The current version of Windows 10, version 22H2 will be the last version of Windows 10, Microsoft says, which effectively puts an end to any major feature updates for the operating system as the company becomes all-in on Windows 11.
According to Microsoft, that version of Windows 10 will remain in support with monthly security update releases through Oct. 14, 2025 for all editions. Microsoft has been saying for some time now that it would support at least one version of Windows 10 through that date, but it not appears that Microsoft will put all of its support behind Windows 11 past that date.
That essentially means that organizations that continue to use Windows 10 past that date will not get security updates, leaving them open to potential cyberattacks. The previous Windows 10 release, version 21H2, will go out of support next year on June 11.
Existing LTSC releases will continue to receive updates beyond that date based on their specific lifecycles, the company says in a Windows client roadmap update. According to the company’s product and services lifecycle document, existing Windows 10 LTSC releases have end dates of Jan. 12, 2027 or later.
Read Next: How to Upgrade to Windows 11
Now, organizations essentially have two options for the immediate future:
- Upgrade to Windows 11 to keep operating systems up-to-date, secure, and equipped with new features.
- Update to Windows 10, version 20H2 to continue receiving monthly update releases through Oct. 14, 2025.
Microsoft is also announcing that the next Windows 11 LTSC releases will be available in the second half of 2024 for Windows 11 Enterprise and Windows 11 IoT Enterprise.
Organizations waiting for a Windows 11 LTSC release should begin planning and testing applications and hardware on the current generally available release, Windows 11 22H2, Microsoft says.
Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 22H2 in October 2022 along with several additional features for Windows 11 that weren’t included in the 2022 update, although the Windows 10 feature update was limited in scope and new features and functionality. That update came about a month after the company started to roll out the annual feature update for Windows 11, which included dozens of new features in security, efficiency, productivity, usability and more.
Windows 10 20H2, however, is the next version of the operating system slated for death, with an end-of-support date of May 9, less than two weeks away.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!
Leave a Reply