Older Windows PCs will be cut off from Windows Update in 2027. Here is the check to run now.
Microsoft says the certificates behind Windows Update expire in May and June 2027. Up to date machines on supported versions need nothing, but anything else will stop receiving updates. Meanwhile, Windows 11 24H2 on Home and Pro reaches end of updates on 13 October.
Microsoft said on 8 October that the certificates used to establish trusted connections to Windows Update will expire on 17 May 2027 and 19 June 2027. Devices must contain the replacement certificates to keep receiving updates after the date that applies to them, and devices without them will lose access to Windows Update. Microsoft says most devices running an in support version of Windows need no action if they are current with monthly updates.
What each version needs
Microsoft's guidance is version by version. Windows 11 version 25H2 and later: no action. Windows 11 version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025: install the September 2025 security update or later before 19 June 2027. Other in support versions of Windows 11, Windows Server 2022 and in support versions of Windows 10: install the July 2026 security update or later before 19 June 2027. Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC, Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2016: install the July 2026 security update or later before 17 May 2027. For any other Windows version, Microsoft's advice is to upgrade to a supported version. The change does not apply to devices that get their updates from Windows Server Update Services.
Why it matters for older machines
BleepingComputer reports Microsoft saying that devices on unsupported versions "will lose access to Windows Update services and won't receive any updates as a result". Microsoft's advice to administrators, as BleepingComputer reports it, is to identify every device running an older or unsupported version of Windows, keep deploying monthly updates to supported devices, and make an upgrade plan for the rest before May and June 2027.
The nearer dates
Two milestones arrive sooner. On 13 October, Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro editions reach end of updates, and Windows Server 2022 reaches end of mainstream support, moving to extended support, which still includes security updates. On 10 November, Windows 11 version 23H2 Enterprise and Education editions reach end of updates, with the November security update the last one they get. BleepingComputer notes that Windows 11 version 26H2 is now available to eligible 24H2 and 25H2 machines as a small enablement package, in a phased rollout.
What this means for your business
This is an inventory job, and it is easier now than in May 2027. List every PC, laptop and server, the version of Windows it runs and when it last installed updates. Anything on Windows 11 24H2 Home or Pro should move to a newer version now, since 13 October is its last update. Anything on a version Microsoft no longer supports needs an upgrade or a replacement plan with a date on it. And any machine that has quietly stopped updating, perhaps one that sits in a back office or runs a single piece of software, is the one most likely to be forgotten until it is cut off. If you are in Exeter or the South West and want help building that list, we can do it with you.
#WEARECOBALT
Ready when you are.
Tell us what's slowing your business down. We'll tell you exactly how we'd fix it — plainly, with no obligation.