Microsoft Ends Feature Support for Windows 10 22H2

[T0@st]

Microsoft has confirmed that the current version of Windows 10 - 22H2 - will be the final one. A company product manager revealed this information yesterday in a Windows IT Pro Blog entry posted alongside a mass of articles on Microsoft's Tech Community site. As covered on TPU almost two years ago, Microsoft had given advance notice that it was terminating support for Windows 10 on October 14th 2025 - for both Home and Pro versions of the operating system. Windows 11 was released later on in 2021, and thus became the priority OS product for the North American tech firm.

Yesterday's blog reiterates key information from the past, and details an interim update cycle (albeit small): "Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will remain in support with monthly security update releases through that date. Existing (enterprise) releases will continue to receive updates beyond that date based on their specific lifecycles." Microsoft has proceeded to update the lifecycle page entry for Windows 10 Home and Pro in line with the latest announcement. The product manager (in his blog) recommends that current Windows 10 users move to 11 as soon as possible, in order to enjoy a continued stream of feature updates.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[john_]

By 2025 Windows 11 could be as good as Windows 10. The same as with Windows 10 that it took a few years to be a somewhat acceptable replacement for Windows 7.

 

[BSim500]

"Microsoft has confirmed that the current version of Windows 10 - 22H2 - will be the final one."

Thank God for that. After all these years consumer Windows 10 users will finally enjoy the same feature Enterprise LTSC users have been enjoying all along - to just have security patches without being plagued by 'feature' updates...

 

[AsRock]

The product manager (in his blog) recommends that current Windows 10 users move to 11 as soon as possible, in order to enjoy a continued stream of feature updates

Continued stream of candy crush and other crap more like.

 

[NoneRain]

Thank God for that. After all these years consumer Windows 10 users will finally enjoy the same feature Enterprise LTSC users have been enjoying all along - to just have security patches without being plagued by 'feature' updates...

but the MS end-user beta program could benefit from more 2 years of that. The IA that made this decision need an upgrade I guess

 

[Eternit]

Finally out of early access
Does anyone enjoy a continued stream of feature updates?
Even if there is an update I want, it should be installed on request and not automatically.
Someone should update Microsoft CEO.

 

[Wye]

Misleading title, support does not end now, they are just stopping new feature development on Windows 10.

 

[64K]

Probably by the time Extended Support runs out for Win 10 there will be a Win 12 and MS will be pushing that too.

 

[Tahagomizer]

Come all, use Windows 11! It has more telemetry and spyware features which we can use to sell your life to marketers improve your life and make it into an ad-ridden nightmare help you work! We have ads puppies! And an AI which listens to you at all times cute kittens!

 

[ymdhis]

So much about Windows 10 being the final version.

I think I'll wait for Windows 12 instead. 11 is being pretty meh from what I saw.

 

[bonehead123]

By 2025 Windows 11 could be as good as Windows 10. The same as with Windows 10 that it took a few years to be a somewhat acceptable replacement for Windows 7.

^^THIS^^

They can have my W10Pro licenses when they can pry them from my cold, dead hands !

 

[rutra80]

So in 2025 there will be millions of perfectly fine performing PCs to scrap if you want to be supported. This is that big mouthed ecology, sustainability, net zero emissivity and zero carbon footprintability. Way to go Microsoft. For 20 years I was able to upgrade my PCs from XP up to 10 and now a 4 years old one is "legacy".

 

[sam_86314]

Once M$ releases Win11 LTSC, I'll consider updating.

Though, as others have said, now everyone can enjoy what makes LTSC so great (no annoying feature updates, just an OS that mostly works).

 

[trsttte]

So in 2025 there will be millions of perfectly fine performing PCs to scrap if you want to be supported. This is that big mouthed ecology, sustainability, net zero emissivity and zero carbon footprintability. Way to go Microsoft. For 20 years I was able to upgrade my PCs from XP up to 10 and now a 4 years old one is "legacy".

No one said anything of the sort. Contrary to what headlines often sugest the situation is pretty similar to what happens with every version of windows, if you go look at the official list of supported cpu's for windows 10 21h2 it also only goes as far back as intel 5th or 6th gen but that doesn't mean much older stuff isn't happily running the most recent version of windows 10

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

No one said anything of the sort. Contrary to what headlines often sugest the situation is pretty similar to what happens with every version of windows, if you go look at the official list of supported cpu's for windows 10 21h2 it also only goes as far back as intel 5th or 6th gen but that doesn't mean much older stuff isn't happily running the most recent version of windows 10

The difference is that windows 10 and previous operating systems did not block installation if you didnt have some arbitrary feature like TPM 2.0. Windows 10 also would not spam you with popups declaring that your CPU was too old or that your system does not meet minimum requirements.

Windows 11 does.

Continued stream of candy crush and other crap more like.

I cant imagine why ANYONE wants to be part of the "feature update" program. They ALL suck. MS has been slowly ripping windows apart since the glory days of 7.

 

[Frick]

No one said anything of the sort. Contrary to what headlines often sugest the situation is pretty similar to what happens with every version of windows, if you go look at the official list of supported cpu's for windows 10 21h2 it also only goes as far back as intel 5th or 6th gen but that doesn't mean much older stuff isn't happily running the most recent version of windows 10

Secururity updates is the worry, or lack thereof.

Thank God for that. After all these years consumer Windows 10 users will finally enjoy the same feature Enterprise LTSC users have been enjoying all along - to just have security patches without being plagued by 'feature' updates...

Is not getting security patches a feature?

By 2025 Windows 11 could be as good as Windows 10. The same as with Windows 10 that it took a few years to be a somewhat acceptable replacement for Windows 7.

Why? How is Windows 10 significantly better today than in 2015?

 

[trsttte]

Is not getting security patches a feature?

I think you misunderstood/misread the topic, what will happen is windows 10 will stop getting new features like the stupid news widget, or the built in phone app, or the xbox game bar, etc. etc. etc.

Granted there are some features that consist of security improvements, but if it's something really essential it usually is and gets rolled as a security patch as it should and those will keep rolling for the near future (until october 2025 for consumer versions)

Why? How is Windows 10 significantly better today than in 2015?

More refined, less bugs, I wouldn't be able to name anything in particular but I'm sure in 8 years something must have improved right? right?????

 

[RadeonProVega]

I don't see myself upgrading to windows 11 until maybe 5-6 years from now. I didn't upgrade to windows 10 until i believe 2020.

 

[Naito]

... For 20 years I was able to upgrade my PCs from XP up to 10 and now a 4 years old one is "legacy".

Windows 10 is technically almost 8 years old. That's roughly the time between the release of XP and 7

 

[LucianF]

By 2025 Windows 11 could be as good as Windows 10. The same as with Windows 10 that it took a few years to be a somewhat acceptable replacement for Windows 7.

7 WILL NEVER DIE ...I only jumped ship to Win10 as a primary with version 1903 , and that's because I had an abysmal experience with 7 on AM4 (Ryzen 5 1600+MSI B350), and cheap volume keys were only a thing for 10 by that point...Yet these last few days I somehow managed to coax a Windows 7 SSD (from my recently dead secondary) to play nice with my Ryzen 5 2600X + Aorus B450 + RX 580 4GB system. Granted, HDMI audio would not work no matter what and enabling the metrics overlay would cause a blue screen on game exit, but it was usable (latter issue is actually driver-related). Why even use 7 at this point? Simple: It seems there are games that flat-out don't work on 10 (Panzer Elite: Action) or run badly (Ryse: Son of Rome, Empire Earth, most DX8 and below games) and since I was smart/lucky enough to amass a disc collection when that was still viable I want to be sure I can still enjoy it; offline-only if necessary.

 

[Minus Infinity]

By 2025 Windows 11 could be as good as Windows 10. The same as with Windows 10 that it took a few years to be a somewhat acceptable replacement for Windows 7.

By 2025 Windows 12 will be out and 11 will become the new Vista, quickly forgotten.

 

[AhmadMZ99]

i think it will became a same story like window 7 and windows xp, even if Microsoft stopped supporting windows 10 including security updates, many people will stay in windows 10 as long it's supposed by programs and not requiring to use the latest windows or hardware, maybe windows 12 will be around on this year

 

[friocasa]

No thanks, I'll stay on W10, then the choice will be to move to W12 if it's decent, or finally move to Linux

I'm getting tired of the bloatware/telemetry/half-baked features of Windows nowadays, they can't even make a unified control panel

 

[kondamin]

Would be nice if it wasn’t practically a must to use for gaming and a bunch of productivity software.

 

[Frick]

I think you misunderstood/misread the topic, what will happen is windows 10 will stop getting new features like the stupid news widget, or the built in phone app, or the xbox game bar, etc. etc. etc.

Granted there are some features that consist of security improvements, but if it's something really essential it usually is and gets rolled as a security patch as it should and those will keep rolling for the near future (until october 2025 for consumer versions)

No, end of support means end of security updates. The point of EOL is to get people to use the old version so you don't have to work at it as much.

"Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will remain in support with monthly security update releases through that date. Existing LTSC releases will continue to receive updates beyond that date based on their specific lifecycles."