Using Windows 10 at work will soon end for some users

Microsoft has confirmed that certain versions of its enterprise-destined Windows 10 operating system will reach end of service (EOS) by May 9 2023.

The affected version of Windows 10 was released in October 2020, codenamed 20H2, specifically Enterprise, Enterprise multi-session, Education, and IoT Enterprise versions. 

For some users, the warning may come as no surprise, with personal users already having been notified. Other versions, including Home, Pro, Pro Education, Pro for Workstations, and Team were already notified of its EOS in May 2022.

Windows 10 20H2 EOS

A Microsoft support page (opens in new tab) explains that the remaining 20H2 versions “will no longer receive security updates after May 9, 2023”, instead advising customers to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10 or upgrade to Windows 11.

While enterprise and education users will still be able to use version 20H2, they will no longer receive security updates and patches putting them at a greater risk of cybersecurity threats. 

While the exact number of 20H2 users remains unclear, Windows 10 continues to be the company’s most popular operating system, accounting for more than two-thirds (69%) of all installations (via Statcounter (opens in new tab)).

Despite gaining in popularity in recent months, Windows 11 trails far behind, accounting for fewer than one in five (18%) installs. 

In another support article (opens in new tab), Microsoft explained: “Since Windows 10, we have been helping Windows users stay up to date and secure with supported versions of Windows through automatic updates.”

For many, this may mean that 20H2 EOS is nothing to worry about, but for companies who take a more proactive approach to deploying OS updates, they may need to take action in order to maintain optimum security.