Don't want to fork over $30 for a one-year subscription to Windows 10 Extended Security Updates? Microsoft is offering a couple of ways to avoid the fee. But there's a catch.

Microsoft no longer supports Windows 8.1. If you're still running it on your PC, you're long overdue for an upgrade. Lance is an experienced writer who tries to unravel the mysteries of personal tech.

Officially, Microsoft will stop providing new security updates for Windows 10 PCs after October 14, 2025, a little over a decade after its initial release. It's a stick that Microsoft is using to push ...