Windows 10 ESU Year 1 Ended. Here Is What Your Business Should Do

On October 13, the first year of Microsoft’s paid Windows 10 security updates ended for businesses. If you did not buy the second year, your Windows 10 PCs stopped receiving security patches. The date passed quietly, so this post explains where you stand.

Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Since then, the only way to keep getting security updates has been Microsoft’s paid ESU program, short for Extended Security Updates. Businesses buy ESU one year at a time, for each device.

What ended on October 13

Year 1 of business ESU covered October 2025 through October 13, 2026. It cost $61 per device. Year 2 runs to October 12, 2027, and Year 3 runs to October 10, 2028. There is no Year 4. These dates match Microsoft’s published lifecycle schedule.

The price doubles each year. Year 2 costs $122 per device, and Year 3 costs $244. The program is also cumulative, so a business that skipped Year 1 pays $183 per device to get current. All three years together cost $427 per device.

Why the free consumer plan does not fit a business

Microsoft also extended its consumer ESU program to October 12, 2027. However, Microsoft says that program cannot be used in commercial settings. It also will not enroll a PC that belongs to a domain or to Microsoft Entra, or that uses device management software. Many business PCs fall into at least one of those groups.

Who needs to act first

Your next step depends on what you bought.

Businesses that bought Year 1 need Year 2 for every PC they still use, at $122 per device.
Businesses that skipped Year 1 need both years, which costs $183 per device.
Anyone who used the consumer plan on a work PC should check that PC now, because it may not qualify.

If you are unsure which group fits you, ask whoever manages your licenses.

Your options

You have four realistic choices. Each one suits a different situation.

Upgrade to Windows 11

This is the best long-term choice for any PC that meets Windows 11’s hardware requirements. It ends the ESU cost and keeps the PC in regular support. Microsoft’s PC Health Check app shows whether a device qualifies, so run it on each machine first. Start with the PCs your team uses every day, because they carry the most risk.

Replace older PCs

Some PCs cannot run Windows 11. For those, replacement can make more sense than paying ESU for a device that you will need to replace soon anyway. Consider the numbers: Year 2 for 25 PCs costs $3,050, and catching up from scratch costs $4,575. Because the price doubles every year, each year of waiting costs more. Also factor in the time you spend managing a mixed fleet of old and new machines.

Buy ESU Year 2 as a bridge

Use ESU only for PCs that you cannot upgrade or replace yet, such as a machine tied to software that runs only on Windows 10. Treat it as a bridge, not a destination. Plan to retire those PCs before Year 3 pricing arrives.

Move the workload to the cloud

Windows 10 running in Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop receives ESU at no extra cost. This suits a few older applications. However, it adds monthly cloud costs of its own, so compare the totals first.

Mistakes to avoid

Avoid these four mistakes.

Assuming the free consumer plan covers business PCs.
Buying ESU for PCs that could upgrade to Windows 11.
Forgetting spare PCs, shared desk PCs, and machines in a back room.
Leaving nobody in charge of the list, so the date passes quietly again.

Why this matters for security

A PC without security patches still runs, so the risk is easy to ignore. However, attackers watch for new flaws, and an unpatched machine stays open to every flaw found after the cutoff. Our posts on ransomware backups and AI-powered phishing explain how attackers get in.

A simple plan for this week

List every PC in your business, and note its Windows version.
Mark which PCs run Windows 10, and which have ESU Year 2.
Check which Windows 10 PCs can upgrade to Windows 11.
Decide which PCs need a bridge, and which you can replace.
Buy ESU Year 2 only for the PCs on your bridge list.
Set a date to retire every bridge PC before Year 3 pricing arrives.

Build the list in a simple spreadsheet with four columns: device name, user, Windows version, and plan. Update it every month. A simple list beats a perfect one, because the goal is to know what you own.

Take a backup of every PC before any upgrade, and test one machine first. Name one owner for this list, just as we suggested for licenses in our post on Copilot Business billing.

FAQ

Did my Windows 10 PCs stop working on October 13?

No. They still run. They stopped receiving security patches if you did not buy Year 2, and that is where the risk begins. Your files and apps stay in place, but new Windows flaws stay open.

Can I buy Year 2 now if I missed the date?

Yes. If you bought Year 1, Year 2 costs $122 per device. If you skipped Year 1, ESU is cumulative, so you pay $183 per device to catch up.

How long can I keep using Windows 10 with ESU?

Business ESU runs for a maximum of three years, to October 10, 2028. After that, no further coverage exists, so plan your exit now.

Getting started

We help small businesses audit their PCs, plan upgrades, and manage ESU licenses. Book a Free Call, and we will build your device list and a cost plan.