The last Windows 10 update came on Oct. 14 from Microsoft. The company has claimed until recently that there would be no Windows 11, though anybody’s guess when it comes to a timeline for its successor. That end-of-life status means Windows 10 will no longer receive security updates or new features from Microsoft.
But you can still take steps to protect yourself and keep using Windows 10 safely, owing to a handful of new options.
What Follows Windows 10?
Your computer is not going to simply stop functioning when its support ends. Your Windows 10 won’t change the way it’s been working since Day 1. Humans wrote that code, and you can bet it has bugs. But stoking the security risk is even more problematic: We can’t ever really know, but there are at least some new bugs to be found within Windows 10 that Microsoft will refuse to patch from here on out.
Microsoft’s most recent regular security update was on Oct. 14. Beyond that, the OS can only bury whatever defense line it may still have, as many are unexploited, not days available to update.
Built-In Protection That Continues
Some of Microsoft’s own security protections will remain on by default after that. That is, those protections are in place to reduce the risk of getting stuck on Windows 10.
Definition updates will be provided to Windows Security (Microsoft Defender Antivirus) before 2028. That’s three more years of your system being shielded from viruses and the like.
Microsoft 365’s Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are still getting security updates until 2028. While these apps won’t get any of the fancy new features, they will remain protected from security issues being rebuilt.
Google Chrome runs reliably on Windows 10. Therefore, you can confidently explore the web with fast start-ups and access to your favorite Chrome Web Store apps from Google.
Understanding the ESU Program
Under the ESU (Extended Security Updates) deal, Microsoft sells customers Windows 10 Extended Security Updates that provide patches for security vulnerabilities after regular support ends. That’s more of a workaround as a way to help protect current customers against these situations, and it will not be the in-box solution.
There are customers of Microsoft that obviously still need support in the form of ESU, and this year, it is free for customers. This 7-year period is comparable to right-of-use updates as of the same reporting date specified through October 13, 2026.
Three Paths to Free Updates
Individuals have three registration choices available to them, and they all receive a year of free security updates. The two devices will protect the future of your devices, and you’ll be able to connect up to 10 devices from a single Microsoft account.
Two options are – login with MS account on a Windows 10 server PC and files stored in OneDrive. It’s account verification and security, of a kind.
But one alternate course lay open to you, for the cost of 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Participants in the existing Skipping Stone Rewards program will be able to build points and carry a balance at ESU. If you are a former Member, you can use them next month.
And that’s after a no-prisoners, buck $30 deduction alone. It’s a neat enough fix, and if you’re not interested in backup to OneDrive, then it might be for you.
The need is a little different for citizens of the European Economic Area. (You will be required to have a Microsoft Account, but you won’t be able to use OneDrive for backup.) And so long as you sign in with your Microsoft account at least once every 60 days, the offer is open-ended.
Step-by-Step Enrollment Process
Windows Settings enrollment is not expected to take more than one to two minutes. Here’s what you can do to get your free security update.
Open the Settings app by pressing Windows+I. Click on Update & Security from the list.
On the left side of the window within the control panel’s home, click Windows Update. Under “Get the update as soon as it is available,” click on more info or advanced settings, and make sure there’s a check mark next to Receive updates for other Microsoft products when you update Windows.
Click the “Check for updates” button. Your system will search for updates and display any available enrollment offers.
Below the update status, there is an “Enroll Now” button. Click it to start registration.
A window will pop up on your screen. Skip Enrollment. Next to enroll.
Tap “Enroll” on the last screen to complete. Your system is now registered with Extended Security Updates until Oct 2026.
Use Windows 10? Your Guide to Windows 10: Here’s What You Need to Know
While these safeguards do extend the limited usefulness of Windows 10, there are a couple of factors to remember. ESU is simply security, no new features available, nor perf improvements at all.
You will have to pay for extended ESU coverage or an upgrade to Windows 11 post-October 2026. (Microsoft has not said how much future seats will cost, but prices tend to go up each year.)
What could still block some of the would-be adopters of Windows 11 are hardware and IoT. For these customers, usage over time and security are still going to be issues with Windows 10.
Pricing and Options 8113:ESU Pricepage Business-school All Differences between Schools versus Businesses for ESU price-page. Enterprise customers, socialize this with your IT admin and maybe complain about how the web froze in time for years under Internet Explorer 8 (so fucking metal!), and apps that will work on those versions of IE, which won’t yet be supported at the earliest January 1, 2016.
Making the Right Decision
The ESU offer is essentially a free pass, a no-strings upgrade exemption for those unprepared organizations. One more year of flexibility. This one-year extension could buy you a bit of time to decide whether there are some overdue hardware upgrades that may be due, or even start preparing for the eventual shift to Windows 11.
The burden will be on users to do a lot of thinking about what they want and how much security they actually need. On the flip side, if sensitive environments (high-risk sites) trust that Windows 11 won’t adversely impact their work on internet-based and cloud services, they can have more confidence to move off the older operating system sooner.
But even more ordinary folk who keep their security software up to date and play it safe while they surf are good: For the price of Microsoft’s above ESU fee, Windows 10 will continue to work just dandy for those folks until 2026.
Should you opt not to roll your action back, however bumpy your path has been, just go right ahead and make those backups of the entire system. Avoid lost, stolen, or damaged system ID department general orders.
It’s easily accessed: Anyone with Windows 10 can use Word. So you’re not pushing back PC security to October 2025 when it’s secure at least until October 2026.
