Windows 11 Lifecycle: End Of Life And Support Status
Last updated on November 16, 2023
Windows 11 is the latest operating system from Microsoft, and like all software, it will eventually reach its end of life. End of life is the date when Microsoft will stop providing support and security updates for the operating system. This means that after the End of Life date, Microsoft will no longer address any vulnerabilities or issues with the software.
Microsoft has not yet announced the End of Life date for Windows 11, but it is expected to be around ten years after its initial release in October 2021.
Support status guide
End of life (EOL) is the end of a product’s useful life. When a product reaches the end of its life cycle, the manufacturer no longer supports it. The following table explains the different phases of a product’s lifecycle. Testing status is when the product is initially released and EOL is when product support is no longer offered. The time between these two points is the support timeframe.
Testing
The software is not yet publicly available. It is in testing phase i.e., alpha, beta, release preview etc.
Active
The software is actively supported by the vendor.
Phasing Out
The software will soon reach its end of life. You need to look for upgrade or migration options. The software will automatically go into phasing out status 2 months before end of life.
End Of Life
The software is no longer supported by the vendor. You need to make sure your system and environment are safe.
Version
Released
Active Support
Extended Support
(31 October 2023)
(10 November 2026)
(10 November 2026)
(31 October 2023)
(11 November 2025)
(11 November 2025)
(20 September 2022)
(14 October 2025)
(14 October 2025)
(4 October 2021)
(8 October 2024)
(10 October 2023)
(20 September 2022)
(14 October 2025)
(14 October 2025)
Microsoft follows the Modern Lifecycle Policy for Windows 11. This means Microsoft will continuously update Windows 11 as long as the user uses the most updated version of the Operating System.
For example, if you are using Windows 11 22H2, which is the latest right now, you will get security updates from Microsoft.
Microsoft gives at least 12-month notice before discontinuing a product with modern lifecycle policy. If you are using Windows 10, Microsoft has already announced that all Windows 10 versions will reach the end of life in October 2025.
Windows 11 new version releases
Microsoft has announced a new major version of Windows 11 will be released every year (probably in October every year). Windows 11 Version 23H2 is scheduled to be released in 2023.
Each new version of Windows 11 is supported for 18 months. So Windows 11 23H2 will be supported till March 2025.
The Education and Enterprise versions of Windows 11 are different. They are supported for a much longer duration than the consumer version. Check out the extended support dates for Windows 11, which are specifically meant for enterprise consumers.
Understanding the concept of end of life for Microsoft Windows
While Microsoft follows modern lifecycle policy, there are three main types of end of support/life dates:
End of mainstream support
This means Microsoft will not provide incident support, warranty claims, feature requests or non-security related requests after the end of mainstream support.
- No more free incident support.
- No more warranty claims.
- No more design changes and feature requests.
- No more non-security hotfixes.
Usually, Microsoft provides 5 years of mainstream support after the product is discontinued.
End of extended support
The end of extended support means the following:
- No more security updates
- No more paid support
- No more updated content (Knowledgebase etc.)
End of Long Term Service Channel support (LTSC)
LTSC channel is designed so that the product is treated as a stand alone product. LTSC products features and functionality do not change throughout their lifecycle. These products only get security updates throughout their lifetime.
Microsoft supports LTSC releases for 10 years.
Right now, Windows 11 does not have an LTSC version but it is scheduled to be released at the end of 2024.
EOLs
