Microsoft releases update-fixing update for update-eligible Windows 10 PCs

Windows 10 officially died last month, just over a decade after its initial release. But the old operating system’s continued popularity has prompted Microsoft to promise one to three years of Extended Security Updates (ESU) for many Windows 10 PCs. For people with a Windows 10 PC, it’s relatively easy to get an extra year of updates for free.

Or at least it’s supposed to be. Bugs initially identified by Windows Latest prevented some Windows 10 PCs from successfully enrolling in the ESU program, preventing those PCs from signing up to grab the free updates. And since every Windows 10 PC must be manually enrolled in the program, an interrupted registration process also meant interrupted security updates.

To address the issues, Microsoft released an update for Windows 10 22H2 (KB5071959) this week that recognizes and fixes an issue “where the Registration Assistant may fail during registration.” It is being offered to all Windows 10 PCs, whether or not they are enrolled in the ESU program, “as it addresses an issue that prevented affected customers from receiving critical security updates.”