Quote:With the first Patch Tuesday following Windows 10’s end of support approaching next week, users who continue to run the operating system should enroll in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program to remain protected against newly discovered security vulnerabilities.

On October 14, 2025, Windows 10 reached the end of support, meaning that Microsoft will no longer provide technical assistance, feature updates, or security updates for the operating system unless you are running a Windows LTSC version.

For those who are unable to upgrade to Windows 11, whether because they don't want to, are on older hardware, or run incompatible applications, Microsoft offers extended security updates (ESUs) that allow them to continue receiving security updates for a limited time.

For consumers, you can receive extended security updates for one additional year by:

1. Paying $30.
   
2. Backing up your Windows settings to your Microsoft account.
   
3. Redeeming 1,000 Microsoft reward points.
   

Regardless of the method you use above, you will be required to log in to a Microsoft account that will have the ESU license associated with it.

Consumers in the European Economic Area have a little more leeway as they can receive ESU for free simply by logging in to Windows 10 with a Microsoft account, or pay $30 to continue using a local account.

Enterprise customers can use the ESU program for a total of three years, bringing the total cost per device to $427.

As Windows 10 extended security updates are easily accessible for free, or at least relatively cheap, for most consumers, it is recommended that anyone remaining on Windows 10 sign up for the program to stay protected.

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