Windows 10 End of Support October 13, 2026: The Free ESU Extension to October 2027 Explained

What October 13, 2026 really means for Windows 10

October 13, 2026 was the original end date of the first year of consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10. Microsoft has since extended that coverage to October 12, 2027, so for an enrolled personal PC nothing falls off a cliff on October 13, 2026. The date keeps circulating in old articles, videos and social posts, which is why so many people believe their computer becomes unprotected this month.

The confusion has a simple source. Windows 10 itself reached its normal end of support on October 14, 2025, a date shown on Microsoft's lifecycle page for Windows 10 Home and Pro. That was the end of free updates for everyone. Microsoft then offered a paid bridge, ESU, for personal devices, and the first year of that bridge was widely reported as running to October 13, 2026. In June 2026 the coverage was reported to have been extended by a full year, to October 12, 2027, with Microsoft updating its documentation rather than making a loud announcement.

So there are three different things people call "the end of Windows 10", and mixing them up is how panic starts:

1. October 14, 2025: normal support for Windows 10 22H2 ended. Without ESU, security patches stopped for good on that date.
2. October 13, 2026: the originally published end of the first consumer ESU year. This is the date in most older articles.
3. October 12, 2027: the extended end of consumer ESU coverage, according to the reporting and Microsoft's updated documentation.

The practical message is calm but not careless. If your Windows 10 PC is enrolled in ESU, it keeps receiving critical and important security updates through October 12, 2027. If it is not enrolled, it has been running without patches since October 2025, and enrolling is the single most useful thing you can do this week. Enrolling is not the same as upgrading, and it is not a permanent plan. It buys time to choose the right next step without being pushed into a rushed purchase.

Throughout this guide, claims about the extension come from Microsoft's own lifecycle documentation and from the BleepingComputer report on the extension. Where something is not confirmed for Canada, for example the exact redemption options in your region, we say so plainly and tell you where to check, rather than guessing.

The Windows 10 timeline in one table

Windows 10 version 22H2 is the final version of Windows 10, and Microsoft ended its normal support on October 14, 2025. Consumer ESU then bridges the gap, now reported to run to October 12, 2027, after which Windows 10 on a personal PC receives no more security updates from Microsoft. Knowing which date applies to which situation prevents both over-reaction and under-reaction.

Note the time zone detail. Microsoft shows support dates in Pacific Time, and the underlying timestamps are in UTC, so the same event can appear one day apart depending on which source you read. That is one reason you will see both "October 13" and "October 14" in good articles. When a date matters for a contract, an audit or an insurance form, quote Microsoft's lifecycle page and keep a screenshot with the access date.

Also remember that ESU is about security updates only. It does not add features, it does not bring Windows 10 back to full support, and it does not keep third party software supported. The browser, accounting software, printer drivers and games you use are all on their own timelines, and several vendors have already announced that newer versions will require Windows 11. We return to that in the section on what ESU does not include.

If you manage a business rather than a household, the details differ, because commercial ESU is licensed differently and priced per device. Our guide to Windows 10 end of life and migrating to Windows 11 for small businesses covers the business side, and a later section of this article summarises the main differences.

Who qualifies for free or low cost ESU, and who does not

Consumer ESU is aimed at personal devices running Windows 10 version 22H2 in the Home, Pro, Pro Education or Pro for Workstations editions. Devices joined to an Active Directory domain, joined to Microsoft Entra, or managed through mobile device management (MDM) are excluded, while Entra-registered personal devices are reported as eligible. One enrollment can cover up to 10 devices tied to the same Microsoft account.

Before you try to enroll, check three things about the machine.

1. Is it on Windows 10 22H2?

Press Windows + R, type winver and press Enter. The window must say Windows 10 and Version 22H2. If it shows an older release such as 21H2, install the latest Windows 10 updates first, because ESU requires the final version. Updating from 21H2 to 22H2 is a small download on most machines, and it is the same procedure as any other Windows Update.

2. Is it a personal device?

A laptop you bought for home, a family desktop or your own work-from-home PC that you manage yourself is in scope. A laptop issued by an employer or a school that is joined to the organisation's domain or enrolled in its device management is not. In that case your administrator decides how the machine is protected, and the consumer path in this guide does not apply. If you are unsure, open Settings, Accounts, Access work or school. If you see a connected organisation account, ask whoever manages it.

3. Which edition?

Open Settings, System, About and read the edition. Home and Pro are the common ones. Enterprise and Education editions follow different licensing and are normally handled by an organisation. Windows 10 LTSC and IoT editions have their own lifecycles and are outside the scope of consumer ESU.

Two practical notes. First, a Microsoft account is central to every consumer path, because the license is tied to it. If you have always used a local account, you will need to sign in with, or create, a Microsoft account to enroll, and our password manager guide is worth reading so the new account is protected properly. Second, devices that were already enrolled in the first year are reported to roll over automatically to the extended period, so people who enrolled earlier do not need to repeat the steps.

The three ways to enroll: settings backup, Rewards points, or $30

Consumer ESU enrollment is reported to work three ways: back up your Windows settings to your Microsoft account at no extra charge, redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or pay a one-time $30 (US dollars). In the European Economic Area, ESU is reported to be free when you sign in with a Microsoft account. Whatever path you use, one license can cover up to 10 devices on the same Microsoft account.

We deliberately flag the Canada questions. The reporting we read describes the three global paths and singles out the EEA for a free sign-in route, but it does not list every country. Microsoft's enrollment wizard on your own computer is the authority: it only shows you the options available for your account and region. If a path you read about online does not appear on your screen, that is normal, not a fault.

Which path should most Canadians try first?

Open the enrollment wizard and look at what it offers before spending anything. If the settings backup option appears, it is the lowest friction route, and backing up settings is a good habit anyway. If it does not, check whether you have 1,000 Rewards points and whether redemption is offered in your account. Only then consider the one-time payment, which for a single PC is a small amount compared with the cost of buying a new computer in a hurry.

A final point on the Microsoft account. Because the license follows the account, use an account you will still control in a year. Do not enroll with a school or employer address that may be deactivated, and write down the recovery information somewhere safe. Losing the account can mean losing the ESU license, and recovering a Microsoft account is a slow process we handle regularly for clients.

Step by step: how to enroll a Windows 10 PC in ESU

Open Settings, then Update and Security, then Windows Update. If your PC is eligible, an Extended Security Updates enrollment banner or link appears there; select Enroll now and follow the wizard to sign in and choose a path. The whole process normally takes five to ten minutes once your PC is on version 22H2 and fully updated.

1. Back up first. Copy your important files to an external drive or confirm they are synced to a cloud service. Open one of the copies to check it works.
2. Update Windows 10 completely. Go to Settings, Update and Security, Windows Update, select Check for updates, install everything and restart. If updates fail, see our guide on Windows Update stuck or failing.
3. Confirm the version. Press Windows + R, type winver, and check for Version 22H2.
4. Sign in with a Microsoft account. In Settings, Accounts, Your info, make sure it says you are signed in with a Microsoft account and not a local account. Switch if needed.
5. Find the enrollment prompt. Return to Windows Update. Look for the message about Extended Security Updates and the Enroll now button. If it is missing, see the troubleshooting table below.
6. Choose your path. Pick settings backup, Rewards points or purchase, according to what the wizard shows for your account.
7. Finish and restart. Complete the wizard, restart, and open Windows Update again. The enrollment message should now show that the device is enrolled.
8. Repeat for other devices. Sign in with the same Microsoft account on each additional PC, up to the 10-device limit, and enroll.

Your experience may differ slightly because Microsoft changes wording and layout between builds, and the wizard may call things by slightly different names. If you see a message that says your device is already enrolled, you are done: that is the automatic rollover reported for devices enrolled earlier.

If Enroll now does not appear

If you try twice and the prompt still does not appear, stop. Repeated reboots and registry experiments from forums can damage your update stack and turn a simple enrollment into a repair job. A remote technician can check eligibility and run the wizard in a short session, and we describe when that is worth it in the final section.

What ESU does not give you

ESU delivers security updates for Windows 10, and that is essentially all it delivers. It does not add features, it does not restore normal technical support, and it does not guarantee that your browser, apps, printers or banking sites keep working on Windows 10. Treat it as a seatbelt while you plan the trip, not a new engine.

Here is what to expect and what not to expect.

• Security fixes for Windows itself. Included. This is the point of the program: critical and important vulnerabilities in the operating system are patched until the end date.
• New features and design changes. Not included. Windows 10 stays frozen at 22H2 functionality. New Windows 11 features such as AI assistants, new settings pages and file explorer upgrades never arrive.
• General technical support from Microsoft. Not included for the consumer program in the way many people imagine. Do not expect a phone line that troubleshoots your printer.
• Third party software support. Not included. Each software maker sets its own rules, and many now state minimum Windows versions.
• Hardware driver updates. Not guaranteed. Manufacturers prioritise Windows 11 for new drivers, especially for graphics, Wi-Fi and chipset components.
• Office and Microsoft 365 apps. Application support is its own question. Check Microsoft's current guidance for the version you use before assuming it keeps working indefinitely.

The slow squeeze: what tends to break first

Operating systems rarely stop working on a deadline. They get squeezed. In our experience the order is roughly this: first, new versions of browsers and security software drop support, so you cannot run the newest release. Next, some business and banking tools begin to warn that your platform is outdated. Then peripherals, especially printers and scanners, stop receiving updated drivers. Finally, new software simply does not install. None of these happen on one day, which is exactly why people drift into risk without noticing.

A good way to monitor the squeeze is to look at the three tools you cannot do without. For most households that is the browser, the email program and online banking. For a small business it is the accounting software, the payroll tool and the line-of-business application. Write down the minimum Windows version each one requires today, and check again every quarter. If any of them announces a Windows 11 requirement, treat that as your real deadline.

One more realistic caution about security. Operating system patches reduce risk, but most compromises of home PCs start with a person clicking something: a fake delivery text, a cloned bank page, a fake support pop-up. Patches do not fix that. If you do nothing else this week, enable multi-factor authentication on your primary email address, because that account resets the others.

Businesses, Pro PCs and commercial ESU

The consumer ESU path described in this article is for personal devices. Company PCs that are joined to a domain, joined to Microsoft Entra or managed by MDM are excluded from it and fall under commercial ESU licensing, which is priced per device and generally rises each year. Prices are set by Microsoft and its resellers, so confirm current figures with your reseller before budgeting.

During the research for this article we saw commercial figures quoted in secondary sources, for example three-year options described as starting at roughly 61 US dollars per device, with year two and year three costing more. We could not confirm those numbers on a Microsoft page that we opened, so we are not presenting them as fact. If you run a small office, the right move is to ask your Microsoft licensing partner for a written quote that lists the price per device, the billing year and the exact end date.

For a small business, the commercial ESU question is almost always the wrong question, because the real decision is the cost of the whole fleet, not the cost of one license. A better way to frame it:

1. Count how many machines are on Windows 10 and how many can pass the Windows 11 compatibility check.
2. Estimate the cost of upgrading machines that can run Windows 11 (usually only labour and a backup).
3. Estimate the replacement cost of those that cannot, using refurbished business-class machines where appropriate.
4. Compare that with the cumulative cost of ESU for the same machines over the years you intend to keep them.
5. Choose the cheaper, safer path, and set a date after which any remaining Windows 10 machine is isolated from sensitive systems.

Our small business migration guide gives a longer planning framework, and if privacy law matters to you, remember that unpatched systems are a weak point when you are asked to show reasonable security safeguards. In Quebec, Law 25 expects organisations to protect personal information with measures proportionate to its sensitivity. We are not lawyers, so confirm your obligations with a qualified adviser, but an unpatched, unsupported computer holding client data is difficult to defend.

Can your PC run Windows 11? A two minute test

Open the PC Health Check app from Microsoft or look in Settings, Update and Security, Windows Update for a message that says your PC is eligible for Windows 11. If your processor, TPM 2.0 chip and Secure Boot settings meet the requirements, the upgrade is free and keeps your files and apps. If not, your options are ESU, Linux, or replacing the computer.

The main Windows 11 requirements that block older machines are the processor generation, the presence of a TPM 2.0 module (or equivalent firmware TPM), UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability, 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of storage. Many computers sold since about 2018 pass. Many older ones do not, and some pass everything except that TPM or Secure Boot is turned off in the BIOS.

Quick checks without installing anything

• Windows Update message. In Settings, Update and Security, Windows Update, a green or blue banner often states whether the PC is eligible for Windows 11.
• TPM. Press Windows + R, type tpm.msc, press Enter. The window shows whether a TPM is present and which specification version it supports. You want 2.0.
• Secure Boot. Press Windows + R, type msinfo32, press Enter, and look at Secure Boot State and BIOS Mode. BIOS Mode should read UEFI, not Legacy.
• Processor. In msinfo32, note the processor name and compare it with Microsoft's supported processor list.

If TPM or Secure Boot is present but disabled, enabling it in firmware settings can turn a "not compatible" PC into a compatible one. That is a delicate step on some systems, particularly if Windows was installed in Legacy mode, because switching modes can make the PC unbootable. Back up first, and if you are not comfortable, ask for help. Never use unofficial bypass scripts on a machine you depend on; they can leave you without reliable updates, which defeats the purpose of upgrading.

If the PC is compatible, the upgrade itself is a normal Windows Update offering, and you can follow a method like the one in our Windows 11 25H2 update guide. If it is not compatible, the next section helps you compare the realistic paths.

Your five options compared: enroll, upgrade, Linux, refurbished, new

If your PC passes the Windows 11 check, upgrade for free and optionally enroll in ESU only as a safety net. If it fails, enroll in ESU to stay patched until October 12, 2027, then decide between a lightweight Linux system, a refurbished business-class PC, or a new computer. The right answer depends on the age of the machine, what you run on it, and how much a failure would cost you.

The price ranges above are rough planning figures based on typical Canadian retail patterns, not quotes, and they move with the market. Memory and storage costs in particular have been unstable this year, so check current prices before you budget. Our guide on refurbished versus new computers goes through warranty terms and what to inspect, and our SSD versus HDD upgrade and repair cost guide shows when a cheap storage upgrade makes an older machine usable again.

A simple decision rule

1. PC under about 7 years old and passes the Windows 11 check: upgrade, and skip paying for ESU unless something blocks you.
2. PC fails the check but is otherwise fast and healthy: enroll in ESU now, then plan the next step during 2027.
3. PC is slow, failing or more than about 9 years old: do not invest in it; use ESU only as a short bridge, and budget a replacement.
4. PC is used for one or two simple tasks (browser, email, documents): consider Linux or ChromeOS-style alternatives for a no-cost second life.
5. PC runs specialised Windows software that has no alternative: keep Windows, enroll, and isolate the machine from the internet where possible.

Using the old PC with Linux instead

A PC that cannot run Windows 11 can often run a current Linux distribution such as Linux Mint smoothly, with security updates that do not depend on Microsoft's ESU deadline. It is a good fit for web browsing, email, documents and video calls, and a poor fit for Windows-only software and many games. The switch is free, but it deserves a trial before you commit.

The safest way to test is a live USB: you write the installer to a USB stick, start your PC from it, and use the system without changing the hard drive. If your Wi-Fi, printer, camera and speakers work in that test, you can install it with confidence. If something important fails, you have lost nothing but half an hour.

Things to check before switching:

• Your software. Make a list of the programs you actually use. Many have Linux versions or web alternatives; accounting and tax software usually does not.
• Your printer. Most modern network printers work, but some multifunction models lose scanning features.
• Your files. Back up everything before installing, because a standard installation can erase the drive.
• Your comfort level. Linux is friendly today, but it is different, and a family member who just wants things to look the same may be frustrated.

We wrote a longer comparison in Linux for small business as a free Windows 10 alternative, which covers the office setting. For a household, the rule is simple: try it on one PC first, and keep a Windows machine available if anyone depends on a Windows-only tool.

What each path really costs in Canadian dollars

Staying protected on one Windows 10 PC for another year can cost nothing to about $41 CAD, while a refurbished replacement often costs several hundred dollars and a new computer one thousand or more. A paid technician for a one-hour remote session is $119.99 CAD, which is usually the cheapest way to avoid a mistake that costs data. All figures below are planning estimates for a single household.

These numbers are illustrative ranges, not quotes or guarantees, and retailer prices change weekly. Treat the table as a way to compare orders of magnitude: the cheapest line is not always the best value if it exposes irreplaceable photos to a failing drive, and the most expensive line is not always necessary.

For many households the best budget is a small ESU or upgrade cost plus a proper backup drive. That combination protects you from the two real disasters: an unpatched machine and a lost hard drive. If you want to understand how backup and recovery differ, see our article on data recovery versus data backup.

Three realistic scenarios (illustrative)

The scenarios below are illustrative examples built from common situations we see, not real client case studies. Numbers are rounded planning figures. They show how the same facts lead to different decisions.

Scenario 1: The retired couple with a 2019 laptop (illustrative)

Louise and Marc share a 2019 laptop for email, banking and video calls with grandchildren. They read that Windows 10 "ends" on October 13, 2026 and worry. We would walk them through winver, which shows 22H2, then the compatibility check, which shows the PC is eligible. The best answer is not ESU but the free upgrade to Windows 11, with a backup first. Total cost: $0 for software, perhaps a $90 CAD external drive. They keep the laptop for several more years.

Scenario 2: The home-based bookkeeper with a 2015 desktop (illustrative)

Nadia runs a small bookkeeping practice from a 2015 desktop that fails the Windows 11 check because the processor is too old. Her accounting software currently runs on Windows 10. She enrolls in ESU through the wizard, which buys her until October 12, 2027, and puts $700 to $900 CAD aside for a refurbished business desktop. She schedules the migration for a quiet week in the summer of 2027, not for tax season. ESU is a bridge here, used exactly as intended.

Scenario 3: The family with four Windows 10 PCs (illustrative)

A family of five has four Windows 10 computers: two compatible, one borderline, one too old. They enroll all four under one Microsoft account, relying on the reported 10-device allowance, upgrade the two compatible machines, enable TPM on the borderline one and test it, and retire the oldest PC to Linux Mint for the kids' homework. Cost: close to $0 for licenses, about $120 CAD for a backup drive, and one afternoon. The lesson is that a mix of paths for different machines is often the cheapest and safest result.

The real risks of staying on Windows 10 without ESU

A Windows 10 PC that is not enrolled in ESU stopped receiving security fixes on October 14, 2025, and every month since then, newly published vulnerabilities remain open on it. The risk grows slowly rather than all at once, which is why it is easy to ignore and expensive to ignore for long. If a machine handles banking, taxes, client files or family photos, the cost of a compromise dwarfs the cost of enrolling.

The threats are not exotic. They are the ordinary ones: a browser exploit delivered through a hacked ad or website, a malicious attachment that abuses an unpatched Windows component, ransomware that spreads across a home or office network from one weak PC, and credential theft by software that quietly records what you type. A fully patched system raises the cost for the attacker. An unpatched one lowers it.

Several factors determine how exposed a given PC is:

• Who uses it. A shared family PC visited by children, teenagers and guests sees more risky clicks than a locked-down machine used by one careful adult.
• What is on it. Online banking, saved passwords, tax documents and business data raise the stakes.
• How it connects. A PC on the same network as other devices can be a stepping stone. A smart-TV-style isolated device is less dangerous than a laptop that holds your email.
• Which browser and security tools are up to date. Modern browsers still update on Windows 10 for now, and they handle much of the web risk, but that support is not permanent.

If you cannot enroll or upgrade immediately, you can reduce risk with a short list of mitigations. Use a current, automatically updating browser with an ad blocker. Keep Microsoft Defender or another reputable security product updated. Do not use an administrator account for daily work. Turn on multi-factor authentication for email and banking. Keep a verified backup that is not permanently attached to the PC. These steps help, but they do not replace operating system patches.

ESU and Windows 10 scams to avoid

Microsoft enrollment happens inside Windows Update on your own PC, never through a phone call, a text message or a pop-up that tells you to call a number. Anyone who contacts you out of the blue about "expired Windows 10 support" and asks for payment or remote access is a scammer. Every big deadline brings a wave of these, and this one is no exception.

Common patterns to watch for:

• Fake alerts in the browser that say your Windows license has expired, with a toll-free number to call. Close the tab; if it will not close, restart the browser from Task Manager.
• Cold calls from "Microsoft support" or your "internet provider" offering to renew your Windows 10 security for a fee over the phone. Microsoft does not call you this way.
• Emails and texts with links to enroll in the extension, pay a fee, or "verify your account". Go to Settings instead of clicking.
• Paid "ESU key" sellers on marketplaces that offer cheap licenses or activation tools. These are at best gray-market and at worst malware.
• Bypass tools for Windows 11 compatibility distributed through videos and forums. Some are legitimate hobby projects, many are unsafe downloads.

When in doubt about whether a message is real, remember the rule: legitimate enrollment appears in Settings on your computer, and you can verify it without trusting any link, phone number or email. If you want a technician to confirm that your PC is correctly enrolled and clean, a short session is cheap insurance.

Preparing a Windows 10 PC before ESU or an upgrade

The same preparation protects you whether you enroll in ESU, upgrade to Windows 11 or move to a new computer: make two copies of your important files, record your account details, update everything, and free up disk space. An hour of preparation prevents most of the disasters we see. Do these steps in order and tick them off.

Why the Microsoft account matters so much

Both ESU enrollment and a Windows 11 sign-in lean on your Microsoft account. If you cannot sign in, you cannot enroll, and recovery can take days because Microsoft verifies identity carefully. Test the sign-in now, add a second verification method such as an authenticator app, and store the recovery code offline. If you use a business or school address for your personal PC, consider creating a personal Microsoft account instead, because organisations can deactivate accounts when people leave.

Clearing space and cleaning up

Low disk space is the most common reason updates fail. Delete large unused files, uninstall programs you no longer need, empty the recycle bin and use Storage Sense. Our guides on freeing up space on Windows 10 and fixing a slow Windows 10 computer take you through safe steps. Avoid registry cleaners and driver updater tools that promise miracles; they often cause more problems than they solve.

Check storage health before a big change

If your PC is more than five years old and still uses a mechanical hard drive, consider replacing it with an SSD before or during any migration. A failing drive can turn an update into a data loss event. Signs include clicking noises, very slow file opening, repeated disk errors and files that vanish or will not open. If you see any of them, stop updating, back up what you can, and ask for help. Our article on data recovery after a Windows update or reinstall explains what is and is not recoverable.

After the preparation, wait one more day if you can. Starting a major change at the end of a long day, with a laptop at 20 percent battery, is how small problems become big ones. A calm, plugged-in, early-in-the-day start gives you time to react if the screen sits at a percentage for longer than expected.

A 12 month roadmap to October 2027

The best use of the extra year is a dated plan: enroll now, test your software on Windows 11 by early 2027, migrate in spring or summer 2027, and finish at least two months before October 12, 2027. People who treat ESU as a reason to forget the problem end up back in the same panic next autumn, with fewer options and higher prices.

When you retire a computer, do not simply throw it away or give it to a relative with your data on it. Use a proper secure erase, or remove the drive and keep or destroy it. In Quebec, many municipalities and retailers run electronic recycling programs, and charities often accept working equipment after a wipe. A drive wipe takes minutes and prevents a very unpleasant surprise later.

What to put in your inventory

For each PC record the owner, the make and model, the age, the Windows edition and version, whether it passes the Windows 11 check, the critical software on it, the backup status and the decision. Households can use a paper list; offices should keep a shared spreadsheet. The act of writing it down exposes the machine you forgot about in the basement that still runs the label printer.

Official resources worth bookmarking

For the facts that matter, go to the source: Microsoft's lifecycle pages for dates, the Windows Update screen on your own PC for enrollment options, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for reporting scams. Third party summaries, including this one, can lag behind changes, so verify anything that carries a cost.

• Microsoft Lifecycle for Windows 10 Home and Pro. Lists the support dates and editions covered. Use it for audits and for confirming dates.
• Settings, Update and Security, Windows Update on your PC. Shows the ESU enrollment prompt and the paths available to your account.
• PC Health Check and Microsoft's Windows 11 system requirements page. Use them to confirm compatibility.
• Microsoft account security page. Use it to review sign-in methods, recovery options and devices.
• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. The place to report phone, text and email scams.
• Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. Practical guidance on securing personal and business devices.

The full list of pages we actually opened while preparing this article is under Sources at the end. We checked the Microsoft lifecycle page for the October 14, 2025 end of support for Windows 10 and the BleepingComputer report for the October 12, 2027 extension, eligibility rules and enrollment methods. Anything not covered by those pages is labeled as unconfirmed in the text.

When to call a pro

Call a technician if the enrollment prompt never appears, if you are unsure whether your PC is domain-managed, if an upgrade fails twice, if you have a failing drive, or if you may have fallen for a scam. IT Cares has provided remote and on-site IT support in Quebec and across Canada since 2014, and a one hour expert session is $119.99 CAD. A short session usually covers eligibility, enrollment, a compatibility test and a plan for every PC in the house.

Typical situations where a short remote session saves time:

• You manage several family or small office PCs and want one clean plan for all of them.
• Windows Update shows error codes and will not offer the ESU prompt or the Windows 11 upgrade.
• You need to enable TPM or Secure Boot and are afraid of making the PC unbootable.
• You want your data migrated to a new or refurbished machine with nothing left behind.
• You think a pop-up or caller has had access to your PC.
• You run software that must keep working and need compatibility checked before you change anything.

What a session looks like: you call or book, we connect to your computer remotely while you watch, we check the version, eligibility and backups, we do the enrollment or upgrade with you, and we leave you with a short written list of what was done and what remains. If an on-site visit is better, for example because the hardware is failing, we say so and arrange it in our Quebec service area.

To talk to someone now, call 1 (888) 711-9428 or book a remote session. If you have a deadline, say so on the call, and we will triage by urgency.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Windows 10 end of life: migrating to Windows 11 (small business)
• Linux as a free Windows 10 alternative
• Windows 11 25H2 update guide
• Windows Update stuck or failing: how to fix it
• Refurbished vs new computer buying guide
• SSD vs HDD upgrade and repair cost guide
• Data recovery after a Windows update or reinstall
• Cloud backup guide for Canada
• Password manager guide
• How to free up space on Windows 10

Sources and official references

Last verified: October 1, 2026

• Microsoft Lifecycle: Windows 10 Home and Pro (22H2 end of support October 14, 2025)
• BleepingComputer: Microsoft quietly extends free Windows 10 ESU support to October 2027