![]() I've avoided discussing the Long Term Servicing Branch in this article for good reason. Right now, the latest CBB version is 1607. If you want to spare yourself some headache, stick to the CBB version. If you want to join the legions of unpaid beta testers, you can install the latest version of Win10. But it all boils down to a simple (if embarrassing) fact: Microsoft releases new versions of Windows specifically, so they'll get tested on tens (hundreds?) of millions of machines before they're deemed ready for business - that's the "Current Branch for Business" award. If you want to wade through the definitions of the various branches, knock yourself out. In short, you need to choose a version of Win10 that's been given the "Current Branch for Business" designation by Microsoft. InfoWorld's Eric Knorr covered that question a couple of days ago. Q: If I decide to go with Win10, which version is best? Once your version of Win10 is declared dead, yes, you have to upgrade, if you want to continue to receive security patches. (Drop by if you want to discuss how I came up with that 18-to-24 estimate.) It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Microsoft changed its calculation method again. That assumes Microsoft continues to push out new versions of Win10 every eight months or so, which is the current pace. Right now, my best estimate is that a particular version of Win10 will stop receiving security patches roughly 18 to 24 months after it's released. Microsoft has published a complex formula for calculating the end-of-life date for a specific version - several formulas, actually - and thrown them all away when dealing with 1507, the only Win10 version with an official end-of-life date. Q: How long until my Win10 version bites the dust? Do I have to upgrade? ![]() If you buy a copy of Win10 (rare, but it does happen), you may get 1507 or 1511, but your first run through Windows Update will put you in the latest version of Win10. Currently, if you perform a free upgrade from Win7 to Win10 (yes, the upgrade is still free, in spite of what you've read), you end up with 1607. Q: If I upgrade to Win10 or buy a copy, which version do I get?Ī: There's no easy way to tell. I hear three questions about Win10 all the time: We can argue back and forth about whether it's harder to move from WinXP to Win7, or 1507 to 1511, or 1607 to 1703, but there's no question that upgrading involves significant change in the operating environment, and there's a definite learning curve at each bump. (The Long Term Servicing Branch is a different kettle of fish altogether - more about it at the end of this post.) Microsoft gave them similar-sounding names, but they're as different as dolphins and dodos. It's important to understand that all four of these versions of Win10 are completely separate, like Win7 and Win8 before them. You can see which version of Windows 10 you're using by following these instructions. Windows 10 Creators Update version 1703, likely to be released in March or April 2017.It's the latest and greatest.Īnd there's a fourth version nearing the end of its beta testing round: Windows 10 Anniversary Update version 1607, released Aug. ![]() Windows 10 Fall Update (now usually called November Update), version 1511, released Nov.That would be 650 days, or less than two years. It didn't have a name when it was released, but folks have taken to calling it " 1507" (for July 2015) or "RTM." We now know that the last security patches for 1507 will arrive in May, presumably May 9, 2017. ![]() The original Windows 10, released on July 29, 2015. ![]() It shouldn't surprise you to discover that the last version of Windows has versions. It's the "last version" of Windows and, as such, needs a different way to keep track of who's on first. Windows 10 ushered in a new method for numbering versions. That's 3,728 days of security patches, or a little more than 10 years. It didn't have any Service Packs - Microsoft balked at the old terminology - but if you upgraded to Windows 8.1, then Windows 8.1 Update 1, your last security patch, we're assured, will appear on Jan. If Microsoft doesn't extend support beyond that, it'll support Win7 for 3,736 days, or a little more than 10 years. If you installed the single Service Pack that was released, your last security patch will arrive on Jan. If Microsoft doesn't move the end-of-support date, the company will support Vista for 3,807 days - nearly 10.5 years. If you kept up with the Service Packs (of which there were two), your last security patch will arrive on April 11, 2017. Microsoft supported XP for 4,548 days - nearly 12.5 years. If you kept up with the Service Packs (of which there were three), your last security patch arrived on April 8, 2014. ![]()
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