- Microsoft has ended all support for the Vista/Server 2008 code base
- Standard, ESU and even PA support deadlines have passed
- Windows Server 2012 is next, ESU ends in October 2026
Microsoft has officially ended all remaining support for the Windows Vista codebase as of January 13, 2026, after around 18 years of support since the release of Windows Vista, meaning that Windows Server 2008 has also come to an end.
Most customers lost support in January 2020, with extended security updates (ESU) available for three more years, until January 2023 (or four for Azure customers, until January 2024).
However, some organizations were granted Premium Assurance (PA) until January 2026. Although PA was phased out long ago, existing contracts were fulfilled, but the time has come for even those to have ended.
Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista finally rest in peace
Windows Vista was never particularly popular, accounting for about one in four Windows installations at its peak, and at a time when its predecessor, Windows XP, still accounted for roughly the other three in four.
XP remained more popular than Vista until the end, with both falling below 1% market share during the Windows 10 era.
Microsoft explained in a previous support article that free local security updates, non-security updates, free support options, and online technical content updates would no longer be available. At that time, they were told to migrate to Azure for three more years of critical and important security updates.
While it is entirely plausible that companies will still want to continue using Windows Server 2008, most will have already migrated to stay protected from bugs and vulnerabilities. More importantly, the news that version 2008 has been completely retired comes just a few months before the same thing happens with Windows Server 2012.
Another support article confirms the ESU end date for Azure-hosted and non-Azure-hosted versions: October 13, 2026.
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