Short answer: Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Consumer security updates were extended in June 2026 and now run to October 12, 2027, but that program is for individuals; a business pays $61 per PC for the first year of Extended Security Updates, $122 for the second and $244 for the third. Over three years that is more than half the price of a new business desktop, for security-only patches. Sort every PC into three groups (upgrade to Windows 11, replace, or enrol in ESU because it runs one old thing), do the inventory in December and the work by March.
This page replaced our 2019 post about the end of Windows 7. Same lesson, new deadline. Rewritten October 2026.
| Key facts (as of October 2026) | |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 end of support | October 14, 2025 |
| Consumer ESU | Extended in June 2026; Microsoft’s ESU page now lists October 12, 2027 as the end date. Enrolled devices carry over automatically. |
| Business ESU price per device | $61 year one, $122 year two, $244 year three; year two requires having bought year one; 25% discount with a cloud update tool such as Intune |
| What ESU includes | Critical and important security updates only. No feature updates, bug fixes or technical support. |
| Windows 11 requirements | 8th-gen Intel / equivalent AMD or newer, TPM 2.0, UEFI Secure Boot, 4 GB RAM (8 GB realistic), 64 GB storage |
| Upgrade cost for eligible PCs | Free; about an hour per machine |
What changed in June 2026?
Microsoft quietly extended the consumer Extended Security Updates program by a year. Its Windows 10 ESU page now gives October 12, 2027 as the end of consumer coverage, and devices already enrolled continue without any action. There was no press release; the change appeared in the documentation and was reported by trade press in late June. For businesses, nothing changed: the commercial ESU program is priced per device and doubles each year.
Why is “it still works” the wrong test?
- Software stops supporting it. Browsers, accounting packages and practice software drop old operating systems on their own schedules. The day QuickBooks or your line-of-business app refuses to update is a problem you did not schedule.
- Cyber insurance asks. Policies increasingly require that systems be supported and patched. An unenrolled Windows 10 machine can be the reason a claim is contested.
- Compliance. HIPAA, CMMC and IRS Publication 4557 all expect supported operating systems. An auditor does not care that it still boots.
Which group is each PC in?
Group A: it can run Windows 11. Most business machines bought since 2019 qualify (check Settings, Windows Update, or run Microsoft’s PC Health Check). Upgrade them. The upgrade is free and takes about an hour per machine; we do them after hours so nobody loses a workday.
Group B: it cannot run Windows 11 and it does real work. Replace it. A business-class desktop or laptop with Windows 11 Pro costs a few hundred dollars more than three years of ESU, comes with a warranty, and is not running an eight-year-old processor. Spread the replacements across a quarter.
Group C: it cannot run Windows 11 and it exists for one old thing. The lathe controller, the X-ray console, the plotter PC. Enrol it in business ESU, take it off the internet if the program does not need it, and put a date on the calendar to deal with the vendor.
A plan that fits a small office
- December: inventory every PC: age, Windows version, Windows 11 eligibility, what it is used for. One day for most offices.
- January: upgrade Group A after hours. Enrol Group C in ESU before the year-one price becomes year-two.
- January to March: replace Group B in batches, oldest first, data moved, old machines wiped.
- April: nothing on Windows 10 touches the internet without ESU.
Frequently asked questions
Can a business use the free consumer ESU?
The consumer program is licensed for personal devices. A company with a fleet of PCs is in the commercial program at $61 per device for year one.
Is upgrading to Windows 11 risky for our software?
Upgrade one machine first and test your line-of-business applications on it for a week. That is the same advice we gave for Windows 7 to 10 and it still holds.
What if a PC has a TPM but it is turned off?
Many 2017 to 2019 business PCs have TPM 2.0 disabled in the BIOS. Enabling it moves the machine from Group B to Group A. Check before buying.
Does managed IT cover this?
For managed clients the inventory already exists and upgrades are part of the service. For everyone else it is a one-time plan and quote under technology consulting.
Sources
- Microsoft, Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates: microsoft.com (end date October 12, 2027)
- Microsoft commercial ESU pricing ($61 / $122 / $244 per device), as announced by Microsoft and reported by Computerworld, April 2024
- Help Net Security, Microsoft gives Windows 10 users an unexpected extra year of free security updates, June 26, 2026
Cite this page: “Still on Windows 10? What a Maine Small Business Should Do Before 2027”, Information Systems of Maine, Portland, ME, updated October 2026.
Want the inventory done? Request IT help or call 207-653-4143. Computer and hardware services for Portland and Southern Maine businesses.
