Microsoft is making it harder for some users to get Windows 10 update support

By Mayank Sharma
published

The change will come in with the upcoming release of Windows 10 21H2

Windows laptop
(Image credit: Future)

Some Windows 10 (opens in new tab) Enterprise users may need to check their service agreements after Microsoft revealed it will be halving the support period for Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) releases soon. 

Starting with Windows 10 21H2 (opens in new tab), scheduled for release later this year, the Enterprise LTSC releases will only be supported for five years instead of the earlier commitment of ten years.

Microsoft argues that the move is the result of extensive conversations with clients of the Enterprise LTSC release, which is designed for mission-critical systems that operate in an air-gapped environment and can’t be updated.

Reacting to customer demand

In a blog post (opens in new tab), senior product manager for Microsoft 365 (opens in new tab), Joe Lurie describes the intended target for the LTSC release as “regulated devices that cannot accept feature updates for years at a time, process control devices on the manufacturing floor that never touch the internet, and specialty systems that must stay locked in time and require a long-term support channel.”

Microsoft has reduced the support cycle after many LTSC customers reported they don’t require a shorter support cycle. This argument resonated with the company as it found it challenging to deliver an enhanced user-experience on a decade-old installation.

However the move is surely going to irk some users who were banking on the ten-year support guarantee of the LTSC release. 

Lurie however argues that such users who need the extended period of support usually run Windows on edge and Internet of Things (IoT) (opens in new tab) devices. These use cases are better served with the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC, which will continue to be supported for a decade.

Via ZDNet (opens in new tab)

Mayank Sharma
Mayank Sharma

With almost two decades of writing and reporting on Linux, Mayank Sharma would like everyone to think he’s TechRadar Pro’s expert on the topic. Of course, he’s just as interested in other computing topics, particularly cybersecurity, cloud, containers, and coding.

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