No. If your PC is already enrolled in the Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, you do not need to renew it in 2026. Microsoft says existing Consumer ESU coverage will continue automatically through October 12, 2027. There is no second purchase, new enrollment form or additional Microsoft Rewards redemption required.
This applies whether you enrolled at no additional cost by syncing PC settings, redeemed 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points or paid the one-time $30 U.S. price. Earlier information that described Consumer ESU coverage as ending in October 2026 is no longer current.
What the extended Windows 10 ESU date means
Windows 10 reached its normal end of support on October 14, 2025. After that date, Microsoft stopped providing normal technical support, feature updates and security updates for Windows 10.
Consumer ESU is a temporary option for eligible personal PCs that need more time before moving to Windows 11 or another supported operating system. Microsoft now states that enrolled consumer devices will receive qualifying critical and important security updates through October 12, 2027.
If you enrolled before Microsoft extended the Consumer ESU period, that enrollment remains valid. In practical terms, you do not need to take any of these actions just because October 2026 arrives:
- Buy Consumer ESU again.
- Repeat the free PC settings sync option.
- Redeem another 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
- Re-enroll solely because the program end date changed.
Keep Windows Update enabled and install updates when they are offered. Automatic continuation of ESU eligibility does not help if updates are paused, blocked or repeatedly fail to install.
As of September 15, 2026, Microsoft lists Windows 10 version 22H2 build 19045.7727 as the latest ESU update, released on September 14, 2026. A build number alone does not prove that a particular PC is enrolled, however. Installed updates can differ between devices, and an update may not yet have been offered or installed.
How to check whether your PC is enrolled
Use Windows Update to check the status of the specific computer:
- Open Start and select Settings.
- Select Update & Security.
- Select Windows Update.
- Look for the Consumer ESU enrollment status or related ESU message.
- Select Check for updates and install any available updates.
If Windows Update displays Enroll now, the PC has not yet been enrolled through that device. This is common when you have enrolled one computer but have not added another eligible computer to the same ESU license.
When adding another computer, use the Microsoft account that was used for the first enrollment. A Consumer ESU license can be used on up to ten eligible devices, but each device must be added through its own Windows Update page.
There is no need to enroll every person who uses the same computer. Once any user enrolls an eligible Windows 10 PC, the applicable security updates protect other user accounts on that PC as well. Other computers must still be enrolled individually.
How to enroll if you have not joined yet
In the United States, eligible users can enroll in Consumer ESU at any time until the program ends on October 12, 2027. A PC remains without Consumer ESU protection for post-support Windows security updates until enrollment is complete, so waiting does not extend the coverage period.
Microsoft lists these requirements for the consumer program:
- The device must run Windows 10 version 22H2 in the Home, Professional, Pro Education or Workstations edition.
- The latest available Windows update must be installed.
- The Microsoft account used to enroll must be an administrator account on the PC.
- The Microsoft account cannot be a child account.
Consumer ESU is not available for commercial management scenarios. Enrollment is not offered for devices in kiosk mode; devices joined to an Active Directory domain or Microsoft Entra; or devices enrolled in a mobile device management service. A device that is Microsoft Entra registered, rather than joined, can use Consumer ESU. Microsoft says Consumer ESU enrollment may be suspended if an enrolled device later participates in a commercial ESU scenario.
To enroll, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Enroll now. If you normally sign in to Windows with a local account, the enrollment process will prompt you to sign in with a Microsoft account. The ESU license is associated with that Microsoft account.
Eligible U.S. users can choose one of three enrollment methods:
- Sync PC settings at no additional cost. This option uses Windows Backup to sync eligible PC settings through your Microsoft account.
- Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Microsoft says Rewards orders are final and cannot be returned or exchanged.
- Make a one-time $30 purchase. Applicable tax may be added, and local pricing can differ outside the United States.
Each option provides Consumer ESU coverage through October 12, 2027. Paying does not provide additional security updates or a longer Consumer ESU period.
What Consumer ESU includes and excludes
Consumer ESU is a security bridge, not a return to full Windows 10 support. For enrolled Windows 10 version 22H2 devices, it provides critical and important security updates as Microsoft makes them available through Windows Update.
Consumer ESU does not include:
- New Windows features or feature improvements.
- General product enhancements.
- Customer-requested non-security updates.
- Design-change requests.
- Normal Windows 10 technical support.
- A promise that third-party software, drivers or hardware will continue to support Windows 10.
This distinction is important. A PC can be current on Consumer ESU security updates while still having an application, driver, reliability or compatibility problem that is outside the scope of the program. Software publishers and hardware makers set their own Windows 10 support policies.
Consumer ESU also does not turn Windows 10 version 22H2 into a newer Windows release. It supplies qualifying security updates only. If your PC can run Windows 11, upgrading remains the longer-term supported option. If it cannot, use the remaining Consumer ESU period to plan a replacement or another supported operating system before October 12, 2027.
This guidance is for the U.S. Consumer ESU program. Enrollment options and timing can vary by region, including in the European Economic Area, although Microsoft states that updates are applied consistently across supported areas.
