[ARCHIVED] How to get Extended Security Updates for eligible Windows devices

Poornima -

Thank you for the detailed article. I have searched for weeks to find out if Windows 7 Ultimate is included in the ESU program. If it is not, I implore Microsoft to add it, as thousands of small businesses paid extra for Ultimate, which adds BitLocker to Windows 7 Pro.

Microsoft itself seems to be confused on the topic. Most Windows 7 EOL articles and even recent KB articles mention only Windows 7 Pro and Windows 7 Enterprise as being eligible for ESUs.  However, if you click on the "Applies to" link at the top of the main Windows 7 ESU FAQ page (FAQ About Extended Security Updates for Windows 7), it says that the article applies to Windows 7 Ultimate ESU. Wow! In addition, Insight (a large reseller) sent me a supposedly Microsoft-published ESU training manual that says that Windows 7 Ultimate is included in the ESU program.

I am seeking the truth on this matter, but if the truth is that Microsoft is not including Ultimate in the ESU program, that truth needs to change. Why exclude the thousands of businesses who paid extra to buy the top-of-the-line version of Windows 7? Please respond soon, so that the small business community can act.