Individuals or organizations who elect to continue using Windows 10 after support ends on October 14, 2025, will have the option of enrolling their PCs into a paid ESU subscription.

1 week ago - Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET · Clicking "Enroll now" opens the enrollment wizard shown here. Click Next to continue. Microsoft is offering two years' worth of free security updates to owners of Windows 10 PCs.

October 16, 2025 - You can even turn your old Windows 10 PC into a Chromebook. ... “The $29.99 price excludes taxes,” Windows Latest says, “so you might end up paying more when you purchase the license. Taxes will depend on your region, so check before hitting the buy button. It’ll be a one-time purchase and not a recurring subscription because Microsoft’s plan is to offer security updates for just one more year.”

2 days ago - The ESU program helps reduce the risk of malware and cybersecurity attacks by providing access to critical and important security updates as defined by the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) for devices running Windows 10, version 22H2.

November 3, 2025 - Updated November 3 with further confirmation of the many real-world dangers of living with an unsupported operating system, as Microsoft offers Windows 10 users a year of free security updates if they act quickly.

November 10, 2025 - The deadline is really this week, with Microsoft’s first security update not generally available for Windows 10 PCs not enrolled in its ESU. That all happens tomorrow, when November’s Patch Tuesday vulnerabilities are made public.ForbesFree Gift Cards—Microsoft Confirms New Offer For Windows ...

February 11, 2026 - The ESU program is only a temporary solution designed to give users more time to upgrade, although businesses can purchase up to three additional years of updates. Microsoft offers detailed instructions on how to enable Extended Security Updates for Windows 10, but the option to enroll in the program may not yet be available for all eligible users.

1 week ago - Microsoft's Extended Security Updates program for Windows 10 is now available through October 2027. If you're still on the older OS, you have three options, two of which are free.

August 17, 2025 - Microsoft has now issued its free update offer to millions more Windows 10 users.

June 24, 2025 - But for users who don’t want to move to Windows 11 or who can’t do so because their PC doesn’t meet the requirements, they do effectively offer an additional year of free updates for the OS that’s still installed on a slim majority of the world’s Windows PCs, according to Statcounter data. Microsoft’s blog post says that Windows 10 users will be offered access to the ESU program proactively via notifications and the Settings app.

July 22, 2025 - Microsoft now offers a free extra year of Windows 10 updates if users sync settings to the cloud.

October 20, 2025 - Forget about Windows 11 right now and sign up for the Extended Security Updates (ESU), which lets you kick the can down the road for a year. The third option is easier than it sounds — and can now be done for free in many cases — so we'll focus on that one here. We'll walk you through the steps of keeping Windows 10 on your PC... for now, at least. We can question Microsoft's motives for killing off Windows 10, even though it works perfectly well on most older PCs.

June 25, 2025 - After October 14th 2025, Windows 10 will no longer receive security updates. That means that users of the OS should either upgrade to Windows 11 (if their PC supports it) or purchase a new Windows 11 PC.

If you have any questions, please see the FAQ here. Microsoft is offering a free Consumer ESU Program (2 Years) for Windows 10 Home, Professional, Pro Education, and Workstation editions.

This update replaces the following previously-released software: KB 3072318 -- Update for Windows 8.1 OOBE to upgrade to Windows 10 KB 3090045 -- Windows Update for reserved devices in Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 SP1 KB 3123862 -- Updated capabilities to upgrade Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 KB 3173040 -- Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1 end of free upgrade offer notification KB 3146449 -- Updated Internet Explorer 11 capabilities to upgrade Windows 8.1 and Windows 7

1 week ago - With the extension, however, users who can’t or won’t move to Windows 11 now have a second free year of patches. Speaking to BleepingComputer, Microsoft said that the change reflects “our ongoing commitment to helping customers stay secure ...

March 10, 2026 - Redeeming those points can buy you one year of security updates. Pay $30 for the Extended Security Updates program. These options are available now. Microsoft began offering its Extended Security Updates program in July.

August 16, 2025 - Per Windows Latest, “there’s a new Enroll Now link inside the Windows Update page.” You still have several options to extend security support, including paying $30 which could cover as many as 10 PCs on a single account.

April 10, 2026 - Google says Microsoft’s decision ... on a retired OS than ever before. ... Microsoft continues to offer a free extended support update (ESU) program for any Windows 10 user, albeit that only runs to October this ye...

September 25, 2025 - Update: Microsoft has clarified to Windows Latest that you will need to use a Microsoft Account to sign up for extended updates with Windows 10 in Europe (but you won't need to sync PC settings via the Windows Backup app, which was the main drawback of course). Original story follows below... Microsoft is removing any strings that were attached to the offer of extended security updates for those wanting to stick with Windows 10 beyond its official End of Life deadline - but only for people in certain countries.