In short
- If you haven't enrolled, your Windows 10 PC has had no security patches since October 2025.
- Enrollment is free if you sync your PC settings or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points; otherwise it's $30 once, for up to 10 PCs.
- You need Windows 10 version 22H2 and a Microsoft account with administrator rights. Local accounts can't enroll, even paying.
- Don't buy ESU from a reseller. Microsoft sells the same thing for less, or gives it away.
Windows 10's free support ended on October 14, 2025. Since then, monthly security fixes have gone only to PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates. Enrolling is the single most useful thing you can do for a Windows 10 machine today, and for most people it's free. Not sure you qualify? The 60-second checker applies Microsoft's rules for you.
Enroll in five steps
- Check you're on version 22H2. Press Windows+R, type
winver, press Enter. 22H2 is the only eligible version. If you see something older, run Windows Update until it's fully current, then come back. - Sign in with a Microsoft account that has administrator rights. This is the step that catches people out. Local accounts cannot enroll, even if you're willing to pay. If you've always used a local account, Settings → Accounts → Your info lets you switch to a Microsoft account; your files and programs stay put.
- Open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update. Look for the Extended Security Updates enrollment link. If it isn't there yet, install any pending updates and restart.
- Pick a free route. Either turn on Windows Backup for your PC settings, or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Pay the $30 only if neither works for you.
- Confirm it worked. Windows Update should now say the device is enrolled. The same enrollment covers up to 10 PCs signed into that account, so repeat step 3 on any other Windows 10 machines in the house.
The three routes compared
| Route | What's involved | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sync PC settings | Turn on Windows Backup for settings. You do not have to back up documents or photos, which is widely misreported. | Free |
| Microsoft Rewards | Redeem 1,000 points. If you've ever used Bing or the Rewards app you may already have them; if not, they accumulate quickly. | Free |
| One-time payment | A straight purchase, no settings sync required. Still needs the Microsoft account. | $30 plus tax |
Source: Microsoft, Windows 10 Consumer ESU. Re-verified September 10, 2026.
Never pay a reseller for ESU. Third-party sellers list "Windows 10 ESU Year 1" licenses at roughly double Microsoft's own price. Microsoft gives consumer ESU away free through the routes above and charges $30 at most. There is nothing a reseller can sell you that Microsoft doesn't offer more cheaply, directly, inside Windows Update.
In Europe? Read this. In the UK? Read it twice.
After pressure from the consumer group Euroconsumers, Microsoft agreed to make ESU free in the European Economic Area with nothing more than a Microsoft account sign-in. Microsoft's page now just says terms "may vary by region, such as in the EEA," so check what your own PC offers in Windows Update; in the EEA, expect the free option without the settings-sync condition.
The UK is not in the EEA. The EEA is the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Since Brexit, UK users fall under the standard worldwide terms: free via settings sync or Rewards points, or $30. Plenty of UK articles get this wrong.
What ESU gives you, and what it doesn't
| Included until Oct 12, 2027 | Not included |
|---|---|
|
|
Source: Microsoft Learn, ESU program.
Staying safe on Windows 10 beyond the patches
- Your browser is covered longer than Windows is. Microsoft Edge gets security updates on Windows 10 until October 2028, a year past the OS, and Firefox has said it will keep supporting Windows 10. Most real-world attacks arrive through the browser, so keep it current.
- Microsoft 365 apps get security fixes until October 10, 2028. Feature updates stop at version 2608.
- Have a backup. This is true on any operating system, but a machine you intend to run past its support window should have one you've actually tested. The 20-minute backup shows the simplest setup.
Make the PC you're keeping feel new
If the machine feels slow, that's rarely age. On most 2012–2018 PCs the bottleneck is a mechanical hard drive, and swapping it for an SSD is the biggest improvement available for any amount of money. Adding memory helps if you're on 4GB and live in browser tabs. Both are afternoon jobs.
Worth doing on a PC you're keeping
- SanDisk SSD Plus 1TB 2.5" SATA SSDDrop-in speed upgrade, free cloning software included. Amazon
- Kingston FURY Impact 8GB DDR4-3200 laptop memoryFor 2016+ laptops with DDR4. Amazon
- WD Elements 2TB portable hard driveRoomy, simple backup storage. Amazon
Paid links. Prices change often, so we don't print them; the listing shows the current price. We earn a commission on purchases, at no cost to you.
The SSD guide covers choosing a drive and cloning Windows across; the memory guide shows how to find out which type your PC takes before you buy anything.
And after October 2027?
Consumer ESU is scheduled to end then, and Microsoft has said nothing about a third extension for home users. It has already moved this date twice, so treat it as the current plan rather than a certainty; we re-check the documentation monthly and update this page the day it changes.
You have more than a year. Use it to decide properly: work out which path fits you, or read about Linux and the Mac option, both of which start with who shouldn't take them.
Product links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through one, we earn a small commission at no cost to you, and the retailer's cookies apply once you're on their site (we run none). We link only to things that fit the advice above, and we never link to replacement computers as a fix for a working one.
