With support for Windows 10 ending on 14 October 2025, Microsoft's Extended Security Updates (ESU) program offers schools the option to continue receiving critical security updates for eligible devices enroled in the program. These updates will only provide critical security patches and will not include new features, design changes, or non-security bug fixes.

Important: Windows 10 will no longer be supported by Microsoft from 14 October 2025. Microsoft and, by extension, RM will not be offering extended support.

To participate in the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, devices must meet the following prerequisites:

• Windows 10 version: Devices must be running Windows 10 version 22H2, with the latest cumulative update installed
• Device eligibility: Confirm that devices are not running Windows 10 Home, as ESUs are only available for Pro, Enterprise and Education editions
• Annual licensing: A valid Multi-Activation Key (MAK) is required each year of the ESU subscription
• Internet access: Computers must have Internet connectivity to activate the ESU licence and receive updates via Windows Update, WUfB, or WSUS

To order ESU licences, contact the RM Sales team. You will need to provide:

1. The number of licences required (you need one licence per Windows 10 computer that you want to enrol in the program).
2. The domain name for the Microsoft 365 (M365) tenant where you access your volume licences. This must be the domain name ending with 'onmicrosoft.com' that was specified when your tenant was created. You can find the domain name in the Microsoft 365 admin portal under Settings, Domains.

Enroling a device in the ESU program is a two-step process:

1. Obtaining a Multi Activation Key (MAK) for Extended Security Updates.
2. Deploying the ESU MAK to your computer(s) and activating it.

1. Log on to the M365 Admin Center (https://admin.microsoft.com) where you access your Microsoft licences.
2. In the left-hand menu, select Billing, Your Products.
3. Filter the list by typing ESU into the 'Search all Products' box and click Filter.
   Note: If the products for your subscription do not appear as expected, use the Change Billing Account link to select a different billing account.
4. Next to 'Windows 10 ESU', click Details.
5. Enter the required quantity and click Buy.
6. Back in the 'Your products' window, click 'Windows 10 ESU Year X'.
7. Click Show Activation Keys.
8. Click 'Copy key to clipboard'.
9. Paste the key to a secure and safe location for later use.

After obtaining your activation key from the M365 licence portal, there are several options to deploy the ESU activation keys, depending on your management tools:

• Deploying the ESU activation key on Community Connect® 4 (CC4) networks: Please refer to RM CC4 Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) (DWN10392198) in the Other Useful Articles section below 
• Deploying the ESU activation key on RM Intune managed computers: Please refer to RM Intune Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) (TEC10397145) in the Other Useful Articles section below
• Deploying the ESU activation key using Microsoft Configuration Manager (MCM, formerly SCCM): Coming soon . . .
• Deploying the ESU activation key to standalone Windows 10 computers: Please refer to the installation and activation steps in the below Microsoft article:
  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/enable-extended-security-updates#install-and-activate-the-esu-key