Microsoft will send the last security update for Windows Server 2016 in January 2027. Businesses still running it need an upgrade plan now.
Microsoft says Windows Server 2016 will stop getting security updates in January 2027. The January 2027 update will be the last one. Extended support ends on January 12, about three months from now. Any business that still runs this server software has a short window to move.
Windows Server is the version of Windows that runs behind the scenes in many offices. It can handle shared files, user accounts and company apps. Version 2016 came out in September 2016 and reached general availability on October 12, 2016. Mainstream support ended in January 2022. Extended support is the final stretch, and it is now close to its end.
Microsoft put it plainly: after the last update, devices running Windows Server 2016 will no longer get monthly security updates with protections against the latest threats. That applies to every edition: Datacenter, Essentials, MultiPoint Premium and Standard.
A server that stops getting security fixes keeps working, but it does not get protection against newly found weaknesses. Servers often hold company files and customer records, and many sit at the center of how an office runs. Running one without fixes is a risk that grows over time.
Essentials users face a second change. On the same date, Microsoft will stop supporting all Windows Server 2016 Essentials features, including Remote Web Access and other Essentials-specific functions.
The news is aimed at businesses and IT teams that run Windows Server 2016. If you only use regular Windows computers at home or work, this notice is not about your machines. Anyone already on a newer server release is not covered by this deadline either. If you are not sure what your company runs, ask whoever manages your IT.
Microsoft advises moving to Windows Server 2025. It reached general availability in November 2024. Microsoft lists mainstream support for it until November 2029 and extended support until November 14, 2034. The steps in the alert box above cover the practical order of work, including a free way to test first.
The January 2027 update is the final one, so the deadline will not move on its own. Microsoft's notice, as reported, does not mention any extension. Dates for other Windows versions are on the Windows Lifecycle FAQ page and the Lifecycle Policy search tool. Microsoft also said earlier this month that Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro stopped getting security updates, a reminder to check other products too.
If any of your servers run Windows Server 2016, start planning the move to Windows Server 2025 now, before January 12.
Morristown police say scammers posing as bank staff are pushing people to withdraw cash, which is very hard to get back once it is handed over.
Read more: Morristown police warn of scam where fake bank staff ask for cashA viral ChatGPT prompt turns what the chatbot remembers about you into a room image. Posting it publicly could give scammers clues to target you.
Read more: Viral ChatGPT room image could hand scammers clues about youA message saying your Amazon account was hacked is often the scam itself. Checking in the Amazon app first can protect your card, gift balance and phone.
Read more: If Amazon says your account was hacked, check before you call
