14 DAY TRIAL // April 10 marked the last Patch Tuesday for Windows 10 Anniversary Update (version 1607), and users are now recommended to upgrade their systems to a newer release in order to continue receiving updates and security patches.
The Anniversary Update was released in the summer of 2016 and it received 20 months of servicing. Computers running the Home or Pro SKUs of Windows 10 version 1607 could become vulnerable to attacks should any flaws be discovered in the operating system.
This end of support, however, does not apply to Windows 10 devices running Enterprise or Education SKUs. In their case, updates and security patches will continue to be provided until October 9, 2018, so they have a little bit more time to upgrade systems to a supported Windows 10 version.
Also, the Windows 10 Anniversary Update will continue to be supported as part of the long-term servicing channels (LTSC) which guarantees updates until October 2026.
New Windows 10 release just around the corner
Killing off old versions of Windows 10 is part of Microsoft’s new push called Windows as a Service. This means that while older releases are discontinued, new ones are being shipped, and updating to the most recent is the recommended way to always be protected and get security updates.
At this point, Microsoft is giving the finishing touches to Windows 10 Spring Creators Update, which is projected to launch as soon as this month.
On the other hand, the next version to be discontinued is the original Creators Update, also known as version 1703. This is projected to happen on October 9 this year, while the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709) will be retired for Home and Pro SKUs on April 9, 2019.
The original Windows 10 version, as well as Windows 10 November Update (version 1511), has already been retired and only receive updates as part of the LTSC branch.