Windows 10 indicates extension for security updates

Following Microsoft's announcement of free updates until October 2026 in the European Economic Area (EEA), Windows 10 is now also displaying corresponding information—but without specifying the conditions. However, it is not yet possible to “register” for the extended support period (ESU) through Windows 10.

On a computer in the editorial office of heise online, we found the following note on the evening of Sunday, 28 September 2025, during a manually initiated search for new updates: “Registration for extended security updates for Windows 10 will be available soon.” Another PC did not show this message the following Monday when the same procedure was carried out. The Windows installations on both computers have been linked to a Microsoft account for some time.

For weeks, these PCs have been repeatedly signaling the end of support with screen-filling animations before logging in and recommending switching to Windows 11. This occurs randomly and not at every startup. We have neither loaded apps and documents into the Microsoft cloud on these machines, nor have we endeavoured to collect Microsoft Points in the Store. Until recently, both were considered an option to continue receiving free updates for one year after the official end of support on 14 October 2025. Alternatively, this is possible against payment of 30 US dollars.

Last week, however, the consumer protection association Euroconsumers succeeded in ensuring that all private users in the European Economic Area without Cloud and Points continue to receive security updates. This area includes the member states of the EU as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, but not Switzerland, for example. On Friday, Microsoft confirmed the changed update policy in its German-language newsroom. It states that “enrolment in the ESU program will be possible for private users in the EAA at the beginning of October directly via the PC settings.” There is no further information about the nature of this enrolment, or “registration,” as it is currently referred to in Windows Update.

However, Microsoft points out in this message that the “Extended Security Updates” (ESU) always depend on the use of a Microsoft account for the period until 13 October 2026. If you do not log into this account for 60 days, support will be cancelled and only resumed when the account is used again.

(nie)