Windows 10 version 1703, also known as the Creators Update, was released in the first half of 2017. Microsoft has told Enterprise and Education edition Windows 10 customers that this version will stop receiving security updates from October 9. “the Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 10, version 1703 (the Windows 10 Creators Update) will reach end of life on October 9, 2019.” Microsoft has traditionally supported Windows builds for longer, but with Windows 10 the company changed its model. Now operating as “Windows as a service,” the platform receives new major updates every six months. Until this year, those have been two feature-rich updates each year. However, Microsoft recently revealed it is now switching to a single major feature update branch per year. A second update each year will be rolled out in support of the first major release.
No Extended Support
Under the Windows as a service model, older versions of the Windows 10 platform are essentially discontinued. That’s because Microsoft wants users to update to the latest version as soon as possible to avoid fragmentation. “There is no extended support available for any edition of Windows 10, version 1703,” Microsoft said. “Therefore, it will no longer be supported after October 9, 2019 and will not receive monthly security and quality updates containing protections from the latest security threats.” It is worth noting that users running Windows 10 Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, and IoT Core on version 1703 had their EOL deadline on October 8, 2018. Enterprise and Education users received a year longer to prepare their relevant upgrades.
