Overview

• Security updates for Windows 10 stop on October 14, with ESU delivering monthly patches from October 15, 2025 through October 13, 2026.
• Users can enroll via the Windows Update wizard using Windows Backup/OneDrive sync or 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, with a paid option available and a no‑cost path for the European Economic Area.
• Enrollment remains open until the ESU program ends in 2026, and missed updates will install after opting in, though devices are unprotected until enrollment.
• Estimates suggest roughly 400 million to 550 million PCs still run Windows 10, and many cannot meet Windows 11 hardware requirements such as TPM 2.0 and newer CPUs, fueling security, e‑waste and digital divide concerns from advocacy groups.
• Trackers indicate Windows 11 has overtaken Windows 10 in market share, while reports of a sudden Windows 7 resurgence are widely viewed as a StatCounter data anomaly.