Windows 10 Enterprise and Education editions will soon enter end of life status

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Everything Flows: Windows has a life cycle with clearly defined support periods, just like any other software product. Microsoft can sometimes provide extensions and exceptions to its rules, but all Windows versions eventually end up discontinued. Windows 10 is almost there.

As per Microsoft policy, Windows 10 will soon reach an important milestone in its release history. Version 21H2 of Windows 10 Enterprise and Education reaches the end of life (EoL) on June 11, 2024. Organizations must upgrade to the latest version to keep receiving security updates through the Windows Update service.

After June 11, Microsoft will provide support only for Windows 10 22H2, released on October 18, 2022. Microsoft will support the current version until October 14, 2025. As usual, this final Windows 10 build has a Long-Term Servicing Channel, but companies will need to pay a pretty penny to keep running the aging operating system past its EoL.

The Redmond firm has become very effective at forcing companies and individual users to install the latest versions of its operating systems. As we have seen, Microsoft isn't above placing intrusive popups and other annoying tactics to push its next-gen operating systems. However, some third-party utilities, like Windows Update Blocker, are adept at postponing the inevitable upgrade for extended periods.

Switching from Windows 10 21H2 to 22H2 is pretty straightforward for any Windows 10 edition, as the two versions share the same codebase and have identical requirements. After the upgrade, users and organizations gain one more year of official support and bug fixes. System administrators could also leap to Windows 11 if their PC clients meet Microsoft's minimum hardware requirements.

The Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 11 have lower system requirements than consumer and server editions. However, they must still run on a PC equipped with UEFI firmware, Secure Boot, a DirectX 12-compatible GPU, and a TPM 2.0 security chip. Small and medium-sized businesses face a hard decision: upgrade their entire hardware fleet to run Windows 11 or continue using Windows 10 22H2 without support.

Despite being nine years old, Windows 10 is still the most popular PC operating system, beating Windows 11 by a wide margin. According to the latest Statcounter data, Windows 10 sits with 67.26 percent of the market share, while Windows 11 experiences excruciatingly slow growth, with only a 28.16 percent install base.

Image credit: HS You

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https://www.techspot.com/news/102238-windows-10-enterprise-education-editions-soon-enter-end.html

 

[Lounds]

Yeah the school I work out won't have the funds to do this. Why is DX12 a requirement?! Our oldest kit is i5 4th gen but to fully replace them would take until 2026 for us due to the amount of kit and classrooms we have.

 

[human7]

If Microsoft just gave Windows 11 users the same agency that we had in Windows 10 over all the settings that we like (and not having to login to a Microsoft account), Windows 11 adoption rates would be much higher.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Yeah the school I work out won't have the funds to do this. Why is DX12 a requirement?! Our oldest kit is i5 4th gen but to fully replace them would take until 2026 for us due to the amount of kit and classrooms we have.

You can upgrade Windows 10 to latest version though for free... and then you get another year of official support...
And most educational organizations don't think they need "official support" as they have actual IT departments (even if they're incompetent like the one at the TDSB where I work).

 

[human7]

You can upgrade Windows 10 to latest version though for free... and then you get another year of official support...
And most educational organizations don't think they need "official support" as they have actual IT departments (even if they're incompetent like the one at the TDSB where I work).

Education and Enterprise upgrade licenses may be under different, non-free upgrade terms. But even if they are free, the hardware requirements for Windows 11 are probably holding back the upgrade in this case.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Education and Enterprise upgrade licenses may be under different, non-free upgrade terms. But even if they are free, the hardware requirements for Windows 11 are probably holding back the upgrade in this case.

No…. Not Windows 11… the latest version of windows 10… that is free and has no extra hardware requirements from the previous versions of windows 10…

The article’s title is a bit misleading as MS isn’t stopping support of Windows 10… just a certain VERSION of Windows 10… simply download the free update and you’re good for another year.

 

[veLa]

Yeah the school I work out won't have the funds to do this. Why is DX12 a requirement?! Our oldest kit is i5 4th gen but to fully replace them would take until 2026 for us due to the amount of kit and classrooms we have.

You don’t have the budget to automatically let Windows 10 21H2 update itself to 22H2?

It doesn’t cost a dime, and if you aren’t running WSUS or another patching service, it should handle itself in the background.

If the systems are already on Windows 10, you have literally no concern.

 

[human7]

If the systems are already on Windows 10, you have literally no concern.

Microsoft:

 

[Lounds]

You don’t have the budget to automatically let Windows 10 21H2 update itself to 22H2?

It doesn’t cost a dime, and if you aren’t running WSUS or another patching service, it should handle itself in the background.

If the systems are already on Windows 10, you have literally no concern.

We're on 22H2 for win10 but that's only being supported until June next year. We have about 50% of our IT equipment not compatible for Win11.

 

[Squid Surprise]

We're on 22H2 for win10 but that's only being supported until June next year. We have about 50% of our IT equipment not compatible for Win11.

So now you need to do the math… is it worth paying for extended support from MS vs upgrading your hardware… you got over year to decide…

 

[Lounds]

So now you need to do the math… is it worth paying for extended support from MS vs upgrading your hardware… you got over year to decide…

I also need to replace a the schools WiFi that's from 2015. Yeah govt funding for education in the UK is pittance compared to 15 years ago when I first started.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I also need to replace a the schools WiFi that's from 2015. Yeah govt funding for education in the UK is pittance compared to 15 years ago when I first started.

Yeah… we are using desktops from 2007 or earlier in Toronto… education doesn’t get the funding it used to

 

[Lounds]

Yeah… we are using desktops from 2007 or earlier in Toronto… education doesn’t get the funding it used to

That sounds absolutely dire. Sorry to hear. The thing is the UK govt is giving us direct responsibilities to be cyber secure and to meet their guidelines but no extra funding to reach them.