Windows 10 End of Support: What to Do Next (2026 Guide)
October 14, 2026 marks exactly one year since the windows 10 end of support deadline arrived. If you are still running Windows 10 today, you are on an operating system that no longer receives free regular updates — and this week was supposed to be the second cliff edge, when the first year of Extended Security Updates ran out. Microsoft quietly changed the plan in June 2026, extending the consumer ESU program to October 12, 2027. So you still have options, but every one of them has a deadline attached. Here is what actually happens now, and exactly what you should do.
What the windows 10 end of support deadline actually means
On October 14, 2025, Microsoft ended support for mainstream editions of Windows 10 — Home and Pro. That means no more regular monthly security patches, no bug fixes, no new features, and no free technical support for Windows 10 version 22H2. Your PC still turns on and works exactly as before, but every month that passes without patches, newly discovered vulnerabilities pile up unpatched.
To soften the blow, Microsoft offered Extended Security Updates (ESU) for consumers — a paid-or-free bridge covering critical and important security updates. That bridge was originally due to end on October 13, 2026. Instead, Microsoft extended it by a full year: enrolled consumer devices now receive security updates through October 12, 2027. If you already enrolled, coverage continues automatically with no action needed. If you have not enrolled yet, you can still sign up any time before the program ends.
What stops working — and what keeps working
Let us be precise, because scare-mongering is as unhelpful as denial. After the windows 10 end of support date, the following stopped:
- Free monthly security updates — the big one. Without enrollment in ESU, known vulnerabilities in your OS stay open forever.
- Non-security bug fixes and quality improvements — annoyances you have lived with are now permanent.
- New features — Windows 10 is frozen in time; everything new goes to Windows 11.
- Free Microsoft technical support for Windows 10 issues.
What keeps working: your PC boots, your files are intact, your software still launches, and third-party software like browsers, antivirus, and Microsoft 365 Apps continue with their own updates for a while (Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 receive security updates until October 2028). Nothing physically breaks. The danger is invisible: malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks increasingly target unpatched systems, and your Windows 10 machine becomes an easier target every month it goes without security updates.
Option 1: Upgrade to Windows 11 for free
For most people, this is the right answer. Windows 11 is a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs, and it keeps you on a fully supported operating system with monthly security updates and new features. The catch is hardware: Microsoft requires a compatible 64-bit processor (generally Intel 8th Gen or newer, AMD Zen 2 or newer), 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, and a TPM 2.0 security chip. That last requirement is the one that disqualifies millions of perfectly good older machines, especially PCs built before 2018.
The upgrade itself is straightforward — via Windows Update, the Installation Assistant, or an ISO file — and an in-place upgrade keeps your files and apps. Before you upgrade, it is smart to make your old Windows PC run better first: clearing out junk, disabling startup bloat, and freeing storage makes any migration smoother and gives you a feel for how the hardware performs. If the machine runs well on Windows 10 but fails the Windows 11 compatibility check, you have decisions to make — see options 2 through 4 below.
Option 2: Enroll in Extended Security Updates (free until 2027)
If your PC cannot run Windows 11 after the windows 10 end of support — or you simply are not ready to move — ESU is your safety net. For consumers, Microsoft offers three ways to enroll:
- Free: sync your PC settings with a Microsoft account via Windows Backup.
- 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points — roughly earnable through Bing searches and daily activities.
- $30 one-time purchase (plus applicable tax) — no subscription, no renewal.
One ESU license covers up to 10 devices on the same Microsoft account, which makes it cheap or free for households with several old PCs. Enrollment requires Windows 10 version 22H2, the latest updates installed, and signing in with an administrator Microsoft account — head to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and look for the “Enroll now” option. ESU delivers only critical and important security updates: no features, no non-security fixes, no tech support. And October 12, 2027 is a hard wall — there is no third year for consumers. Think of it as a one-year grace period to plan, not a solution.
Option 3: Buy a new PC
Honest math: if your Windows 10 machine is 7–9 years old, spending money and effort to keep it alive may cost more than replacing it. A modern entry-level laptop with Windows 11 preinstalled, an SSD, and 8GB+ of RAM will outperform an aging Windows 10 machine in every way, and it buys you years of supported updates. This is especially true if your old PC still has a spinning hard drive — upgrading from an HDD to an SSD is the single biggest speed boost for an old machine, but on very old hardware even that may not be worth it versus a new machine built for the modern OS.
Timing tip: late 2026 and early 2027 will see a wave of Windows 10 holdouts buying new PCs before the ESU deadline, so shopping earlier rather than later means better stock and deals.
Option 4: Switch to Linux or ChromeOS Flex
If your hardware is locked out of Windows 11 and you would rather not spend anything, an alternative operating system can give an old PC a secure second life. Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Linux Mint are free, receive regular security updates, run well on decade-old hardware, and handle web browsing, office work, and media playback comfortably. Google’s ChromeOS Flex is another free option that turns aging PCs into fast, secure Chromebook-style machines — ideal if most of what you do happens in a browser.
The trade-off: you lose some Windows-only software and games, and there is a learning curve. But for a secondary machine or a relative’s browsing-only PC, this is a genuinely good use of hardware that Microsoft has left behind.
What you should NOT do: stay on Windows 10 unprotected
The worst option after the windows 10 end of support is doing nothing. An unenrolled Windows 10 PC after the windows 10 end of support is a machine that gets more vulnerable every month. Antivirus software helps but cannot patch OS-level holes. Avoid online banking, shopping, and sensitive logins on an unpatched system, and if you must keep one running, at least disconnect it from the internet for offline-only tasks or enroll it in ESU today. “It still works fine” is exactly what people said before every major malware wave of the past decade.
How to check if your PC can run Windows 11
Two quick checks settle it:
- PC Health Check: download Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app and run the Windows 11 compatibility check. It tells you exactly which requirement fails, if any.
- TPM check: press Windows key + R, type
tpm.msc, and look at “Specification Version” — you need 2.0. Many PCs built between 2016 and 2018 have a TPM chip that is simply disabled in the BIOS/UEFI settings, so a quick settings toggle may be all that stands between you and eligibility.
Also confirm you have at least 4GB of RAM — realistically, 8GB or more is what makes Windows 11 pleasant to use. If you are unsure how much RAM your PC actually needs in 2026, our guide breaks down the requirements by workload. And check your storage: Windows 11 requires 64GB minimum, but on a machine with a small drive the upgrade process needs comfortable headroom.
Windows 10 end of support: quick FAQ
Can I still use Windows 10 after end of support? Yes. Nothing stops working overnight. The risk is the missing security updates, not functionality.
Is the free ESU really free? Yes — if you sync PC settings to a Microsoft account via Windows Backup, enrollment costs nothing and covers you through October 12, 2027.
What if my PC is already enrolled in ESU? Nothing changes for you. Coverage continues automatically through the new October 2027 date.
Can I enroll in ESU now if I never did? Yes. Microsoft says enrollment stays open until October 12, 2027, and your device then receives the updates it missed.
Is Windows 11 really free? The upgrade is free for eligible Windows 10 PCs. If your hardware does not qualify, there is no official free path — which is exactly why options 2 through 4 exist.
The bottom line
One year after the windows 10 end of support, the picture is clearer than the panic suggested: your PC is not dead, your files are safe, and thanks to the ESU extension you have until October 12, 2027 to get your house in order — with free enrollment available today. But 2027 will come fast. If your PC qualifies, upgrade to Windows 11 now and be done with it. If it does not, enroll in ESU immediately, then use the next twelve months to plan a replacement or a switch to Linux. The deadline is real; the grace period is generous; wasting it is the only true mistake.