Get free Windows 10 security updates until October 2027

Your Windows 10 PC can still receive critical security updates at no cost until October 2027, thanks to a quietly extended offer from Microsoft. While support for Windows 10 officially ended this month, the company has made a free version of its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program available to personal users, pushing the original October 2026 deadline back by a full year to October 12, 2027.

Microsoft initially planned to charge $30 for the ESU subscription, but after recognizing that tens of millions of consumer PCs,many of which cannot upgrade to Windows 11,are still in active use, the company shifted course. A few months before the end-of-support date, it introduced free enrollment options for personal devices. This means even PCs that fail Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements can remain protected.

To activate the free ESU subscription, you must sign in with a Microsoft account on each device. After enrollment, the account owner can apply the update eligibility to up to 10 PCs by signing into each one with the same credentials. Once activated, the subscription remains active even if you later switch to a different Microsoft account or a local account.

Who qualifies? Any Windows 10 PC running version 22H2 of the Home, Professional, Pro Education, or Workstation editions,with the latest cumulative update installed,is eligible. Enterprise and Education editions are excluded, as are devices joined to an Active Directory domain or managed with Microsoft Intune. You must also sign in with an administrator account that is not a child account.

How to enroll: Navigate to Settings > Windows Update and click the “Enroll now” link. If you’re already signed in with a Microsoft account and have used Windows Backup, enrollment is instant. Otherwise, the wizard offers three free paths: try Windows Backup to sync your settings to the cloud, redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or pay $30. The Rewards route is quick if you already have points; if not, the Bing mobile app can help you earn them in a couple of days.

A major exception for Europe: Customers in any of the 30 countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) qualify automatically for free ESU subscriptions without needing a Microsoft account or any additional steps.

What about business users? Enterprise customers are not eligible for these free offers. They must purchase a commercial ESU subscription through Microsoft’s Volume Licensing Program or a Cloud Service Provider, starting at $61 per device per year and doubling annually for up to three years.

If the offer doesn’t appear: Ensure you have the latest Windows 10 22H2 updates and are signed in with a Microsoft account. It may take up to 24 hours for the enrollment option to show. Registry edits and PowerShell commands have proven unreliable in testing.

The catch with the free options: Using Windows Backup may automatically copy your data to OneDrive, which could exceed the free 5GB storage limit. To avoid this, sign out of OneDrive before enrolling. The Rewards option is simpler and avoids storage issues.

This extended support is a welcome reprieve for the massive installed base of Windows 10 PCs, but it’s temporary. When October 2027 arrives, you’ll need a more permanent solution. Until then, your system can stay secure without spending a dime.