- Windows 10 Extended Updates program not working for some
- In some cases, this is due to regional limitations for ESU implementation.
- In others, a technical issue may be misidentifying Windows 10 PCs and preventing them from registering for extended updates without explaining why.
Some people who want to stick with Windows 10, avoiding Windows 11, or perhaps can’t upgrade due to their PC’s specifications, are apparently finding that they can’t access Microsoft’s extended support offer for the older operating system.
Windows Latest reports that Windows 10’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) scheme is not working for some, and this may be due to regional issues or a bug that derails the sign-up process.
A reader from the Netherlands approached Windows Latest and complained that they couldn’t register for ESU. Even though it was offered on their PC, they received a message saying, “Enrollment for Windows 10 extended security updates is temporarily unavailable in your region.”
No explanation was offered beyond that, nor any indication of when the ESU might be available.
Microsoft confirmed to Windows Latest that the ESU release is staggered and may not be rolling out to everyone just yet, especially those in Europe.
Microsoft said: “The enrollment experience for the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program may vary by region based on local market factors.”
The software giant also clarified that the ESU rollout began in the EEA (European Economic Area) from October 15, the day after support for Windows 10 officially ended, so some people in Europe would have gotten it right away. Although clearly not all.
As for the bug that supposedly prevents some from registering with ESU, which can affect anyone no matter where in the world they live, this produces a useless error message that says, “Something went wrong.”
Anyone who has used Windows for any amount of time has probably encountered that old problem at some point, which roughly translates to: “this failed and we have no idea what caused it.”
The affected Windows 10 user is then prompted to close the ESU window and try again, but doing so results in the same error.
Windows Latest conducted some investigative work on this matter and concluded that the error could be related to the way Windows 10 classifies the host PC.
In short, the theory is that Windows 10 produces this error on work PCs (business or educational systems), and if the operating system mistakenly detects the host PC as a work machine, rather than a consumer computer, it will reject the ESU in this way.
Business registrations are a separate case, so it makes sense that you can’t sign up for consumer ESU if Windows 10 somehow thinks you have a business (or educational) PC.
Although it’s not clear why there’s no indication explaining this (some kind of message saying that business organizations can’t enroll in consumer ESU, so you know why the error is occurring). It could be an oversight on Microsoft’s part, and it wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened, but in any case, take this conclusion with a grain of salt for now. Seems pretty plausible to me, and others have theorized about this on Reddit as well.
How to overcome these obstacles, or just wait?
Regarding the regional limitations raised here, it’s not unusual for a Windows feature to have a phased rollout, but this will be frustrating for some Europeans (and perhaps others around the world) who can’t yet take advantage of ESU.
Microsoft hints that this could also affect Windows 10 PCs that don’t have the latest monthly update installed (starting in October), which you need for ESU, but it seems unlikely that those trying to sign up haven’t gotten that security update by now. In fact, on Windows 10 Home, it should have been forcefully installed at this point. Still, if you haven’t applied the latest update, definitely do so.
Those who have encountered the “something went wrong” error will no doubt feel even more frustrated. As noted, this could be due to the PC being misidentified as a business machine, so Windows Latest suggests it could affect those who previously linked their Windows 10 installation to a work (or school) account. If that’s your case, it may be worth trying to delete that old account (and any related folders on the system drive, although be careful what you’re doing here).
If that doesn’t work, Windows Latest suggests performing an in-place update for Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool to fix errors with ESU, but again, proceed at your own risk (and back up everything before trying).
The other option is to simply wait for Microsoft to resolve any misidentified PC issues, and of course waiting should also resolve any hurdles related to the regional release (the ESU will eventually reach everywhere, and it shouldn’t be much longer for anyone still left without it).
The downside to waiting is that the first security update provided by the ESU arrives tomorrow, so from then on, your Windows 10 PC will be officially out of date for support. It’s not a pleasant idea, but the reality is that you’re not likely to be in any immediate danger, at least for a short time, anyway, if you’re very careful about what you do online. But as I have discussed in detail elsewhere, I would be very wrong not to take any risks if possible.
One last trick you may want to try that I’ve seen mentioned on Reddit is to click the highlighted link here on Microsoft’s Windows End of Support portal, which will open system settings and should initiate ESU enrollment. Going this route, rather than Windows Update, has fixed issues with the sign-up process for several people, but again, be sure to run the latest October patch for Windows 10 before doing this.
You shouldn’t have to try to cheat and cross your fingers to sign up for extended updates, of course, so none of this is ideal, but here we are. These issues will hopefully affect only a minority, although there are several reports on Reddit complaining about not being able to get the ESU past the October 14 end-of-life deadline for Windows 10.
Some people facing these types of issues maintaining compatibility with Windows 10 may even feel bothered enough to move to Windows 11, if they’ve been procrastinating (assuming their PC meets the system requirements). It’s certainly a possibility if they have to wait much longer to benefit from ESU, because, as already noted, you don’t want to stay on Windows 10 without updated security patches for too long, especially if you’re not sure how to stay safe when you’re online and stay away from common scams.
Another bug in Windows 10 ESU to note is that some people who have successfully registered are mistakenly informed that they are not compatible.
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