Microsoft offers free Windows 7 support for Win 10 Enterprise users after 2020

Microsoft offers customers with active Windows 10 subscriptions a year of post-retirement support for Windows 7.

The company subscription and active subscription license agreement for Windows 10 Enterprise E5, Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft 365 E5 Security will benefit from extended security updates of Windows 7 during the first year, "said End of Support FAQ for Windows 7 and Office 2010.

Windows 10 Enterprise E5 and Microsoft 365 E5 are the top-level subscriptions of the operating system or the packages that contain the operating system. They are the most expensive plans in their specific lines.

The enhanced Windows 7 security updates announced in September 2018 were considered the last resort for companies that could not leave the operating system until they retired on January 14, 2020. For device-specific rates, organizations would receive updates security to address the most serious vulnerabilities so they can continue running Windows 7. ESU must be sold for up to three years in increments of one year. Therefore, the final result of January 2023 is the dismantling of the operating system.

Subsequent disclosures have shown that UAE costs would double in the second and third year. Prices range from $25 per device during the first year and are reduced for Windows 10 Enterprise or Microsoft 365 subscribers to $200 per device, the highest price for the third year.

Microsoft's participation, valid through December 31, offers all eligible plan subscribers the first ESU year if these subscriptions were purchased before the end of the year and are still active on the last day of December.

"Qualified subscription licenses must remain active during the entire ESU coverage period; otherwise, free ESU coverage will expire at the time of subscription," Microsoft said.