Still on Windows 10? Your options, including free security updates until October 2027

What actually changed

Windows 10 still starts up and runs your programs. What stopped on October 14, 2025 was the monthly stream of security fixes. Without them, newly discovered holes in Windows stay open, which matters most on a computer you use for email, banking or shopping.

For home users, Microsoft offers Extended Security Updates (ESU), which keep those security fixes coming through October 12, 2027. ESU doesn't add features or fix non-security bugs. Think of it as a bridge that gives you time to upgrade or replace the computer on your own schedule.

Option 1: Stay on Windows 10 and enroll in security updates

This makes sense if the computer works well and you're not ready to change. You need only one of these:

• Free: turn on Windows Backup so your PC settings sync to your Microsoft account.
• 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
• A one-time $30 payment.

One enrollment covers up to 10 computers on the same Microsoft account.

To enroll, the computer must be on Windows 10 version 22H2 with recent updates installed, and you must be signed in with a Microsoft account that has administrator rights. Then open Settings, then Update and Security, then Windows Update, and click "Enroll now."

Why "Enroll now" doesn't show up

This is the question I get most. The usual reasons:

• Updates aren't finished. Install everything waiting in Windows Update, restart, and check again. The enrollment option arrives through an update.
• You're signed in with a local account, not a Microsoft account. You'll need to sign in with a Microsoft account to enroll.
• The computer is older than version 22H2. Check under Settings, then System, then About. Earlier versions must update to 22H2 first.
• It's a work or school computer managed by an employer. Those use a separate business program.

Option 2: Upgrade the same computer to Windows 11

If the computer qualifies, the upgrade is free and keeps your files and most programs. The requirements that trip people up:

• The processor. Windows 11 requires roughly Intel 8th generation or newer, or AMD Ryzen 2000 series or newer. Many laptops sold in 2017 and early 2018 have 7th generation chips and don't qualify.
• TPM 2.0. Most computers from about 2017 on have it, but it's often switched off. In the computer's startup settings (BIOS), it's called PTT on Intel and fTPM on AMD. Turning it on can be enough to qualify.
• Secure Boot, which also lives in the startup settings and sometimes needs to be switched on.
• At least 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of storage. In practice, 8 GB of memory makes Windows 11 much more pleasant.

Microsoft's free PC Health Check app tells you which requirement, if any, your computer is missing.

There are workarounds that force Windows 11 onto computers that don't qualify. I don't recommend them for most households, because Microsoft doesn't promise updates for those computers and a future update can fail to install.

Option 3: Move to a new computer

A new computer is usually the better spend when the current one doesn't qualify for Windows 11, is more than 6 or 7 years old, has a spinning hard drive instead of a solid-state drive, or already feels slow. For help with that decision, read repair or replace an older laptop.

The part people dread is the move: photos, documents, email, browser bookmarks and saved passwords, printers and the programs you use. Done with a checklist, it's a one-visit job.

Which option is right for you

• Works fine and you're not ready to change: enroll in ESU now, then plan the next step before October 2027.
• Qualifies for Windows 11: upgrade it. You'll have years of support instead of months.
• Old, slow or doesn't qualify: enroll in ESU to stay protected, then replace it when it suits you.

When to call for help

If you can't find "Enroll now," aren't sure whether your computer qualifies, or want the upgrade or move to a new computer done for you, I'll come to your home, back up your files first, and take care of it. See Windows 10 support and Windows 11 upgrades.

Common questions