Microsoft Windows Server

microsoft os windows

Windows Server (formerly Windows NT Server) is a group of operating systems (OS) for servers by Microsoft. The brand name was changed to Windows Server in 2003.

Release Released Active Support Security Support Extended Security Updates Latest
Windows Server 23H2 5 months ago
(24 Oct 2023)
Ends in 1 year
(24 Apr 2025)
Ends in 1 year and 7 months
(24 Oct 2025)
Unavailable 10.0.25398
Windows Server 2022 (LTSC) 2 years and 7 months ago
(18 Aug 2021)
Ends in 2 years and 6 months
(13 Oct 2026)
Ends in 7 years
(14 Oct 2031)
Unavailable 10.0.20348
Windows Server 20H2 3 years and 5 months ago
(20 Oct 2020)
Ended 1 year and 7 months ago
(09 Aug 2022)
Ended 1 year and 7 months ago
(09 Aug 2022)
Unavailable 10.0.19042
Windows Server 2004 3 years and 10 months ago
(27 May 2020)
Ended 2 years and 3 months ago
(14 Dec 2021)
Ended 2 years and 3 months ago
(14 Dec 2021)
Unavailable 10.0.19041
Windows Server 1909 4 years ago
(12 Nov 2019)
Ended 2 years and 10 months ago
(11 May 2021)
Ended 2 years and 10 months ago
(11 May 2021)
Unavailable 10.0.18363
Windows Server 1809 5 years ago
(13 Nov 2018)
Ended 3 years and 4 months ago
(10 Nov 2020)
Ended 3 years and 4 months ago
(10 Nov 2020)
Unavailable 10.0.17763
Windows Server 2019 (LTSC) 5 years ago
(13 Nov 2018)
Ended 2 months and 2 weeks ago
(09 Jan 2024)
Ends in 4 years and 9 months
(09 Jan 2029)
Unavailable 10.0.17763
Windows Server 1903 5 years and 10 months ago
(21 May 2018)
Ended 3 years ago
(08 Dec 2020)
Ended 3 years ago
(08 Dec 2020)
Unavailable 10.0.18362
Windows Server 1803 5 years and 11 months ago
(30 Apr 2018)
Ended 4 years ago
(12 Nov 2019)
Ended 4 years ago
(12 Nov 2019)
Unavailable 10.0.17134
Windows Server 1709 6 years ago
(17 Oct 2017)
Ended 4 years and 11 months ago
(09 Apr 2019)
Ended 4 years and 11 months ago
(09 Apr 2019)
Unavailable 10.0.16299
Windows Server 2016 (LTSC) 7 years ago
(15 Oct 2016)
Ended 2 years ago
(11 Jan 2022)
Ends in 2 years and 9 months
(12 Jan 2027)
Unavailable 10.0.14393
Windows Server 2012-R2 (LTSC) 10 years ago
(25 Nov 2013)
Ended 5 years ago
(09 Oct 2018)
Ended 5 months and 2 weeks ago
(10 Oct 2023)
Ends in 2 years and 6 months
(13 Oct 2026)
6.3.9600
Windows Server 2012 (LTSC) 11 years ago
(30 Oct 2012)
Ended 5 years ago
(09 Oct 2018)
Ended 5 months and 2 weeks ago
(10 Oct 2023)
Ends in 2 years and 6 months
(13 Oct 2026)
6.2.9200
Windows Server 2008-R2-SP1 (LTSC) 13 years ago
(22 Feb 2011)
Ended 9 years ago
(13 Jan 2015)
Ended 4 years ago
(14 Jan 2020)
Ended 1 year and 2 months ago
(10 Jan 2023)
6.1.7601
Windows Server 2008-SP2 (LTSC) 14 years ago
(29 Apr 2009)
Ended 9 years ago
(13 Jan 2015)
Ended 4 years ago
(14 Jan 2020)
Ended 1 year and 2 months ago
(10 Jan 2023)
6.0.6003
Windows Server 2003-SP2 (LTSC) 20 years ago
(24 Apr 2003)
Ended 13 years ago
(13 Jul 2010)
Ended 8 years ago
(14 Jul 2015)
Unavailable 5.2.3790
Windows Server 2000 (LTSC) 24 years ago
(17 Feb 2000)
Ended 18 years ago
(30 Jun 2005)
Ended 13 years ago
(13 Jul 2010)
Unavailable 5.0.2195

Servicing channels

There have been historically three primary release channels available:

  • Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)
  • Semi-Annual Channel (SAC)
  • Annual Channel (AC)

The Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) was retired on August 9, 2022. There will be no future SAC releases of Windows Server.

The Windows Server Annual Channel (AC) was released after the retirement of the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC). The first release of the Annual Channel (AC) was on October 24, 2023.

Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)

With the Long-Term Servicing Channel, a new major version of Windows Server is released every 2-3 years. Users are entitled to 5 years of mainstream support and 5 years of extended support. The Long-Term Servicing Channel will continue to receive security and non-security updates, but it will not receive the new features and functionality.

Semi-Annual Channel (SAC)

Each release in this channel is supported for 18 months from the initial release. Most of the features introduced in the Semi-Annual Channel have been rolled up into the next Long-Term Servicing Channel release of Windows Server. In this model, Windows Server releases were identified by the year and month of release: for example, in 2017, a release in the 9th month (September) would be identified as version 1709. Fresh releases of Windows Server in the Semi-Annual Channel occurred twice each year. The support lifecycle for each release is 18 months. Starting with fall 2020 (20H2) releases, the identification changed. Instead of a month, the release is named based on the release cycle. For example: version 20H2, for a release in the second half of the year 2020.

Annual Channel (AC)

Similar to Semi-Annual Channel (SAC), but releases occurred every 12 months. The support lifecycle for each release is 18 months of mainstream support, plus 6 months of extended support.

Extended Security Updates (ESU)

For some releases, customers also have the option to purchase Extended Security Updates (ESU). It includes Critical and/or Important security updates for a maximum of three years after the product’s End of Extended Support date. Customers can also get technical support for the ESU period as long as they also have an active support plan.

More information is available on the Microsoft Windows Server website.

You should be running one of the supported release numbers listed above in the rightmost column.

You can check the version that you are currently using by running:
winver

You can submit an improvement to this page on GitHub :octocat: . This page has a corresponding Talk Page.

A JSON version of this page is available at /api/windows-server.json. See the API Documentation for more information. You can subscribe to the iCalendar feed at /calendar/windows-server.ics.