Windows 10 Has Reached End Of Life, But Here’s How To Get Free Updates For Another Year

After a decade of service, Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 10. On October 14, the operating system reached its end-of-life, meaning no more feature or security updates will be provided. However, this doesn’t mean your PC will stop working. Windows 10 devices will continue to function normally, though they’ll no longer receive future security patches or bug fixes.

Microsoft will release the final security update on October 14 at 10 AM PT. Wondering if you can still use Windows 10 afterward? The answer is yes, but you’ll need to take a few precautions to keep your system secure.

To begin with, Microsoft will continue providing antivirus definition updates through Windows Security (Microsoft Defender Antivirus) until 2028, ensuring protection against new threats. Additionally, Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will also get security updates until 2028, although no new features will be added.

Google has confirmed ongoing Chrome support for Windows 10, so essential software like browsers, antivirus, and Office apps will still stay protected. But what about deeper OS-level vulnerabilities? That’s where the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program helps. Through this, users can get one year of free security updates by enrolling manually.

Get One Year of Free Security Updates on Windows 10

Microsoft now offers one year of free Windows 10 security updates via its ESU program. You can enroll using one of the following three methods to receive updates until October 2026:

• Link your Microsoft account to your Windows 10 PC and back it up using OneDrive.
• Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Reward points.
• Pay $30 to join the ESU program.

Each of these options provides security updates for up to one year on 10 PCs, as long as they share the same Microsoft account. For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), OneDrive backup isn’t required, but you must sign in with your Microsoft account at least once every 60 days.

Here’s how to enroll:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings, then go to Update & Security.
2. Under Windows Update, enable “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.”
3. Click “Check for updates.”
4. You’ll now see an “Enroll now” button—click it.

• A pop-up window will appear; click Next.

• Finally, click “Enroll” to activate one year of free security updates for Windows 10.

That’s it! You can now continue receiving Windows 10 security updates until October 13, 2026. If you face any issues, share them in the comments below.