Microsoft Corp. is throwing a lifeline to holdouts who refuse to drop its Windows 7 operating system, offering extended support beyond its upcoming end of life date.

The company is also extending support for users of Windows 10 who’re getting frustrated at the pace at which it keeps rolling out updates.

Despite Microsoft’s best efforts to persuade business customers to upgrade to its latest operating system, Windows 7 is said to be the most common variant of its desktop software as far as enterprises are concerned. It’s also pretty popular with consumers too, running on just over 40 percent of all PCs in the world according to data from Net Applications published this month.

Even so, support for the venerable operating system is due to expire on Jan. 14, 2020, after which it will no longer receive security updates and will, as such, become more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Normally Microsoft doesn’t care much for those who ignore its warnings of impending doom, but in this case the company has decided that, yes, it will continue to provide support for those who need it. In a blog post Thursday, Microsoft officials announced they’re prepared to continue serving Windows 7 for another three years beyond its end-of-life date, but only for those who are willing to pay for it.

Microsoft Vice President for Office and Windows Marketing Jared Spataro said in the blog post that the Extended Security Updates will be available to Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise license holders only. The support will be sold on a per-device basis, with the price increasing each year.

Microsoft made a similar deal with holdouts of its old Windows XP operating system, offering them fixes for a price for several years after its support date expired. But in that case, Microsoft was a lot less public about the offer.

The company is offering a similar deal for users of the old Office 356 ProPlus software suite, which will continue to receive support at a price until the end of 2023.

In related news, Microsoft said it’s also extending the length of time it will support new updates of Windows 10, after coming to the realization that its hectic update schedule isn’t always convenient for enterprises. Previously, Windows 10 updates were supported for a maximum of 18 months, after which users would have to upgrade to a newer version. That support is now being extended to 30 months from the original release date.

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