Quick answer
Microsoft has pushed the end of consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10 to 12 October 2027, so ignore older articles that still say 13 October 2026. The free route only needs Windows Backup to store your PC settings in your Microsoft account. To enrol, go to Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update and choose Enroll now. Already enrolled? Your PC moves to the new date by itself, with nothing for you to do.
Windows 10 PCs now have one more year of security patches on offer, and the free route means you pay nothing for them. Whether you should enrol, move to Windows 11 or start planning a replacement depends mostly on your hardware.
Below: the dates that matter, a quick Windows 11 check, the ESU rules, how to enrol, and what to try when the enrol link refuses to show up.
In this article9 topics
- The new deadline and the other dates to know
- ESU means security fixes only
- Check first: can this PC run Windows 11?
- Does your PC qualify for ESU?
- Free, points or paid: pick your route
- How to enrol, start to finish
- No Enroll now link? Work through these checks
- Windows 10 ESU: your questions
- Microsoft sources and coverage
The new deadline and the other dates to know
Windows 10 reached its official end of support on 14 October 2025. That didn’t switch anyone’s computer off. It meant security fixes stopped arriving, except on PCs enrolled in ESU.
Consumer ESU first launched as a single year ending in October 2026. In June 2026, Microsoft quietly tacked on a second year, and the end date on its ESU page is now 12 October 2027.
| Windows 10 end of support | 14 October 2025 |
| Consumer ESU ends (free and paid routes alike) | 12 October 2027, moved from October 2026 |
| Microsoft 365 apps (security fixes on Windows 10) | Up to 10 October 2028 |
| Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 22H2 | Updated until at least October 2028 |
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus security intelligence | Continues through October 2028 |
Note: Enrolled earlier? Microsoft’s ESU page says current enrolments carry over to the later end date automatically. There’s nothing to click.
ESU means security fixes only
ESU delivers critical and important security updates. That’s the whole package: Microsoft adds no features, fixes no other bugs and gives no technical support under it. Enrolling doesn’t tie you down either, so a Windows 11 move stays open whenever you want it.
Warning: Even with ESU, an old Windows 10 PC is less safe than a Windows 11 machine that still gets full support. Update your antivirus and browser regularly, and skip software from sites you don’t recognise.
Check first: can this PC run Windows 11?
If the hardware allows it, upgrading is the better long-term fix, and it’s still free through Windows Update. These are Microsoft’s minimums:
| Processor | 64-bit, on the supported list, with at least 2 cores |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB |
| Firmware | UEFI, Secure Boot capable |
| Security chip | TPM 2.0 |
| Graphics | DirectX 12 or later and a WDDM 2.0 driver |
| Display | 720p, larger than 9 inches |
The quickest test is Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app. Alternatively, the Windows Update screen (Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update) will say whether your PC is eligible. PC Health Check doesn’t test graphics or the display, so compare those two with the table yourself.
Does your PC qualify for ESU?
| Windows version | 22H2 (look under Settings → System → About) |
| Edition | Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations or Pro Education |
| Updates | All installed. Microsoft treats one in particular as required: Windows 10 ESU Licensing Preparation Package (KB5126256) |
| Account | A Microsoft account with administrator rights |
| A child’s PC | Children’s accounts can’t enrol by themselves; a parent can do it by logging into their own admin account on that child’s PC |
| Number of PCs | One ESU licence covers up to 10, all on the same Microsoft account |
- Work-managed PCs sit outside the consumer programme: domain-joined or Microsoft Entra-joined machines, anything under device management, and kiosk-mode setups. Your IT team would handle business ESU for those. A PC that is merely registered with Microsoft Entra, not joined, can still take consumer ESU.
Free, points or paid: pick your route
| Route | What it costs you | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Sync settings via Windows Backup | Nothing | Your settings sync to your Microsoft account. The natural pick for most home users. |
| Redeem Microsoft Rewards | 1,000 points | Spent points can’t be refunded, and Rewards offers vary by region. |
| Buy it once | US$30 or the local-currency equivalent, plus applicable tax | For anyone who doesn’t want settings synced. There’s no published rupee price; checkout shows the exact amount with GST. |
Microsoft’s India ESU page does list the 1,000-point option. If your PC doesn’t offer it, use the free backup route.
How to enrol, start to finish
- Start by updating Windows completely. In Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update, click Check for updates, let everything install, then restart.
- Click Enroll now, which sits on that same Windows Update screen.
- Sign in with your Microsoft account if Windows asks.
- If your settings are backed up already, you’ll just be asked to confirm. Otherwise choose a route: free settings backup, a paid licence, or 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
- Finish the on-screen prompts. Windows Update then shows the PC as enrolled.
- Got another PC? Sign in on it with that same Microsoft account, then choose Enroll now on its Windows Update page (the button may read Add device instead).
No Enroll now link? Work through these checks
All Microsoft says is that the link appears once the requirements are met. Go down this list:
| Check | What to do |
|---|---|
| Updates | Unpause if needed, then install the latest updates, KB5126256 included, and restart. |
| Version | Confirm the PC runs 22H2. |
| Activation | Make sure Windows is activated: Settings → Update & Security → Activation. |
| Account type | Use an administrator account, not a child account. A local account is fine: after you click Enroll now, Windows asks you to sign in with a Microsoft account. |
| Work management | PCs joined to Microsoft Entra or a domain, under device management or in kiosk mode won’t ever show the link. |
| Troubleshooter | Run the Windows Update troubleshooter from Settings → Update & Security → Troubleshoot → Additional troubleshooters, then look again. |
Our verdict
- Windows 11 compatible? Copy your files somewhere safe and upgrade for free.
- Not compatible? Enrol in free ESU today and set money aside so you can replace the laptop before October 2027.
Windows 10 ESU: your questions
Will my PC stop working after 12 October 2027?
No, it keeps running. What ends is security fixes for Windows itself, which makes browsing and other online use riskier. Microsoft says three things keep getting updates until October 2028 on Windows 10: the Microsoft 365 apps, Edge, and Defender’s security intelligence.
Is ESU free for people in India?
Yes. The settings-backup route costs nothing; it syncs your settings with your Microsoft account. The alternatives are a one-time payment of US$30 (or the local equivalent) plus applicable tax, or 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
I enrolled in 2025. Do I have to sign up again?
No. Microsoft’s ESU page says existing enrolments now run until 12 October 2027, so there’s nothing to redo.
Can one licence cover the whole family’s PCs?
It covers up to 10 PCs, provided every one of them uses the same Microsoft account.
What about the laptop my office gave me?
Consumer ESU is out if your employer manages it with device management, Microsoft Entra or a domain. That laptop needs business ESU, which your IT team arranges.
Microsoft sources and coverage
- Microsoft India’s Windows 10 Extended Security Updates page
- Microsoft Support notice confirming Windows 10 support ended in October 2025
- Windows 11 minimum hardware specifications from Microsoft
- Microsoft Learn: how long Microsoft Edge stays supported
- Windows Experience Blog post on staying secure, updated with an editor’s note on 25 June 2026
- BleepingComputer: free Windows 10 ESU quietly extended into October 2027
