the Windows Backup cloud service, users can get a free upgrade. These points can be earned by using Microsoft services such as Bing searches, Xbox games, and Microsoft Store purchases. However, with Windows 10 support ending, this time-consuming accumulation of points isn’t much of an option either.
The last option that users are left with is to pay $30 (around Rs 2,650) for an Extended Security Updates (ESU) plan. This plan will allow users to continue getting security updates, but only for a year.
The biggest question, however, remains that how many of the soon-to-be vulnerable 400 million users have paid $30 to enroll, or will be able to do so with just a week remaining before Windows 10 support ends.
