Microsoft Lets Windows 10 Users Get Extended Security Updates Until 2026 for Free

Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 in October, a decade after it was released by the company. While users with a licensed version of Windows 10 can upgrade to Windows 11 at no additional cost, several older (but functional) computers are not compatible with the latest version of Microsoft's operating system. The company says that users can now delay the switch to Windows 11 by signing up for Microsoft's Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme for free, to receive security updates until 2026.

Windows 10 ESU Programme to Provide Security Updates Until October 2026

In a blog post, Microsoft Executive Vice President Yusuf Mehdi announced that the company will offer the new ESU programme for free, for users who plan to use their computer for another year without upgrading to Windows 11. The programme will run from October 15 (after Microsoft winds down support for Windows 10) until October 13, 2026.

Windows 10 users can sign up for the ESU programme in July
Photo Credit: Microsoft

While Microsoft announced details of the ESU programme last year, it has now made it available to all users at no additional cost. Users can pay $30 for one year of support, but Mehdi says that users will also be able to sign up by redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Reward points instead.

Users who do not have Microsoft Reward Points can also enrol their PC without spending any money, but they must enable Windows Backup to sync their settings to the cloud. Microsoft provides 5GB of cloud storage for free, which means users on the free tier will need to check their sync settings on their PC.

PCs enrolled in the Windows 10 ESU programme will receive "critical and important security updates" every month. However, these updates won't include new operating system features, or technical support, and the company says this the ESU programme isn't a "long-term solution".

It's worth noting that you don't necessarily have to switch to a new computer if your current one is working normally, just because support for Windows 10 is ending. If you don't rely on Windows-only applications, you can consider backing up your data and installing Linux-based distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora, which are free to download and offer support for several widely used apps.