[German]Microsoft has reminded Windows 10 users as of April 6, 2023 that support for version 21H2 will expire in June 2023. After that, these builds will not get any security updates. Users of version 21H2 have two options: Either they update the operating system to version 22H2. Or they check whether the machine is compatible for Windows 11 22H2 and switch to this version – at least that is what Microsoft writes. Another alternative would be to switch to a Linux distribution, provided that the required functions are available on this platform. And there would be the option of switching to Windows 10 1909 IoT LTSC – there is support there until 2029.
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End of support for 21H2
Microsoft had released Windows 10 21H2 to users on November 16, 2021, as you can read on the Windows 10 Release Information page. As a fall release, 18 months of support is planned for in the "Home" versions.
This support period is scheduled to end on June 13, 2023 for Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Pro Education or Workstation for version 21H2. Only volume license versions of Windows 10 21H2 Enterprise and Education will receive 30 months of support from Microsoft.
Redmond has posted in the Release Health Dasboard Message Center an article Reminder: End of servicing for Windows 10 version 21H2 (Editions: Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations), where it again notes the end of support on June 13, 2023 for Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Pro Education or Workstation for version 21H2. The June 2023 security update rolled out on that date will be the last available update for this version. After this date, devices running this version will no longer receive monthly security and preview updates.
Forced automatic upgrade
Normally, feature updates to a newer Windows version are optional. But that changes when a Windows 10 or 11 version is near the end of its support. To protect devices running Windows 10/11 after End of Support, Windows Update automatically triggers a feature update for Windows 10/11 devices for home users and unmanaged enterprise devices that have reached or will reach end of life in the next few months. Typically, systems running Windows 10 21H2 will then be updated to version 22H2. This version will still be supported until May 14, 2024.
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Microsoft's recommendation is to always update devices to the current Windows version in order to receive security updates for as long as possible. However, not every user will be able or want to follow this recommendation because compatibility issues in hardware and software prevent a change. In addition, experience shows time and again that a new Windows version is very buggy after its release, so it makes sense to upgrade at a later point in time.
It should also be noted that managed Windows 10 versions (Enterprise or Education) used in corporate environments firstly receive longer support with security updates and secondly are also not automatically updated via feature updates.
Switching to another operating system
In the article Reminder: End of servicing for Windows 10 version 21H2 (Editions: Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations), Microsoft promotes the switch to Windows 11. However, version 21H2 will only receive support until October 10, 2023, so Windows 11 22H2 is more recommended if the machine is suitable. This version will be supported until October 8, 2024.
Those who want or need to stay on Windows 10 should look into the Windows 10 21H2 Enterprise and Windows 10 21H2 IoT Enterprise LTSB/LTSC editions. Those released on November 16, 2021, will continue to receive mainstream support until January 12, 2027 (see the Enterprise and IoT Enterprise LTSB/LTSC editions entry on this page). The supply of security updates is even guaranteed until January 13, 2031.
Alternatively, there is the option to rely on Windows 10 1909 IoT Enterprise LTSC. This operating system is in mainstream support until January 9, 2024 and receives security updates until January 9, 2029. I installed this variant here in a virtual machine for testing and am simply thrilled how "clean and empty" the Start menu is after the operating system installation. No bloatware or intrusive features in the Start menu and taskbar, just an operating system that is reduced to the basic features.
The IoT Enterprise variants are only provided by Microsoft for volume license customers, but are sometimes available from OEMs with notebooks and desktops. I recently did some research, there are also some software resellers that offer licenses for Windows 10 1909 IoT Enterprise at reasonable prices (i.e. not the stores that offer any keys ordered from China for under 10 Euros).
If you can afford it, you might also want to take a look at the available Linux versions like Ubuntu, Mint or Debian. Here it depends on whether the required applications are available in this environment. If necessary, Wine or virtualization can be used to check whether the applications can be moved from the Windows world to Linux.
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