As we near the end of another year, I like to look back at the past 12 months in patching from MIcrosoft. What changed (a lot), what didn’t (patch-related problems). We began 2021 thinking Windows 10 would continue to be serviced and updated as usual, for instance. We end the year knowing different. (I’ll have some predictions for 2022 next week.)
We now know that Windows 10 will not receive updates indefinitely. Earlier this year, Microsoft unveiled Windows 11 and announced it would need certain hardware and Trusted Platform Module installed before machines would receive new OS. Given that most users only have hardware that will support Windows 10, many will be running the older OS until 2025. Microsoft already announced it will be providing security updates for Windows 10 until then and will move to an annual feature release model — matching the cadence for Windows 11. (My prediction for 2025: Microsoft will offer extended security patches for even consumer versions of Windows 10 because so many of us will have still usable machines unable to update to Windows 11. Come back in 2025 and we’ll see if I’m right.)
To read this article in full, please click here