Windows 10 It had been marked on the calendar for some time as a system with an exit date. Microsoft ended its official support on October 14, 2025 and the message seemed clear: the time had come to turn the page and look ahead. Windows 11. But it is one thing to close a stage on paper and quite another to do it when there are still millions of computers using that system every day. What we are seeing now is precisely that: Microsoft wanted to accelerate the farewell, but Windows 10 refuses to become the past.
An extension until 2027. The change is in the Extended Security Updates program, the path that Microsoft offers to Windows 10 users who need to continue receiving security patches during the transition. According to the company’s official websitea, registration for the consumer ESU will be open until October 12, 2027. It should be noted that the program was initially planned until October 12, 2026 and that Microsoft has updated the date.
Security, not a second life. It is important to specify what Microsoft is offering, because ESU is not equivalent to maintaining Windows 10 as if nothing had changed. The company defines the program as an option to reduce the risk of malware and cyberattacks on computers with Windows 10, version 22H2, through critical and important security updates. Other types of fixes, product improvements, new features and technical support are excluded.
The system that is still too heavy. The explanation is in the scale. Windows 10 still runs on around 26% of PCs, while Windows 11 is around 72%, according to StatCounter. The difference already clearly favors the most recent system, but the percentage that Windows 10 retains is still enormous in such a widespread market. In other words, Microsoft is not extending the ESU for a few stragglers, but for an installed base that still numbers in the hundreds of millions.
The migration that got stuck. If Windows 10 retains so much ground, it is because for many users changing has not been as simple as accepting an update: CPU and TPM requirements that left out still valid equipment, more expensive components due to the shortage of memory and storage linked to the rise of AI, and a certain misgiving about the growing prominence of AI in Windows 11.
What changes for Spain and Europe. For those reading this from Spain, the important detail is in the conditions of the European Economic Area. Microsoft indicates that the way at no additional cost is to register with a Microsoft account and continue logging into Windows with that same account to receive updates until October 12, 2027. If the user stops doing so, the company warns that the updates will be interrupted after a period of time, which can reach up to 60 days.
Local account and payment. Anyone who prefers to continue using a local account is not left out, but has another way. Microsoft says those users can make a one-time purchase of $30, or the local equivalent plus tax, to keep the updates extended through October 12, 2027 without permanently signing in with a Microsoft account. The license, however, is associated with the Microsoft account used to sign up for the program. Once activated, it can be applied to a maximum of 10 compatible devices.
Windows 10 is not leaving yet. The business side leaves another clue as to how gradual the withdrawal will be. Companies pay per device and the commercial program will remain available until 2028. Microsoft already experienced a similar situation with Windows XP, whose support had to be extended several times during the 2010s because millions of computers did not make the leap. The story is not identical, but it does leave a clear reading: Windows 10 seemed doomed, and yet Microsoft has just quietly delayed its end.
Images | Joachim Pressl
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