More than 500 million Windows 10 users are now just six days away from the end of support — no more security updates. Warnings are now intensifying, with fears that up to 400 million users cannot upgrade to Windows 11 and risk a “security disaster.”
The countdown to this deadline is now generating headlines, with warnings that all those PC owners will be at risk on October 15. That’s not the case. You should install October’s update, and so strictly speaking you won’t miss updates until November.
Microsoft does warn that unsupported PCs will be at risk after October 14, urging users to act before then. But what if you don’t? What’s the deadline to enroll in the ESU?
Microsoft confirms “you can enroll in ESU any time until the program ends on October 13, 2026.” And you will catch up if you miss the start. “If you enroll after the ESU program launches, you will receive any previous updates as well as any future updates.”
Enrolling your PC in the Windows 10 ESU does not stop you upgrading to Windows 11 — as long as your PC has eligible hardware. “You will need to sign into your Microsoft account in order to enroll in ESU.” But you will still have the various options to enroll at any time, including “at no additional cost if you are syncing your PC Settings.”
Enrollment instructions are as follows:
- “Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. If your device meets the prerequisites, you’ll see a link to enroll in ESU.
- Once you select Enroll now you’ll start the ESU enrollment. If you are signed into Windows with a local account, you will be prompted to sign into your Microsoft account. If you are already backing up your PC Settings, you will see a prompt to enroll your device.
- If you aren’t backing up your Windows settings, you can choose if you want to begin backing up your settings, redeem Rewards, or make a one-time purchase to enroll in ESU.”
You can enroll up to ten PCs on one Microsoft account — but there are strict rules around not enrolling commercial PCs in the consumer ESU. Who exactly might have ten Windows 10 PCs at home is unclear.
At the time of writing, Windows 10 usage has dropped to its lowest levels since shortly after launch. That said, it still accounts for 40% of all Windows users, which is an alarming 560 million users bracing for the unknown just six days from now.
