MICROSOFT’S Windows Server 2022 will leave mainstream support on 13 October 2026, according to the product’s official lifecycle plans cited by SecurityOnline. The operating system, released in March 2021, is distributed through Microsoft’s Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC).
Its mainstream-support period provides feature enhancements as well as security updates; once that period ends, Microsoft will stop adding features but will continue addressing qualifying bugs and security vulnerabilities during extended support.
Extended support is scheduled to continue until October 2031, meaning organisations can continue running Windows Server 2022 while receiving security patches. The article also says Azure-based deployments receive an additional year of hotpatch support, through October 2027. It directs administrators to a Microsoft 365 Message Center notification for further lifecycle information.
Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows Server 2025. The article says an in-place upgrade from Windows Server 2022 is possible, although organisations must purchase a new licence because Microsoft does not provide free major-version upgrades for server products. It does not report a security incident or confirmed exploitation; the issue is the approaching change in support status and the need for affected organisations to plan their upgrade or ongoing extended-support arrangements.