Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14, 2025, yet nearly 1 billion computers worldwide were still running the outdated operating system at the end of the year. Now there is more urgency for Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11.
On Tuesday, Microsoft announced that the original Secure Boot certificates — which prevent Windows machines from running insecure software — would expire in June 2026. To avoid the risk of expired certificates, people will need to either upgrade from Windows 10 or enroll in the Microsoft Extended Security Updates program.
To give its users more time to upgrade their software and hardware to Windows 11, Microsoft has promised to continue supporting Windows 10 with one more year of security updates. Anyone with Windows 10 can enroll in Extended Security Updates and continue receiving updates through Oct. 13, 2026.
Microsoft says the ESU program is «not intended as a long-term solution but rather as a temporary bridge to stay secure while one migrates to a newer, supported platform.»
Windows security vulnerabilities are serious business. The ESU program is necessary for any users who can’t or don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11. The cost to enroll in Microsoft’s ESU program is $30, but Europeans can enroll for free.
For the rest of the world, there are two other free enrollment options: You can either use Windows Backup and sync your settings to your OneDrive account or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
How to enroll in Microsoft Extended Security Updates for Windows 10
Make sure you’re running the latest version of Windows 10, version 22H2. You can check your Windows version in Settings. Then, click Windows Update and select View Update History. You also need to have administrative privileges on your PC.
Once you confirm the update, visit Settings and Windows Update. Look for the links in the top right corner of the interface. It should read, «Windows 10 support ends in October 2025» and «Enroll in Extended Security Updates to help keep your device secure.»
Below that messaging is a link to enroll, which will pop-up the Extended Security Updates enrollment wizard. You need to decide whether you want to sync your settings with OneDrive, pay $30 or use 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points for the ESU program.
You can enroll in the ESU program at any time until Oct. 13, 2026. The ESU program is only a temporary solution designed to give users more time to upgrade, although businesses can purchase up to three additional years of updates. Microsoft offers detailed instructions on how to enable Extended Security Updates for Windows 10, but the option to enroll in the program may not yet be available for all eligible users.
It appears that Microsoft is still rolling out the enrollment wizard to all locations and devices. We were unable to get the «Enroll now» link or messaging on our CNET test computer running Windows 10, even though we had installed the necessary update (the August 2025 patch KB5063709).
We reached out to Microsoft for clarification on the timeline for the ESU program. A spokesperson said, «We’re working to restore the availability of the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates program in a subset of markets.»
How to get Windows 10 security updates for free
There are two ways to enroll in the Windows Extended Security Updates program for free. You can sync your Windows settings with a OneDrive account connected to your PC or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
Unless you have a surplus of Microsoft Rewards points, you need to save your PC data with Windows Backup to get the free security updates for Windows 10. This feature is normally intended to help you save your files as you transfer them from one PC to another.
In the ESU enrollment wizard, you’ll see three choices. To sign up for free, select the first option, Back up your PC settings, and click Next to start syncing your settings with OneDrive using your Microsoft account.
There is one possible drawback to syncing with OneDrive to get free security updates: You may not have enough storage space. Microsoft only provides 5GB of free storage. If you have a lot of settings data to back up, you might end up paying more.
Windows 10 has had an impressive 10-year run, but the operating system isn’t going to receive any updates at all after Oct. 13, 2026. Still, for many users aren’t ready or able to dive into Windows 11, the free Microsoft ESU program is a welcome stopgap.