As of today, 14 October 2025, Microsoft no longer provides security updates for Windows 10 unless you enrol in its Extended Security Updates programme. Your PC will keep turning on and running your apps, but every security flaw found from now on will stay open on it. This guide focuses on your safety and what to do this week.
What happened
Microsoft has confirmed that after 14 October 2025, Windows 10 no longer receives “technical support of any issue,” “software updates,” or “security updates or fixes.” To be clear, Windows 10 does not stop working. Nothing switches off tonight. What stops is the flow of fixes.
There are three sensible paths: a free move to Windows 11 for eligible PCs, the Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme, which for home users runs until 13 October 2026, or a new device. The option I would argue against is carrying on as if nothing changed.
Who is affected, and what an unpatched PC is exposed to
Anyone still running Windows 10 is affected, especially where people keep older PCs for many years, which from what I see includes many homes and small offices in the Arab world.
The risk, without the fear: software has bugs, and some are security holes. Normally Microsoft ships a fix and your PC installs it. From today, on an unenrolled Windows 10 machine, each newly discovered weakness in the operating system stays open.
In everyday terms, an unpatched PC is more exposed to:
- Malicious attachments and downloads that take advantage of flaws the system will never get fixed.
- Harmful websites and ads that try to reach the operating system through a known, unfixed weakness.
- Malware that steals saved passwords, banking sessions and files once it gets in.
None of this means your PC is compromised today. It means the gap grows over time instead of being closed each month.
By the numbers
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Free Windows 10 security updates end | 14 October 2025 |
| Consumer ESU coverage ends | 13 October 2026 |
| ESU paid option | USD 30 or local equivalent, plus tax |
| ESU rewards option | 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points |
| ESU at no cost | If you sync your PC settings |
| Devices per ESU licence | Up to 10 |
| Windows version needed for free Windows 11 upgrade | 22H2 |
| Microsoft 365 app security updates on Windows 10 | Until 10 October 2028 |
What to do now
Work through this list in order; it follows Microsoft’s guidance.
- Back up your files first. Before you upgrade, enrol or replace anything, copy your documents, photos and work files to an external drive or cloud storage and check that a few open from the backup.
- Check whether your PC can run Windows 11. Go to Settings, then Windows Update. Microsoft says the upgrade is free if the PC meets the minimum requirements and is running Windows 10 version 22H2.
- If it cannot upgrade, enrol in ESU. Make sure you are on version 22H2 with the latest updates installed. Microsoft lists three ways to enrol: “at no cost” if you are syncing your PC settings, by redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or for “$30 USD or local currency equivalent plus applicable tax.” In Microsoft’s words, “You can use your existing ESU license for up to 10 devices once you enroll in ESU,” so one licence can cover a whole family’s PCs.
- Treat ESU as a bridge, not a destination. Coverage for home users ends on 13 October 2026. Use the year to plan what comes next.
- Keep Microsoft 365 apps updated. Microsoft says security updates for its Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 continue until “October 10, 2028.” That protects Office, not Windows itself.
What not to do on an unpatched machine
If you choose to keep a Windows 10 PC without ESU, change how you use it. Microsoft’s advice is direct: do not keep an unpatched Windows 10 machine online for banking or business use. I would add a few habits:
- Do not log in to online banking, payment or work accounts on it. Use a patched phone or computer instead.
- Do not store your main password manager or saved card details in its browser.
- Do not open unexpected attachments or install cracked or unofficial software.
- Do not download “Windows 10 patch” tools from unofficial sites promising to extend support. The real extension comes only from Microsoft.
- If it has no online job left, use it offline.
Why it matters
The change today is quiet: no pop-up locks you out, and your apps still open. That quietness is exactly the risk. In my view the sensible move for most readers is simple: back up this week, check Windows 11 eligibility, and if the answer is no, enrol in ESU and use the time until October 2026 to plan your next machine.
Sources
- Microsoft Support, “Windows 10 support has ended on October 14, 2025”, accessed 14 October 2025, https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-support-has-ended-on-october-14-2025-2ca8b313-1946-43d3-b55c-2b95b107f281
- Microsoft, “Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU)” programme page, accessed 14 October 2025, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/extended-security-updates