// WINDOWS 10 ESU · UPGRADE OR WAIT
Windows 10 ESU, or upgrade your Dell?
If your Dell can run Windows 11, skip ESU and upgrade for free; if it can’t but the machine is still good, one more year of Extended Security Updates keeps you safe for around $30 (or free) while you plan. Windows 10 stopped getting free updates on 14 October 2025, so doing nothing isn’t safe — but paying to prop up a tired laptop is money down the drain. Here’s how to work out which side of that line your Dell sits on. Rated 4.9 on Google.
- ● No-pressure honest advice
- ● Free Windows 11 upgrade check
- ● Refurbished Win11 Dell from £510
// THE SHORT ANSWER
Windows 10 ESU or upgrade: the 30-second answer
Can your Dell run Windows 11? If yes, don’t pay for anything — upgrade to Windows 11 free and you’re sorted for years. If no, the honest question is how much life is left in the machine:
- Good Dell that just can’t take Windows 11 yet — enrol in Extended Security Updates (ESU). It’s free or about $30 and keeps you patched while you plan.
- Tired, slow or ageing Dell — skip ESU and put that money toward a refurbished Windows 11-ready Dell from £510. Paying to secure a machine you’ll replace anyway is money down the drain.
ESU is a bridge, not a destination — it buys time, it doesn’t fix the underlying “this PC can’t run Windows 11” problem. Not sure which camp you’re in? That’s exactly what we help Dorset customers work out, free of charge.
Windows 10 ESU vs a free Windows 11 upgrade vs a refurbished Dell
| Free Windows 11 upgrade | Windows 10 ESU | Refurbished Dell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | A Dell that passes the check — roughly 2018 onward | A good, quick Dell that just fails the Windows 11 check | A tired, slow or pre-2018 Dell not worth propping up |
| Cost from | Free | Free with Windows Backup, 1,000 Rewards points, or a small one-off fee | From £510 |
| What you get | Full Windows 11 — supported for years | Security patches only — no new features, fixes or support | Newer Dell with a new SSD & licensed Windows 11 |
| How long it lasts | Years — a proper long-term fix | Runs to October 2027, then stops | Years, plus a 365 Techies 5-year guarantee (with a support plan) |
| Bottom line | Best if it passes — skip ESU, upgrade free | A cheap bridge while you plan your upgrade | Best value for a tired or ageing Dell |
// WHAT ESU ACTUALLY IS
What Windows 10 ESU gives you (and what it doesn’t)
ESU is Microsoft’s official way to keep a Windows 10 PC receiving critical and important security patches after support ended on 14 October 2025. That’s all it is — security fixes only. You get no new features, no bug fixes and no technical support.
At the time of writing — and this has already moved once, so do check Microsoft for the current date — the consumer ESU program runs to around October 2027. Microsoft quietly pushed the end date back from 2026 to 2027 in mid-2026. For home users there are three ways to enrol:
- Free — by turning on Windows Backup and syncing your settings to a Microsoft account.
- 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points — if you’ve been racking them up.
- A one-off payment of about $30 (charged in local currency — check the exact UK price with Microsoft).
One enrolment covers up to 10 personal devices on the same Microsoft account, for PCs on Windows 10 version 22H2. For the bigger picture, see our rundown of Windows 10 end of life.
// WHEN ESU IS WORTH IT
When Extended Security Updates make sense
ESU is genuinely the smart, cheap choice when:
- Your Dell does everything you need and still feels quick — it just fails the Windows 11 hardware check.
- You want to spread the cost and not rush a purchase you’ll regret.
- You’ve a house or office full of Windows 10 machines and want one cheap year to phase the upgrades in (a single licence covers up to 10 PCs).
- You’re close to buying anyway but need a secure few months to plan.
In these cases, free-or-$30 insurance to stay patched is a no-brainer. If your Dell is otherwise healthy but feeling sluggish, a quick SSD upgrade can also make Windows 10 (and later Windows 11) feel years newer for a fraction of the cost of a new machine.
// WHEN TO UPGRADE INSTEAD
When your money is better spent on a newer Dell
ESU is money down the drain when you’re paying to prop up a machine that’s on its last legs. Skip it and trade up if:
- Your Dell is already slow, hot or crashing, or the battery’s shot — ESU won’t fix any of that.
- It’s roughly pre-2018 and would need new parts just to limp along.
- You want a proper long-term fix, not another deadline landing in a year’s time.
We refurbish business-grade Dell to a high standard — Latitude laptops and OptiPlex desktops from £545, each with a brand-new Samsung Pro SSD, a clean licensed copy of Windows 11 and our own 5-year guarantee on a 365 support plan. For most tired Windows 10 Dells, that’s better value than paying to keep the old one on life support. Wondering if refurbished is right for you? Read is it safe to buy a refurbished laptop.
// CHECK YOUR DELL
How to check if your Dell can run Windows 11
Before you spend a penny, find out whether your Dell can simply move to Windows 11 for free — if it can, you don’t need ESU at all:
- Run Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app — it tells you in one click whether the machine passes.
- Windows 11 broadly needs TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, a 64-bit 8th-generation-or-newer processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. As a rough guide, Dells from about 2018 onward tend to pass; older ones usually don’t.
- Sometimes it’s a false alarm — TPM or Secure Boot is simply switched off in the BIOS and can be turned back on. That’s a five-minute fix that flips a “no” into a “yes.”
If it says your Dell can’t run Windows 11, don’t panic — read our plain-English guide to “this PC can’t run Windows 11”, or book free local collection and we’ll check it properly. Either way you’ll know whether to enrol in ESU, upgrade to Windows 11, or trade up.
// RELATED
More honest Dell & Windows help: check why your PC can’t run Windows 11, read up on Windows 10 end of life and Windows 11 support, browse refurbished Dell laptops and OptiPlex desktops, or breathe new life into your current machine with an SSD upgrade. For business machines, see what Windows 10 ESU costs a business.
FAMILY-RUN SINCE 1995 · ★ 4.9 ON GOOGLE · 200+ COMPUTERS UNDER OUR CARE · NO FIX, NO FEE · SAME-DAY REMOTE SUPPORT
// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Can a refurbished Dell run Windows 11 — and is that cheaper than paying for ESU?
Yes on both counts, usually. Any 8th-generation-Intel-or-newer business Dell — which covers the refurbished Latitude and OptiPlex stock we sell — meets Windows 11’s requirements, including TPM 2.0. ESU buys one year of breathing room for one machine; a refurbished business-grade Dell from around £299 buys years of supported Windows 11 with a faster machine thrown in. If your current PC can’t take Windows 11, put the money towards the replacement rather than renting time on the old one.
Is Windows 10 ESU worth it in 2026?
It depends on your Dell. If the machine can run Windows 11, skip ESU entirely and upgrade for free. If it can’t but still runs well, one more year of Extended Security Updates — free or about $30 — is well worth it to stay patched while you plan. If the Dell is already tired, put that money toward a newer machine instead. Not sure? We’ll give you a straight answer at our Bournemouth workshop.
How much does Windows 10 ESU cost for home users?
For consumers it’s a one-off of around $30 (charged in local UK currency — check Microsoft for the exact figure), or free if you sync your settings to a Microsoft account, or 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. One enrolment covers up to 10 personal PCs on the same account.
Can I get Windows 10 ESU for free?
Yes. The simplest free route is to turn on Windows Backup and sync your PC settings to a Microsoft account — that enrols you at no cost. You can also redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Both give exactly the same security updates as the paid $30 option.
When does Windows 10 ESU end?
At the time of writing the consumer ESU program runs to around October 2027 — Microsoft extended it from 2026, so always check their site for the current date. After that, a Windows 10 PC stops getting security updates for good, which is why ESU is a bridge rather than a permanent fix.
Will my Dell run Windows 11?
Run Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app for a definite answer. As a rough guide, Dell Latitude and OptiPlex models from around 2018 onward usually pass, thanks to TPM 2.0 and newer processors; older ones often don’t — though sometimes TPM or Secure Boot is just switched off in the BIOS. We can check any Dell for Poole and Bournemouth customers.
Should I buy a refurbished Dell instead of paying for ESU?
If your current Dell is slow or ageing, yes — a refurbished Windows 11-ready Dell from £510 is usually better value than paying to secure a machine you’ll soon replace. Our refurbished Latitude and OptiPlex Dells come with a new SSD, licensed Windows 11 and a 5-year guarantee, and we’re local to Bournemouth, Poole and across Dorset.
Not sure whether to patch or replace?
Call 365 Techies on 01202 775566 — we’ll check if it can take Windows 11, set up ESU if that’s the smart move, or line up a refurbished Windows 11 Dell. No call-out fee, no upsell.
01202 775566 · help@365techies.co.uk · MON–FRI 9AM–5PM