Microsoft has given Windows 10 users a narrow but real escape hatch: if you act before October 14, 2025 and meet a short checklist, you can enroll eligible PCs in a consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program that provides security-only patches for roughly one extra year — through October 13, 2026 — while you plan, budget, and test a permanent migration away from Windows 10. This bridge is time‑boxed, conditional, and deliberately limited: it supplies Critical and Important security updates only, requires a Microsoft Account for enrollment, and is available via three consumer routes (two of them free). The practical upshot is clear — ESU buys breathing room, not a forever‑safe operating system. (support.microsoft.com)
Background / Overview
Microsoft set a firm end‑of‑support date for consumer editions of Windows 10: October 14, 2025. After that date, standard security updates, feature updates, and mainstream technical support for Windows 10 Home, Pro and similar consumer editions stop. Microsoft explicitly recommends upgrading eligible PCs to Windows 11 or enrolling in ESU if you need more time. (support.microsoft.com)The consumer ESU program mirrors the enterprise ESU model but is adapted for households and small setups. Enrollment is being surfaced as a staged “Enroll now” experience inside Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update, and Microsoft published a cumulative update in August 2025 (KB5063709) that stabilizes the enrollment experience and fixes known issues that blocked the wizard for some users. The enrollment rollout is phased; meeting the technical prerequisites does not guarantee the prompt will appear immediately. (support.microsoft.com)
Why this matters: millions of PCs remain unable (or unwilling) to run Windows 11 because of stricter hardware requirements such as TPM 2.0, UEFI Secure Boot, and newer CPU lists. For users who can’t upgrade or who plan to delay hardware refreshes, ESU provides a time‑bounded way to keep receiving Microsoft’s most critical fixes while they choose a long‑term path. (support.microsoft.com)
What Microsoft is offering — the facts you need to know
Duration and scope
- Coverage window: ESU grants security updates after October 14, 2025 and continues through October 13, 2026 for consumer enrollments. It delivers only Critical and Important security updates as defined by Microsoft’s Security Response Center. No feature updates, no non‑security quality fixes, and no general technical support are included. (support.microsoft.com)
- Microsoft 365 / Office support: Microsoft will continue to provide security updates for Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 for an additional period beyond platform EOL — Microsoft documents extended Microsoft 365 security support through October 10, 2028 — but this is separate from the Windows ESU program and does not change Windows 10’s lifecycle. (support.microsoft.com)
Eligible devices and prerequisites
- Eligible OS: Windows 10, version 22H2 (Home, Pro, Pro Education, or Workstation editions). Enterprise, Education managed devices and many domain-joined or Entra-joined enterprise scenarios follow different rules (volume licensing / enterprise ESU). (support.microsoft.com)
- Updates required: Install all pending updates and the August 12, 2025 cumulative update (KB5063709). That update contains fixes and servicing stack improvements related to the enrollment experience and other maintenance items. Without it the enrollment wizard may not appear. (support.microsoft.com)
- Account requirement: A Microsoft Account (MSA) is required for the consumer ESU enrollment paths; local Windows accounts are not sufficient. That account requirement is non‑negotiable for consumer ESU. (support.microsoft.com)
- Phased rollout: Enrollment appears through a staged “Enroll now” link in Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update; if you meet the prerequisites the option may still take time to reach your device. (learn.microsoft.com)
How you can enroll (three consumer routes)
When the wizard appears, Microsoft gives consumers three ways to obtain a one‑year ESU entitlement:- Enable Windows Backup / settings sync to OneDrive — no additional cash payment, but you must sign in with a Microsoft Account and may need to purchase extra OneDrive storage if your backups exceed the free 5 GB allocation. This is the “no cash outlay” route. (support.microsoft.com)
- Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points — free if you already have enough points in your Rewards account. Microsoft Rewards points are acquired by using Microsoft services (Bing searches, Edge, etc.). (support.microsoft.com)
- One‑time purchase (approx. $30 USD) — a paid route available via the Microsoft Store; reports and Microsoft’s documentation indicate roughly $30 per account (local equivalent + taxes may apply). A single consumer ESU license can be used on up to 10 eligible devices tied to the same Microsoft Account. Pricing may vary by region and should be confirmed in the enrollment UI. (support.microsoft.com)
Quick action plan — what to do now (step‑by‑step)
- Confirm your Windows 10 edition and that it’s running version 22H2. (Settings → System → About or winver.)
- Install every pending update immediately, including the August 12, 2025 cumulative (KB5063709). This improves the chance the ESU enrollment wizard appears. (support.microsoft.com)
- Create a full disk image and at least one independent backup (external drive + cloud). Treat backups as insurance; ESU is a temporary shield, not a replacement for good disaster recovery.
- Sign into Windows with a Microsoft Account that has administrator privileges. Local accounts will not qualify. (support.microsoft.com)
- Open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update and check for an “Enroll now” option. If present, follow the wizard and choose the enrollment route that fits your constraints (OneDrive backup, Rewards, or one‑time purchase). (support.microsoft.com)
- Use the ESU year deliberately: test Windows 11 upgrades on a copy or separate drive, budget for hardware refreshes if needed, or evaluate alternate OSes (ChromeOS Flex, Linux distributions, or cloud‑hosted Windows) if upgrading hardware isn’t feasible.
Practical considerations, risks and trade‑offs
ESU is a time‑boxed emergency runway, not a long‑term support plan
ESU delivers important security patches only. It explicitly excludes new features, non‑security quality updates, and the broad technical support you’d get on a supported platform. Relying on ESU beyond the one‑year window or treating it as a substitute for migration planning is risky. Organizations and households should budget that year for concrete migration activity. (learn.microsoft.com)Privacy and account trade‑offs
The consumer ESU requires a Microsoft Account and — for the free OneDrive route — enabling Windows Backup to Microsoft’s cloud. This creates a privacy and data‑sovereignty consideration for people who prefer local accounts or on‑premises backups. For privacy‑conscious users, the paid purchase or Rewards redemption avoids additional cloud storage, but it still requires linking devices to an MSA. If you refuse a Microsoft Account entirely, ESU is not an option. (support.microsoft.com)A last‑minute rush could leave many unprotected
The enrollment rollout is phased and uneven. If many users wait until the week before the cutoff, Microsoft’s servers, the Microsoft Store checkout flow, or support channels could be strained; more importantly, devices that haven’t installed KB5063709 or aren’t signed into an MSA won’t see the wizard and will miss the opportunity to enroll beforehand. Early action reduces the risk of being unpatched when the support cliff hits. (learn.microsoft.com)Hardware constraints and the Windows 11 upgrade story
Windows 11’s minimum requirements (UEFI Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, specific CPU lists, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage) mean many older PCs simply cannot be upgraded without hardware changes. If you care about Microsoft’s newest features — particularly Copilot+ experiences that require an NPU capable of 40+ TOPS, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage — upgrading to a new Copilot+ PC is often the only option for those features. That hardware push contributes to the upgrade pressure and explains why Microsoft is offering a short ESU runway rather than indefinitely postponing end of support. (support.microsoft.com)Pricing and regional variance
The commonly cited consumer one‑time purchase price (~$30 USD) is consistent in reporting, but payment methods, taxes, and regional pricing could alter the checkout total. Microsoft’s consumer support pages state refund and cancellation policies for Store purchases — if pricing is a central decision point, confirm the exact figure during enrollment. (support.microsoft.com)Technical footnotes and additional warnings
- The August 2025 cumulative update KB5063709 includes servicing stack improvements and important notices such as a Secure Boot certificate expiration that can affect some devices starting in mid‑2026; review the KB guidance and related Secure Boot certificate notes to avoid boot interruptions. KB5063709 includes advisory notes you should read before upgrading firmware or firmware‑related security components. (support.microsoft.com)
- Enterprise customers still have the traditional ESU route via volume licensing for up to three years (with escalating costs), but that program has different mechanics and pricing than the consumer path. Do not mix enterprise expectations with the consumer ESU experience. (learn.microsoft.com)
How IT‑savvy households and small businesses should use ESU responsibly
Short checklist for safe ESU use
- Verify 22H2 and KB5063709 are installed.
- Image the disk and create redundant backups before doing anything.
- Enroll before October 14, 2025 if you want to receive updates from day one after EOL. Enrollment after Oct. 14 is possible up to Oct. 13, 2026, but you will be unprotected until you complete enrollment and you risk phased rollout delays. (support.microsoft.com)
Use ESU to buy time, not to avoid decisions
Treat ESU as a clearly defined runway:- Inventory applications and critical workloads.
- Test Windows 11 upgrades on representative hardware or in virtualized environments.
- Decide whether to upgrade hardware, switch to a different OS, or move workloads to cloud PCs (Windows 365 / Azure Virtual Desktop).
- Execute the migration or hardware refresh plan within the ESU year.
Consider alternatives where upgrading is impractical
For older machines where Windows 11 upgrade is impossible or cost‑ineffective, consider:- Lightweight Linux distributions for general web, email, and productivity tasks.
- ChromeOS Flex if most tasks are web‑based.
- Cloud PC subscriptions (Windows 365) for full Windows access without local upgrade costs.
- Replacing the device only when essential if budget constraints dominate.
Strengths, weaknesses and the wider picture
Notable strengths
- Accessibility: Two genuinely free consumer enrollment routes (OneDrive backup and Microsoft Rewards redemption) make the bridge affordable for most households. That lowers the barrier for those who can’t upgrade immediately. (support.microsoft.com)
- Clarity and predictability: Microsoft set a firm date and provided a bounded time window for ESU; knowing the end date of the runway helps households and small businesses plan. (support.microsoft.com)
- Operational simplicity: The enrollment experience is integrated into Windows Update and supports using one MSA for up to ten devices, which simplifies management for multi‑PC households. (support.microsoft.com)
Clear limitations and risks
- One year only for consumers: ESU is deliberately short-lived for consumers; it forces a decision rather than deferring it indefinitely. That one‑year limit is the program’s primary constraint. (learn.microsoft.com)
- No feature or non‑security fixes: If you depend on new features, reliability fixes, or vendor technical support, ESU is insufficient — it only keeps the threat surface patched for known critical and important vulnerabilities. (learn.microsoft.com)
- Privacy/account friction: Mandatory Microsoft Accounts and the free OneDrive option’s cloud dependency will frustrate users committed to local accounts or strict data residency. (tomshardware.com)
- Potential for last‑minute failures: The phased rollout and KB prerequisites mean a last‑minute rush could leave many users without protection for days or weeks; early action avoids that exposure.
Final assessment — what Windows 10 users should do next
Microsoft’s consumer ESU is a pragmatic, narrowly scoped response to a real transition problem: millions of PCs will not meet Windows 11’s stricter hardware requirements, and many users need a practical way to avoid being immediately exposed when Windows 10’s free updates end. ESU’s mix of free and paid enrollment routes is sensible and lowers barriers for many households, but the program’s strict limitations and one‑year horizon make it a clear stopgap — a runway for migration planning, not a safe harbor.For most readers the sensible sequence is straightforward:
- Prepare now: update, back up, sign in with a Microsoft Account and confirm your device shows the “Enroll now” option. (learn.microsoft.com)
- Use the ESU year to make a plan: test Windows 11 where possible, budget for hardware where necessary, or evaluate alternative OSes and cloud PC options if replacing the device isn’t feasible.
- Treat ESU as time bought to migrate deliberately — do not treat it as a destination.
(Note: this article summarizes Microsoft’s published guidance and independent reporting. Readers should verify specifics such as pricing, timing, and enrollment availability within the Windows Update enrollment wizard or their Microsoft Account, because regional pricing and phased rollouts can change the enrollment experience.)
Source: PCMag UK You Can Stay on Windows 10 for Another Year, But You Have to Act Fast