You can still get free Windows 10 security patches - here's how until October 2026

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Windows 10 PCs tin person escaped information updates until October 2026.
To suffice for escaped idiosyncratic updates, enroll with a Microsoft account.
Customers successful immoderate of the 30 EEA countries automatically qualify.

This month's Windows updates volition beryllium delivered automatically connected Patch Tuesday, November 11. Unless you person a PC moving Windows 10, that is. Support for that operating strategy has officially ended, and immoderate PC moving Windows 10 with its default settings volition nary longer person those captious monthly information updates from the Windows Update servers.

But don't commencement buying for a replacement PC conscionable yet, arsenic Microsoft offers options that let you to proceed receiving those information updates until October 2026, 1 afloat twelvemonth aft the archetypal end-of-support date.

Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - for free

When Microsoft archetypal announced the availability of Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 11, the subscription came with a $30 terms tag. Thankfully, idiosyncratic successful Redmond realized that owners of tens of millions of user PCs moving Windows 10 aren't acceptable to regenerate their aged computers, and those customers are besides not astir to fork implicit $30 for an ESU subscription. So, a fewer months earlier the end-of-support date, the institution announced caller "free enrollment options" for the ESU program.

Those escaped ESU subscriptions are present disposable for immoderate PC moving Windows 10, including the tens of millions of user PCs that are ineligible for the escaped Windows 11 upgrade due to the fact that they don't conscionable the compatibility requirements.

ESU sum for idiosyncratic devices starts instantly and runs done Oct. 13, 2026. On idiosyncratic devices, the ESU subscription needs to beryllium activated utilizing a Microsoft account. After signing up, the relationship proprietor tin use that update eligibility to arsenic galore arsenic 10 PCs by signing successful to each 1 utilizing the aforesaid account. The ESU subscription applies to the PC, not the user. After you successfully use the ESU subscription, you tin motion retired from that Microsoft relationship and motion successful with different Microsoft relationship oregon a section account, and the PC volition proceed to person information updates.

Who's eligible?

The enactment to motion up for an ESU subscription from a idiosyncratic Windows 10 PC is present broadly disposable to immoderate PC moving Windows 10, mentation 22H2, Home, Professional, Pro Education, and Workstation editions, with the latest Windows cumulative update installed. Enterprise and Education editions are not eligible. The enactment is besides unavailable connected immoderate PC that is joined to an Active Directory domain, Entra-joined, oregon registered with Mobile Device Management bundle specified arsenic Windows Intune.

Also: Microsoft said these 400 readers couldn't upgrade to Windows 11. They did it anyway

You indispensable beryllium signed successful with an head account, and the relationship can't beryllium acceptable up arsenic a kid account. Because the ESU subscription is tied to a Microsoft account, you volition besides request to motion successful to a Microsoft relationship arsenic portion of the enrollment process -- unless you're located successful Europe. (More details connected that a small aboriginal successful this post.)

In addition, Microsoft says user ESU programme enrollment options and timing "may alteration by region," with a list of countries and languages that are eligible. If the user ESU programme isn't disposable successful your region, there's nary casual enactment to recommend.

You tin get each the details successful this thorough enactment nonfiction connected Microsoft's website: Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU).

Here's however to motion up

I was capable to trial the enrollment process connected a virtual moving the last mentation of Windows 10 Pro with each updates installed, soon aft the end-of-support date. The sign-up nexus is disposable successful Settings > Windows Update, arsenic shown next:

Clicking "Enroll now" opens the enrollment wizard shown here. Click Next to continue.

Because I was signed successful with a Microsoft relationship and had antecedently utilized the Windows Backup programme to prevention my settings to Microsoft's cloud, I was waved close done with the pursuing message:

If you're signed successful with a section relationship oregon haven't antecedently tally Windows Backup, you'll request to spell done a fewer other steps. You'll spot this leafage successful the enrollment wizard instead.

If you're consenting to effort retired Microsoft's cloud-based Windows Backup utility or walk a fewer minutes per time with the Bing hunt motor implicit the people of a week, you tin debar that $30 complaint and get the subscription for escaped utilizing the enrollment wizard shown here. The easiest of the escaped options is to usage Windows Backup to sync your settings to the cloud. If you'd alternatively not bash that, you tin redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points oregon wage $30 (outside the US, section pricing varies).

As I've antecedently noted, this enactment is disposable lone for "personal use," a determination that's evidently designed to discourage concern customers from trying to get information updates astatine a discount. In tiny businesses that aren't portion of a managed Microsoft environment, enforcing this regularisation would beryllium impossible. Therefore, Microsoft has wisely decided to artifact idiosyncratic ESU subscriptions lone connected commercialized devices that are portion of a managed endeavor network.

If you're successful Europe, ESU subscriptions are free

There's 1 large objection to the supra rules. Customers successful Europe suffice automatically, nary Microsoft relationship required. Microsoft has confirmed that customers successful immoderate of the 30 countries that are portion of the European Economic Area (EEA) volition suffice for escaped ESU subscriptions without immoderate further requirements. That quality was announced in a missive published by the Euroconsumers Group and was besides confirmed successful a statement by Microsoft to Windows Central.

What astir PCs connected concern networks?

Enterprise customers, alas, are not eligible for these escaped options and volition beryllium required to wage a importantly higher terms (starting astatine $61 per instrumentality per year, and past doubling successful terms each twelvemonth aft that) for up to 3 years of a commercialized ESU subscription. Business ESU subscriptions are disposable done the Microsoft Volume Licensing Program oregon done Microsoft's Cloud Service Provider partners.

What if you're not seeing the ESU offer?

Check that you conscionable each the requirements, arsenic noted above. In particular, marque definite you've installed the latest updates for Windows 10, mentation 22H2, and that you've signed successful with a Microsoft account. You mightiness request to hold for arsenic overmuch arsenic a time for the enactment to appear.

A small determined searching volition crook up instructions for making registry edits and moving PowerShell commands that tin unit the enrollment connection to appear. In my testing, those shortcuts haven't been reliably palmy and person mostly been a root of frustration. If you judge your PC is eligible for the escaped ESU subscription and the connection isn't available, nonstop maine an email astatine Win11Upgrade AT realworldwindows DOT com with arsenic galore details arsenic possible.

What's the drawback with the escaped options?

Using Windows Backup to "sync your settings to the cloud" sounds similar a elemental option, but that enactment mightiness not enactment for you. The Windows Backup enactment besides offers to copy information files from your idiosyncratic folders to the OneDrive unreality retention service. If you person a important magnitude of information and haven't paid for a Microsoft 365 Home oregon Personal subscription oregon a standalone retention upgrade, you'll pain done the 5GB of default retention and perchance upwind up with a large mess. You tin debar that contented by ensuring that you are not signed successful to OneDrive earlier enrolling successful the ESU subscription.

Also: Windows 11 upgrade failed? These are my 4 astir almighty troubleshooting secrets

Redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points is simply a simpler option. If you've already created a idiosyncratic illustration utilizing your Microsoft relationship successful Edge, you whitethorn person already accumulated capable points to screen the outgo (those points would beryllium worthy conscionable nether a dollar if redeemed for an Amazon acquisition card). If your Microsoft Rewards number is starting from zero, you tin rapidly screen the measure by downloading the Bing app for mobile and utilizing it for 2 days (500 points), past doing a bid of search-based quizzes, polls, and different silly tasks for a fewer days to accumulate 100-200 points per time connected the Microsoft Rewards site.

And if nary of those options enactment for you ... well, that volition beryllium $30, please.

Also: Can't upgrade your Windows 10 PC? You person 5 options - and indispensable enactment now

The availability of extended information updates for Windows 10 connected user PCs is simply a invited information measurement and a tacit acknowledgment that the colonisation of Windows 10 PCs inactive successful usage aft the end-of-support day is overmuch larger than they had expected. Note that this is simply a impermanent one-year reprieve, and you'll request to find a much imperishable solution erstwhile October 2026 rolls around.

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