Windows workstation operating systems: 8 and 10
The most striking and obvious difference between Windows 8 and Windows 10 is visual: the start menu. See the images in the section below for examples.
Aside from interface changes, each new version of Windows is more secure than the previous version, and ships with more security settings enabled by default, while at the same time adding new features and increasing performance.
| Client operating systems | Latest update or service pack | End of mainstream support | End of extended support |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Windows XP |
Service Pack 3 |
April 14, 2009 |
April 8, 2014 |
|
Windows Vista |
Service Pack 2 |
April 10, 2012 |
April 11, 2017 |
|
Windows 7 |
Service Pack 1 |
January 13, 2015 |
January 14, 2020 |
|
Windows 8 |
Windows 8.1 |
January 9, 2018 |
January 10, 2023 |
|
Windows 10 |
October 13, 2020 |
October 14, 2025 |
Server 2019
- Storage Migration Service
- Enhanced Azure AD authentication
- Full mirror-accelerated parity
Server 2016
- Dynamic access control
- Unified remote access
- Server Core
Server 2012
- Dynamic access control
- Unified remote access
- Server Core
See the following table for service pack support information. Microsoft discontinued the use of Service Packs with Windows Server 2008 R2. There are no service packs planned for Windows Server 2012 and later.
|
Server operating systems |
End of mainstream support |
End of extended support |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Windows Server 2019 |
1/9/2024 |
1/9/2029 |
|
|
Windows Server 2016
|
1/11/2022 |
1/12/2027 |
|
|
Windows Server 2012 R2 |
10/9/2018 |
1/10/2023 |
|
|
Windows Server 2012 |
10/9/2018 |
1/10/2023 |
|
|
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 |
1/13/2015 |
1/14/2020 |
|
|
Windows Server 2008 SP2 |
1/13/2015 |
1/14/2020 |
|
|
Windows Server 2003 SP2 |
7/13/2010 |
7/14/2015 |
|
|
|
|
|