Overview
- Microsoft updated its blog on June 29, 2026, to confirm the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for private customers now runs through October 12, 2027.
- Customers already enrolled in ESU will keep receiving monthly security patches automatically and other users can still sign up retroactively for the program.
- Windows 11 consumer versions receive only 24 months of security updates, so Windows 11 24H2 is scheduled to stop getting patches on October 13, 2026.
- Microsoft plans a Windows 11 26H2 release delivered as a small enablement package that, when installed, can extend a device’s supported update window to about autumn 2028.
- The extension responds to a sizeable installed base of Windows 10 devices and user concerns about Windows 11’s heavy AI features and update reliability, giving households more time to choose whether to upgrade, buy new hardware, or consider alternatives.