Windows Lifecycle (End of Life)

May 25, 2023

The Windows operating system, created by Microsoft, is one of the most common operating systems we see today in computers, as well as servers. Microsoft has rolled out different versions (and editions) of the Windows OS over the years, adding improvement with each.

The Windows OS is designed for both regular consumers (clients) and organizations (servers). The client version of Windows is Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 7, 8, 10, and so on, whereas the server versions are Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, and so on.

Like all software and operating systems, the Windows OS also has a defined EOL, after which it stops receiving any further updates. However, Microsoft may occasionally choose to support certain editions of a certain version of Windows, while disregarding the other editions.

See which Windows versions are currently supported down below.

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.

Windows 11 Windows 10 Earlier Windows Windows Server