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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Microsoft has quietly granted Windows 10 users an additional year of security updates.
- The company did not provide a reason for the extension.
- The number of PCs still running Windows 10 is likely still massive.
Microsoft’s extension of Windows 10 security updates beyond the official end-of-support date has just received yet another one-year extension.
If you previously enrolled in the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates program, your coverage end date has been automatically pushed back by a full year. If you own a Windows 10 PC and haven’t enrolled in the ESU program yet, you can sign up anytime between now and October 2027. Perhaps we should call it the Extended Extended Security Updates program. (For details on how to sign up, see “How to get free Windows 10 security patches on your PC.”)
Also: How to upgrade your ‘incompatible’ Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 – for free
The company slipped out the news through a pair of minor updates to previously published articles. The official Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) page now states, in two locations, that the program will conclude on Oct. 12, 2027 — two years after Windows 10 support officially ended. A review of the Internet Archive shows that the update was made within the last 30 days.
There is no notice anywhere on that page indicating that the content has been modified.
Meanwhile, a Microsoft spokesperson noted that an Editor’s note has now been added to the end of a Microsoft blog post encouraging customers to migrate to Windows 11 before Windows 10 support ends:
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 offered for an additional year, with coverage now available through Oct. 12, 2027. This extension gives customers more time to transition to a new Windows 11 PC while continuing to receive critical security updates.
That post was originally published on June 24, 2025. It runs over 3,000 words long. There is no notice at the top of the page indicating that the program has changed in any way or that the post has been revised.
It’s almost as though Microsoft was trying to bury this news on the same day Apple announced steep price hikes for its flagship products.
But why?
Why is Microsoft being so quiet about what is ultimately a consumer-friendly decision?
Reason #1 is that the company really, really does not want to upset its OEM partners, who are already grappling with the near-certainty of falling PC sales as the AI-driven RAM shortage sends prices soaring, with no signs of relief.
Also: Why your RAM options cost 4X more now than last year
Microsoft relies on those OEM customers — Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, and a host of smaller names, including its own Surface division — to purchase new Windows licenses for new PCs. Encouraging customers to hold onto their old PCs longer runs directly counter to that marketing priority.
Reason #2 is that the number of PCs still running Windows 10 is probably far higher than executives in Redmond would like to admit. That’s pure educated guesswork on my part, because Microsoft refuses to disclose the figures, but there are a significant number of PCs in the installed base that simply cannot upgrade to Windows 11 through standard means.
Last January, Microsoft announced that the number of monthly active users of Windows 11 had crossed the 1 billion mark. That sounds like positive news until you consider that there are more than 1.5 billion Windows PCs in total. Even if another 200 million of them migrated to Windows 11, that still leaves 20% of the installed base stuck on Windows 10. And it’s a large raw number, too: at least 300 million PCs, all headed for the “security cliff” when support finally, for real, truly ends.
Also: This free Windows tool shows why my PC is slowing down (and beats Task Manager)
It doesn’t help that Microsoft has publicly acknowledged that its customers have been dissatisfied with the quality of Windows 11 and committed to “raising the quality bar.” Those improvements are gradually working their way through the release pipeline, but most of them are still in Insider builds and have not yet reached the general public.
Today’s change does not apply to corporate Windows deployments. Anyone who wants to continue running Windows 10 in a managed environment has to pay a premium for the privilege. Business ESU subscriptions are available through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Program or through Microsoft’s Cloud Service Provider partners.
Also: A crucial Windows security certificate just expired – how to check your PC
The business ESU subscriptions run for a total of three years, through October 2028. Could we see yet another extension for consumers a year from now? Don’t count on it not happening.
