End of an Era: Microsoft Signals Final Major Update for Windows 10

It's the end of the line for Windows 10, as Microsoft announced on Thursday in a blog post that Windows 10 22H2 will be the final version of the operating system. The Redmond behemoth also announced that all editions of Windows 10 will continue to receive monthly security updates until October 14th, 2025, when Microsoft will discontinue support.

People who are still using the nearly 8-year-old operating system will no longer be required to install feature updates in order to remain supported. You will, however, continue to receive critical security updates until Microsoft pulls the plug on October 14th, 2025.

LTSC/LTSB Customers Won't Be Affected

It should be noted that the modifications to Windows 10's update policies will not impact LTSC (long-term servicing channel) or LTSB (long-term servicing branch) customers. The LTSC releases have their own support period and do not receive feature updates, so their update experience will remain the same.

Windows client roadmap update! Key takeaways:

1 - #Windows10 will reach EOS on October 14, 2025.
2 - Version 22H2 will be the final version of Windows 10.
3 - You'll see the next #Windows11 LTSC release in the second half of 2024.

Read the announcement: https://t.co/CPjGmRWZdj

— Windows IT Pro (@MSWindowsITPro) April 27, 2023

For instance, the support period for Windows 10 2015 LTSB will end on October 14, 2025, whereas Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 will continue to receive support until 2029. As for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, it will receive support until at least 2027, although Microsoft has not yet declared any plans to extend its support period.

Microsoft Wants Everyone on Windows 11

With Microsoft discontinuing new feature updates for Windows 10, the company is encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 11. Despite experiencing a rough start upon its initial release more than a year and a half ago, Windows 11 has undergone significant improvements and is now receiving regular feature updates and crucial security patches.

With the news that Microsoft is working on Windows 12, which could be released sooner than expected, the tech giant is winding down support for older versions in order to shift resources to the newer releases.