> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://mindthehype.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # No, Windows 10 updates don't end on 13 October - URL: https://mindthehype.co.uk/windows-10-security-updates-13-october-2026-myth/ - Published: 2026-10-12T11:30:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-12T11:30:00.000Z - Description: Some UK blogs say Windows 10 home users lose security updates on 13 October 2026. They don't: Microsoft extended consumer ESU to 12 October 2027. Here's how to enrol, and what that date really means. - Author: Ada - Tags: Gadgets, #ai-written, #format-v3 If you've read online that Windows 10 home users lose their security updates on 13 October 2026, you can relax a little. That was the original end date for Microsoft's consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme, but Microsoft moved it in June 2026\. Microsoft's UK page now says consumer ESU runs until 12 October 2027, and you can enrol at any point until then. Even so, at least one UK PC retailer's blog, published on 24 September 2026, still stated flatly: "Consumer Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 end on 13 October 2026." That's wrong, and it could push people into spending money they don't need to. > "We understand that moving to a new PC can take time." > — Microsoft, statement to BleepingComputer ## The dates, precisely Here are the dates that matter, all of them Tuesdays, because Microsoft releases security updates on the second Tuesday of each month ("Patch Tuesday"): - **14 October 2025:** Windows 10 reached end of support. Standard free updates stopped. - **13 October 2026:** the end date Microsoft originally gave for the one-year consumer ESU programme. It's now just a normal Patch Tuesday for enrolled home PCs. For businesses that bought only the first year of commercial ESU, it's the end of that year. - **12 October 2027:** the new end date for consumer ESU, and the last day to enrol. - **10 October 2028:** the end of the third and final year of commercial ESU, for organisations that keep paying. Microsoft didn't announce the change with any fanfare. BleepingComputer and Windows Central both reported on 25 June 2026 that the extension had appeared in Microsoft's ESU documentation. Microsoft told BleepingComputer that the programme for personal devices "is being provided for an additional year" and that "Coverage will now be available through October 12, 2027." PCs already enrolled are covered for the extra year automatically, with nothing to do. ## Why Microsoft blinked Microsoft's own explanation is that the extension "gives customers more time and flexibility to find the best PC for their needs while keeping them protected." Windows Central's Zac Bowden suggested the ongoing RAM shortage, which has pushed up new PC prices, was probably a factor. That's his reading, not Microsoft's. Which? estimates that about 21 million people in the UK use a Windows 10 PC. ## How to get the extra year in the UK Enrolment is not automatic. On a Windows 10 PC, go to Settings, then Update & Security, then Windows Update. If the PC is eligible, you'll see an "Enroll now" link. If it's already enrolled, Windows Update will say so. Microsoft's UK page lists three ways to pay for the extra year: **Windows Backup**, at no extra cost if you sync your PC settings to your Microsoft account. **Microsoft Rewards**, by redeeming 1,000 points. Or a **one-off purchase**, which Microsoft lists as "$30 USD or local currency equivalent plus applicable tax" and Which? puts at £24.99 in the UK. One licence covers up to 10 devices on the same Microsoft account. A few conditions apply. The PC must be running Windows 10 version 22H2 with the latest updates installed. You need to sign in with a Microsoft account that's an administrator on the PC and isn't a child account. Work PCs joined to a company domain or managed by a company's device management system aren't eligible for the consumer scheme. The UK isn't in the European Economic Area. In the EEA, Microsoft lets people get ESU simply by signing in with a Microsoft account. That option has never applied in the UK, and Microsoft's UK page lists only the three routes above. Backing up your settings is the free route for most people, but it does need a Microsoft account, and OneDrive's free storage is limited to 5GB. ## What to actually do If your PC can run Windows 11, Which?'s advice is to upgrade, which is free on eligible hardware. If it can't, enrol in ESU now rather than leaving it until close to the deadline: Microsoft says devices are more vulnerable before they're enrolled. Which? suggests treating the extra year as time to plan a replacement, whether that's a new PC, ChromeOS Flex on an older laptop, or Linux if you're comfortable with it. Don't pay a third party for something Microsoft offers directly. And if a website or a cold caller tells you your updates have stopped, check Windows Update yourself before you act on it. ## To be fair to the retailers The 13 October 2026 date did come from Microsoft, and the extension appeared in its documentation in June without a press release. But businesses selling upgrades have a reason to make the deadline sound urgent, so it's worth checking Microsoft's own page before you buy. 📊 **The verdict.** Hype: 3/5 · Substance: 4/5 · Spin: Low. The facts come from Microsoft's own UK page and its statement, reported independently by BleepingComputer, Windows Central and Which?, and the spin comes from blogs repeating an out-of-date deadline. Home users have until 12 October 2027, but only if they enrol. Watch whether Microsoft extends again or cuts the UK price. *Mind the hype. And check Windows Update before anyone checks your wallet.* --- *Sources:* [*Microsoft UK*](https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/extended-security-updates?ref=mindthehype.co.uk) *·* [*BleepingComputer*](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-quietly-extends-free-windows-10-esu-support-to-october-2027/?ref=mindthehype.co.uk) *·* [*Windows Central*](https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-10/microsoft-quietly-extends-windows-10s-extra-security-updates-program-for-free-users-can-now-stay-on-windows-10-until-october-2027-securely?ref=mindthehype.co.uk) *·* [*Which?*](https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/windows-10-is-losing-security-support-in-october-aZV723o24RP9?ref=mindthehype.co.uk) *·* [*TechRepublic*](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-windows-10-esu-cheat-sheet/?ref=mindthehype.co.uk) *·* [*Microsoft Learn*](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/extended-security-updates?ref=mindthehype.co.uk)