Solved Upgrading to Windows 11 on old PC

zbook · Jul 17, 2025

Those with Microsoft local accounts may need Microsoft accounts:

Prerequisites

To enroll in the consumer ESU program, make sure your device meets the following requirements:

Devices need to be running Windows 10, version 22H2 Home, Professional, Pro Education, or Workstation edition
Devices need to have the latest update installed
The Microsoft account used to sign in to the device must be an administrator account
- The ESU license is tied to your Microsoft account, so you may be prompted to sign in if you typically sign into Windows with a local account
- The Microsoft Account can’t be a child account

Bree · Jul 17, 2025

zbook said:
The computer user could save $30 by using any third party AV software?

ESU provides security patches for the Windows 10 Kernel. That is completely separate from the Defender AV updates, which in any case will continue until at least October 2028.

zbook · Jul 17, 2025

ElevenLeaves said:
Yes, I forgot about ESU. Where can we buy/order it?

From FAQ:

When will I start to receive critical security updates with ESU?

The ESU program delivers critical and important security updates for enrolled Windows 10 PCs after the last day of support for Windows 10. These security updates will be delivered through Windows Update as they're made available.

If I purchase ESU how can I cancel my order or get a refund?

If you enrolled in ESU by completing a one time purchase, you can cancel your order anytime before October 14, 2025. To learn more about how to cancel an order or pre-order, see Cancel an order or pre-order from Microsoft Store.

If you cancel a pre-order after it's billed but before it's released, we'll process it as a refund. To find out about the status of your refund, see Get the status of your return and refund from Microsoft Store.

If you use money in your Microsoft account, we'll charge you right away. If you use any other payment option, including payment backup, we may charge you up to 10 days before the release date.

After October 14, 2025, any refunds would follow our policy for digital purchases for your country. For complete details on how to return eligible products, see our Returns and Refunds page.

If you enrolled in ESU at no additional cost by backing up your PC settings, you were not charged for ESU, so there would not be any refunds. If you enrolled in ESU by redeeming Microsoft Rewards points, Rewards orders are final and are not eligible for return or exchange.

Windows 10 Extended Security Updates | Microsoft Windows

Use Windows 10 securely with the Extended Security Updates program. See how it helps protect your PC and find out how to get it.

support.microsoft.com

zbook · Jul 17, 2025

Bree said:
ESU provides security patches for the Windows 10 Kernel. That is completely separate from the Defender AV updates, which in any case will continue until at least October 2028.

Is the difference the definition of critical?

Security Update Severity Rating System

www.microsoft.com

Bree · Jul 17, 2025

zbook said:
Is the difference the definition of critical?

Security Update Severity Rating System

Security Update Severity Rating System

www.microsoft.com

No. The difference is that all the security updates there require patches to be applied to the Windows OS itself, and all of them require the ESU to continue getting them after October 2025.

AV definitions are not security patches, they are just signatures for Defender to use for real time scanning.

KevTech · Jul 17, 2025

24H2 supported CPU.

Intel

AMD

zbook · Jul 17, 2025

Many are concerned about vulnerabilities and may then purchase ESU thinking that they have covered them.

There is still a vulnerability or vulnerabilities unless the computer end user checks their BIOS upgrades related to security.

ElevenLeaves · Jul 17, 2025

zbook said:
Many are concerned about vulnerabilities and may then purchase ESU thinking that they have covered them.

There is still a vulnerability or vulnerabilities unless the computer end user checks their BIOS upgrades related to security.

So ESU is not worth purchasing then?

antspants · Jul 17, 2025

ElevenLeaves said:
So ESU is not worth purchasing then?

For $30, I say, why not.

Are you able to tell us what country you guys are from?

Hazel123 · Jul 17, 2025

ElevenLeaves said:
OK, thank you. What other option / alternative do we have, if buying a new PC is too costly?

Get a second hand one 8th or 10th generation. It takes a bit of tracking a good one down, but I do that and buy them on ebay. You just have to read descriptions carefully, ask questions and I tend to only buy from private sellers, not tech companies - after I've got a feel for how up front and communicative they are (having read the description and asked questions). And only go with them if they have 100% feedback.

You can get a good 10th generation laptop for about £150. With a decent battery. Cheaper if it needs a new battery ...... You can get an 8th generation one even cheaper. Try looking for HP Pavilion 14 inch core i5. There are usually quite a few of those at cheap prices. Also the ram is upgradeable on those.

There will be other cheaper options though but you'll probably need to spend about £120. If you say which country you're in I could add some links/suggest a few.

For the current one - with a pentium and 4gb ram it would certainly run Windows 11 (I've had it on less) - except you can't install the latest 24H2 as mentioned above, and there's no point installing 23H2 because it's not supported after October.

So as others have said - leave windows 10 on it and enroll in the ESU programme for a year. Which doesn't have to cost $30. It's free if you have 1000 microsoft reward points.

Edit - you have to be careful - don't just buy any second laptop that says it has windows 11 on because it might be one that won't run 24H2.

Hazel123 · Jul 17, 2025

Something like this one. £156. Either needs a new battery or you can run it plugged in all the time. You can get a second hand original battery quite cheap as well. Later when you have more funds maybe.

HP Pavilion 15 | Core i5 8th Gen | 8GB DDR4 | 256GB SSD | Win 11 | eBay UK

Good working order, fresh upgrade to Windows 11 Home install. Specs include: Intel Core i5 8th Gen. Intel® UHD Graphics 620 Western Digital 256GB M.2 SSD. 8GB SDRAM. B&O Sound System. Very good condition for the age, there's some tiny little marks, otherwise it's very clean. The battery holds...

www.ebay.co.uk

Or this one (same laptop) £125. Needs a new battery but runs fine off the mains. Immaculate condition. It's surprising how many people have laptops they've either hardly used or looked after carefully. Photos help to see if it looks tatty or not. I've been tempted to get that one myself but I don't need it!

Pardon our interruption...

Bree · Jul 17, 2025

ElevenLeaves said:
So ESU is not worth purchasing then?

antspants said:
For $30, I say, why not.

I jumped the queue, I set up one of my VMs to join the W10 Insiders Release Preview channel. Windows 10 Insiders were the first to get the chance to enrol, for everyone else it will start to be offered some time between now and the end of August.

I was all prepared to redeem 1,000 of my Microsoft Reward points, but it turned out that I qualified for free by having synced my Windows setting some time previously. One ESU licence can cover up to 10 Windows 10 PCs.

426115d1751021407t-can-i-now-purchase-extended-esu-win-10-if-so-where-image.png

Can I now purchase the extended ESU for Win 10? If so, where? - Windows 10 Help Forums - post #33

antspants · Jul 17, 2025

Free, is good.

ElevenLeaves · Jul 18, 2025

Bree said:
I jumped the queue, I set up one of my VMs to join the W10 Insiders Release Preview channel. Windows 10 Insiders were the first to get the chance to enrol, for everyone else it will start to be offered some time between now and the end of August.

I was all prepared to redeem 1,000 of my Microsoft Reward points, but it turned out that I qualified for free by having synced my Windows setting some time previously. One ESU licence can cover up to 10 Windows 10 PCs.

Can I now purchase the extended ESU for Win 10? If so, where? - Windows 10 Help Forums - post #33

I don’t see that option on my friend’s computer. Where can we purchase ESU?

Hazel123 · Jul 18, 2025

It hasn't been released yet

Some time this month or next month you should see something. Bree had it in advance as part of the Insider program.

ElevenLeaves · Jul 18, 2025

What about Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 (which is supported until 2032)?

Bree · Jul 18, 2025

ElevenLeaves said:
I don’t see that option on my friend’s computer. Where can we purchase ESU?

The enrol option will be coming to your friend's PC, but not quite yet. MS say it's rolling out gradually. They say it should be on most PCs by the end of August.

ElevenLeaves · Jul 21, 2025

Bree said:
The enrol option will be coming to your friend's PC, but not quite yet. MS say it's rolling out gradually. They say it should be on most PCs by the end of August.

Should I sign in to Microsoft and register for the Windows Insider Program then?

Bree · Jul 21, 2025

ElevenLeaves said:
Should I sign in to Microsoft and register for the Windows Insider Program then?

There's no rush. MS say almost all should see it by the end of August, and W10 doesn't go EoL until October.

Hazel123 · Jul 21, 2025

The ESU update will come through whether you're signed into the Microsoft account or not

So just wait till it arrives. Then sign into MS account and it would be best to stay signed in after that to keep the ESU IMO. While technically you could still sign out of the MS account once you have it, if you don't log in every 3 weeks (apparently) then you could lose it again - so to my mind it's easier to just stay logged into the Microsoft Account. Have you checked in the MS account to see if you have 1000 reward points? I was surprised to find I did - presumably from various purchases over the years. Bree knows ways of bumping up the Reward points as well if there aren't enough (Bing searches?).

Solved Upgrading to Windows 11 on old PC

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