- Windows Server 2025 follows the fixed lifecycle policy with standard support until 2029 and extended support until 2034.
- The applications Microsoft 365 They are only supported on Windows Server while it remains in standard support.
- WINS is declared obsolete and will no longer be available in future versions after the Windows Server 2025 lifecycle.
- Windows 10, Windows 11 and other Microsoft products have coordinated support schedules that affect migrations.
If you manage Microsoft infrastructure, you'll be very interested to know that Windows Server 2025 already has a perfectly defined support schedule This cycle not only affects the operating system itself, but also legacy services like WINS and compatibility with Microsoft 365 Apps. Over the next few years, several key dates will overlap, so it's important to keep them in mind to avoid suddenly finding yourself with servers lacking security patches or support. And if you need to install it, consult [link/reference]. How to download and install Windows Server.
In the following lines we will calmly review When does support for Windows Server 2025 start and end, and what exactly happens in 2034?This article will explain how all of this relates to other versions of Windows Server, Windows 10, Windows 11, and Microsoft 365, and what significant changes are coming to services like WINS. The goal is for you to finish this article with a clear understanding of which systems will remain supported, which will enter extended support, and which will be discontinued.
Windows Server 2025 Lifecycle: Standard and Extended Support
Windows Server 2025 is released under the Microsoft Fixed Lifecycle PolicyThis means that the product has a clearly defined standard support period and an extended support period, without the continuous evolution model typical of modern directives.
According to the official life cycle table, Windows Server 2025 LTSC general availability begins on 2024-11-01From that moment the platform enters its standard support phase, in which it receives new features, bug fixes and, of course, regular security updates (configurable with configure WSUS).
El The end of standard support for Windows Server 2025 is set for 2029-11-13From that date the product stops receiving functional changes and enters the extended support phase, in which Microsoft only provides security updates and certain critical fixes under certain conditions.
The key date everyone is looking at is that of End of extended support: 2034-11-14That day marks the complete end of the Windows Server 2025 lifecycle under the fixed policy: there will be no more security patches or official technical support, unless Microsoft releases specific additional programs in the future, something that has not been announced to date.
The editions covered by this fixed lifecycle of Windows Server 2025 include Datacenter, Datacenter: Azure Edition, Standard and Essentials, which share the same start dates, end of standard support and end of extended support.
LTSC, annual channel and position of Windows Server 2025 within the family
In the current Microsoft catalog, Windows Server is distributed through two major release channelsThe Long-Term Maintenance Channel (LTSC) and the Annual Channel (sometimes called AC or Annual Channel) are both designed for different scenarios and have different support durations.
El LTSC offers long cycles, focused on stability and safetyWith a traditional support policy based on monthly cumulative updates and, in the case of Windows Server 2025, extended support until 2034. It is the typical option for critical workloads that cannot be receiving disruptive changes every few months.
The annual channel, on the other hand, is geared towards more dynamic scenarios, closely linked to containers and microserviceswhere organizations are willing to adopt a faster pace of innovation and, in return, accept shorter lifecycles. Currently, Windows Server version 23H2 is the latest release in this channel and reaches its end of support in October 2025.
Within this general framework, Windows Server 2025 is considered the current reference LTSC versionIt shares a focus on innovation with other parts of Microsoft's hybrid platform, such as Azure Stack HCI, Windows containers, and AKS on Azure Stack HCI, reinforcing its role as a foundation for modern on-premises and hybrid infrastructures.
For those who need to consult these dates automatically, Microsoft provides this information through the Windows Update API in Microsoft GraphThis allows it to be integrated into proprietary inventory and lifecycle management tools.
Lifecycle dates compared: Windows Server 2025, 2022, 2019 and 2016
If we compare the different versions of Windows Server from the perspective of their maintenance options, it becomes clear at a glance. How does Windows Server 2025 fit into the long-term roadmap? Microsoft for servers.
The table of major Windows Server versions indicates that Windows Server 2025 LTSC (Datacenter and Standard editions) is available from 2024-11-01with end of standard support on 2029-11-13 and end of extended support on 2034-11-14. Along with these dates, additional data is listed such as the last installed update, the date of the last revision and the most recent build (for example, 26100.7178 as of 2025-11-18).
Windows Server 2022, also on the LTSC channel with Datacenter and Standard editions, It is available on 2021-08-18with standard support ending on 2026-10-13 and extended support ending on 2031-10-14. This means that 2025 and 2022 overlap for several years, providing some flexibility for gradual migrations.
In the case of Windows Server 2019 (version 1809), The table reflects that standard support has already ended.Extended support is maintained until January 9, 2029, under LTSC. Monthly updates continue, but the product is clearly nearing its final removal from the supported catalog.
Windows Server 2016 (version 1607), labeled as Long-Term Maintenance Branch (LTSB) And with Datacenter, Essentials and Standard editions, it appears in the table with an availability date of 2016-08-02 and an end of extended support on 2027-01-12. At this point, it is a platform that lives off its last years of security patches.
For each of these versions, the official documentation also maintains a extremely detailed history of all monthly updates (security and non-security) published, with information on the resulting build and the associated KB.
Windows Server 2025 and earlier update history
In the specific case of Windows Server 2025, the Microsoft support page includes a very granular version history for the 26100 operating system buildIn that table, the following is identified for each update: the release type (LTSC), the update type (e.g., "2025-11 B" or "OOB" for out-of-band), the availability date, the generated build, and the KB article number.
This history began with build 26100.1742 in the update labeled "2024-10 A" (released on 2024-11-01) and progresses month by month with B packages (second Tuesday) and OOB updates when necessary. urgently correct vulnerabilities or critical problemsFor example, the November 2025 B (2025-11 B) updates to build 26100.7171 and is identified by KB5068861.
Similarly, there are expandable sections with comprehensive details of the compilations of Windows Server 2022 (OS build 20348), Windows Server 2019 (OS build 17763), and Windows Server 2016 (OS build 14393), where years of cumulative patches, C and D releases, and out-of-band updates are listed.
This information is essential for security and compliance audits, as it allows for accurate verification what exact build is a server running at a given time and which vulnerabilities are resolved or pending; to audit installed functions it is also common to use the Get-WindowsFeature command.
Hot patch schedule: baseline and hot patches
Beyond the classic monthly updates, Microsoft has introduced a hotpatching schedule (hotpatching in Windows Server), especially geared towards Datacenter: Azure Edition and scenarios managed with Azure Automanage.
In this model, each calendar year is structured into quarters where, the first month of each quarter, The devices receive a cumulative baseline update that requires a rebootDuring the following two months, hot patches are released that include only security updates and, in many cases, can be applied without restarting the machine, reducing the impact on service availability; more details on hotpatching in Windows Server.
For example, in the calendar year 2025 for Windows Server 2025 it is recorded that January, April, July, and October are baseline months. (with B releases that involve a reboot) and February, March, May, June, August, September, November, and December are reserved for hot fixes with a focus on security. Each entry details the resulting build (such as 26100.2894 in January or 26100.6899 in October) and its corresponding KB article.
Windows Server 2022 follows a very similar scheme, with its own calendar year 2025 table where the pattern is repeated. alternating between baseline and hotpatching, making it clear which months will involve mandatory restarts and which will not.
The operational advantage is clear: by reducing the number of restarts to a minimum, Organizations can keep their workloads in production for longer periods. without such frequent maintenance windows, while maintaining compliance with safety regulations; it is also recommended monitor performance to check the impact of the updates.
End of WINS support on all versions of Windows Server
Beyond the system lifecycle dates, Microsoft has announced a significant change regarding legacy services. As detailed, WINS (Windows Internet Name Service) will no longer be supported in all versions of Windows Server starting in November 2034.This will have a major impact on those organizations that still depend on this name resolution service.
WINS was the classic mechanism of NetBIOS name registration and resolution in Windows networksThis service was very common in older environments. It had already been functionally discontinued with the release of Windows Server 2022 (in August 2021), when Microsoft made it clear that it would no longer add improvements or new features.
The company specifies that Windows Server 2025 This will be the last LTSC version to maintain support for WINS.In a statement from November 2025, Microsoft officially declared this service obsolete and set the roadmap: during the Windows Server 2025 lifecycle, WINS will still be present, but the actual end date will be in 2034.
When the change fully takes effect, Windows Server will no longer include the WINS server roleThis includes associated automation APIs, the admin console plugin, and any other related interfaces. In practice, it will be as if the service never existed in the new versions.
Microsoft clearly recommends that companies that still rely on WINS Start as soon as possible to identify services and applications that rely on NetBIOS to migrate them to DNS. The documentation insists that temporary solutions such as the massive use of static hosts files are neither sustainable nor secure in medium or large corporate environments; for this, it is key Configure DHCP and DNS correctly.
List of products with end of support in 2034 and their relationship to other Windows systems
Within the lifecycle pages, Microsoft compiles listings of products that will be retired or reach their end of support in different yearsFor 2034, those products that have already formally announced that they will end that year are listed under the fixed policy, including Windows Server 2025 and other related LTSC editions.
The company reminds users that, once support has ended, No new security updates or any other type of updates will be released.Assisted technical support options (free or paid) and online updates of technical content will also no longer be available. All reference information will then become static.
In parallel, the logic of the modern lifecycle policy for products like Microsoft 365where continued support requires maintaining up-to-date system and maintenance requirements. For example, Microsoft 365 Apps are required to run only on supported Windows systems.
In the desktop environment, the Windows 10 and Windows 11 tables summarize which versions are currently supported. For Windows 11, versions 25H2, 24H2, 23H2, 22H2, and 21H2 are specified, indicating their Maintenance option (general availability channel), availability dates, operating system builds, and end-of-service dates differentiated between Home/Pro and Enterprise/Education/IoT editions.
For instance, Windows 11 24H2 It appears as a generally available channel with build 26100, availability date 2024-10-01 and end of maintenance for Home/Pro on 2026-10-13, while the Enterprise, Education and IoT Enterprise will maintain support until 2027-10-12.
In the case of Windows 10, the key version is 22H2 on the general availability channel, with build 19045whose end-of-service date for all major editions (Home, Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise) is aligned to 2025-10-14. In addition, the 2021, 2019, 2016, and 2015 Enterprise and IoT Enterprise LTSC/LTSB editions are listed, with their respective standard and extended support end dates.
Products with end of support in 2025 and changes to Azure
Along with the information for 2034, the documentation also dedicates sections to the Products that are being retired or reaching end of support in 2025This follows both the modern and fixed directives. This involves components from Dynamics 365, Configuration Manager, and various versions of Windows 11.
In the modern directive section, the following are listed, for example: Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premises (release 2 of 2023, version 23.x) with end of support on April 2, 2025as well as Dynamics 365 Business Central local release 1 of 2024 (version 24.x) with end of support on October 7, 2025.
It is also highlighted that Microsoft Configuration Manager version 2309 reaches its end of support on April 9, 2025 and version 2403 will be released on October 22, 2025, marking important milestones for administrators of client management environments.
In the realm of desktop operating systems, the end of support is mentioned for Windows 11 Enterprise and Education, version 22H2 (along with Windows 11 IoT Enterprise 22H2) on October 14, 2025, as well as the end of maintenance for Windows 11 Home and Pro, version 23H2, on November 11, 2025.
Additionally, the following are also listed Additional changes in Azure related to APIs, SDKs, tools, and features, referring to the "Azure Updates" page as a centralized reference to follow the evolution of the cloud services ecosystem.
General recommendations from Microsoft regarding support and migrations
Throughout these pages, Microsoft insists that, if you have any doubts about the support for any product, Organizations should contact their account representative or use the Microsoft Technical Support portal to get specific answers about your case; in emergency situations it's helpful to know how Recover Windows Server.
For those who are unsure of the status of their systems, the company maintains a centralized page where It is possible to search the life cycle of each product individually. It is, let's say, the starting point to know if a system is in standard support, extended support, or completely out of cycle.
When a product transitions from standard support to extended support (as happens with many versions of Windows Server and Windows desktop), it is important to remember that Extended support includes free security updates, some non-security updates, and paid support.However, Microsoft stops accepting requests for design changes or new features; in that context, it is advisable make a full backup on Windows Server before any major intervention.
In the realm of Windows Server, if an organization continues to use versions that no longer meet the compatibility requirements for Microsoft 365 Apps, The recommendation is to migrate to solutions such as Windows 365 or Azure Virtual DesktopThis ensures that the end user's working environment remains supported without forcing the maintenance of older server versions.
Finally, regarding legacy services like WINS, Microsoft's position is very clear: Organizations must stop relying on NetBIOS-based technologies and move towards DNSAvoiding shortcuts such as the intensive use of hosts files and designing realistic migration plans is key to reaching 2034 with our homework done and without last-minute surprises.
Given this landscape of dates, lifecycle directives, and compatibility changes, Windows Server 2025 is positioned as the benchmark for on-premises infrastructures in the medium and long termWith a support window extending until 2034, and if used properly, it should be enough to calmly plan the transition to the next generations of the platform.
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