If there is one feature of Windows 10 that many users hate, it’s the way it forces updates on you or prompts you to update on a regular basis if you haven’t done so yet. There is a good reason for this, as Microsoft doesn’t want to be stuck trying to maintain and support older codebases especially in the case of security and performance issues. Their aggressive approach to getting people to upgrade is something which they are going to put on hold for a while though, as the company has announced it will be providing a six months grace period in supporting some of the older version of Windows 10:
Microsoft has been deeply engaged with customers around the world who are impacted by the current public health situation. As a member of the global community, we want to contribute to reducing the stress our customers face right now
This is perhaps especially key for many organisations who plan their upgrades a little more carefully through their IT support team and with many of these people possibly not working at full capacity like they used to, Microsoft would want to ensure that these companies don’t suffer as a result.
Microsoft was initially planning to end support of Windows 10, version 1709 (Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise) today, but this has now been extended to October 13th. Windows 10, version 1809 (Home, Pro, Pro Education, Pro for Workstations, IoT Core) was also due to enter end of support on May 12th, and Microsoft has extended this to November 10th. Windows Server version 1809, Configuration Manager version 1810, SharePoint Server 2010, SharePoint Foundation 2010, and Project Server 2010 are also getting end of support delays of around six months. Microsoft is not planning to alter the end of support for Office 2010, Project 2010, Office 2016 for Mac, and Office 2013.
If the COVID-19 pandemic runs on for even longer than expected you could probably expect these dates to move out even further, although most people shouldn’t use this as an excuse to not update, as you would want to be on the latest version possible to ensure the best security and protection.
Last Updated: April 16, 2020
