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Microsoft support depends on the Windows release, edition and servicing channel—not just whether a PC says “Windows 10” or “Windows 11.” Windows 11 feature releases generally receive 24 months of updates for Home and Pro, or 36 months for Enterprise and Education. Windows 10’s final general release, version 22H2, reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 have also passed their standard support dates.
For the date that applies to a specific PC, identify its installed version and edition, then check Microsoft’s current release or lifecycle information. The dates below reflect Microsoft’s release information accessed October 9, 2026; release tables can change, and Microsoft lifecycle pages may present a boundary date in Pacific Time.
Windows 11 support is tied to each feature release
“Windows 11” is the product generation; a release such as 24H2, 25H2 or 26H2 is the particular version being serviced. Microsoft publishes an end-of-updates date for each release and edition family. A PC does not get indefinite support just because it runs Windows 11: when its installed feature release reaches its servicing end date, it needs to move to a release that is still supported.
Microsoft’s servicing policy generally gives each Windows 11 release 24 months of servicing for Home and Pro, and 36 months for Enterprise and Education. During that period, Windows 11 releases receive monthly quality updates. The exact end date is set per release and edition, so use the table rather than calculating a date from the broad Windows 11 name.
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Windows 11 release dates
These are the end-of-updates dates in Microsoft’s release information table accessed October 9, 2026. “Ended” means the listed servicing period was already over at that time.
| Windows 11 feature release | Home and Pro family | Enterprise and Education family |
|---|---|---|
| 26H2 | October 10, 2028 | October 9, 2029 |
| 26H1 | March 14, 2028 | March 13, 2029 |
| 25H2 | October 12, 2027 | October 10, 2028 |
| 24H2 | October 13, 2026 | October 12, 2027 |
| 23H2 | Ended | November 10, 2026 |
As of October 13, 2026, the table’s Home/Pro date for 24H2 is today. Check Microsoft’s live entry for your edition before relying on a boundary-day date: lifecycle pages can express dates in Pacific Time, and a date shown by one official table may appear a calendar day different from another. The Enterprise/Education date for 23H2 is still in the future, but its Home/Pro servicing has ended.
26H1 has a device restriction
Microsoft’s release information scopes Windows 11 26H1 to new devices. It is not offered as an in-place feature update from 24H2 or 25H2 on existing devices. Therefore, its presence in the release table does not mean an existing PC can select it as its next upgrade; use the update offered for that device and its edition.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsDo not apply ordinary Windows 11 dates to LTSC
Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 has an end-of-updates date of October 9, 2029. Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 has a separate extended support date of October 10, 2034. The IoT date applies to that specialized product, not to ordinary Windows 11 Home or Pro, and should not be treated as an extension for all Windows 11 installations.
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Windows 10 general support ended October 14, 2025
Windows 10 version 22H2 was the last general availability release. Microsoft ended support for the listed general Windows 10 editions on October 14, 2025. For those installations, remaining on 22H2 does not mean the PC continues to receive ordinary support: Microsoft says the unsupported version no longer receives ordinary quality updates, new or updated features, security updates or technical support.
That end date does not apply indiscriminately to every product that contains “Windows 10” in its name. Enterprise LTSC and older LTSB servicing channels have their own lifecycles. Microsoft’s release information lists these dates for specific exceptions:
| Windows 10 servicing channel or release | Lifecycle information listed by Microsoft |
|---|---|
| LTSC 2021 | Mainstream support ends January 12, 2027; extended support through January 13, 2032 is listed for IoT Enterprise only. |
| LTSC 2019 | Extended support ends January 9, 2029. |
| LTSB 2016 | Extended support ends October 13, 2026. |
These dates are not a general Windows 10 extension for Home, Pro or every Enterprise device. Confirm the precise product, edition, license and channel in Microsoft’s lifecycle information before applying one to a computer. Microsoft’s consumer-facing support guidance gives October 14, 2025 as the Windows 10 end-of-support date; use that stated date for general editions rather than treating a different retirement-date display in a lifecycle table as a new extension.
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Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 support dates
| Windows version | Mainstream support ended | Extended support ended | Additional qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 8.1 | January 9, 2018 | January 10, 2023 | Windows 8 users needed to move to Windows 8.1 by January 12, 2016 to remain supported. |
| Windows 7 | January 14, 2015 | January 14, 2020 | Eligible editions could receive paid Extended Security Updates through specific licensing programs for up to three additional years; Year 3 ended January 10, 2023. |
Windows 7 ESU was a limited security-update extension, not a reopening of standard support for every Windows 7 user. Eligibility was restricted to certain Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Professional for Embedded Systems editions and specific volume-licensing programs. It ended in January 2023, so it does not provide a current support option.
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What “support” and “end of support” mean
Microsoft uses Modern and Fixed Lifecycle Policies for different products. Its lifecycle guidance says to check the policy and dates for the particular product. For Windows, two update terms help explain why a date attached to one release is not automatically the date for every release:
- Quality update: a monthly, incremental update. Windows 11 receives monthly quality updates while the installed release is supported.
- Feature update: a new Windows version, identified by a release label such as 24H2 or 25H2. Its support period is tied to that release and its edition family.
On Windows 10, support duration historically also depended on version, edition and release cadence. Home and Pro feature releases had 18-month servicing periods; some Enterprise and Education second-half releases had 30 months. Those historical durations do not extend Windows 10 22H2’s general end-of-support date beyond October 14, 2025.
In practical terms, after a particular release ends support, do not assume it will continue to receive security fixes, routine quality updates, feature changes or technical assistance. The precise effects and any exceptions depend on the product and program, so distinguish a standard support end from an extended-support or ESU date. An extension for a named LTSC product or an eligible older edition is not proof that an ordinary consumer edition is covered.
How to check the support date for your PC
- Identify the installed edition and version. Open Settings > System > About. Note the Windows edition and version shown. The release may be presented as a label such as 24H2; edition names include Home, Pro, Enterprise and Education.
- Determine whether it is a special servicing channel. If the device is managed by an organization or identified as LTSC/LTSB or IoT, do not use a standard Home/Pro date. Record the full product and channel details available to you.
- Match the exact entry in Microsoft’s current information. For Windows 11, use the release information table and the row for your feature release and edition family. For Windows 10 and older products, use the applicable product lifecycle entry, checking for any LTSC/LTSB or ESU qualification.
- Read the kind of date carefully. Mainstream support, extended support, end of updates and ESU end dates describe different milestones. A later date for an extended or specialized program does not replace the standard date for every edition.
- Check again near the date or before making a change. Release tables are updated, and official date displays may differ at the boundary because lifecycle entries use Pacific Time. Use Microsoft’s live product entry if a one-day difference would affect your decision.
Microsoft’s Lifecycle FAQ advises: “Customers should always install the latest version before the current version reaches end of servicing to remain supported by Microsoft.” The practical implication is to check the support status of the installed release, not to wait until the Windows generation itself disappears.
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What to do if your version is near or past its date
If the current release is still supported, check Windows Update for the feature release Microsoft offers to that device, and review the applicable end date before postponing it. Not every release is offered to every computer at once: 26H1, for example, is scoped to new devices rather than being an in-place upgrade path from 24H2 or 25H2.
If Windows 10 is still installed on a general edition after October 14, 2025, the general support period has ended. Microsoft’s guidance is to upgrade if the PC is compatible or consider a Windows 11 PC if it is not. That is not a claim that every Windows 10 user must replace a computer; first determine whether the existing hardware can run a supported Windows 11 release and whether the offered path is appropriate for the device. For an organization using LTSC/LTSB or a licensed ESU program, verify the exact product and eligibility instead of relying on the consumer Windows 10 date.
For Windows 7 or 8.1, the ordinary extended support dates have long passed. The Windows 7 ESU period also ended in 2023. A legacy device that must remain on an older release should not be mistaken for a currently supported Windows installation simply because it still starts or runs existing software; check the relevant organization’s security and replacement plan as well as Microsoft’s lifecycle entry.
Quick Recap
Quick way to interpret a Windows support date
- Windows 11: look up the feature release and edition family; typical servicing lasts 24 months on Home/Pro and 36 months on Enterprise/Education.
- Windows 10 Home/Pro and other general editions covered by the standard date: version 22H2 was final, and support ended October 14, 2025.
- LTSC, LTSB, IoT or Enterprise: check the exact named product and channel; its date may differ from the consumer release.
- Windows 8.1 and Windows 7: standard extended support ended January 10, 2023 and January 14, 2020, respectively; Windows 7’s eligible ESU extension finished January 10, 2023.
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