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.

 

 

Windows 10 brings back the start menu due to popular demand, while retaining some of the aesthetic cues from the Windows 8.1 start page.
Windows 8 and 8.1 have replaced the start menu with a fullscreen start page consisting of tiles instead of shortcuts or links.
 

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