Extended Security Updates (ESU) is the Microsoft program that keeps delivering security patches to Windows 10 after its end of support.
For personal PCs, the program now runs a year longer than planned: coverage ends on October 12, 2027, not October 13, 2026. Microsoft added the change to a blog post on June 25, 2026, and its official ESU page now carries the new date. What it takes to stay covered, though, depends on where you live.
When does Windows 10 stop getting security updates?
It depends on who owns the PC. Personal devices enrolled in ESU are covered until October 12, 2027. For businesses and schools ESU is paid and lasts at most three years after end of support, which means October 2028.
| Date | What happens | Who it affects |
| October 14, 2025 | Windows 10 reaches end of support | Everyone |
| June 25, 2026 | Microsoft announces one more year of ESU | Personal PCs |
| October 13, 2026 | Original ESU end date, now superseded | Personal PCs |
| October 12, 2027 | New ESU end date | Enrolled personal PCs |
| October 2028 | End of the third and last year of paid ESU | Businesses and schools |
Sources: Microsoft consumer ESU page and Microsoft Learn; BleepingComputer, June 25, 2026.
After October 12, 2027, a personal Windows 10 PC will keep working, but vulnerabilities found from that day on will stay unpatched.
What does ESU cover?
ESU delivers only the security updates that the Microsoft Security Response Center rates as critical or important. It adds no features, fixes no other bugs and includes no technical support.
According to Microsoft, a PC needs four things to enroll:
- Windows 10 version 22H2, in the Home, Pro, Pro Education or Workstations edition;
- the latest Windows update, including the KB5126256 package that prepares the ESU license;
- a Microsoft account with administrator rights on the PC;
- an account that is not a child account.
PCs still on an older version must update to 22H2 first.
How do ESU rules differ in the EU and the US?
The end date is the same everywhere. The way to get free coverage is not.
| European Economic Area | United States | |
| Free option | Sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account and keep signing in. Without sign-ins, updates stop after up to 60 days and the PC must re-enroll | Back up your PC settings to a Microsoft account |
| Microsoft Rewards | Not listed | Redeem 1,000 points |
| Paid option | One-time $30 or local equivalent plus tax, keeping a local account | One-time $30 plus tax |
| Coverage | Until October 12, 2027 | Until October 12, 2027 |
Sources: Microsoft ESU pages, Italian and US versions, checked on October 14, 2026.
The European terms above come from Microsoft’s Italian page. Microsoft notes that enrollment options and timing may vary by region, so readers elsewhere should check the local version of the page.
To enroll, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Enroll now. One license covers up to 10 devices linked to the same account.
Do people already enrolled need to do anything?
No. Microsoft says coverage continues automatically to the new date. In the European Economic Area, free enrollment still depends on signing in to the PC with the same Microsoft account. Enrollment status appears on the same Windows Update screen.
Can businesses use free ESU?
No. The consumer program excludes PCs in kiosk mode, PCs joined to an Active Directory domain or to Microsoft Entra, and PCs managed through MDM. Devices that are only registered in Entra are eligible. A PC enrolled as personal that moves into one of these setups has its enrollment suspended until it returns to personal use.
Businesses buy commercial ESU through volume licensing. According to Microsoft Learn it costs $61 per device for the first year, and the price doubles each year for up to three years: $427 in total, by BleepingComputer’s count. It comes at no extra cost for Windows 10 virtual machines on Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and the other cloud services Microsoft lists. The June extension applies only to personal devices.
What does the extension mean if you need a new PC?
It gives owners of PCs that cannot move to Windows 11 another year of patches. According to Microsoft, enrolling in ESU does not block an upgrade to Windows 11 if the PC meets the hardware requirements.
Buyers of new PCs face higher memory prices. TrendForce expects conventional DRAM contract prices to rise 10-15% in the fourth quarter of 2026. For a PC that still does the job, the extra year of ESU makes it possible to delay the purchase without going unpatched.
Frequently asked questions
Does Windows 10 stop getting updates on October 13, 2026?
Not on personal PCs enrolled in ESU: security updates continue until October 12, 2027. October 13, 2026 was the original end date, replaced by the extension Microsoft announced in June.
Is Windows 10 ESU free?
It depends on the region. In the European Economic Area it is free for users who sign in with a Microsoft account. In the US it is free with a settings backup or 1,000 Rewards points. Otherwise it costs a one-time $30 plus tax.
Do I need to re-enroll after the extension?
No. Existing enrollments extend automatically to October 12, 2027.
Can company PCs use consumer ESU?
No. Domain-joined, MDM-managed and kiosk PCs are excluded. Businesses use paid commercial ESU.
What happens to a Windows 10 PC after October 12, 2027?
It keeps working, but it no longer receives security patches through the consumer program.
Sources
- Microsoft, Aggiornamenti della sicurezza estesi di Windows 10, Italian page with European Economic Area terms, checked on October 14, 2026
- Microsoft, Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU), US page, checked on October 14, 2026
- Microsoft Learn, Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10, updated November 17, 2025
- Microsoft, Windows Experience Blog, editor’s note of June 25, 2026
- BleepingComputer, Microsoft quietly extends free Windows 10 ESU support to October 2027, June 25, 2026
- TrendForce, 4Q26 DRAM and NAND contract price forecast, September 30, 2026
