With the arrival of Windows 10, back in July 2015, Microsoft also kicked off a fairly strict update policy, with which it tries to keep users always on updated versions of the operating system. And this is understandable, because since April 2017, with Windows 10 1703 Creators Update, those from Redmond have not stopped publishing two updates a year, so that today, while waiting for new updates, Windows 10 already adds 13 versions since its launch.
The best way to achieve this goal, and Microsoft knows this very well, is to keep a fairly strict control of the life cycle of each version, which is why it has been limiting it to around two years for some time now (months more, months less) in all versions. In this way, the risk of being left out of updates, mainly security updates, acts as a catalyst for users to keep their Windows 10 installations up to date.
Now, of course, the big question is what Windows 10 update policy will Microsoft maintain until October 2025, when the company will stop supporting this operating system. What is clear, however, is that only the most current versions of it will maintain support. And just in a month, on May 10, we will have one more sample.
And it is that, as Microsoft reminds in the Windows message center, Windows 10 1909 and Windows 10 20H2 support will end on May 10. Let’s remember that 1909 was the second update of 2019, and that its support for the Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations versions ended on May 11, 2021, but it is still maintained for the Enterprise and Education editions. For its part, 20H2 is still supported in all versions, but as of May 10 it will only be maintained for Enterprise and Education.
For its part, in case you are wondering about the intermediate version between the two, Windows 10 2004, which caused so many problems at its launch, its support ended, for all editions, on December 14, 2021.
To make it easy to upgrade to Windows 10 21H2, the latest version to date, Windows will automatically start offering the system update:
«To help you stay protected and productive, Windows Update will automatically initiate a feature update for Windows 10 unmanaged home and business devices that are nearing or within several months of reaching end of service. This way, your device will continue to receive monthly support and updates that are critical to the security and health of the ecosystem. For these devices, you will be able to choose a convenient time for your device to reboot and complete the updateMicrosoft reports.
Taking care of the park of Windows 10 installations is key, because although Windows 11 continues to grow in user share, its predecessor is still the most widely used operating system.
