Microsoft has quietly extended its free Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for consumers by an additional year, allowing enrolled devices to continue receiving security updates until October 12, 2027.
The change was made without a formal announcement and instead appeared in updates to Microsoft's Windows 10 ESU documentation and as an "Editor's note" to a Windows Experience Blog post published yesterday.
"Editor's note – June 25, 2026 – This post has been updated to reflect that the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for personal use devices is being provided for an additional year, with coverage now available through Oct. 12, 2027," reads the updated blog post.
"This extension provides customers with more time to transition to a new Windows 11 PC while continuing to receive critical security updates."
On October 14, 2025, Windows 10 reached the end of support, and Microsoft no longer provides technical support, 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, Microsoft originally offered consumers an extra year of security updates if they enrolled in a free extended security updates (ESUs) program that would expire on October 12, 2026.
Enterprise customers could also enroll in the ESU program for up to three years, bringing the total cost per device to $427 over that period.
With today's quiet update, Microsoft has now extended the free consumer ESU program to October 12, 2027, giving users an additional year to upgrade to a newer operating system.
For consumers, you can continue to receive extended security for free using one of these methods:
Paying $30.
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