Hundreds of millions of Microsoft users are understandably confused. If you’re running Windows 10 because you can’t or won’t upgrade, what exactly happens on October 14 — just three days from now? Does the end-of-life “security disaster” hit immediately?
First some assurance. Yes, you should opt into Microsoft’s free extended support program before October 14. That way your updates are seamless and there’s no period when you’re off support. But you should already have October’s update, and so absent an emergency out-of-band update, this shouldn’t impact you for a month.
Second, some clarity. Yes, you’re being told to act before October 14, but you can opt into that ESU program at any time until it expires on October 14, 2026. Clearly, you won’t receive security updates from October 14, 2025, until you do opt in, but once you do, all updates you have missed will be installed on your Windows 10 PC.
There are some suggestions that if you miss the deadline you can’t opt into the program. That’s not the case, although Microsoft warns “devices will be more vulnerable and susceptible to viruses and malware before enrollment.”
Enrolling in that ESU does not stop you upgrading your PC to Windows 11 if you change your mind. As long as the PC is eligible, of course. But on this, the security and privacy experts at Kaspersky have some interesting new advice.
“Microsoft’s recent updates to restrict workarounds for local account creation in Windows 11 raise implications for user privacy,” the team told me, “even if the intent is to improve security through features such as automatic updates.”
“Requiring a Microsoft account during setup integrates the device into Microsoft’s ecosystem, which can result in the transmission of data, including activity logs, application usage patterns, location information (if activated).”
By contrast, “Windows 10 does not mandate a Microsoft account for installation. Users can create a local account by disconnecting from the internet during setup, which directs the setup to an offline mode and bypasses the account prompt.”
It’s increasingly unlikely that we’ll see any further u-turns from Microsoft before October 14. The ESU is already (essentially) free for a year and some of the requirements have been lessened further in Europe. Now it’s critical that all Windows 10 users don’t forget to opt in, albeit a Windows 11 upgrade is still safer.
PIRG warns that “nearly 40% of Windows computers still run Windows 10. Many of these PCs are fully functional, with only one flaw – they aren’t on Windows 11’s strict compatibility list.” This it says risks creating a new digital divide, between those that can afford a new computer and those that cannot.
At least that risk should now be a year away, with plenty of time for other concessions before we start issuing warnings about October 14, 2026.
