Windows Server Core End of Life (EOL) Dates & Support Timeline
Complete end-of-life dates, support windows, and security status for all Windows Server Core versions. Data sourced from endoflife.date and official vendor documentation. Updated at every deploy.
| Version | Latest Release | Release Date | EOL Date | Days | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-sp2 LTS | 6.0.6003 | Apr 29, 2009 | Jan 14, 2020 | 2370 days past EOL | EOL |
| 2008-r2-sp1 LTS | 6.1.7601 | Feb 22, 2011 | Jan 14, 2020 | 2370 days past EOL | EOL |
| 2012 LTS | 6.2.9200 | Oct 30, 2012 | Oct 10, 2023 | 1005 days past EOL | EOL |
| 2012-r2 LTS | 6.3.9600 | Nov 25, 2013 | Oct 10, 2023 | 1005 days past EOL | EOL |
| 2016 LTS | 10.0.14393 | Oct 15, 2016 | Jan 12, 2027 | 185 days remaining | Active |
| 1607 | 10.0.14393 | Oct 15, 2016 | Jan 11, 2022 | 1642 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1709 | 10.0.16299 | Oct 17, 2017 | Apr 9, 2019 | 2650 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1803 | 10.0.17134 | Apr 30, 2018 | Nov 12, 2019 | 2433 days past EOL | EOL |
| 2019 LTS | 10.0.17763 | Nov 13, 2018 | Jan 9, 2029 | 913 days remaining | Active |
| 1809 | 10.0.17763 | Nov 13, 2018 | Nov 10, 2020 | 2069 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1903 | 10.0.18362 | May 21, 2019 | Dec 8, 2020 | 2041 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1909 | 10.0.18363 | Nov 12, 2019 | May 11, 2021 | 1887 days past EOL | EOL |
| 2004 | 10.0.19041 | May 27, 2020 | Dec 14, 2021 | 1670 days past EOL | EOL |
| 20h2 | 10.0.19042 | Oct 20, 2020 | Aug 9, 2022 | 1432 days past EOL | EOL |
| 2022 LTS | 10.0.20348 | Aug 18, 2021 | Oct 14, 2031 | 1921 days remaining | Active |
| 2025 LTS | 10.0.26100 | Nov 1, 2024 | Oct 10, 2034 | 3013 days remaining | Active |
What does Windows Server Core end of life mean for your organization?
When a version of Windows Server Core reaches end of life, the maintainers stop issuing security patches. Vulnerabilities discovered after this date are publicly disclosed on the National Vulnerability Database, exploit code appears on GitHub, and your systems remain permanently exposed.
The CVE blind spot: Most vulnerability scanners check for known CVEs but do not flag the accumulation of unpatched vulnerabilities in EOL software. With a zero-day, nobody knows about the vulnerability. With EOL software, the vulnerability is public — listed, rated, and often weaponized — but no patch will ever exist. This is the most dangerous gap in enterprise security posture.
Organizations running EOL Windows Server Core should treat it as a vulnerability class in their risk register, apply compensating controls (network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, access restriction), and prioritize migration to a supported version.
Extended Support Options
If you cannot migrate immediately, extended support vendors provide continued security patches for EOL Windows Server Core versions. This is a bridge, not a permanent solution — plan your migration in parallel.
Windows Server Core has 12 versions past end of life — security patches have stopped, but CVE disclosures haven't. Tell us what you run and we'll match you with a vetted extended-support provider within 1 business day. Free, no obligation.
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