Microsoft announced that the option to get extended support for the Windows 7 operating system will be available to businesses of all sizes while there are not any official options for household users of Windows 7 to extend support, paid or unpaid. Support for the Windows 7 operating system ends in January 2020. Microsoft will deliver security updates for the operating systems until that month but won’t produce security updates or any other update any-more after that for free. Organizations may pay to Microsoft extended support by up to three years.
Microsoft customers having enterprise subscription agreement (EA) / enterprise agreement(EA) and having an active subscription to Windows 10 E5, Microsoft 365 ES can at no additional charge opt for Windows 7 extended security updates. Microsoft officials said the paid Windows 7 extended security updates will be sold on a per device basis not on a per-user basis, with the price increasing each year.
These ESUs will be available to Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise users at the volume licensing service center since April 1, 2019, and the extended security updates will be available from cloud solution providers beginning on Monday, December 2, 2019. The discount will only be given to those with Windows software assurance and/or Windows 10 enterprise or education subscription.
What will be the price for Windows 7 extended security support?
| Product | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| SMB: Windows 7 Pro ESU | $50 | $100 | $200 |
| SMB: Windows 7 Enterprise ESU | $25 | $50 | $100 |
| Enterprise:Windows 7 Pro/Enterprise ESU | $50 | $100 | $200 |
Microsoft is giving one year of post support for Windows 7 to customers who have Windows 10 subscriptions. Enterprise agreement and enterprise agreement subscription customers with active subscription licenses to Windows 10 enterprise E5, Microsoft 365 E5 security, or Windows VDA E5 will receive the first year of Windows 7 extended security updates for one year as a benefit according to Microsoft (Only available to volume licensing customers).
Is there any deadline for an organization to purchase ESU for Windows 7?
ESU can be purchased at any time during the three years that the offer is available. If any organization waits and purchase for the first time in year two or year three, they will have to pay for the preceding years also.
Is the paid Windows 7 service safe to use after 14th January?
After you purchase the extended support for Windows 7 on your PC, it is safe to use these PCs as Microsoft will continue to provide patches against security threats.