Microsoft wants you to update your Windows 10 PC before it stops supporting these outdated versions next month

Microsoft Windows has followed a rolling release model, ever since it was first released six years ago. This means that while the company won’t release a Windows 11 for the foreseeable future, it does two major “releases” every year. These releases can only be supported for so long, so Microsoft eventually drops support after a fixed period. The company is now reminding users to update to the latest available build, before it kills support for three older versions in May.

Also read: Microsoft urges Windows 10 users to upgrade from outdated version 1909 build

On May 11, support for Windows 10 November 2019, October 2018, and April 2018 (now some of the older “major releases”) will finally be discontinued, according to a report by Techradar. Meanwhile, the company is expected to release the Windows 21H1 update that same month, which will then offer users the option of three usable Windows builds, May 2020, October 2020 and May 2021. The update arriving next month is expected to be a minor upgrade with a larger update coming in the latter half of this year.

Last month, we reported that the company began urging users who were running now-outdated version 1909 of Windows 10 (also known as the November 2019 Update) to download the latest version, with a message saying that their Windows 10 version would “reach end of service soon”. Users affected by the support shutdown are: Users running on Windows 10, version 1909, along with those on Windows 10, version 1809, and users running the older Windows 10, version 1803 and Windows Server, version 1803. 

Read more: Windows 10 21H1 update focuses on improving remote working condition

Users currently have only two options if they want to update their older versions as of today. If they have a recently released device, they should be able to update to the October 2020 update (also known as the 20H2 build). But if Microsoft has deemed their devices incompatible with that update, they will have to install the older May 2020 update, also known as the 20H1 build.