You Can Still Get Free Windows 10 Security Patches - Here's How Until October 2026

NurPhoto/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source connected Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Windows 10 PCs tin person free information updates until October 2026.
• To suffice for free individual updates, enroll pinch a Microsoft account.
• Customers successful immoderate of nan 30 EEA countries automatically qualify.

This month's Windows updates will 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 pinch its default settings will nary longer person those captious monthly information updates from nan Windows Update servers.

But don't commencement shopping 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 nan original end-of-support date.

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

When Microsoft first announced nan readiness of Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 11, nan subscription came pinch a $30 value tag. Thankfully, personification successful Redmond realized that owners of tens of millions of user PCs moving Windows 10 aren't fresh to switch their aged computers, and those customers are besides not astir to fork complete $30 for an ESU subscription. So, a fewer months earlier nan end-of-support date, nan institution announced caller "free enrollment options" for nan ESU program. 

Those free ESU subscriptions are now disposable for immoderate PC moving Windows 10, including nan tens of millions of user PCs that are ineligible for nan free Windows 11 upgrade because they don't meet nan compatibility requirements.

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

Who's eligible?

The action to motion up for an ESU subscription from a individual Windows 10 PC is now broadly disposable to immoderate PC moving Windows 10, type 22H2, Home, Professional, Pro Education, and Workstation editions, pinch nan latest Windows cumulative update installed. Enterprise and Education editions are not eligible. The action is besides unavailable connected immoderate PC that is joined to an Active Directory domain, Entra-joined, aliases registered pinch Mobile Device Management package specified arsenic Windows Intune. 

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

You must beryllium signed successful pinch an administrator account, and nan relationship can't beryllium group up arsenic a kid account. Because nan ESU subscription is tied to a Microsoft account, you will besides request to motion successful to a Microsoft relationship arsenic portion of nan enrollment process -- unless you're located successful Europe. (More specifications connected that a small later successful this post.)

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

You tin get each nan specifications successful this thorough support article connected Microsoft's website: Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU).

Here's really to motion up

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

On a individual instrumentality moving nan latest Windows 10 version, you'll find this nexus to motion up for Extended Security Updates.

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET

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

Microsoft is offering a year's worthy of free information updates to owners of Windows 10 PCs. 

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET

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 Microsoft relationship and you've already utilized nan Windows Backup program, you'll beryllium capable to enroll for free, immediately.

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET

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

The free options require a committedness utilizing a Microsoft account. 

Microsoft

If you're consenting to effort retired Microsoft's cloud-based Windows Backup utility or walk a fewer minutes per time pinch nan Bing hunt motor complete nan people of a week, you tin debar that $30 complaint and get nan subscription for free utilizing nan enrollment wizard shown here. 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 varies).

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, enforcing this regularisation would beryllium impossible. Therefore, Microsoft has wisely decided to artifact individual ESU subscriptions only connected commercialized devices that are portion of a managed endeavor network.

If you're successful Europe, ESU subscriptions are free

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

What astir PCs connected business networks?

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

What if you're not seeing nan ESU offer?

Check that you meet each nan requirements, arsenic noted above. In particular, make judge you've installed nan latest updates for Windows 10, type 22H2, and that you've signed successful pinch a Microsoft account. You mightiness request to hold for arsenic overmuch arsenic a time for nan action to appear.

A small wished searching will move up instructions for making registry edits and moving PowerShell commands that tin unit nan enrollment connection to appear. In my testing, those shortcuts haven't been reliably successful and person mostly been a root of frustration. If you judge your PC is eligible for nan free ESU subscription and nan connection isn't available, nonstop maine an email astatine Win11Upgrade AT realworldwindows DOT com pinch arsenic galore specifications arsenic possible.

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. The Windows Backup action besides offers to copy information files from your individual folders 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. You tin debar that rumor by ensuring that you are not signed successful to OneDrive earlier enrolling successful nan ESU subscription.

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

Redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points is simply a simpler option. If you've already created a individual floor plan utilizing your Microsoft relationship successful Edge, you whitethorn person already accumulated capable points to screen nan costs (those points would beryllium worthy conscionable nether a dollar 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: Can't upgrade your Windows 10 PC? You person 5 options - and must enactment now

The readiness of extended information updates for Windows 10 connected user PCs is simply a invited information measurement and a tacit acknowledgment that nan organization of Windows 10 PCs still successful usage aft nan 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.

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