Assist for Home windows 10 is scheduled to finish on Oct. 14. Though the older working system is 10 years previous, it is nonetheless utilized by as much as 400 million computer systems and almost 41% of PC house owners. Should you’re amongst them, you will should both improve your machine or proceed utilizing outdated software program in case your machine does not help Home windows 11.
To present its customers extra time to improve their software program and {hardware} to Home windows 11, Microsoft has promised to proceed supporting Home windows 10 with yet another 12 months of safety updates. Anybody with Home windows 10 can enroll within the Prolonged Safety Updates program and proceed receiving updates by way of Oct. 13, 2026.
Microsoft says the ESU program is “not supposed as a long-term answer, however relatively as a short lived bridge to remain safe whereas one migrates to a more recent, supported platform.”
Home windows safety vulnerabilities are severe enterprise, so the ESU program is important for any customers who cannot or do not wish to improve to Home windows 11. The fee to enroll in Microsoft’s ESU program is $30, however Europeans can enroll free.
Fortunately for the remainder of the world, there are two extra free enrollment choices: You may both use Home windows Backup and sync your settings to your OneDrive account or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards factors.
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How do I enroll in Microsoft’s Prolonged Safety Updates for Home windows 10?
You may have to ensure you’re operating the most recent model of Home windows 10, model 22H2. You may verify your Home windows model in Settings. Then, click on Home windows Replace and choose View Replace Historical past. You may additionally have to have administrative privileges in your PC.
When you’re positive you are updated, go to Settings and Home windows Replace once more and search for the hyperlinks within the high proper nook of the interface. It ought to learn, “Home windows 10 help ends in October 2025” and “Enroll in Prolonged Safety Updates to assist maintain your machine safe.”
Beneath that messaging is a hyperlink to enroll, which is able to pop-up the Prolonged Safety Updates enrollment wizard. You may have to determine whether or not you wish to sync your settings with OneDrive, pay $30 or use 1,000 Microsoft Rewards factors for the ESU program.
You may enroll within the ESU program at any time from now till earlier than this system ends on Oct. 13, 2026. The ESU program is just a short lived answer designed to present customers extra time to improve, though companies are capable of buy as much as three further years of updates.
Microsoft offers detailed directions on methods to allow Prolonged Safety Updates for Home windows 10, however the choice to enroll in this system is probably not out there but for all eligible customers.
It seems that Microsoft continues to be within the technique of rolling out the enrollment wizard to all places and units. We had been unable to get the “Enroll now” hyperlink or messaging on our CNET check pc operating Home windows 10, though we had put in the required replace (the August 2025 patch KB5063709).
We reached out to Microsoft for clarification on the timeline for the ESU program. A spokesperson stated, “We’re working to revive the supply of the Home windows 10 Prolonged Safety Updates program in a subset of markets.”
How do I get Home windows 10 safety updates free?
There are two methods to enroll within the Home windows Prolonged Safety Updates program free. You may sync your Home windows settings with a OneDrive account related to your PC or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards factors.
Except you could have a surfeit of Microsoft Rewards factors sitting round, you will want to avoid wasting your PC’s knowledge with Home windows Backup to get the free safety updates for Home windows 10. Usually this function is meant that will help you save your recordsdata as you switch them from one PC to a different.
Within the ESU enrollment wizard, you will see the three decisions. To enroll free, choose the primary choice, Again up your PC settings, and click on Subsequent to start out the method of syncing your settings with OneDrive utilizing your Microsoft account.
There’s one doable downside to syncing with OneDrive to get free safety updates — it’s possible you’ll not have sufficient cupboard space. Microsoft solely offers 5GB of free storage. When you’ve got numerous settings knowledge to again up, you may find yourself paying extra.
Home windows 10 has had a powerful 10-year run, however the working system is not more likely to obtain updates past 2026. Nonetheless, for a lot of customers not but able to dive into Home windows 11, Microsoft’s free ESU program is a welcome stopgap.
