Learn about Windows OS supported versions

Windows OS lifecycle

Microsoft uses some terminology to group different levels of changes to their operating systems.

• Editions, which are the main number part of the version's name (Windows 11, Windows 10, are Editions). These are released every 5 years or so.
• Feature Releases, which were released twice a year for Windows 10 Edition, but now yearly for Windows 11 Edition. Windows 10 22H2 is a Feature Release, with the 22 being the year it was released - 2022. Feature Releases, as the name suggests, may add new features and remove old ones.
• Quality Updates are monthly patches that include security updates, bug fixes, and minor changes.

Under Enterprise licenses (such as we use at Mount Holyoke College) Microsoft supports each yearly release for 30-36 months. This means a version that was released in 2022 will continue to receive monthly Quality Updates until 2025. If it is upgraded in place through the normal Windows Update process to a new Feature Release (from Windows 10 21H2 to Windows 10 22H2, or even to a new Edition such as Windows 11 23H2, for example), then the life cycle extends to the period for the new release. 

Windows OS supported versions and end of life dates

These are the most recent versions of Windows along with an end of life date. For several years, Windows 10 also had *H1 versions that had a shorter lifespan. These have been omitted from the list.

• Windows 11 23H2 - October 2026
• Windows 11 22H2 - October 2025
• Windows 11 21H2 - October 8, 2024
• Windows 10 22H2 - extended to October 14, 2025
• Windows 10 21H2 - June 11, 2024
• Windows 10 20H2 - May 9, 2023
• Windows 10 2004 - Dec 14, 2021
• Windows 10 1909 - May 10, 2022
• Windows 10 1809 - May 11, 2021

Resources:

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/faq/windows
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-enterprise-and-education