Windows 10 in September 2026: where companies stand now
Windows 10 version 22H2 reached the end of regular support on 14 October 2025. Devices without Extended Security Updates therefore no longer receive regular critical and important security updates. For companies that need to keep running Windows 10, there is the paid ESU programme.
The timing is particularly relevant in September 2026: the first ESU year ends on 13 October 2026. Anyone who wants to keep running devices on Windows 10 after that must decide whether another ESU year makes economic and technical sense – or whether the migration should be completed now.
What Windows 10 ESU actually delivers – and what it does not
Extended Security Updates continue to deliver critical and important security updates for enrolled devices. They thus extend the secure transition period after the end of regular support.
However, ESU does not bring back new features, regular design changes or full technical support for Windows 10. Microsoft makes it clear that the programme does not return the product lifecycle to "normal support". Microsoft publishes details in its Windows 10 ESU documentation.
For companies, this is crucial: a Windows 10 PC with ESU is better protected than an unpatched device, but it remains a platform in extended transitional operation.
ESU costs and terms for companies
For commercial organisations, Microsoft states a list price of USD 61 per device for the first ESU year. The price doubles in the following years. In addition, the years are cumulative: anyone who joins later cannot simply skip previous years.
Up to three ESU years are available for commercial and educational organisations. The currently published end dates are:
- ESU year 1: until 13 October 2026
- ESU year 2: until 12 October 2027
- ESU year 3: until 10 October 2028
You can find the currently valid lifecycle dates in Microsoft's ESU lifecycle FAQ.
Keep paying for ESU or switch to Windows 11?
The right decision rarely depends on the licence price alone. Hardware age, line-of-business applications, peripherals, outage risk, supportability and the effort of a later migration all play a role.
ESU can make sense if …
- a business-critical line-of-business application has not yet been approved for Windows 11,
- a machine or specialist hardware is tied to a specific workstation,
- a planned device replacement is due in a few months anyway,
- the migration is already under way and only a limited number of remaining devices needs to be protected.
Windows 11 should take priority if …
- the devices are compatible and still technically fit for use,
- standard software is used and there are no blockers,
- ESU would merely be bought for convenience rather than out of technical necessity,
- the hardware is old, slow or prone to faults anyway.
Before any decision: a clean device inventory
A good migration project does not start with the upgrade button, but with a list. For every remaining Windows 10 workstation, at least the device, user, hardware age, Windows edition, installed applications, specialist peripherals and business relevance should be known.
Devices can then be divided into three groups: migrate directly, replace hardware or keep running temporarily with ESU. It is precisely this classification that prevents individual old devices from running on unnoticed for years.
Line-of-business applications are often the real migration blocker
In many mid-sized environments, a Windows 11 migration does not fail because of Windows itself, but because of industry software, old database clients, special drivers, macros, card readers, measuring devices or machine connections.
These dependencies should be tested specifically. Ideally, there is a pilot workstation with real applications and peripherals. If the application works technically, it must also be clarified whether the vendor officially supports it on Windows 11. "It works for us" is not the same as a reliable support status.
When replacing hardware makes more sense than an upgrade
Even if an older computer could technically be brought up to Windows 11, this does not necessarily make economic sense. For devices that have been in use for several years, weak processors, small SSDs, low memory, old batteries or missing spare parts can increase the total cost.
A planned replacement also offers the opportunity to roll out devices in a standardised way, to integrate BitLocker, endpoint security, Intune or other management tools properly, and to leave legacy baggage behind.
A practical Windows 11 migration plan
1. Take inventory
Record Windows 10 devices, applications, users and special hardware.
2. Assess compatibility
Divide devices into upgrade, replacement and ESU exception.
3. Run a pilot
Have real users from different departments test – including printers, VPN, specialist software and macros.
4. Secure data and recovery
Before upgrades, backup, recovery and a fallback plan must be in place.
5. Plan waves
Migrate devices in groups so that support and departments are not overloaded at the same time.
6. Close out the remaining list
Every remaining Windows 10 device needs an owner, a reason and a planned end date.
Common mistakes with Windows 10 after end of support
- "The device still works": Technical functionality is no substitute for security updates and vendor support.
- ESU without an end date: Transitional licences must not become a permanent strategy.
- Testing line-of-business applications only on migration day: This increases the risk of outages and project stress.
- Upgrading old devices without a plan: Not every technically possible upgrade path makes economic sense.
- Forgetting remaining devices: Individual PCs in the warehouse, meeting room or workshop are easily overlooked.
Conclusion: ESU buys time – Windows 11 solves the actual problem
In 2026, Windows 10 ESU is a useful tool when companies need to protect justified exceptions. With the end of the first ESU year on 13 October 2026, however, the question becomes more urgent: which systems really still need time, and which can now be properly migrated or replaced?
büKOM Systemhaus GmbH supports you with device inventory, Windows 11 compatibility, hardware planning, migration, Microsoft 365, endpoint security, backup and ongoing IT operations. This turns a remaining list of old Windows 10 PCs into a controlled migration project.