{"id":1371,"date":"2026-09-04T09:30:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T04:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/?p=1371"},"modified":"2026-09-06T11:51:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T06:21:50","slug":"windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/","title":{"rendered":"Still Running Windows 10 in 2026? Security Risks, ESU Costs, and Upgrade Paths for Delhi Offices"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates on 14 October 2025. If your Delhi office is still running it \u2014 and a large share of Indian SME desktops are \u2014 you&#8217;re now in one of three states: paying Microsoft for Extended Security Updates, running exposed, or somewhere in between and not sure which. This guide sorts out where you actually stand, what it costs to stay, and the three ways out.<\/p>\n<p>There is a hard date coming: the commercial ESU Year 1 licence expires on <strong>13 October 2026<\/strong>, and Year 2 costs double. Decisions made in September are cheap; decisions made in November are expensive and rushed.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_%E2%80%9Cend_of_support%E2%80%9D_actually_means_in_practice\"><\/span>What &#8220;end of support&#8221; actually means in practice<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_87_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#What_%E2%80%9Cend_of_support%E2%80%9D_actually_means_in_practice\" >What &#8220;end of support&#8221; actually means in practice<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#The_ESU_option_what_it_really_costs\" >The ESU option: what it really costs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#Path_1_Upgrade_in_place_to_Windows_11\" >Path 1: Upgrade in place to Windows 11<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#Path_2_Refurbished_Windows_11-ready_desktops\" >Path 2: Refurbished Windows 11-ready desktops<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#Path_3_New_fleet_with_Windows_11_Pro\" >Path 3: New fleet with Windows 11 Pro<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#How_to_check_what_you_have_%E2%80%94_in_five_minutes_per_PC\" >How to check what you have \u2014 in five minutes per PC<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#The_decision_table\" >The decision table<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#The_mistake_to_avoid_doing_nothing_until_October\" >The mistake to avoid: doing nothing until October<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#Frequently_asked_questions\" >Frequently asked questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#Can_I_keep_using_Windows_10_without_ESU_if_the_PC_isnt_connected_to_the_internet\" >Can I keep using Windows 10 without ESU if the PC isn&#8217;t connected to the internet?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#Is_the_free_consumer_ESU_allowed_for_a_small_business_with_3%E2%80%934_PCs\" >Is the free consumer ESU allowed for a small business with 3\u20134 PCs?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#Will_my_Tally_printers_and_existing_software_work_on_Windows_11\" >Will my Tally, printers and existing software work on Windows 11?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/windows-10-in-2026-esu-cost-upgrade-delhi-offices\/#How_long_does_upgrading_a_20-PC_office_take\" >How long does upgrading a 20-PC office take?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>Windows 10 still boots, Tally still runs, the printer still prints. Nothing visibly breaks \u2014 which is exactly why so many offices haven&#8217;t moved. What has changed is invisible: every month, security researchers and attackers find new vulnerabilities in Windows, and Microsoft now patches them only on Windows 11 and on Windows 10 machines with a paid ESU licence. An unlicensed Windows 10 PC accumulates unpatched holes indefinitely.<\/p>\n<p>For a Delhi SME the realistic consequences are ransomware locking your Tally data and shared drives, phishing that turns one compromised PC into a full network intrusion, cyber-insurance claims rejected for running unsupported software, and \u2014 since the DPDP Rules require &#8220;reasonable security safeguards&#8221; with penalties live from November 2026 \u2014 a compliance problem you cannot easily defend after a breach.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_ESU_option_what_it_really_costs\"><\/span>The ESU option: what it really costs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Microsoft&#8217;s commercial Extended Security Updates programme delivers critical and important security patches only \u2014 no features, no bug fixes, no support \u2014 for up to three years, priced per device and doubling every year:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>ESU year<\/th>\n<th>Coverage period<\/th>\n<th>Price per device<\/th>\n<th>Approx. INR*<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Year 1<\/td>\n<td>Oct 2025 \u2013 Oct 2026<\/td>\n<td>$61<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 \u20b95,200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Year 2<\/td>\n<td>Oct 2026 \u2013 Oct 2027<\/td>\n<td>$122<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 \u20b910,400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Year 3<\/td>\n<td>Oct 2027 \u2013 Oct 2028<\/td>\n<td>$244<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 \u20b920,800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3-year total<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>$427<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 \u20b936,400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><em>*Indicative at ~\u20b985\/USD; actual invoice depends on the day&#8217;s rate and your licensing channel.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Two things catch businesses out. First, ESU is <strong>cumulative<\/strong>: an office that skipped Year 1 and wants Year 2 must pay for both. Second, the cheap consumer ESU option you may have read about (free with Windows Backup, or a small one-time fee, now extended to October 2027) is <strong>not available to business PCs<\/strong> \u2014 domain-joined, MDM-enrolled and kiosk devices are excluded, and it requires a Microsoft account per machine. For an office, ESU means the commercial programme at commercial prices.<\/p>\n<p>Do the maths for a 20-PC office: Year 2 alone is roughly \u20b92 lakh, and the three-year total approaches \u20b97.3 lakh \u2014 for machines that are, by then, six to eight years old and still on an operating system with no future. ESU is a bridge, not a destination.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Path_1_Upgrade_in_place_to_Windows_11\"><\/span>Path 1: Upgrade in place to Windows 11<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If the PC meets Windows 11 requirements \u2014 TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, an 8th-generation Intel Core \/ AMD Ryzen 2000 or newer processor, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage \u2014 the upgrade is free with a valid Windows 10 licence. The catch is that &#8220;meets requirements&#8221; and &#8220;runs Windows 11 well&#8221; are different things. A 2018 machine with 4 GB RAM and a mechanical hard disk will technically upgrade and practically crawl. Our rule: upgrade in place only if the machine has 8 GB RAM and an SSD, or can be brought to that for under \u20b94,000. Most 2019-and-newer business desktops qualify.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Path_2_Refurbished_Windows_11-ready_desktops\"><\/span>Path 2: Refurbished Windows 11-ready desktops<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For machines that fail the TPM\/processor test, the most cost-effective replacement in Delhi is a certified refurbished corporate-grade desktop \u2014 8th-gen or newer Core i5, 8\u201316 GB RAM, SSD, genuine Windows 11 Pro, tested and warrantied. These are ex-enterprise machines that were built for five-year duty cycles and typically cost a third of new. CNC supplies them from \u20b9 19,500\/- with GST invoice through our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/computer-store-delhi\">computer store in West Patel Nagar<\/a>. For a fleet, that per-seat number is often less than two years of ESU.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Path_3_New_fleet_with_Windows_11_Pro\"><\/span>Path 3: New fleet with Windows 11 Pro<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Where the machines are doing heavier work \u2014 design, engineering, multi-monitor trading, or anything that will need to last another five to six years \u2014 a new Windows 11 Pro desktop is the right call. Buying in bulk unlocks better pricing, one GST invoice, deployment with your applications pre-installed, and a matching warranty across the fleet. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/bulk-computers-delhi\">bulk computer supply for Delhi offices<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_check_what_you_have_%E2%80%94_in_five_minutes_per_PC\"><\/span>How to check what you have \u2014 in five minutes per PC<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before any decision, find out which machines can take Windows 11. On each PC, press Windows + R, type <code>tpm.msc<\/code> and press Enter: the window shows whether a TPM is present and its version (you need 2.0). Then open Settings \u2192 System \u2192 About to read the processor model \u2014 an Intel Core with &#8220;8&#8221; or higher as the first digit after the dash (i5-8400, i3-10100) or an AMD Ryzen 2000-series or newer passes. Finally, check RAM (8 GB is the practical floor) and whether the drive is an SSD (Task Manager \u2192 Performance \u2192 Disk). Microsoft&#8217;s PC Health Check app does the same in one click if you&#8217;d rather not dig. Write the results in a simple sheet \u2014 machine, user, TPM, CPU, RAM, SSD, verdict \u2014 and the fleet plan writes itself.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_decision_table\"><\/span>The decision table<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Your PC<\/th>\n<th>Recommended path<\/th>\n<th>Why<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>2019+, 8 GB, SSD (or upgradable cheaply)<\/td>\n<td>Upgrade in place<\/td>\n<td>Free, keeps the hardware working<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Older than 8th-gen Intel \/ no TPM 2.0<\/td>\n<td>Refurbished Win11 desktop<\/td>\n<td>Cheaper than 2 years of ESU<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Legacy app that only runs on Win10<\/td>\n<td>ESU Year 2 for those PCs only + plan migration<\/td>\n<td>Buys 12 months to replace the app<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Heavy workloads \/ 5-year horizon<\/td>\n<td>New Windows 11 Pro fleet<\/td>\n<td>Total cost of ownership wins<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Not sure what you have<\/td>\n<td>Fleet audit first<\/td>\n<td>Inventory before spend<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_mistake_to_avoid_doing_nothing_until_October\"><\/span>The mistake to avoid: doing nothing until October<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The ESU Year 2 renewal decision lands in October. Offices that wait will face it with no inventory, no budget approval, and no time to test upgrades \u2014 and default to paying. A fleet audit in September takes an engineer half a day for 20\u201330 machines and produces the list you need: upgrade these, replace those, license those two legacy PCs. That&#8217;s the whole decision, made with numbers instead of pressure.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_asked_questions\"><\/span>Frequently asked questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_keep_using_Windows_10_without_ESU_if_the_PC_isnt_connected_to_the_internet\"><\/span>Can I keep using Windows 10 without ESU if the PC isn&#8217;t connected to the internet?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>An air-gapped machine is lower risk, but almost no office PC is truly offline \u2014 USB drives, network shares and printers all bridge the gap. Treat it as a temporary exception, not a strategy.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_the_free_consumer_ESU_allowed_for_a_small_business_with_3%E2%80%934_PCs\"><\/span>Is the free consumer ESU allowed for a small business with 3\u20134 PCs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Microsoft&#8217;s consumer programme is for personal devices and excludes business-managed machines. Small offices sometimes use it on standalone PCs, but it requires a Microsoft account per device and is not a licensed business solution. Confirm with your licensing advisor.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Will_my_Tally_printers_and_existing_software_work_on_Windows_11\"><\/span>Will my Tally, printers and existing software work on Windows 11?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Tally Prime runs fully on Windows 11. Modern printers are fine; very old models may need driver checks. The usual holdouts are custom or legacy applications \u2014 which is what the fleet audit is for.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_does_upgrading_a_20-PC_office_take\"><\/span>How long does upgrading a 20-PC office take?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Typically two to three working days with a refurbished or new fleet deployed pre-configured, or one to two days for in-place upgrades \u2014 scheduled outside business hours so nobody loses a working day.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin: 32px 0; padding: 24px; background: #f0f6ff; border: 1px solid #c7ddff; border-radius: 12px;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 8px; font-size: 18px;\"><strong>Book a Windows 10 fleet audit before the October deadline<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 14px;\">CNC audits your machines, tells you which to upgrade, replace or license, and delivers the whole plan \u2014 refurbished or new Windows 11 desktops, genuine licences, deployment. 4.9\u2605 from 983 Google reviews, serving Delhi since 1996.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">\ud83d\udcde <a href=\"tel:+919810130131\"><strong>+91-98101-30131<\/strong><\/a> \u00a0\u00b7\u00a0 \ud83d\udcac <a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/918130992267?text=Hi%20CNC%2C%20I%20need%20a%20Windows%2010%20fleet%20audit%20for%20my%20office.%20My%20name%20is%20___%20and%20my%20office%20is%20in%20___.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>WhatsApp us<\/strong><\/a> \u00a0\u00b7\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/software-solution\">Licensing &amp; upgrade options \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates on 14 October 2025. If your Delhi office is still running it \u2014 and a large share of Indian SME desktops are \u2014 you&#8217;re now in one of three states: paying Microsoft for Extended Security Updates, running exposed, or somewhere in between and not sure which. This guide&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":1372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[484,21,472,483,481,482],"class_list":["post-1371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-software-tally-cloud","tag-bulk-computers","tag-cyber-security","tag-delhi-ncr","tag-software-licensing","tag-windows-10","tag-windows-11"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/100"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1371"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1373,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1371\/revisions\/1373"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnc-system.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}