If you’re still running Windows 10 at home, you just got a year of breathing room. Microsoft has quietly extended its Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme by twelve months without any official announcement — only a small editor’s note on a previously published blog post — pushing the free coverage end date from October 12, 2026 to October 12, 2027. ESU is the safety-net programme that keeps delivering critical security patches to Windows 10 PCs after they technically reach end of life, so this extension means home users have another year of protection while they decide whether to upgrade to Windows 11 or buy a new PC.
The catch is that the free programme is for personal devices only — work PCs joined to corporate networks (Active Directory, Microsoft Entra-managed, or MDM) don’t qualify and businesses still pay for ESU. Anyone already enrolled stays covered automatically; no further action is needed. If you haven’t enrolled yet, the cheapest path in most countries is to sign in to Windows 10 with a free Microsoft account and back up your Windows settings to the cloud, which unlocks ESU at no cost; in Europe (EEA) the Microsoft-account sign-in alone is enough, with no backup required. Other options are a one-time $30 payment or 1,000 Microsoft Reward points. One enrolment covers up to ten devices linked to the same Microsoft account.
How to check if you’re affected
Affected versions are any Windows 10 device on version 22H2 (the only Windows 10 release eligible for ESU). To check, press Windows key + R, type winver, and hit Enter — you should see “Version 22H2” near the bottom. Then open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update. If you’re enrolled, you’ll see a message that says “Your PC is enrolled in the Extended Security Updates program” with the new expiration date. If you don’t see that, click Enroll now and follow the on-screen steps (you’ll need a Microsoft account signed in).