Windows 10 Security Updates Now Run to October 2027

Windows 10 PCs enrolled in Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates now get security fixes until 12 October 2027, a year later than first promised, and Microsoft says already-enrolled PCs carry on automatically with no action needed. If yours is not enrolled, you can still sign up: free if you sync your PC settings, for 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or for a one-time $30.

The old end date was 13 October 2026, eight days from when we wrote this. Microsoft changed it on 25 June 2026, by editing its ESU pages and adding an editor’s note to the Windows Experience Blog post that set out consumer ESU a year earlier. We found no separate announcement, and BleepingComputer reported the change the same day as a “quiet update”.

Windows 10 dates that still matter

What	Until
Regular Windows 10 support	Ended 14 October 2025
Consumer ESU, as first announced	13 October 2026
Consumer ESU, now	12 October 2027
Microsoft 365 apps: security updates	10 October 2028
Microsoft 365 apps: feature updates	August 2026, the last for consumers
Defender Antivirus definitions	October 2028

The last three rows are separate from ESU. Microsoft’s blog says Microsoft 365 apps keep getting security updates on Windows 10 until 10 October 2028, and Defender’s definitions continue through October 2028. Neither replaces ESU: definitions help Defender recognise known malware, while fixes for flaws in Windows itself now reach Windows 10 only through ESU.

If you are already enrolled

Do nothing. Microsoft’s page says: “If you’re already enrolled, your coverage will automatically continue through that date—no action needed.” That holds whichever way you enrolled.

To check it, open Settings › Update & Security › Windows Update. If you paid, the order also appears in your Microsoft account’s Order History.

How to enrol now

Check you qualify first. Microsoft lists these requirements:

• Windows 10 version 22H2, in the Home, Pro, Pro Education or Workstations edition
• The latest Windows updates installed, including the licensing package KB5126256
• An administrator Microsoft account. It cannot be a child account, and if you sign in with a local account you will be asked to sign in with a Microsoft account to enrol
• A personal PC. Enrolment is not offered on kiosk-mode PCs, or on PCs joined to an Active Directory or Microsoft Entra domain or managed by an MDM tool

Then:

1. Open Settings › Update & Security › Windows Update.
2. Select Enroll now. Microsoft shows the link only to PCs that meet the requirements, so if it is missing, go back through the list above.
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account if asked.
4. Pick a route. If you already back up your PC settings, you will just be asked to enrol.
5. For each further PC, up to 10, repeat steps 1 and 2 and choose Add device if you are signed in with the same account.

Route	Cost	What you give up
Sync PC settings with Windows Backup	Nothing extra	Your settings sync to Microsoft’s cloud
Microsoft Rewards	1,000 points	Rewards orders are final
One-time purchase	$30, or local equivalent, plus tax	Refunds follow Microsoft’s digital purchase policy

Coverage is per PC, not per person: once one user on a PC enrols, every other account on that PC is covered too. A child’s PC has to be enrolled from a parent’s administrator account added to it.

In the European Economic Area the terms differ. Microsoft’s US page says only that options and timing “may vary by region”. Its Swiss newsroom post of September 2025, written for the EEA and Switzerland, described free enrolment for anyone who signs in with a Microsoft account and stays signed in, with updates stopping if the account is not used for 60 days. That post predates the extension, so check your local Microsoft page.

Enrol, upgrade or replace?

Enrolling does not block an upgrade later. Microsoft says an enrolled PC can still move to Windows 11 whenever it meets the requirements, so the free route costs nothing to try.

First, check whether the PC can upgrade. The upgrade to Windows 11 is free. Go to Settings › Update & Security › Windows Update, or run Microsoft’s PC Health Check app, which Microsoft notes does not test the graphics card or display. The PC must already be on Windows 10 version 2004 or later. If the check fails, which requirement failed, and whether it is a setting you can change, decides your next step.

Windows 11 needs	Minimum
Processor	1GHz, 2 or more cores, on Microsoft’s compatible 64-bit list
RAM	4GB
Storage	64GB
Firmware	UEFI, Secure Boot capable
Security chip	TPM 2.0
Graphics and display	DirectX 12; a screen over 9 inches at 720p

If it cannot upgrade, ESU buys a year to replace it on your own schedule. The deadline no longer forces a purchase this Black Friday. It does make this November the last Black Friday before the cut-off, since Black Friday 2027 falls after 12 October 2027.

If you do shop for a laptop in a sale, put the money into the parts you cannot change later. If the old PC is a tower, a mini PC is worth considering as the replacement. If the main complaint about the old laptop is noise rather than age, the usual causes of a loud laptop fan are often fixable without a screwdriver.

Microsoft’s own advice to PCs that cannot upgrade is a new Windows 11 or Copilot+ PC. A Copilot+ badge means an NPU rated at 40 TOPS or more, which gates one specific list of Windows features and has nothing to do with security updates.

Upgrading starts a new clock rather than ending them: each Windows 11 version has its own end date, and version 24H2 on Home and Pro runs out on 13 October 2026.

Microsoft has not said whether consumer ESU will run past 12 October 2027. Plan as if it will not.

Questions people ask

Does Windows 10 still get security updates?

Only if the PC is enrolled in Extended Security Updates. Regular support ended on 14 October 2025. Enrolled PCs get critical and important security fixes through 12 October 2027; PCs that are not enrolled get none.

Do I need to do anything if I’m already enrolled in Windows 10 ESU?

No. Microsoft says coverage for enrolled PCs continues automatically to 12 October 2027, with no action needed. You can confirm the status in Settings › Update & Security › Windows Update.

Can I still enroll in Windows 10 ESU?

Yes. Microsoft says you can enrol any time until the programme ends on 12 October 2027. Look for Enroll now in Settings › Update & Security › Windows Update; the PC needs version 22H2 and the latest updates.

How much does Windows 10 ESU cost?

Nothing if you sync your PC settings with Windows Backup, 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or a one-time $30 plus tax. Each route runs to 12 October 2027 and one licence covers up to 10 PCs on the same Microsoft account.

Do I have to pay again for ESU’s extra year?

No. Microsoft says existing enrolments continue through 12 October 2027 automatically, with no action needed, and that every enrolment route provides updates to that date.

How do I know if my PC can run Windows 11?

Open Settings › Update & Security › Windows Update, or run Microsoft’s PC Health Check app. The main hurdles are TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and a processor on Microsoft’s compatible list. The upgrade itself is free.

Will my Windows 10 PC stop working after October 2027?

No. Microsoft says Windows 10 PCs continue to function without ESU. They stop receiving security fixes, and Microsoft warns that unpatched PCs are more vulnerable to viruses and malware.