[German]Support for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 expired on January 14, 2020. However, Microsoft had provided a paid Extended Security Update Support for the two operating systems, which provides updates until January 10, 2023. Now it has been announced that Microsoft is extending this ESU support for Windows Server 2008 R2 for another year.
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What is ESU?
After Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 reached the end of support on Jan. 14, 2020, there are no more security updates by default. Since then, however, corporate customers have had the option of purchasing an ESU license for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 in order to continue receiving security updates between January 2020 and January 2023 at the latest. To that end, Microsoft has announced Extended Security Updates (ESU) support as a separate program for enterprise customers (see Wow! Windows 7 get extended support until January 2023). ESU licenses are available for the following operating systems:
- Windows 7 SP1
- Windows 7 Professional for Embedded Systems
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 SP2
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 for Embedded Systems and Windows Server 2008 SP2 for Embedded Systems
The third year of ESU support will start in January 2022. I have a machine running WIndows 7 SP1 Ultimate here with an ESU license for 2020/2021 (I had referred to the ESU package for the second year in the blog post Windows 7 SP1: ESU Support for 2021 – Part 1). For Windows Server 2008 R2, however, the conclusion of a corresponding volume license contribution is required.
Windows Server 2008 R2: ESU support until January 9, 2024
It looks like customers won't be able to say goodbye to Windows Server 2008 R2 until January 2023. Via Dr. Windows, I became aware of Microsoft's ESU support extension for Windows Server 2008 R2. In the 2020 Techcommunity post Update: Extended Security Updates for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, an addendum from November 5, 2021 states:
Update 2021.11.05: For Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 7 Professional for Embedded Systems, the Extended Security Update (ESU) Program will be entering its third and final year of extended support beginning on February 8, 2022 and ending on January 10, 2023.
For Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2008 SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 for Embedded Systems and Windows Server 2008 SP2 for Embedded Systems if running on Microsoft Azure, ESU will have one additional year of extended support available beginning on February 14, 2023, ending on January 9, 2024.
Those who have to continue running Windows Server 2008 R2 can buy extended support from Microsoft until January 9, 2024. For Windows 7 SP1 clients, however, updates are supposed to end in January 2023.
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Windows 7: Buy and manage ESU licenses – Part 1
Windows 7: Preparing for ESU and license activation – Part 2
Windows 7: ESU Activation in Enterprise Environment – Part 3
Windows 7: ESU questions and more answers – Part 4
Windows 7: Forcing February 2020 Security Updates – Part 1
Windows 7: Securing with the 0patch solution – Part 2
Windows 7/Server 2008/R2: 0patch delivers security patches after support ends
Fix: Windows 7 ESU system does not find updates
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