Windows 11 26H1 (W) · Version Status
Windows 11 26H1 (W) End of Life Date
Windows 11 26H1 (W) end-of-life date, support status, and CVE risk. Data reconciled from official vendor documentation and endoflife.date at every build; the source of each date is on the product page.
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Windows 11 26H1 (W) is actively supported. EOL date: March 14, 2028.
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EOL Date
Mar 14, 2028
538 days remaining
Latest Release
10.0.28000
Standard release
Release Date
Feb 10, 2026
Windows 11 26H1 (W) series
Lifecycle detail
Windows 11-26h1-w was released on February 10, 2026 and support is scheduled to end on March 14, 2028 — a planned supported lifespan of 2 years and 1 month, shorter than the 2 years and 7 months median for Windows releases. It is not an LTS release; Windows reserves longer patch windows for its LTS versions.
Attack Surface
30/30 Critical tier
CISA KEV Exposure
20/20 Named in CISA KEV
Extended Support
0/10 Available
EOL Risk Score™ — proprietary methodology by endoflife.ai. Factors: EOL recency, attack surface breadth, CISA KEV catalog presence, extended support availability. Updated at every build.
Methodology → ·
View score card →
| Version | Latest | EOL Date | Status |
|---|
| XP SP3 |
5.1.2600 |
Apr 8, 2014 |
EOL |
| Vista SP2 |
6.0.6200 |
Apr 11, 2017 |
EOL |
| 7 SP1 |
6.1.7601 |
Jan 14, 2020 |
EOL |
| 8 |
6.2.9200 |
Jan 12, 2016 |
EOL |
| 8.1 |
6.3.9600 |
Jan 10, 2023 |
EOL |
| 10 1507 IOT |
10.0.10240 |
Nov 10, 2020 |
EOL |
| 10 1507 |
10.0.10240 |
May 9, 2017 |
EOL |
| 10 1507 (E) LTS |
10.0.10240 |
Oct 14, 2025 |
EOL |
What does Windows 11 26H1 (W) end of life mean?
When Windows 11 26H1 (W) reaches end of life, the maintainers stop issuing security patches for this version. CVEs discovered after the EOL date are publicly disclosed on the National Vulnerability Database with no patch available. Exploit code frequently appears on GitHub within days of disclosure.
The CVE blind spot: A CVE-based scan does not show the ongoing accumulation of unpatched vulnerabilities in EOL software versions. Some scanners flag unsupported versions of common products, but coverage varies, and none of them give you the date in advance. Running Windows 11 26H1 (W) past its EOL date creates a growing attack surface that a clean scan result does not rule out.
Migrate to Windows 11 26H1 (E) or implement compensating controls — network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, restricted access — while migration is underway.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Windows 11 26H1 (W) reach end of life?
Windows 11 26H1 (W) reached end of life on March 14, 2028. That is 538 days remaining.
Is Windows 11 26H1 (W) still supported?
Yes, Windows 11 26H1 (W) is currently supported. The EOL date is March 14, 2028.
What should I upgrade to from Windows 11 26H1 (W)?
The recommended upgrade from Windows 11 26H1 (W) is
Windows 11 26H1 (E) — the latest actively supported version. Check the
Windows full timeline for all supported versions.
What are the security risks of running Windows 11 26H1 (W) past EOL?
When Windows 11 26H1 (W) reaches end of life, the maintainers stop issuing security patches. Any CVEs disclosed after the EOL date accumulate with no vendor fix. A CVE-based scan does not show this — it is the CVE blind spot; some scanners flag unsupported versions of common products, but coverage varies and none give the date in advance. Organizations running EOL Windows should migrate immediately or implement compensating controls.