{"id":11234,"date":"2026-02-24T14:01:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T14:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/microsoft-readies-extended-security-updates-program-for-windows-10-ltsb-retirement-in-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T14:01:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T14:01:03","slug":"microsoft-readies-extended-security-updates-program-for-windows-10-ltsb-retirement-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/microsoft-readies-extended-security-updates-program-for-windows-10-ltsb-retirement-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Readies Extended Security Updates Program for Windows 10 LTSB Retirement in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Microsoft has confirmed the end-of-support timeline for several significant Windows 10 releases, particularly the 2016 LTSB versions and Windows Server 2016. These versions will reach their expiration on <strong>October 13, 2026<\/strong>, meaning that after this date, devices will not receive security updates, bug fixes, or any support. Additionally, support for Windows Server 2016 will conclude on <strong>January 12, 2027<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In light of these impending deadlines, Microsoft is promoting the <strong>Extended Security Updates (ESU)<\/strong> program, which aims to support organizations still transitioning to newer software versions. This program is not a long-term solution, as it will provide essential security updates for a limited time beyond the end-of-support date.<\/p>\n<p>For those utilizing <strong>Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB<\/strong>, the ESU will be available starting in the second quarter of 2026, at an initial cost of <strong>$61 per device<\/strong> for the first year. This pricing reduces to <strong>$45 per device<\/strong> for systems managed by Microsoft Intune or Windows Autopatch, but costs will double in subsequent years.<\/p>\n<p>Organizations are encouraged to upgrade to Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 or Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, particularly for desktop computers and specialized devices.<\/p>\n<p>New details regarding Windows Server 2016 ESU pricing and roll-out will accompany future announcements. While the terminology from 2016 used <strong>Long-Term Servicing Branch (LTSB)<\/strong>, it has since been updated to <strong>Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)<\/strong>, although users might still encounter both terms in Microsoft\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n<p>For those still on Windows 10, it will be wise to explore these options ahead of the phase-out of critical updates and support.<\/p>\n<p>For further information and resources regarding this transition:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/whats-new\/extended-security-updates\">Extended Security Updates overview<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.windowscentral.com\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\">Windows 10 Enterprise overview<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.windowscentral.com\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-11\">Windows 11 Enterprise overview<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Microsoft has confirmed the end-of-support timeline for several significant Windows 10 releases, particularly the 2016 LTSB versions and Windows Server 2016. These versions will reach their expiration on\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":11235,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cheapwindowsvps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}