Windows Server 2022 ends mainstream support, moves on

Windows Server 2022 has left mainstream support and entered the extended support phase, Microsoft has confirmed. Security updates will keep coming until October 2031.

The change took effect on October 13, 2026. Microsoft said that the October 2026 security update, shipped as part of this month's Patch Tuesday release, is the final update delivered under mainstream support for this version.

A 10-year lifecycle, now at the halfway mark

Microsoft first presented Windows Server 2022 in March 2021. The operating system became generally available in September 2021 as a Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release. LTSC is Microsoft's servicing model for stable, slow-changing releases aimed at environments that value predictability over new features, and it comes with 10 years of support.

That decade is split into two phases. During mainstream support, Microsoft delivers security fixes along with other product updates. Extended support is narrower in scope.

"Extended support includes security updates at no additional cost, and Windows Server 2022 will continue to receive monthly security updates through October 14, 2031," the company said.

For admins, this means existing Windows Server 2022 deployments will not lose security patches anytime soon. Monthly fixes will keep arriving for another five years.

Hotpatching gets an extra year

Microsoft has also given more time to one specific feature. Hotpatching for Windows Server 2022 has been extended until October 2027, one year past the October 2026 mainstream end date. The extension covers systems running the Datacenter: Azure Edition.

Hotpatching lets administrators install certain security updates without rebooting the server, which reduces downtime on systems that need to stay online.

Microsoft points admins to Windows Server 2025

Even with years of extended support left, Microsoft is already pushing IT teams to plan their move. The company recommends upgrading to Windows Server 2025 before Windows Server 2022 reaches the end of support.

Windows Server 2025 was first released to Windows Insiders in January 2024 and reached general availability in November 2024.

"Windows Server 2025 is the latest Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release for Windows Server. To help keep your environment protected and supported, plan your upgrade path to Windows Server 2025 for full mainstream support," Microsoft said.

The newer release has its own clock. According to Microsoft's lifecycle platform, Windows Server 2025 will leave mainstream support in November 2029. Extended support will then run for five more years, until November 14, 2034.

Organizations that want to evaluate the new version before rolling it out can download a free 180-day Windows Server 2025 trial from the Microsoft Evaluation Center. Microsoft also publishes servicing dates on its Windows Lifecycle FAQ page and through its Lifecycle Policy search tool.

Other Windows lifecycle changes

The server announcement was not the only lifecycle news from Microsoft this week. On Tuesday, the company said that devices running the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 24H2 no longer receive security and non-security preview updates. Customers were told to upgrade to Windows 11 26H2, the latest version, also called the Windows 11 2026 Update.

Last week, Microsoft also warned users to upgrade devices running unsupported Windows versions. Those systems will stop receiving security updates after the Windows Update certificate rotation planned for next year.

Our Take

For most organizations, the move to extended support is not an emergency. Security patches stay free and monthly until 2031, so Windows Server 2022 machines are not suddenly exposed. Still, the milestone is a useful prompt. Server migrations tend to be slow, involving application testing, hardware checks and change windows, and five years can shrink quickly in large environments.

The timing also fits a broader pattern. In the space of two weeks, Microsoft has ended updates for Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro, warned about unsupported systems losing updates after the certificate rotation, and now closed mainstream support for a major server release. This suggests the company is actively steering customers toward its newest platforms.

The hotpatching extension is worth noting for Azure Edition users, but it only runs until October 2027. It is worth watching whether Microsoft offers similar extensions for other features, and how quickly enterprises adopt Windows Server 2025 ahead of its own mainstream end date in 2029. Teams that have not yet started testing may find the 180-day trial a sensible first step.