Also: How Landshark IT Can Help Even When Updates End

Released in 2009, Windows 7 currently runs 39% of machines running Microsoft Windows, but Windows 10 is growing and found on over 48% of Windows machines.

Although Microsoft stopped selling Windows 7 in 2014, versions are still available rarely.They ended mainstream support for the operating system in early 2015. The company plans on ending extended support for Windows 7 to January 14, 2020. 

Paid Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU), Microsoft now says, will be available through January 2023. The tech company will sell the Windows 7 ESU on a per-device basis. But worse, they plan on increasing the price for it every year.

“Windows 7 ESUs will be available to all Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise customers in Volume Licensing, with a discount to customers with Windows software assurance, Windows 10 Enterprise or Windows 10 Education subscriptions,” Microsoft says. They also will continue to support for Office 365 ProPlus on devices with active Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU) through January 2023. This means that all those buying the Windows 7 ESU will continue to run Office 365 ProPlus.

January 2023 is also the end of support date for Windows 8.1. It represents the end support date for Office 365 ProPlus on Windows 8.1, Microsoft now reveals. Windows Server 2016, on the other hand, will offer support for Office 365 ProPlus until October 2025.

Microsoft is relying on a semi-annual schedule for Windows 10 and Office 365 ProPlus updates, targeting September and March, and the company will continue using this Windows 10 update cycle.

To make sure customers have enough time to plan for updates within their environments, however, Microsoft is making changes to the support life of Windows 10 updates.

Thus, currently supported feature updates of Windows 10 Enterprise and Education editions (versions 1607, 1703, 1709, and 1803) will be supported for 30 months from their original release date. As for future feature updates, those targeted for a September release will be supported for 30 months, while those targeted for a March release for 18 months.

According to Microsoft, all feature releases of Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, and Office 365 ProPlus will continue to be supported for 18 months, regardless of whether targeted for release in March or September. 

Landshark IT is planning on providing support for these dates and beyond, until further notice. Many machine software is designed only for Windows 7, and in some cases we support operating systems in MS-DOS and Windows XP. Machines like this are generally not exposed to direct internet access, but require an operating system for tasks. We have the abilities to maintain proper security on older operating systems.

Sources: Security Week, Landshark IT, Microsoft