Windows 10 End of Support: What It Means for You and What to Do Now

If you’ve seen full-screen reminders on your Windows 10 PC, or read that Windows 10 is “dead”, this guide explains what actually changed, what still gets updated, and how to choose your next step. We use a Windows 11 PC day to day; the Windows 10 steps below are based on Microsoft’s support pages.

Windows 10 end of support: the key dates

Microsoft’s dates have moved once already, so here is where things stand at the time of writing (October 2026). All of these come from Microsoft’s own lifecycle and support pages, linked in the sources at the end.

What happens when Windows 10 support ends

Nothing dramatic happens on the day. Your PC doesn’t shut down, your files aren’t deleted and Windows doesn’t stop activating. What changes is the flow of fixes. Here’s the full list:

• No more monthly security updates for Windows 10 Home and Pro unless the PC is enrolled in ESU.
• No new features or non-security bug fixes, even with ESU. Version 22H2 is the final version of Windows 10.
• No Microsoft technical support for Windows 10 problems. ESU doesn’t add phone or chat support either.
• Your apps, files and the PC itself keep working. You can still sign in, browse, print and use your programs.
• App and device makers drift away over time. New software, games and printer drivers will increasingly list Windows 11 only.

What still gets updated on Windows 10

A few Microsoft products have their own, longer timelines. These are useful, but none of them fix security holes in Windows itself.

• Microsoft Edge: Microsoft says Edge and the WebView2 runtime will keep getting updates on Windows 10 22H2 until at least October 2028, with or without ESU.
• Microsoft Defender Antivirus: Microsoft has said security intelligence (malware definition) updates continue through October 2028.
• Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, Outlook and so on): security updates continue until October 10, 2028, but Microsoft no longer supports the apps on Windows 10. Office 2016 and Office 2019 reached their own end of support in October 2025.
• Chrome and Firefox: Google and Mozilla haven’t announced an end date for Windows 10 at the time of writing.

Is Windows 10 still safe to use?

It depends on whether the PC is getting ESU updates and what you use it for. A Windows 10 PC enrolled in ESU still receives Microsoft’s critical and important security fixes, so for now it’s in roughly the same position as before support ended. A PC that isn’t enrolled gets nothing, and that’s where the risk comes from.

Most attacks on home PCs use security holes that have already been found and fixed in newer updates. Every month Microsoft publishes fixes for Windows 11 and ESU-covered Windows 10 PCs, and attackers study those fixes to find the same flaws on unpatched machines. An un-enrolled Windows 10 PC never gets those fixes, so the list of known, open holes grows month after month.

Antivirus helps but doesn’t close the gap. Defender recognizes known malware files, but it can’t repair a flaw in Windows that lets an attacker in through a malicious web page, document or network connection. Only a Windows update does that.

So, in plain terms: an enrolled PC is fine to use normally until ESU ends. An un-enrolled PC that you use for email, browsing, shopping or banking is a growing risk. A PC that stays offline is a much smaller one.

Windows 10 ESU: how the home extension works

Extended Security Updates is Microsoft’s paid-or-free bridge for people who can’t move to Windows 11 yet. For home users it covers critical and important security updates only, through October 12, 2027. It doesn’t add features, fix non-security bugs or include technical support.

Who can enroll

• The PC must run Windows 10 version 22H2 in the Home, Pro, Pro Education or Pro for Workstations edition. To check, press Win + R, type winver and press Enter.
• You need a Microsoft account with administrator rights on the PC. It can’t be a child account. If you normally sign in with a local account, Windows asks you to sign in to a Microsoft account during enrollment.
• One ESU license covers up to 10 PCs signed in with the same Microsoft account.

The three ways to get ESU

Rules differ in the European Economic Area, where Microsoft offers ESU without requiring the settings backup, as long as you sign in with a Microsoft account.

How to enroll in ESU

1. Install all pending updates first: open Settings → Update and Security → Windows Update and select Check for updates. Restart if asked.
2. Back on the Windows Update page, look for the Extended Security Updates message and select Enroll now.
3. If you use a local account, sign in with your Microsoft account when prompted.
4. Choose how to enroll: back up your PC settings, redeem 1,000 Rewards points, or make the one-time purchase.
5. Finish the wizard. Windows Update should then show that the PC is enrolled.

If you don’t see ‘Enroll now’

• Check your version. Only version 22H2 qualifies. Older versions need the 22H2 update first.
• Install every pending update and restart. Enrollment depends on recent servicing updates being in place.
• Check the account. You need an administrator account, and a child account can’t enroll.
• Work or school PCs managed by an organization use the business ESU program instead, so ask your IT team.
• Still nothing? Microsoft’s ESU page lists the current requirements and a help link.

You can enroll any time before the program ends, but Microsoft points out that the PC is more exposed until you do. If you’re going to enroll, do it now rather than later.

Your three options

Whatever you choose, back up first. Our guide to backing up your Windows PC covers File History, OneDrive and a full system image.

1. Upgrade to Windows 11 (if your PC qualifies)

Microsoft still offers the upgrade free to eligible Windows 10 PCs. Windows 11 needs TPM 2.0, Secure Boot capable UEFI firmware and a supported processor, which rules out many PCs from before about 2018. Our step-by-step guide to checking whether your PC can run Windows 11 uses Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app and explains every failure message.

If it passes, the in-place upgrade keeps your files and most apps. Follow how to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 without losing files, then work through the Windows 11 settings worth changing after you upgrade.

2. Replace the PC

If your PC fails the processor check, there’s no setting that fixes it, and a new or refurbished Windows 11 PC is the long-term answer. ESU gives you until October 2027 to shop around rather than buying in a rush. When you’re ready, our guide to moving everything from your old PC to a new Windows 11 PC walks through the switch.

Shopping during holiday sales? Watch out for too-good-to-be-true laptop deals and fake stores. We cover the warning signs in how to spot fake Black Friday tech deals.

3. Stay on Windows 10 for now

If you can’t upgrade or replace the PC yet, enroll in ESU and follow the safety steps below. Treat it as a bridge with an end date, not a permanent plan. ESU ends on October 12, 2027, and Microsoft hasn’t offered home users anything beyond that at the time of writing.

Which option is right for you?

If you stay on Windows 10: 9 steps to stay safer

1. Enroll in ESU and keep Windows Update on

This is the single most effective step. ESU keeps Microsoft’s security fixes coming, but only if Windows Update is allowed to install them. Don’t pause updates for long periods.

2. Use a browser that still gets updates

Your browser handles most of the untrusted content you see, so it’s the biggest target. Edge is supported on Windows 10 22H2 until at least October 2028. Whichever browser you use, open its About page now and then to make sure it’s up to date.

3. Keep Microsoft Defender on

Open Windows Security → Virus and threat protection and make sure real-time protection is on and protection updates are current. Defender’s definitions keep updating through October 2028, which helps catch known malware.

4. Use a standard account for everyday use

Go to Settings → Accounts → Family and other users, add a new account and set it as a Standard user. Use that account day to day and keep the administrator account for installing software. Malware running in a standard account can do much less damage.

5. Back up automatically, with one copy offline

Ransomware can encrypt any drive the PC can see, including a USB drive that’s always plugged in. Keep one backup on a drive you disconnect after each backup, or in cloud storage with version history. Our backup guide has the details.

6. Move banking and shopping to an updated device

Do banking, tax and online shopping on a phone, tablet or PC that still gets updates. That keeps your most valuable accounts away from the most exposed machine.

7. Remove what you don’t use

Uninstall old programs, browser extensions and plugins. Every extra program is another thing that can have a security hole, and older software is often the first to drop Windows 10 updates.

8. Secure your home network

Update your router’s firmware, change its default admin password, and use WPA2 or WPA3 for Wi-Fi. A well-secured network makes it harder for anything on it to be reached from outside.

9. Be careful with attachments and downloads

Out-of-date systems are most often compromised through files you open. Don’t open unexpected attachments, even from people you know, and download software only from the maker’s official site or the Microsoft Store.

When to stop using a Windows 10 PC online

There are two clear signals. The first is when ESU coverage ends, or if you decide not to enroll: from then on the PC gets no Windows security fixes at all. The second is when your browser stops updating on Windows 10. Either way, it’s time to replace the PC or take it offline.

An offline Windows 10 PC can still be useful for old games, a music library, a workshop machine or software that only runs on Windows 10. Disconnect it from Wi-Fi and Ethernet, and move files on and off with a USB drive you scan on an updated PC first.

What about business PCs and Windows 10 LTSC?

This guide is about home PCs. Businesses have a separate, paid ESU program that runs for up to three years, priced per device, and organizations should follow their IT team’s plan. Some specialist editions, such as Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC, have their own longer lifecycles. If your PC came from work, check before you change anything.

What to do next

• Check your Windows 10 version with winver and install every pending update.
• Run PC Health Check to see whether your PC can upgrade to Windows 11.
• Back up your files, and keep one copy offline.
• If you can upgrade, do it. If you can’t, enroll in ESU now.
• Set a reminder to replace or retire the PC well before October 12, 2027.

For more Windows guides, see our Windows hub, and for general account and device safety, our security guides.

FAQ

Sources

• Windows 10 support has ended on October 14, 2025 — Microsoft Support
• Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) — Microsoft
• Windows 10 Home and Pro lifecycle — Microsoft Learn
• Microsoft Edge supported operating systems — Microsoft Learn
• End of support for Windows 10 — Microsoft
• Secure Our World — CISA