Windows 10 in the office: the second year of grace has started. What's smart now

Is a computer in your office still running Windows 10? Probably, yes. The good news: it won't explode. The less good news: it gets more expensive or less secure every year.

Microsoft ended regular support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025. Since then, security updates have only been available through the “Extended Security Updates” programme, ESU for short. For companies this costs money, and in October 2026 the second, more expensive year began.

What companies pay now

For organisations, Microsoft sells ESU on a yearly basis. The first year cost 61 US dollars per device. After that, the price doubles every year, for a maximum of three years. That works out at around 122 US dollars in the second year and around 244 US dollars in the third – per computer. Because the updates build on each other, joining late means paying for the past years too.

There's an exception for Windows 10 computers running in Microsoft's cloud, for example in Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop. There, the updates are included at no extra cost.

And the free year for private users?

For private customers, Microsoft extended the ESU programme in summer 2026 until 12 October 2027. In the European Economic Area it's free if you're signed in with a Microsoft account. That's nice for the family computer, but it's no plan for the business. The programme for private customers is intended for private devices; the programme for organisations is meant for business computers.

Three routes – and which one fits when

• Upgrade to Windows 11: free of charge if the computer meets the requirements, including a TPM 2.0 security chip and a supported processor. This is usually the easiest route.
• New computer: For older devices, a new computer is often cheaper than three years of ESU plus the hassle of sluggish hardware.
• ESU as a bridge: useful for individual devices tied to specialist software or a machine that can't be replaced straight away.

And then there's the solution we see more often than we'd like: doing nothing. We advise against it – especially on computers used for email, online banking or customer data.

How to tackle it

Start with a simple list: which computers are there, which Windows is running on them, how old are they, and what depends on them? Then sort them into three piles: “can move to Windows 11”, “will be replaced” and “needs a bridge”. For computers with specialist software, it's worth asking the software manufacturer whether there's a version for Windows 11.

For the switch itself: back up before, check after. Data, licences, printers, logins – move everything properly once, instead of hunting for little things for three weeks. A lot can be done remotely so nobody has to travel in specially; that's what the Remote Support Monster is for.

And what to do with the old computers?

A retired computer is a little treasure trove of data: emails, customer data, passwords saved in the browser. Before it's passed on, sold or disposed of, the drive must be securely wiped – not just “files in the recycle bin”. For modern SSDs, the manufacturer's erase function helps, or the encryption that was switched on before the reset. If in doubt, the storage is removed and destroyed.

Some devices are still good afterwards as a second computer without internet, for a machine in the workshop or as a donation to a club – properly reset. And anything that really doesn't work any more belongs at the recycling centre or back with the retailer, not in the general waste. Write down which device went where and when it was wiped. That sounds bureaucratic, but it will put your mind at rest by the next data protection question at the latest.

Not in the mood for stocktaking and moving chaos? The Tech Monster makes a plan for every device with you – and carries it out if you like.