When Microsoft first announced the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU), it felt like a great lifeline for people who didn't want to upgrade to Windows 11 just yet. The idea is that people can either make a Windows 10 backup using OneDrive, spend 1,000 Microsoft Points, or pay $30 to get another full year of security updates, allowing them to continue connecting their PC to the internet without fear of day-zero attacks affecting their device.

There's just one problem: reports are coming in that people aren't able to get Windows 10 ESU working. And if it continues, the only way people can stay within the Microsoft ecosystem and stay safe is to upgrade to Windows 11.

People reportedly cannot sign up for Windows 10's ESU plan

Disgruntled users have been reporting to Windows Latest their inability to sign up for Windows 10's ESU plan. These people are usually hit with one of two error messages: the first says the user is in a region not supported by the Windows 10 ESU plan. This would make sense if the user were in a barred country, but Windows Latest heard from someone in the Netherlands, a country with ESU enabled, who was still told the plan was "temporarily unavailable in your region."

Microsoft stated this to Windows Latest:

“The enrollment experience for the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program may vary by region based on local market factors. ESU enrollment will begin rolling out to Windows 10 customers in the EEA in early October, with coverage available beginning October 15, 2025. The latest Windows update is required to enroll in ESU."

It would make sense if some people in the Netherlands had yet to receive the rollout, but given how the company says it began mid-October and we're approaching mid-November, it makes me think this is less a regional issue and more a system error.

Speaking of errors, the second one people get when trying to use Windows 10's ESU reads "We can’t enroll you in Extended Security Updates right now. Close this window and try again." For this error, Windows Latest notes that it's more likely to occur if someone tries to enrol in the ESU with a PC that either has, or used to have, a work or education connection. This causes the Windows 10 ESU process to register the PC as part of an organization, and it believes you need an ESU business license instead of a personal one. Fortunately, Windows Latest tested and found that you can download the Windows 10 ISO and perform an in-place upgrade to tidy up the files and fix this annoying issue.