How To Get Free Windows 10 Security Updates Through October 2026: Two Ways

1 week ago

october 2025 almanac connected bluish background

With conscionable a fewer months remaining until nan Windows 10 end-of-support date, Microsoft seems to person belatedly realized that owners of tens of millions of user PCs moving Windows 10 aren't fresh to switch their aged computers, and they're besides not astir to fork complete $30 for a one-year Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription.

So, astatine nan extremity of June, conscionable days earlier nan extremity of its fiscal year, nan institution waved nan achromatic emblem and announced caller "free enrollment options" for nan ESU program, on pinch a explanation of nan steps customers will request to travel to motion up. Anyone consenting to effort retired Microsoft's cloud-based Windows Backup aliases walk a fewer minutes per time pinch nan Bing hunt motor complete nan people of a week tin debar nan $30 tariff and get that subscription for free utilizing nan enrollment wizard shown here.

The news was buried successful yet different long-winded station connected nan Windows Blog, which praises Windows 11 and encourages business customers to upgrade their aged PCs, bargain caller ones, aliases migrate to cloud-based alternatives for illustration Windows 365.

Also: Can't discontinue Windows 10? You tin salary Microsoft for updates aft October, aliases effort these alternatives

That announcement applies to tens of millions of user PCs that are ineligible for nan free Windows 11 upgrade because they don't meet compatibility requirements. Enterprise customers are ineligible for nan free options and will beryllium required to salary a importantly higher value (starting astatine $61 per instrumentality per year, and past doubling each twelvemonth aft that) for up to 3 years of a commercialized ESU subscription. Those business options are disposable done nan Microsoft Volume Licensing Program today; Microsoft's Cloud Service Provider partners will beryllium capable to statesman trading nan commercialized ESUs starting Sept. 1.

ESU sum for individual devices runs from October 15, 2025, done October 13, 2026. The ESU subscription is tied to a Microsoft relationship and tin beryllium applied to arsenic galore arsenic 10 PCs erstwhile signed successful utilizing that account.

Who's eligible?

The action to motion up for an ESU subscription from a individual Windows 10 PC is disposable successful Windows Insider builds today, and nan institution says it will statesman rolling retired to further Windows 10 PCs successful July, pinch wide readiness expected by mid-August.

The action will beryllium disposable to immoderate PC moving Windows 10, type 22H2, Home, Professional, Pro Education, and Workstation editions, pinch nan latest update installed. Enterprise and Education editions are not eligible. The action will besides beryllium unavailable connected immoderate PC that is joined to an Active Directory domain, Entra ID-joined, aliases registered pinch Mobile Device Management package specified arsenic Windows Intune. (Full instructions are disposable in this Microsoft Support document.)

You must beryllium signed successful pinch an administrator account. Because nan ESU subscription is tied to a Microsoft account, you will besides request to motion into a Microsoft relationship arsenic portion of nan enrollment process.

How to motion up

I was capable to trial nan enrollment process connected a PC moving nan Release Preview version of Windows 10 Pro. The sign-up nexus is disposable successful Settings > Windows Update, arsenic shown next:

Clicking "Enroll now" opens nan enrollment wizard. Because I was signed successful pinch a Microsoft relationship and had antecedently utilized nan Windows Backup programme to prevention my settings to Microsoft's cloud, I was waved correct done pinch nan pursuing message:

If you're signed successful pinch a section account, aliases if you haven't antecedently tally Windows Backup, you'll request to jump done a fewer other hoops. You'll spot this page successful nan enrollment wizard instead.

The easiest of nan free options is to usage Windows Backup to sync your settings to nan cloud. If you'd alternatively not do that, you tin redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points aliases salary $30 (outside nan US, section pricing will vary).

Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - 2 free options

As I've antecedently noted, this action is disposable only for "personal use," a move that's evidently designed to discourage business customers from trying to get information updates astatine a discount. In mini businesses that aren't portion of a managed Microsoft environment, it would beryllium intolerable to enforce that restriction, truthful Microsoft has wisely decided to artifact individual ESU subscriptions only connected commercialized devices that are portion of a managed endeavor network.

What's nan drawback pinch nan free options?

Using Windows Backup to "sync your settings to nan cloud" sounds for illustration a elemental option, but that action mightiness not activity for you. As it presently exists, nan Windows Backup action besides copies individual information to nan OneDrive unreality retention service. If you person a important magnitude of information and haven't paid for a Microsoft 365 Home aliases Personal subscription aliases a standalone retention upgrade, you'll pain done nan 5GB of default retention and perchance upwind up pinch a large mess.

Also: Can't upgrade your Windows 10 PC? Here are your options earlier it each ends successful 3 months

Redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points is simply a simpler option. If you've already created a individual floor plan utilizing your Microsoft Account successful Edge, you mightiness person already amassed capable points to screen that costs (those points would beryllium worthy a small nether $1 if redeemed for an Amazon gift card). If your Microsoft Rewards count is starting from zero, you tin quickly screen nan measure by downloading nan 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 nan Microsoft Rewards site.

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

Also: 400 cardinal Windows PCs vanished successful 3 years. Where did they each go?

These announcements correspond a beautiful large climb-down for Microsoft and a tacit acknowledgment that nan organization of Windows 10 PCs still successful usage successful October is apt to beryllium overmuch larger than expected. The caller ESU options won't alteration nan end-of-support day for Windows 10, but they do connection a one-year reprieve for price-sensitive consumers and a chance for Microsoft to soften nan inevitable PR deed it will return astatine nan extremity of 2025.

Get nan morning's apical stories successful your inbox each time pinch our Tech Today newsletter.