In short
Home users of Windows 10 can now get Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) right up to 12 October 2027. Plenty of articles still quote 13 October 2026, which is no longer correct. The free route only asks you to back up your PC settings to a Microsoft account; to sign up, open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update → Enroll now. A PC that is already enrolled carries on automatically, so there is nothing more to do.
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The new timeline at a glance
Official support for Windows 10 finished on 14 October 2025. A Windows 10 PC doesn’t stop working after that date; it simply stops receiving security fixes unless it is enrolled in ESU. When Microsoft launched the consumer programme, it was a one-year deal ending in October 2026. Then, in June 2026, Microsoft added a second year without much fanfare, and its ESU page now lists 12 October 2027 as the end of coverage.
| End of Windows 10 support | 14 October 2025 |
| End of consumer ESU (free or paid) | 12 October 2027 (was October 2026) |
| Security updates for Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 | Until 10 October 2028 |
| Edge browser updates on Windows 10 22H2 | Until at least October 2028 |
| Security intelligence for Microsoft Defender Antivirus | Through October 2028 |
Note: Signed up for ESU already? According to Microsoft’s ESU page, existing enrolments roll over to the new end date by themselves, and you don’t have to take any action.
What ESU gives you, and what it leaves out
ESU is a narrow programme. You receive critical and important security updates and nothing else: no new features, no fixes for other bugs and no technical support from Microsoft. Signing up doesn’t lock you in either, so you are still free to move to Windows 11 later on.
Warning: ESU helps, but an ageing Windows 10 machine remains less secure than a Windows 11 PC that is still supported. Keep your antivirus and browser up to date, and don’t install programs from websites you don’t know.
Who can sign up
- Your PC runs Windows 10 version 22H2 in the Home, Pro, Pro Education or Pro for Workstations edition and is fully updated. That includes the Windows 10 ESU Licensing Preparation Package (KB5126256), which Microsoft marks as a requirement. You can see your version under Settings → System → About.
- You are signed in with a Microsoft account that has administrator rights. A child account can’t enrol on its own, but a parent can sign in to their own administrator account on the child’s PC and enrol it from there.
- A single ESU licence stretches to up to 10 PCs, as long as they all use the same Microsoft account.
- Company-managed office PCs are left out: machines joined to a domain or to Microsoft Entra, machines under device management, and PCs set up in kiosk mode. For those, your IT team should look at business ESU. A PC that is only registered with Microsoft Entra, rather than joined, can still use the consumer programme.
Three ways to pay, and one of them is free
| Route | Price | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Backup of your PC settings | Free | Most people at home. Your settings are synced to your Microsoft account. |
| Microsoft Rewards points | 1,000 points | Anyone with a Rewards balance to spare. Once redeemed, the points can’t be returned. |
| Single one-time payment | US$30, or the equivalent in local currency, plus applicable tax | People who would rather not sync their settings. Microsoft publishes no rupee price; you see the exact figure, GST included, at checkout. |
The 1,000-point route appears on Microsoft’s India ESU page, though what Rewards offers differs from region to region. If you can’t see it on your PC, go with the free settings-backup route instead.
Signing up in six steps
- Get Windows fully up to date before anything else. Open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update → Check for updates, install whatever is waiting and restart.
- Back on the Windows Update page, click Enroll now.
- If prompted, sign in to your Microsoft account.
- When your settings are already being backed up, Windows only asks for a confirmation. If they aren’t, pick one of the three routes: back up your PC settings (free), spend 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or pay for the licence.
- Follow the remaining prompts. Once you’re done, Windows Update shows that the PC is enrolled.
- Adding a second PC? Sign in to it with the same Microsoft account, open Windows Update and click Enroll now (or Add device, if you see that option).
Can’t find the “Enroll now” option?
Microsoft’s only guidance is that the link shows up once a PC meets the requirements, so it is worth running through these checks:
- Resume updates if they are paused, then install the newest ones (KB5126256 among them) and restart.
- Make sure the PC is on version 22H2. While you’re at it, confirm that Windows is activated under Settings → Update & Security → Activation.
- Sign in with an administrator account rather than a child account. On a local account, Windows asks for a Microsoft account sign-in once you click Enroll now.
- Don’t expect the link at all on PCs that are domain- or Microsoft Entra-joined, under device management, or running in kiosk mode.
- Open the Windows Update troubleshooter via Settings → Update & Security → Troubleshoot → Additional troubleshooters, run it and look again.
Windows 11 is the better bet if your PC qualifies
Where the hardware allows it, moving to Windows 11 is the stronger long-term choice, and the upgrade still costs nothing through Windows Update. Here is what Windows 11 asks for:
- 64-bit CPU on the supported list, 2 or more cores
- 4 GB of RAM
- 64 GB of storage
- UEFI firmware with Secure Boot support
- TPM 2.0
- DirectX 12 (or later) graphics with a WDDM 2.0 driver
- Screen over 9 inches at 720p
For a fast answer, run Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app or look at Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update, which tells you whether the PC is eligible. One catch: PC Health Check skips the graphics card and the display, so verify those two yourself.
Our recommendation
- Clears the Windows 11 check? Back up your files, then take the free upgrade.
- Doesn’t clear it? Sign up for free ESU today and budget for a new laptop before October 2027.
Common questions
What happens to a Windows 10 PC once 12 October 2027 passes?
It carries on running. Windows itself stops receiving security fixes, though, which makes going online on it riskier. Microsoft has said that Defender security intelligence, Edge and the Microsoft 365 apps will continue to be updated on Windows 10 until October 2028.
Do users in India have to pay for ESU?
Not if you pick the route that syncs your PC settings to your Microsoft account, which costs nothing. The alternatives are spending 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points or making a one-time payment.
My PC was enrolled back in 2025. Must I sign up again?
There’s no need. Microsoft’s ESU page states that enrolments now deliver security updates through 12 October 2027, so you’re already covered.
Can I use consumer ESU on my work laptop?
No. If your employer manages the laptop through a domain, Microsoft Entra or device management, it needs business ESU instead, and that is something your IT team takes care of.
Where this information comes from
- Microsoft India: Extended Security Updates for Windows 10
- Microsoft Support: end of Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025
- Microsoft: system requirements and specifications for Windows 11
- Microsoft Learn: support lifecycle for Microsoft Edge
- Windows Experience Blog: staying secure before Windows 10 support ends (editor’s note dated 25 June 2026)
- BleepingComputer: report on Microsoft quietly extending free Windows 10 ESU to October 2027
