Fix-it Researched from official sources · not hands-on

Windows 10 Extended Security Updates: Who Gets Them and How to Enrol

Microsoft's consumer ESU now runs to 12 October 2027. Check eligibility, pick the free, Rewards or paid route, enrol step by step, or upgrade to Windows 11 instead.

By Lokesh Rathore 7 min read

Laptop screen with a security shield and a calendar in crimson and red tones, representing Windows 10 security updates

Quick answer

Microsoft’s consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme now keeps home Windows 10 PCs patched until 12 October 2027, a year longer than first planned. Enrolment costs nothing if your PC settings sync to your Microsoft account; otherwise it’s 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points or a one-time US$30 (local price plus tax). Open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update and select Enroll now. Enrolled already? Your cover runs to 2027 with nothing more to do.

Free support for Windows 10 ended on 14 October 2025. The PC still starts and runs, but without ESU it no longer gets security fixes. If the machine can run Windows 11, the free upgrade is the better long-term move. If it can’t, ESU buys time. Everything below comes from Microsoft’s own pages as they read in late October 2026.

In this guide10 sections
  1. Dates every Windows 10 owner should know
  2. Decide first: Windows 11 upgrade or ESU?
  3. Will your PC qualify for consumer ESU?
  4. Picking your enrolment route
  5. Enrolling, one step at a time
  6. When Enroll now is missing or fails
  7. What ESU covers, and where it stops
  8. Office laptops and business PCs
  9. Your ESU questions
  10. Microsoft pages we relied on

Dates every Windows 10 owner should know

ItemUntilWhat it means for you
Windows 10 free supportEnded 14 October 2025No new security fixes unless the PC is in ESU; it keeps working otherwise
Consumer ESU (home PCs)12 October 2027Extended by a year in June 2026. You can enrol any time before then, but updates stop on that date however late you join
ESU for businesses and schoolsUp to three years after end of supportPaid per device, bought through Microsoft volume licensing
Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10Security updates until 10 October 2028Feature updates finished with the August 2026 release for Current Channel, which covers consumers
Edge and WebView2 on Windows 10 22H2At least October 2028Your browser keeps updating
Defender Antivirus security intelligenceThrough October 2028Malware definitions keep arriving, but they don’t patch Windows itself
From Microsoft’s ESU and end-of-support pages, the Microsoft Edge lifecycle page and the Windows Experience Blog (editor’s note of 25 June 2026); checked 29 October 2026.

Note: If you enrolled during the first year, Microsoft says your coverage continues through 12 October 2027 automatically. There is no second sign-up.

Decide first: Windows 11 upgrade or ESU?

Think of ESU as a bridge. If your PC meets the Windows 11 requirements, moving from Windows 10 Home or Pro to the matching Windows 11 edition is free, and you get full support with feature updates. Microsoft’s minimum specification is:

  • Compatible 64-bit processor, 1 GHz, 2+ cores
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 64 GB storage or more
  • UEFI, Secure Boot capable
  • TPM 2.0
  • DirectX 12 GPU, WDDM 2.0 driver
  • 720p screen above 9 inches

The simplest check is Microsoft’s PC Health Check app, or Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update → Check for updates, which offers the upgrade on eligible PCs. PC Health Check doesn’t test the graphics card or the display, so confirm those from the spec sheet. Microsoft also says the PC must be on Windows 10 version 2004 or later to upgrade, and Windows 11 Home needs an internet connection and a Microsoft account during setup.

Software support windows matter for every device you own; our guide to phone update support by brand applies the same thinking to smartphones.

Will your PC qualify for consumer ESU?

  • Edition and version: Windows 10, version 22H2; the Home, Pro, Pro Education and Workstations editions qualify. Check under Settings → System → About, in the Windows specifications section.
  • Fully updated: the latest Windows update must be installed, including the Windows 10 ESU Licensing Preparation Package (KB5126256), released on 8 September 2026. Windows Update installs it automatically on a PC that already has a security update from 14 October 2025 or later (for example KB5066791), and restarts the PC afterwards.
  • The right account: you sign in with a Microsoft account that is an administrator on the PC and is not a child account.
  • Not offered on PCs joined to an Active Directory domain or to Microsoft Entra, PCs enrolled in mobile device management, or PCs in kiosk mode. Microsoft also says the consumer programme can’t be used in commercial scenarios. A PC that is only Entra registered, not joined, can still use it.

Picking your enrolment route

OptionCostWorth knowing
Sync your PC settings with Windows BackupFreeYour settings go to your Microsoft account. Microsoft’s wording mentions only PC settings, not your files.
Redeem Microsoft Rewards points1,000 pointsRewards orders are final and can’t be returned or exchanged.
One-time purchaseUS$30 or the local-currency equivalent, plus applicable taxMicrosoft lists no rupee price on its India page. Refunds follow its digital-purchase policy for your country.
From Microsoft’s India and US consumer ESU pages; checked 29 October 2026.

Microsoft says the programme for personal devices is available in most markets where Windows is sold, but that options and timing can vary by region. The European Economic Area is the main example: there, ESU is free as long as you stay signed in with your Microsoft account, and updates stop if that account isn’t used to sign in for up to 60 days, after which you must enrol again. Microsoft’s India page lists the three routes in the table.

Enrolling, one step at a time

  1. Update first. Go to Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update → Check for updates, install everything offered (KB5126256 included) and restart.
  2. Return to the Windows Update page. An eligible PC shows an enrolment link; select Enroll now.
  3. On a local account, Windows asks you to sign in with your Microsoft account at this point.
  4. If your settings already sync, you simply confirm. If not, pick one route: start backing up your settings (free), redeem 1,000 Rewards points, or make the one-time purchase.
  5. Follow the remaining prompts. You can check your status any time on the same Windows Update page, and a paid licence also appears in your Microsoft Order History.

Covering several PCs

A single ESU licence covers up to 10 devices, and each one must meet the requirements. On the next PC, sign in using that same Microsoft account, go to the Windows Update page and choose Enroll now, or Add device if Windows offers it.

Family and shared computers

When any user on a PC enrols, every other user on that PC is protected as well. A child’s account can’t complete enrolment because it lacks the permissions. The parent needs to be a user with administrator rights on that PC (the child can add you), then switch to that account and enrol from there.

When Enroll now is missing or fails

Microsoft’s only promise is that the link appears once the PC qualifies. Work through these checks:

  • Resume paused updates, install everything, KB5126256 included, and restart.
  • Confirm version 22H2 and a supported edition in Settings → System → About.
  • Sign in with your own administrator Microsoft account, not a child account.
  • Accept that work or school PCs joined to a domain or Entra, managed through MDM or set up as kiosks won’t show it.
  • If the wizard starts but breaks partway, make sure recent updates are in place. On 11 November 2025 Microsoft released KB5071959 specifically to fix enrolment wizard failures.
  • Run the Windows Update troubleshooter, either from the Get Help app or via Settings → Update & Security → Troubleshoot → Additional troubleshooters → Windows Update.

What ESU covers, and where it stops

ESU delivers critical and important security updates, as rated by the Microsoft Security Response Center, through Windows Update. Once enrolled, the PC receives every such update released since end of support. It does not add features, fix non-security bugs or include general technical support. Enrolling also doesn’t stop you from upgrading to Windows 11 later.

Warning: Microsoft itself warns that Windows 10 devices will be more vulnerable even with Defender’s ongoing updates, and that antivirus alone isn’t enough. Keep Edge or your browser updated, keep Defender on and only install software from sources you trust.

Office laptops and business PCs

A laptop your company controls through a domain, Entra or MDM won’t show consumer ESU at all. Organisations buy ESU through Microsoft volume licensing at US$61 per device for the first year, with the price doubling each following year for a maximum of three years. Windows 10 virtual machines in Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop get ESU at no extra cost. Leave this to your IT team.

Planning to replace an ageing PC with a second-hand or refurbished one? The checks we suggest in refurbished vs used vs new phones carry over well: warranty, battery health and how many years of updates are left.

Your ESU questions

Will a PC I enrolled in 2025 keep getting updates into 2027?

Yes. Microsoft says existing enrolments carry on automatically until 12 October 2027.

Can one licence cover both my laptop and my desktop?

Yes. One licence works on up to 10 eligible devices signed in with the same Microsoft account.

Can I get a refund after paying for ESU?

A cash purchase follows Microsoft’s digital-purchase refund policy for your country. Rewards redemptions are final, and the free settings-sync route has nothing to refund.

Does enrolling lock me out of Windows 11 later?

No. Microsoft says ESU doesn’t prevent an upgrade, as long as the PC meets the Windows 11 hardware requirements.

Which parts keep updating once ESU ends?

Windows itself stops getting security fixes after 12 October 2027. Microsoft says Edge and WebView2 continue until at least October 2028, Defender security intelligence through October 2028, and Microsoft 365 apps receive security updates until 10 October 2028.

Why does my child’s laptop say it can’t be enrolled?

Child accounts don’t have the permissions. Sign in on that laptop with your own administrator account and enrol from there.

What to do now: If the PC passes the Windows 11 check, save a backup and take the free upgrade. If it doesn’t, enrol in ESU today using the free settings-sync route and plan a replacement before 12 October 2027.

Microsoft pages we relied on

All checked in October 2026 (last on 29 October 2026).

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Lokesh Rathore

Editor, PhoneKitab · runs Mobivault, MP Nagar, Bhopal

Lokesh Rathore runs Mobivault, a phone shop in Zone 2, MP Nagar, Bhopal, and edits PhoneKitab. The questions customers bring to his counter, such as OTPs that never show up, missing 5G or a phone that will not charge fast, are what PhoneKitab turns into clear, sourced guides.

How we made this guide: Based on official help pages and operator and government sources, not on a hands-on test. An AI writing assistant helped research and draft it; every fact was checked against those sources and Lokesh Rathore approved it before publishing.

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