Revised end of service date for Windows 10, version 1709: October 13, 2020

[John_Cable]

Right now, we have a lot of concerns. For our families and colleagues. For our businesses and our customers. Many of us are now working remotely, and all of us have had our day-to-day lives impacted in unique ways. At Microsoft, our top priority is the health and safety of our employees, customers, partners, and communities.

We have been evaluating the public health situation, and we understand the impact this is having on you, our valued customers. To ease one of the many burdens you are currently facing, and based on customer feedback, we have decided to delay the scheduled end of service date for the Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions of Windows 10, version 1709. This means devices will receive monthly security updates only from May to October. The final security update for these editions of Windows 10, version 1709 will be released on October 13, 2020 instead of April 14, 2020.

Security updates for Windows 10, version 1709 will be available via our regular servicing channels: Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services, and the Microsoft Update Catalog. You will not need to alter your current update management workflows. For example, all supported versions of Microsoft Configuration Manager (current branch) will continue to support Windows 10, version 1709 until October 13, 2020.

If you haven't yet done so, we encourage IT teams to consider shifting to Windows Update for Business, which allows users to take both feature updates and quality updates directly from Microsoft in a secure and often faster manner. You can also consult our Windows as a service resources for steps you can take to keep your Windows 10 devices up to date.

For a comprehensive list of end-of-service dates for all versions and editions of the Windows client and Windows Server operating systems, bookmark the Windows lifecycle fact sheet or utilize the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy search tool to find lifecycle information for all commercial Microsoft products. We recommend you bookmark the Windows message center and follow @WindowsUpdate for the latest news and announcements.

[Nobody2020]

That's very considerate, thank you!

[Todd Godchaux]

@John_Cable This is great news! However, do you know if MS will also be extending the Win10 v1809 Professional, currently EOL May 12, 2020? We don't provide our OEM's with a curated image, but instead use their "generic" Windows 10 Professional edition, and then flip it to ENT during MDT provisioning process once OnPrem. We're working to adopt v1909 quickly, but need more time with v1809. Otherwise, we must resort to bare-metal imaging machines with a reduced staff.

We're a three letter public sector, so Autopilot isn't an option... yet. Tagging @Michael Niehaus  for good measure. :)

[wroot]

Well, now you are taking from my hands a leverage i had to force someone to upgrade as it was nearing the support end :D

[HotCakeX]

Thoughtful decision

[Wrocky]

Two thumbs up.  Our 1709 update project was put on hold until the pandemic is over, so this will give us some breathing room when we resume.

[robhayward]

If 1709, 1803, 1809, 1903, 1909 and any monthly patches weren't such a disaster no company would be so far behind as to not trust moving forward without 2 years of testing.

[Joe Lurie]

@Todd Godchaux We have no plans at this time to delay the end of service for Windows 10, version 1809 PRO. Our recommendation, as you are already doing, is to up-level to Enterprise, to automatically receive an additional 12 months of servicing. For those customers with a management tool, this can be done with no user impact - no reimage and not even a reboot. See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/upgrade/windows-10-edition-upgrades for more information.

If you're not using a management tool, you can also up-level to Ent via a Command Line (changepk.exe): https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/upgrade/windows-10-edition-upgrades#upgrade-usin... or simply on a machine by machine basis: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/upgrade/windows-10-edition-upgrades#upgrade-by-m...

Hope this helps.

[TheOtherJosh]

@Joe Lurie @John_Cable For the sanity of our management team, can we get an update pushed on the https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet with the updated dates?

Thanks again!

[Joe Lurie]

@TheOtherJosh All lifecycle pages will be updated to reflect the delay in EOS.

[Todd Godchaux]

@Joe Lurie Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately it doesn't solve the ability for the OEM to sell v1809 Pro beyond EOS. Coordinating a new v1909 security baseline with 3rd party tooling, UAT, Cyber approval, OEM cutover, then 1st article testing... this is going to be interesting. 

[DaveWest]

This is fantastic news and I can hear a mass sigh of relief from many sys admins across the globe!

Its easy to say we shouldn't leave it to the last minute, but the reality is that business often force upgrades to be a last minute thing as unless its critical, it can wait.  As so many users are working from home right now and business continuity is so critical it was likely that our upgrade project was going to be postponed, and that would have put us in a very uncomfortable position.

This decision by Microsoft to support us techies is very much appreciated!

[Karl_Wester-Ebbinghaus]

Dear @John_Cable @Joe Lurie

I don't conclude with this change it might make sense from your point of view. 

On the other hand all the sudden changes on support lifecycles distrust any relationship to partners and professionals and software developers because you carefully plan them into actions and preach to #staycurrent and not only preach, but implement needed actions at high costs at the beginning for the sake of perfect structures that lowers costs for the future. This was your model at MSFT too and it works out. 

If you keep changing the support cycles that arbitrary I promise you customers will lean on this as "this has been done in the past" if there is just enough public pressure from big customers or partners. 

You extended the extended support phase of Exchange 2010 and Office 2010, Office 2016 equally to office 2019, translates for customers why should it buy 2019 when 2016 is cheaper with the same support cycle.

Please stop these changes. 

The channels like SAC etc have been renamed multiple times. 

Now we have seen multiple times of support cycle changes on Windows 10 peaking in 30 months only for Business and Edu but only with H2 releases. 

IF we had the commitment that it will stay like this with 1903 and 1909 having same updates and category for 2004 and 2012, then it is all OK, but the changes are just causing confusion if you don't follow your own schemes once created. 

I hope you get my point and stop changes to the support policy in Windows 10 for the next years. 

I am unpleased that Microsoft does not publish the telemetry about Windows 10 fragmentation like Google did. We need to know how many million devices run unsupported OS which is a threat to the safety of us all connected to the Internet. 

Please don't take this post as a rant. It is not. My personal business experience doesn't mean the world but I know that customers start to distrust policies and investments to #staycurrent when they are changed "as appropriate". 

MSFT had 5 years to get this model well shaped. 

[TheOtherJosh]

@Todd Godchaux The nice thing is that there is already a CIS Baseline out for 1909, and their stuff has been pretty solid. The DISA STiG is also out, but has limited documentation on the 'why' they have their configuration set the way they do. So it's not horrible. But I will definitely concur. It certainly is a tight timeframe, and with nearly everyone working remote it is a serious challenge.

[CG_SDK]

@Joe Lurie.  This is in response to your statement "We have no plans at this time to delay the end of service for Windows 10, version 1809 PRO".  As you know the entire world is going through an unprecedented situation. We use Windows 10 OEM Pro edition on all End point Assets and have been successfully updating to the new feature updates so far. Unfortunately we are stuck with 1809 for a fairly large quantity with no progress at all in last 4 to 6 weeks. We do not see any improvement over the next 4 to 6 weeks and will need to maintain status quo with almost 100% employees working from home.  So chances of accelerating the deployment to complete feature update to 1903 or 1909 before May 12, 2020 is impossible.  I am sure there many such organizations in the same situation. Expecting a similar extension of support for Windows 10 1809 Pro edition as well from Microsoft.

[Joe Lurie]

@CG_SDK Regarding Win10 Pro, we make it very easy to upgrade from pro to ent editions - no reimage or even a reboot is necessary. And working with the "winroom" we can help offset the cost. So between the "offset" cost and the ease of upgrade, customers that are on Windows 10, version 1809 Pro can upgrade to Windows 10. version 1809 Enterprise and receive a full 12 months extra servicing.

[wizball]

Hi, Will you be extending 1803 Education support, as that was meant to end Nov 2020?

It's going to be a hard push upgrading thousands of laptops over VPN in the next 6 months.

[Joe Lurie]

@wizball as of the writing of this article (and is still true as of the writing of this answer) we only have announced plans for a delay in 1709. But we assess and reassess daily, so if that were to change, either an additional blog or an edit to this blog will be published.

[wizball]

Thanks. If you can let people know with a decent amount of notice, that would be great. I imagine there's a lot of places half way through updates, all this has happened and the normal BAU is disrupted.

[JBotkins]

Lifesaver for us!

[sworcester]

@Joe Lurie " Regarding Win10 Pro, we make it very easy to upgrade from pro to ent editions"

My understanding is this requires an EA contract or a Volume License upgrade, which is really expensive, are there other ways (outside of Embedded)?

[Karl_Wester-Ebbinghaus]

I see many complaints about upgrading via VPN. 

Why not configuring WuFB and split tunneling so the upgrades can be managed but don't block VPN.

Also we have the possibility to approve in configmgr / WSUS and set downloads to come from the Internet too for special groups/ networks.

So why the complaints?  Thanks for your insights. 

[Joe Lurie]

Hi @Karl_Wester-Ebbinghaus Yes, split-tunnel is the preferred method, and/or using Windows Update for Business (WUfB). We've even written blogs on it (one will be published here this morning) and the other two are here:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/configuration-manager-blog/managing-remote-machines-with-clou...

and

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/configuration-manager-blog/managing-patch-tuesday-with-config...

Thanks for confirmation on these technologies!

[Rakesh V Pandey]

Easily Sys Awaits You 

[Todd Godchaux]

@Joe Lurie Looks like we got some extra time with 1809 Pro. This is what we needed! THANKS!

[Todd Godchaux]

@TheOtherJosh Thanks, already use MS, CIS, and STIG resources. They do a pretty good job of getting most of the way there. There's still an internal process for deep testing to make sure scientists can do their jobs, as well as comparing against every enforced GPO in the environments. But I'm happy now because it looks like we got a few extra months!

[ClientAdmin]

@Joe Lurie We're an IT provider and support company from Switzerland and are receiving a lot of questions about the EOS date for Windows 10 Build 1803. Big companies are having issues preparing Build 1909 due to home work and testing limitations. Are there news about Build 1803 and EOS?

Thanks!

[wroot]

As this post was regarding Enterprise and EDU versions 1803 ENT version is supported till November 10th of this year. Is this not enough or are you talking about Pro version? Although, Pro support expired long time ago.

[Joe Lurie]

@ClientAdmin We have not made any end of service delay announcements regarding Windows 10, version 1803 Ent/Edu/IoT Ent. As @wroot correctly states, its in servicing until November of this year. If any delays are being considered (this is a big IF as no delays are currently being considered), they wouldn't be announced till much later this year. My recommendation is to work with your customers on upgrading to 1909. We have published lots of articles on helping customers upgrade their end users while WFH - all right here on techcommunity. And there is a new techcommunity space for business continuity that we are also publishing to.

[Karl_Wester-Ebbinghaus]

@Joe Lurie hi Joe can you please flag the update team to fix the database issue in all supported server / WSUS versions.

The client version string in the database does report 1903 even for 18363 builds, instead of 1909. 

This is a small fix needed but ensure the reportability of your named measures upgrading to 1909.

[Joe Lurie]

HI @Karl_Wester-Ebbinghaus  - I reached out to the product team. Here is their reposnse:

This is by design. Moving from 1903 to 1909 is done through an enablement package to light up features within the same “line” of Windows 10, such that 1903 and 1909 are actually the same code base completely. To this end, they receive EXACTLY THE SAME monthly updates (LCU’s) which will have the same package number.

HOWEVER, the enablement package is used to “trick” the naming convention that is seen such that one will show the name as 1903 and one will show the name as 1909. If you dig into the database for the package numbers, however – they will be the same because they ARE the same.

This should reinforce to all of our enterprise customers that the “upgrade” from 1903 to 1909 is not actually a code change as it is technically the same line of Windows 10, and should NOT be viewed as a version change.

Hope this helps...

[Karl_Wester-Ebbinghaus]

@Joe Lurie thanks for taking your time to ask and reply.

I know the details, yet it doesn't seem to be impossible to fix. 

There is a paid script from AJtek WSUS automated maintenance that is able to fetch the build number in the WSUS DB and correct the version string of Servers and Clients incl. 1903 and 1909.

So please forgive me if I am not believing that it is by design, when it can be changed at any time. 

Since it's now official we will see same great technology achievement happen again in 20H1/20H2 I can just plea that the WSUS team has a look what Adam has accomplished. 

https://www.ajtek.ca/

I don't expect the team to make the whole script obsolete, yet version strings would be a great beginning. They should try it out and review the code how it is done. 

[wroot]

Hope Microsoft abandons the idea of doing such tricks in the future..

[wizball]

Hi,

Is there any news about 1803 Ent/Edu? Will the EOL on this also be extended?   It'll be great if you can tell us sooner, rather than later as many people are beginning to sweat about the Nov deadline.

[Joe Lurie]

@wizball thanks for the question. If you have an account team please ask them to submit a "gethelp" ticket on your behalf. We haven't made any decisions yet on 1803 ent/edu, but a gethelp ticket will put your name in our list of customers that are asking. If you do not have an account team, please send me a private message with your company name, and a way for me to reach you.