- Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC lifecycle will change from 10 to 5 years.
- The lifecycle change will start with Windows 10 21H2 and older releases will continue the 10-year cycle.
- Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC lifecycle won’t be affected.
Microsoft is planning to shorten the lifecycle of its Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) for Windows 10 to five years from ten.
The announcement appeared at the Tech Community blog, where the company explained that with the release of version 21H2 during the second half of the year, the Windows 10 Client LSTC will change to a five-year lifecycle to align with the support schedule of Office LTSC.
Since the Long Term Servicing Channel is available for Windows 10 Enterprise and IoT, the company also clarifies that the change only applies to Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC and Office 2021. Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC will continue to be supported with the 10-year lifecycle.
According to the announcement, after consulting with customers, the company has found that the full ten years cycle is not required most of the time for devices that cannot be upgraded every year. Since technology changes quickly, it is challenging to support a release for so many years. As a result, starting with version 21H2, the Windows 10 Client LTSC will only have a five-year support cycle.
The change will only affect version 21H2 and higher releases. Older versions will continue to be supported for the remaining time until they reach the ten-year lifecycle or Microsoft announces a change in the product cycle policy.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].