Microsoft has decided to extend Windows 10’s Extended Security Updates program by one more year, answering the question many users have had since mainstream support ended: what happens now to PCs that still haven’t made the jump to Windows 11? The answer, at least for now, is fairly clear: Windows 10 will continue receiving security patches until October 12, 2027 under the ESU program.
This move isn’t happening by chance. Although standard official support ends in 2025 and the last regular updates were shipped in October last year, Windows 10’s real-world footprint is still huge. According to figures cited by Ars Technica based on StatCounter, around 26% of PCs still run this system, while Windows 11 sits at about 72%. In other words, there are still hundreds of millions of active installations—far too many to simply flip the switch.
That’s the key point: Microsoft hasn’t changed course out of nostalgia, but because Windows 11 adoption remains slower than expected. And, honestly, it doesn’t take much to see why; between stricter hardware requirements and perfectly usable machines being left behind, the transition has felt less like a bold new era and more like an upgrade with a toll.
Why Microsoft has extended Windows 10 support
When Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 10, it offered an optional year of extended updates to reduce the risk of leaving millions of internet-connected computers unprotected. That plan was set to end on October 12, 2026, but the company has updated the ESU policy and the new deadline is now October 12, 2027—an adjustment confirmed both on the support page and in a note added to the program’s official announcement.
The underlying reason comes with plenty of context. Windows has always carried that mix of strength and challenge that comes from being everywhere: the more widespread a platform is, the harder it becomes to move the entire installed base to the next version. We saw it with Windows XP, whose farewell was extended multiple times throughout the 2010s because millions of systems still depended on it. Windows 10 hasn’t reached that extreme, but it has shown surprising staying power for an OS that, on paper, should have already given up most of its ground.
Part of the drag is Windows 11 itself. Its rollout often required buying a new PC with specific CPU technologies and TPM, prompting plenty of criticism for excluding machines that were still perfectly capable. If you need to quickly check what hardware you have, here’s how to see your PC specifications in Windows. On top of that, rising hardware upgrade costs—driven by shortages in storage and memory linked to the AI boom—hardly make it easy to refresh a PC like swapping a phone case. It’s also mentioned that some users have avoided Windows 11 due to the heavy focus on AI features.
How Windows 10 extended updates work
The ESU program lets you keep receiving security patches after standard support ends. For home users, joining is straightforward: just look for the enrollment option inside the Windows Update menu. From there, the terms vary by region.
In the European Union, customers can access these updates for free. In other markets, Microsoft requires signing in with a Microsoft account and syncing system settings to qualify for free updates as well. If you don’t meet that requirement, joining the program costs $30 or 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
There’s also an interesting detail: once activated, the ESU license can be used on up to 10 devices, although Microsoft makes it clear this option is intended for personal use. In businesses, the model changes and payment is per device. In that environment, the Windows 10 program will remain available until 2028.
What matters here isn’t just the price or how you access it, but the message behind this extension. Microsoft is effectively acknowledging that the Windows 10 installed base is still too large to push into a digital cliff-edge too soon. Does that mean Windows 10 is getting a second wind? Not exactly, but it does confirm it still occupies a very real place in the Windows ecosystem, even as Windows 11 leads the numbers.
What this extension means for users
For anyone still running Windows 10, this extension eases the immediate pressure. The system no longer gets general new features, but having an extra year of security patches significantly changes the picture—especially in a world where leaving a device unpatched is an open invitation to trouble. It’s not an indefinite roadmap, of course, but it is extra breathing room to decide more calmly whether to upgrade, wait, or simply consider switching to a new PC.
It also offers a broader read on Microsoft’s strategy. The company has spent years trying to push new Windows versions more aggressively, but the PC market doesn’t always move at the desired pace. If a quarter of machines are still on Windows 10 after support has ended, it’s clear that setting a date and expecting hive-mind compliance wasn’t enough—no matter how good it looked on a slide.
For now, the picture is this: Windows 10 is still alive, Windows 11 is dominant but not completely overwhelming, and Microsoft is buying more time so the transition doesn’t become a bigger problem. For users, that translates into something very concrete: if your PC is still on Windows 10, you’ve got a safety net through 2027.
