Incoming Changes for Window Server 2022 Marketplace Image Users

Starting March 9th 2025, a new offer of Windows Server 2022 images (windowsserver2022) is available in Azure Marketplace. These refreshed images exclude .NET 6 packages that have reached end of support, to help organizations stay aligned with Microsoft’s security and lifecycle standards.  

With .NET 6 reaching End of Life (EOL) in November 2024, users are advised to migrate off .NET 6 versions. The new image offer is built on the latest Windows Server 2022 SKU and will no longer include deprecated .NET 6 packages, simplifying the deployment.  

Users should complete migrating to new images before June 2026. After June 9th 2026, there will be no .NET 6 support for these legacy Windows Server 2022 images that have .NET 6 preinstalled.  In addition, these legacy images will be out of compliance policies and will be deprecated. 

Actions Required: 

• Migrate to the new Windows Server 2022 images(details in FAQ section below). These images will not automatically replace existing legacy images —you must explicitly reference the new image in your deployment process or re-image workflows.  

• If you have applications depending on .NET 6, upgrade your applications to the latest .NET version as soon as possible. See .NET and .NET Core official support policy | .NET for the latest .NET version.  Note that future versions like .NET 8/.NET 10 are no longer included in Windows Server media and must be installed separately if needed.     

Deprecation legacy Windows Server 2022 images 

The legacy Windows Server 2022 images that pre-installed .NET 6 will begin deprecation after June 9th 2026.  

• .NET 6 in these legacy images won't be patched after the depreciation starts.
• No new versions for these legacy Windows Server 2022 images will be released once the deprecation begins. Virtual machine scale sets won't get new OS patch updates via images; standalone VMs will still get them via Windows Update.
• These legacy images will follow the Azure Marketplace Image Graceful Deprecation process. The image deprecation will enter the enforcement stage at the end of 2026.
• For details on how image deprecation enforcement impacts your workload, see Deprecated Azure Marketplace images - Azure Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn  

Who are impacted

This change impacts all users of the following Windows Server 2022 Marketplace media images, with the offer name “Windows Server”, these legacy images will be deprecated, regardless of whether .NET 6 is actively used or not: 

• PublisherID== microsoftwindowsserver
• OfferID== windowsserver
• For SKU, refer to the table below: 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How can I identify the impacted VM/VMSS in my subscription?

• To identify the Virtual Machines created from the impacted images, use the offer ID, SKU and publisher ID as filter when setting “imageReference" properties.  Refer to the sample code for Virtual Machines and Virtual Machine Scale Sets. The offer ID distinguishes legacy from new images, so ensure it is included.

Where can I find the new offer for Marketplace Windows Server 2022 images? 

• For each impacted image SKU, you can find the correspondent new image SKU (with the same SKU name) in the new offer. 
• The new Offer with Offer Name “Windows Server 2022” is published with .Net 6 excluded; you can find the new offer in Azure Marketplace, or from Azure portal. To reference the new offer programmatically, use following image information: 
  • PublisherID== microsoftwindowsserver
  • OfferID== windowsserver2022
  • For SKU, refer to the table below: 

Note the new offer has the same Windows Server 2022 SKU name as the legacy image offer. 

Will the legacy Windows Server 2022 images still receive .NET 6 patches before deprecation? 

• For existing legacy images with .NET 6 preinstalled, patching support for .NET 6 will continue until June 2026 before deprecation starts. These images will contain the latest security patch for .NET 6 during this time.  

• However, .NET 6 has officially reached end of support; it is no longer serviced via any other means outside of the Azure marketplace images. Applications still depending on .NET6 should migrate to .NET 8/.NET10 as soon as possible.  

Will Microsoft remove .NET 6 from the Windows Server 2022 marketplace images? 

• Based on customer feedback, .NET 6 will not be automatically removed from the legacy Windows Server 2022 images; these legacy images will be deprecated instead. This gives organizations the flexibility to plan and execute their own migration strategy before deprecation begins. 

• To ensure .NET 6 is not installed by default on Virtual Machine Scale Sets, run an OS image upgrade to the new image. For standalone VMs, either reimage the VM or remove .NET 6 from existing machines. 

• To remove .NET 6 from your virtual machines, follow below steps:  

1. Identify Installed Versions
   • Run the following command to list all installed .NET versions: dotnet –info
2. Uninstall .NET 6
   • Use the appropriate uninstall command for each .NET 6 version you find; be sure to specify the exact version number to ensure complete removal: dotnet-hosting-<6.0.37 or your current .NET version>-win.exe  /uninstall 

 Help and support 

• If you have questions, get answers from  Community Experts in Microsoft Q&A. 
• If you have a support plan and you need technical help, go to the Services Hub and create a support request. Select the product family : Developer Tools, the product:  .NET, and the version .NET 8.0 or .NET 10. 
• If you are considering alternative solutions for supporting .NET 6 beyond its end-of-support date, further information can be found here: Dot NET Security Group.