Windows 10 reached the end of its supported life on 14 October 2025. Since then, a Windows 10 computer that has not been enrolled in Microsoft's extended programme has had no security fixes at all — and that is the part that matters. "Unsupported" does not mean the computer stops working; it means that every newly discovered hole stays open.
The good news, and the reason for this post, is that the situation changed in 2026. Microsoft's consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme, which originally ran for one year, now covers Windows 10 through to 12 October 2027. That gives most people breathing room — provided they actually switch it on.
First, find out what you have
Press the Windows key, type winver and press Enter. A small window tells you the edition and version. If it says Windows 10, read on. If it says Windows 11, you are fine — close this and go and have a cup of tea.
Then, still on Windows 10, open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update. If you see a line offering to "Enroll now" in extended security updates, your computer is eligible and you have not done it yet.
The three routes
Route 1 — Upgrade to Windows 11 (free, if the computer qualifies)
Windows 11 is a free upgrade for any Windows 10 computer that meets the hardware requirements. The requirement people trip over is a security chip called TPM 2.0 and a reasonably recent processor; many machines from 2018 onwards qualify, many from before do not. Microsoft's own PC Health Check app (a free download) gives a yes or no.
If it says yes, this is the right answer for almost everyone: Windows 11 is supported for years to come and the upgrade keeps your files and programs. Take a backup first (our 3-2-1 backup guide explains how), then let Windows Update do it. Allow an hour and do not start it at 5 pm on a Friday.
Route 2 — Enrol in Extended Security Updates (Windows 10 stays, patched until October 2027)
If the computer cannot run Windows 11, or you simply are not ready, enrol in ESU. In the UK there are three ways to do it and all three give the same protection:
- Free, if you sign in with a Microsoft account and allow Windows to back up your settings to that account.
- Free, by redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
- A one-off payment (around £25 in the UK; Microsoft quotes 30 US dollars) — the route to take if you prefer to keep using a local account.
One enrolment covers up to ten computers on the same Microsoft account, which is handy for a household. Enrolment is done from the Windows Update page mentioned above, and you can join at any time until the programme ends.
Businesses use a separate, paid ESU licence per device, and unlike the consumer version the price rises each year — which is Microsoft's polite way of saying "please move".
Route 3 — Replace the computer
If the machine is more than about seven years old, struggling anyway, and cannot take Windows 11, the money is usually better spent on a replacement than on nursing it along. A modern laptop with 16 GB of memory and a solid-state drive will feel like a different world, and it will be supported until well into the 2030s. We can supply and set up machines for both homes and businesses, and move everything across.
What we recommend, by situation
| Situation | Our advice |
|---|---|
| Computer qualifies for Windows 11 | Upgrade now; it is free and it ends the problem |
| Does not qualify, works well, used for email/web/documents | Enrol in ESU today, plan a replacement before October 2027 |
| Does not qualify, slow, over 7 years old | Replace; do not spend money on the old one |
| Business with several Windows 10 PCs | Audit them all; upgrade what qualifies, licence ESU only as a bridge, budget replacements over the next 12 months |
| Runs specialist software that only works on Windows 10 | Enrol in ESU, isolate the machine from email and web use, and talk to the software vendor about a path forward |
Two things people get wrong
"I have antivirus, so I am fine." Antivirus catches known bad files. It cannot patch a flaw in Windows itself, which is what the security updates do. Both are needed; neither replaces the other.
"I never click on anything dodgy." Unfortunately the most common route in is a website you would consider perfectly normal, or a document that arrives from someone whose own email was compromised. The whole point of updates is that they protect you from things you never see.
For businesses: this is now a compliance question
The 2026 update to Cyber Essentials (the UK government-backed baseline standard) requires that critical and high-risk updates are installed within 14 days of release, and that all software in scope is supported by its vendor. An unenrolled Windows 10 machine fails that test, which in turn can affect insurance and tenders. Our post on what changed in Cyber Essentials this year covers the detail.
The short version
Check winver. If it is Windows 10, either upgrade to Windows 11 today or switch on extended updates today — both are free for most people — and put "replace before October 2027" in the diary. If you would rather someone did it for you, that is a thirty-minute job for us, remotely or on site.