When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.

Paying for updates will only last a year for consumers, Microsoft has confirmed.

This means come October 2026 you won’t be able to pay for any more security updates.

A Windows settings screen that tells the user they are up to date.

End of support means no more updates…

For now, users can remain using Windows 10 securely for free for the next 11 months.

What does end of support mean?

In the first few months after support ends, not much will change.

Windows 11 Taskbar closeup

End of support is a natural part of the Windows lifecycle.

It happened with Windows XP, and it happened with Windows 7.

The most important thing to worry about once support ends is your security.

Former Microsoft Executive Vice President Terry Myerson stands in front of a presentation about Windows 10

Windows 10 to 11 upgrade preparation

Binary code displayed on a laptop screen and Guy Fawkes mask are seen in this illustration photo.

Windows 10 Start menu on HP ZBook Studio G4

Windows 10 Find My Device

Outlook Client Hero

Surface Hub 2S

Windows Insider program settings

Moto book 60

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition power adapter in box

Microsoft Edge Vertical Tabs

Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark running on MSI Claw 8 AI+.

Asus Rog Zephyrus G14 Ryzen

Razer’s Minecraft collection in retail boxes