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· 6 Min. Lesezeit· Aktualisiert am 2026-05-25Windows 10 Extended Security Updates
Windows 10 reached end-of-support in October 2025. Extended Security Updates buys 1–3 more years of patches. Here's the price, the rules and the alternatives.
- Windows 10
- ESU
- Support
What ESU actually delivers
ESU is security updates only — Critical and Important severity per Microsoft's classification. No bug fixes, no feature updates, no design-change requests, no driver or firmware updates. Technical support is also excluded.
Updates ship through Windows Update once you're enrolled and use the standard WSUS/Intune channels for business deployments.
Pricing
| Year | Consumer | Commercial (per device) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (Oct 2025–26) | ~€30 once-off | $61 |
| Year 2 (Oct 2026–27) | n/a | $122 |
| Year 3 (Oct 2027–28) | n/a | $244 |
| Cumulative 3-yr commercial | — | $427/device |
Eligibility & enrollment
- · Must be running Windows 10 version 22H2 (any edition: Home, Pro, Enterprise, Education).
- · Consumer enrollment: Settings → Windows Update → 'Enroll now' banner. Requires Microsoft account.
- · Commercial: Volume Licensing portal or Microsoft Partner.
- · Free Year 1: Microsoft 365 E3/E5 subscriptions, Windows 365 Cloud PC, Intune-managed devices.
Alternatives to ESU
- · Upgrade to Windows 11 (free in-place upgrade if hardware qualifies).
- · Buy new hardware with Windows 11 pre-installed.
- · Switch to a supported Linux distro for older hardware.
- · Run Windows 10 isolated from the internet — risky but valid for offline workstations.
Häufige Fragen
- Will my Windows 10 PC keep working after October 2025 without ESU?
- Yes — it doesn't stop working. You just stop receiving security patches. Over time, unpatched vulnerabilities accumulate and the security risk rises sharply.
- Does ESU include the latest Edge browser updates?
- Yes. Microsoft Edge gets updates independently of Windows version and continues on Windows 10 22H2 through at least October 2028, ESU or not.
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