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At the start of the year, Microsoft unveiled the initial information about its latest server, and now it has officially launched it: Windows Server 2025 has arrived.
(Image: Created with AI in Bing Designer by heise online / dmk)
At the start of the year, initial details regarding the pre-release versions of Windows Server 2025 surfaced. Now, the information is official: Microsoft announced its general availability on November 1 of this year.
The earlier announcement can be found in the Windows Release Health Center, and it’s expected that Microsoft will share further details about the new server on additional platforms soon. The developers have stated: “Windows Servers 2025 is now generally available” – which confirms that Windows Server 2025 is rolling out. As an LTSC version, this release indicates that Microsoft intends to provide extended support for Server 2025, with mainstream support set to conclude in October 2029 and extended support wrapping up in October 2034, according to the company’s release notes.
Windows Server 2025 comes with noteworthy features that haven’t been accessible in on-premise setups before. Notably, the server supports a function called hot patching, allowing updates to be implemented without the need for a system restart. This feature has been available for testing in the preview version of Server 2025 since late September. Microsoft has promoted this functionality as a means for administrators to spend more quality time with their families over the weekends. However, this does not mean that restarts are eliminated entirely. While it can extend the time between required restarts to three months, a system reboot will still be necessary once every quarter.
Additionally, an OpenSSH server that can be activated with a simple click is included. File sharing via SMB is designed to be stronger and more secure, and enhancements have been made to Hyper-V. New security features aim to bolster the protection of Active Directory.
At the launch, developers highlighted several known issues with Windows Server 2025 as outlined in the Windows Release Health Notes. During installation, some text may still be displayed in English. On systems equipped with a significant number of CPU cores—Microsoft mentions up to 256 logical cores—the system may behave unpredictably. Instances may include the installation or upgrade process aborting, the system not responding, blue screens appearing during startup or restart, or experiencing abnormally long startup times, potentially extending to three hours or more. Additionally, in iSCSI setups, there may be issues accessing the boot device, making it impossible to boot from it due to access difficulties.
IT administrators can obtain Windows Server 2025 through the standard distribution channels. Although the German website continues to reference the preview version, the ISO images and VHD files are accessible on the evaluation page for Windows Server 2025.
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This article was originally published in
It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.