Someone in your office has probably read that Windows 10 got another free year of security updates. It’s true, for home computers. If they’re now asking why their work laptop is still being replaced or upgraded, this is the short answer, and there’s a paragraph near the end you can forward as it is.
What Microsoft actually offered
Microsoft runs a consumer version of Extended Security Updates for Windows 10. Its consumer page says you can enrol any time until the offer ends on 12 October 2027. For a home PC that can’t run Windows 11, that’s a useful extra year.
The same page is clear about who it’s for, and it rules out business PCs twice:
- It can’t be used on devices joined to an Active Directory domain or to Microsoft’s cloud directory, or enrolled in a mobile device management solution.
- It can’t be used in commercial scenarios. If a PC enrolled at home is later used for business, Microsoft suspends its enrolment.
A managed business PC is joined to the company’s directory and enrolled in device management. That’s how its updates, security settings and remote support reach it. So it’s outside the consumer offer on both counts.
What business PCs get instead
Businesses have a separate, paid option. Microsoft’s business Extended Security Updates page lists US$61 per device for the first year, with the price doubling each year for up to three years.
That first business year ends on 13 October 2026, US time, according to Microsoft’s lifecycle FAQ. In Brisbane that’s 14 October. After that, a business PC on Windows 10 either moves into a paid second year, gets upgraded, or gets replaced.
“But Microsoft 365 still gets updates on Windows 10”
Also true, and just as easy to misread. Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 Apps page says it will keep releasing security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 until 10 October 2028.
That covers Word, Excel, Outlook and the rest of the apps. It doesn’t patch Windows. An up-to-date Outlook running on an unpatched copy of Windows is still an unpatched PC. The same page says devices running Windows 10 should move to Windows 11, and that new app features on Windows 10 stop at Version 2608.
Why the rules are different
Microsoft doesn’t give a reason on the consumer page, so here’s our reading of it. A home PC holds one household’s photos and banking. A work laptop signs in to the company’s email, files and client records, and it’s one of many devices the business is responsible for. Businesses are expected to plan for this, budget for it and pay for extra time if they need it. The free year is aimed at people at home who might otherwise be left with an unpatched computer.
The paragraph you can forward
Windows 10 did get a free extra year of security updates, but only for home computers. Microsoft’s rules exclude PCs that are joined to a company network or managed by a business, and they don’t allow work use. Your work laptop is managed, so it doesn’t qualify. That’s why it’s being upgraded to Windows 11 or replaced. Microsoft 365 apps still get security updates on Windows 10 for now, but Windows itself doesn’t.
What about staff home computers?
If a staff member has a personal Windows 10 PC at home for their own use, the consumer offer is theirs to take up, and it’s worth doing. Microsoft lists the requirements on the same page: Windows 10 version 22H2 with the latest updates installed, and an administrator Microsoft account to enrol.
If that home PC is also used for work, such as logging in to company email or opening client files, that’s worth a conversation. The consumer offer excludes commercial use, and a personal computer reaching company data is a question for your IT policy either way.
In March 2026 a client asked us whether an old personal computer should be updated to Windows 11. It’s a good question and a common one. The answer for a personal machine is different from the answer for a managed work laptop, and it helps when staff know there are two different sets of rules.
Next step
Forward the paragraph above to anyone who asks. If you’d like to check which of your business PCs still run Windows 10 and what each one needs before 14 October, get in touch.