Windows 10 ESU Free Route With Windows Backup Sync Explained Honestly
Free is the word in the video title, and free is real — but it has a condition. This page explains exactly what you agree to when you pick Back up your PC settings, so you can choose with open eyes.
✍️ Technical Anshu🪟 Windows 10⏱️ 6 minute read
🎥 Watch the full enrolment walk in the video above — every click shown live on Technical Anshu
Of the three ESU enrolment routes, the one most people pick is the no-cost route — sync your PC settings with Windows Backup. It is genuinely free; Microsoft asks for settings sync instead of money. But free does not mean nothing changes on your PC. This guide explains what the sync covers, what it does not do, how to turn it on and confirm it, and the honest cases where redeeming Rewards points or paying once is the cleaner choice for you.
Windows Backup — Settings Sync
☑ Remember my apps
☑ Remember my preferences — passwords, language, personalisation
☑ Folders backed up via OneDrive — as configured by you
ESU cost on this routeNo payment
The free route is settings sync, not a full disk backup. Your documents are only involved if you separately use OneDrive folder backup.
1
What Back Up Your PC Settings Actually Means
When the enrolment wizard offers Back up your PC settings, it is asking you to sync settings to your Microsoft account through Windows Backup. In plain words, Windows remembers things like your preferences, language, personalisation and app list so they can follow your account.
It is not a full image of your hard disk, and picking this route does not suddenly upload all your documents and photos by itself.
Folder backup of Desktop, Documents and Pictures is a separate OneDrive choice with its own storage limits. If you enable it, check your OneDrive space — a nearly full OneDrive is the most common surprise on this route.
The sync is tied to the same Microsoft account that holds your ESU licence. Enrol with the account you actually want linked to the PC.
Honest trade-off — if you strongly prefer keeping a PC fully local with no account sync at all, this route asks you to give that up. In that case the Rewards or paid route below may suit you better. Microsoft does not offer a fourth route with neither account, sync, points nor payment.
2
Enrol Using the Free Route Step by Step
Do the preparation first — version 22H2, all updates installed, admin Microsoft account ready — then follow the wizard.
Open Settings → Update and Security → Windows Update and click Enroll now, then Next.
Sign in with your Microsoft account if asked.
Choose Back up your PC settings. If your settings are already synced, the wizard will simply ask you to confirm — many users finish in under a minute at this point.
Approve the backup prompt, click Enroll, then Done.
Go back to Windows Update and confirm the page now shows your PC as enrolled in Extended Security Updates. Run Check for updates once.
This is the finish shown in the video — after Done, the PC is set to receive ESU security updates, now confirmed by Microsoft through 12 October 2027. If the wizard instead shows only the paid option, your region or account state may differ; read the screen in front of you rather than forcing steps from any guide, including this one.
3
Keep the Free Enrolment Healthy Afterwards
Enrolling once is not quite the end. Three small habits keep the free route valid.
Leave settings sync on. The no-cost enrolment is granted in exchange for that sync. Turning sync off afterwards can put the enrolment route in question — if you want sync off permanently, switch your thinking to the paid route instead.
Stay signed in with the enrolling account as an administrator on the PC. Removing the account removes the licence holder from the device.
Leave Windows Update automatic. ESU only protects you when the monthly critical and important security updates actually install.
Mind your OneDrive space if you also use folder backup. Sync errors caused by a full OneDrive confuse many users into thinking ESU itself has failed — check OneDrive separately from Windows Update.
To enrol another family PC for free under the same licence, repeat the walk on that PC, sign in with the same Microsoft account and choose Add device. One licence covers up to 10 devices in total.
4
When Rewards or the Paid Route Is the Better Honest Choice
Free is not automatically best for everyone. Consider the other two routes without any guilt — they deliver identical updates to the identical end date.
1,000 Microsoft Rewards points — best if you already earn Rewards through Bing or Xbox and would rather spend points than enable settings sync. The wizard shows your balance before you confirm.
One-time 30 US dollars plus tax (or local equivalent) — best if you want the simplest relationship with Microsoft: pay once, no sync condition to think about, and the purchase sits in your Microsoft account order history as proof. Spread across up to 10 devices on one account, the per-PC cost is small.
Whichever route you choose, keep a record — a screenshot of the enrolled message in Windows Update, and for the paid route, the order confirmation mail.
No route gives you more updates than another, and no route extends past 12 October 2027. Anyone claiming a special route gives longer or fuller coverage is not describing the consumer programme Microsoft documents.
🔴 Free means settings sync, not no conditions. If a guide tells you the free route needs no Microsoft account and changes nothing on your PC, it is misleading you. The real free route is good value for most home users — just pick it knowing what it turns on.
🎥 Watch the Complete Enrolment Video
See the Enroll Now flow, sign-in and the free enrolment finish exactly as it appears on a real Windows 10 PC.
No. The free route syncs your PC settings with Windows Backup to your Microsoft account. Backing up folders like Desktop, Documents and Pictures to OneDrive is a separate choice with its own storage limits. Review your OneDrive settings separately if you enable folder backup, and check that you have enough OneDrive space.
What happens if I turn settings sync off after enrolling for free
The no-cost enrolment is granted for syncing your settings, so turning sync off can affect that enrolment route. If you want sync permanently off, the cleaner options are redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points or the one-time 30 dollar purchase. In all cases, keep Windows Update showing your PC as enrolled and leave automatic updates on.
Can I use the free route on more than one PC
Yes. One ESU licence covers up to 10 devices on the same Microsoft account. On each additional PC, open Windows Update, click Enroll now, sign in with the same Microsoft account and choose Add device. Each PC must still meet the requirements on its own — Windows 10 version 22H2, fully updated, with an administrator account.
This guide is based on the Technical Anshu Windows 10 ESU enrolment video • Stuck on a step? Ask in the video comments — you will get a reply 🙏