Microsoft will ditch one other model of its desktop working system, one yr after it pulls help for Home windows 10. The US agency has introduced that Home windows 11 SE will attain finish of life in October 2026.
Like Home windows 10, which reaches its finish of life on October 14, Microsoft will now not challenge new safety patches, bug fixes, or new options for its working programs. If cyber criminals uncover a flaw within the software program that permits them to steal private information, set up malware, or different nefarious actions — Microsoft gained't come to the rescue with an replace.
There is an additional yr of safety updates obtainable for Home windows 10, however it'll price you £22 …until you comply with these particular steps to swerve the fee. It's unclear whether or not the identical will apply to Home windows 11 SE.
Microsoft has confirmed that Home windows 11 SE will not take pleasure in the identical blockbuster replace coming to different variations of Home windows 11, together with Residence and Professional.
Dubbed Model 25H2, that is the second of two feature-packed updates scheduled to launch this yr. Home windows 11 SE is not going to be launched within the coming months with the opposite variations. Meaning Home windows 11 SE has already acquired its remaining main replace from Microsoft, Model 24H2 rolled-out within the second half of final yr.
Microsoft quietly revealed its determination via an up to date help doc, stating: "Assist for Home windows 11 SE—together with software program updates, technical help, and safety fixes—will finish in October 2026."
In fact, any present gadgets powered by Home windows 11 SE will proceed functioning after this date, however Microsoft advises transitioning to {hardware} that runs various Home windows 11 editions to keep up safety and help protection.
Home windows 11 SE was introduced again in 2021, positioning it as Microsoft's reply to ChromeOS — the working system that powers thousands and thousands of low-cost Chromebooks, which is dominant in training worldwide. The streamlined system was designed particularly for school rooms, with its cloud-first performance and strict administrative controls.
Your choices for SE gadgets included Microsoft's personal £249 Floor Laptop computer SE, alongside fashions from Acer, Asus, Dell, Dynabook, Fujitsu, HP, JK-IP, Lenovo, and Positivo.
The system restricted college students to pre-approved academic purposes like Microsoft Workplace, Groups, and Minecraft for Training, while directors may add choose third-party software program resembling Google Chrome and Zoom.
Should you appreciated the flexibleness of full-featured Home windows 11, you'd have discovered the constraints imposed on Home windows 11 SE significantly irritating — it prioritised Progressive Net Apps over typical Win32 purposes and required administrative exceptions for traditional software program installations.
Your academic establishment faces an important transition interval earlier than October 2026. Faculties should now finances for alternative {hardware}, as present SE laptops can not merely swap to plain Home windows 11 editions — Microsoft particularly recommends buying new gadgets quite than making an attempt OS conversions.
Should you're an IT administrator managing these programs via Microsoft Intune for Training, you'll have to develop migration methods for scholar information saved in OneDrive and plan for the procurement of appropriate gadgets.
The timing proves significantly difficult as colleges should allocate funds for wholesale {hardware} alternative quite than software program upgrades. If that sounds just like the scenario you're in — you're not alone. Numerous others should now resolve what to do with their fleet of gadgets, with no formal rationalization from Microsoft concerning the discontinuation regardless of the numerous funding colleges made in SE-compatible {hardware} just some years in the past.
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You've witnessed Microsoft's repeated struggles towards ChromeOS through the years. The corporate beforehand tried Home windows 10 S Mode, which confined customers to Microsoft Retailer purposes regardless of the restricted choice obtainable. Home windows 11 SE represented their most complete effort but, although it finally confronted related challenges.
Should you've adopted the training expertise market, you'll recognise that Chromebook shipments have declined since 2022, with American analysis and advisory agency Gartner noting its "restricted buyer base and inferior construct high quality." Regardless of this downturn, Microsoft's SE variant couldn't capitalise on the chance.