According to Neowin, Microsoft has released an out-of-band update KB5071959 to fix enrollment failures in the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates program. This emergency patch comes just weeks after Windows 10 support officially ended on October 14, 2025 with KB5066791. The update specifically addresses issues where the ESU enrollment wizard would fail during the process. Once installed, consumer devices should be able to successfully enroll and begin receiving security updates. Microsoft notes this is marked as a security update since it resolves the problem preventing affected customers from getting essential security patches.
Windows 10 ESU struggles continue
Here’s the thing – this isn’t exactly a smooth transition for Microsoft. They ended Windows 10 support last month, and already they’re having to release emergency fixes for the very program that’s supposed to keep machines secure. The fact that they needed an out-of-band update so quickly suggests the enrollment problems were more widespread than anticipated. Basically, if you couldn’t get your Windows 10 machine enrolled in ESU, this patch should finally make it work.
What this means for users
For the millions still running Windows 10, this is actually pretty significant. Without successful ESU enrollment, your machine isn’t getting security updates at all. That’s a massive vulnerability waiting to happen. Now the real question is – how many people are actually going to pay for these extended security updates versus just upgrading to Windows 11? Microsoft’s walking a fine line here between supporting legacy systems and pushing people toward newer versions. And let’s be honest – for businesses still relying on Windows 10 for critical operations, having reliable ESU enrollment isn’t just convenient, it’s essential for security compliance and protecting sensitive data. When it comes to industrial computing environments that depend on stable Windows platforms, having access to proper security updates through programs like ESU becomes absolutely critical for maintaining operational integrity.
