If your computer runs Windows 10, it can keep getting security updates until October 12, 2027, as long as it is enrolled in Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates program. That is a year later than the October 13, 2026 date you may have read about. Microsoft quietly extended the consumer program in June 2026, and PCs that were already enrolled continue automatically with nothing to do.
So there is no emergency this October. There is, however, a real deadline, and a year goes quickly. Below is how to check where your computer stands, whether it can move to Windows 11, and how to decide between upgrading and replacing.
The Windows 10 dates that matter
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| October 14, 2025 | Regular Windows 10 support ended |
| October 13, 2026 | The original end of consumer extended updates, now replaced |
| October 12, 2027 | Consumer extended security updates end |
| October 10, 2028 | Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, Outlook) stop getting security updates on Windows 10 |
The last date comes from Microsoft’s end of support page. A Windows 10 computer keeps working after every one of these dates. What stops is the stream of security fixes, which is what keeps a computer from becoming an easy target for malware.
Step 1: Check whether your computer is enrolled
Open Settings, then Update & Security, then Windows Update. If the computer is enrolled, that page says so. If it is not, you will see an option to enroll.
Microsoft offers three ways in:
- Free, if you sync your PC settings with a Microsoft account using Windows Backup
- 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points
- A one-time $30 purchase
Enrollment requires Windows 10 version 22H2, the final version. If the enroll option never appears, the computer is usually behind on updates, or it is signed in with a local account rather than a Microsoft account. Both are fixable, and this is a quick remote job.
Step 2: Find out if it can run Windows 11
The same Windows Update page usually tells you whether the computer can upgrade to Windows 11. Microsoft’s minimum requirements include:
- A compatible 64-bit processor with at least 2 cores
- 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of storage
- UEFI firmware with Secure Boot
- TPM 2.0, a security chip built into most computers from the last several years
The processor is where most older computers fall short, and that is the one part you cannot practically swap. Adding memory or a faster drive can make an older computer feel new again, but it will not make an unsupported processor eligible.
You will find guides online for forcing Windows 11 onto unsupported hardware. I do not recommend it for a computer you rely on. It puts you outside what Microsoft supports, and a future update can undo it.
Step 3: Upgrade, replace, or wait
Most computers fall into one of three situations.
It can run Windows 11. Upgrade. The upgrade is free, and your files and programs normally come along. Back up first anyway. The backup guide walks through finding what matters and copying it somewhere safe.
It cannot run Windows 11, but it works well. Enroll in extended updates and plan the replacement for sometime before October 2027. There is no reason to throw away a working computer this year. Buy the next one when a sale lines up, not when a deadline forces it.
It cannot run Windows 11, and it is slow or failing. Replace it now. Paying to repair or upgrade a computer that has to be retired within a year rarely makes sense. If you are not sure whether yours is simply cluttered or actually worn out, why is my PC so slow? covers what to check first.
Moving to a new computer without losing anything
The new computer is the easy part. Getting years of photos, documents, bookmarks, and email over to it is where things go wrong. A few rules keep it safe:
- Back up before you touch anything. The guide to backing up your important files explains why cloud sync is not a backup, and how to copy files to an external drive safely.
- Do not wipe or recycle the old computer until you have confirmed your files open on the new one.
- Check what is already in the cloud. Files in OneDrive, iCloud, or Google Drive may only need you to sign in.
- Use Windows Backup on the old computer. Microsoft built it to carry settings, files, and some apps to a new PC.
- Make a list of passwords and programs before you start. Getting back into accounts often takes longer than moving the files.
For people buying a new computer during the holiday sales, doing this in November or December means the old one is retired well before the 2027 cutoff.
If you run a small business
The free consumer program is for personal computers. Businesses buy extended updates through Microsoft volume licensing: $61 per device for the first year, doubling each year, for up to three years in total. The years are cumulative, so an office that did not buy year one pays for it too before year two applies.
Run the numbers per computer. An office starting now pays $61 for year one plus $122 for year two, $183 per computer, to stay covered into late 2027, and that buys time rather than solving anything. For most small offices, replacing the machines that cannot run Windows 11 on a planned schedule is the better spend. See small business IT support in Tucson for how that planning works.
Watch for Windows 10 scams
Every Microsoft deadline brings a wave of fake warnings. Microsoft will not call you, text you, or show a pop-up with a phone number telling you that your Windows 10 computer has been shut off. If you see one, do not call the number. The Microsoft pop-up scam help page explains what to do next.
How IT Wes can help in Tucson
Most of this can be handled remotely at $70 an hour for homes: checking enrollment, fixing the update problems that block it, and confirming whether a computer can run Windows 11. New computer setup on-site typically takes an hour to an hour and a half at $90 an hour, and moving files is estimated first, because the amount of data varies. The pricing guide lists the details.
If you would rather not track these dates at all, the IT Wes Care Plan includes managed updates and device-health monitoring, so the next deadline is on my list instead of yours.
In Tucson and not sure where your computer stands? Contact IT Wes and I will tell you whether it can upgrade, whether it is enrolled, and what I would do in your place.