Microsoft has extended its Windows 10 security updates programme by a full year, pushing the deadline for Extended Security Updates (ESU) coverage from October 2026 to 12 October 2027. If you have been putting off thinking about this, now is a decent moment to stop putting it off.
The city’s full of laptops running Windows 10 in coffee shops, back offices and spare bedrooms, and the honest truth is most of those machines are not going anywhere near an upgrade any time soon. Microsoft has, at least, acknowledged that reality.
What the Windows 10 Security Updates Extension Actually Means
Microsoft officially ended mainstream support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025. The ESU programme exists to keep enrolled devices protected beyond that point, and according to Microsoft, enrolled PCs will receive all critical and important security updates released after that end-of-support date. You are not getting new features, you are not getting non-security patches, but you are getting protection against the kind of vulnerabilities that actually get people into trouble.
ESU coverage was originally set to expire on 13 October 2026. Microsoft has now confirmed that enrolled users will automatically roll over into the extended period through to 12 October 2027, with no action required on their part. If you have not enrolled yet, you can still do so at any point before the programme closes next year.
To be eligible, your device needs to be running Windows 10 version 22H2 in one of the supported editions: Home, Professional, Pro Education or Workstations. You will also need the latest Windows update installed and a Microsoft account with administrator status on the device.
How to Sign Up and What It Costs
For individual users, Microsoft has kept the entry points accessible. The original route was a one-off payment of $30. The company later added two free alternatives: redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or opt into Windows Backup. All three remain available.
To check your status or enrol, go to Settings, then Update and Security, then Windows Update, and look for an ESU enrolment link. The link only appears if your device is eligible. From there, sign into your Microsoft account and pick the option that suits you. If you have already purchased an ESU licence, it can cover up to 10 devices linked to the same Microsoft account.
The picture looks different for businesses. According to a Yahoo Finance report on a Microsoft news release, commercial subscribers pay $61 per device, renewable annually. That subscription can run for up to three years after Windows 10’s end of support, meaning organisations that go the full distance are covered through to 2028.
That three-year commercial window is worth understanding in more detail. Microsoft Learn confirms that enrolled PCs belonging to a commercial or educational organisation are eligible for security updates for a maximum of three years post end-of-support, giving IT teams a longer runway to plan a proper migration rather than a panicked one.
For individual users, the calculus is simpler: the free routes into ESU cost nothing but a few minutes, and Microsoft has been pushing hundreds of critical security fixes each month. The company has flagged that a number of these address actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities, which are flaws being used in real attacks before a patch exists. Leaving a machine unprotected against that category of threat is a risk worth avoiding, whatever your feelings about eventually moving to Windows 11.
The ESU programme is not a permanent reprieve. Microsoft has been clear that 12 October 2027 is where it ends, and there is no indication of a further extension beyond that date. Enrol now, get your patches, and use the time to figure out whether your hardware can handle the upgrade or whether it is time for a new machine.
