Last checked: 22 October 2026, against Microsoft Learn lifecycle pages, the .NET support policy and Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates documentation. Dates are the last day of support as Microsoft publishes them, in US Pacific Time.
The next Microsoft end-of-support deadlines for .NET applications are .NET 8 and .NET 9 on 10 November 2026, then Windows Server 2016 and .NET Framework 4.6.2 on 12 January 2027. SQL Server 2017 follows on 12 October 2027, and Windows Server 2019 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 on 9 January 2029. .NET Framework 4.8 and 4.8.1 have no fixed date, because they are supported for as long as the Windows version they run on.
Every row traces back to a Microsoft source listed at the end. The table is in date order, with what each deadline means and what I would do about it.
Microsoft end-of-support dates for .NET applications, 2026 to 2029
| Date | Product | What ends | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Oct 2025 (passed) | Windows 10 | Support ended. Paid ESUs for organisations run to 10 Oct 2028; the consumer ESU programme ends 12 Oct 2027. | Move build agents, test machines and user PCs to Windows 11. Use ESUs only for stragglers. |
| 14 Jul 2026 (passed) | SQL Server 2016 | Extended support ended. Paid ESUs available for up to three years. | Upgrade to a supported SQL Server or Azure SQL. Buy ESUs only to cover the migration window. |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Windows Server 2012 / 2012 R2 | The third and final year of ESUs ends. | No security route remains after this. Move whatever still runs on it. |
| 10 Nov 2026 | .NET 8 (LTS) and .NET 9 (STS) | Security fixes, servicing updates and technical support end. | Retarget to .NET 10. Usually a small job. |
| 10 Nov 2026 | Azure Functions in-process model | Support for the in-process hosting model ends. | Move to the isolated worker model, then to .NET 10. |
| 10 Nov 2026 (scheduled) | .NET 11 (STS) released | Starts a 24-month support window. Microsoft has not yet published the end date. | Fine for short-lived work. Standardise business applications on .NET 10. |
| 12 Jan 2027 | Windows Server 2016 | Extended support ends. ESUs offered through Azure Arc. | Move IIS-hosted apps to Windows Server 2022 or 2025, or to Azure. |
| 12 Jan 2027 | .NET Framework 4.6.2 | Support ends. | Install .NET Framework 4.8 or 4.8.1 in place. Microsoft says recompiling is not needed. |
| 12 Jul 2027 | SQL Server 2014 ESUs | The final ESU year ends. | Nothing extends SQL Server 2014 beyond this date. Upgrade before it. |
| 12 Oct 2027 | SQL Server 2017 | Extended support ends. | Plan it together with any SQL Server 2016 upgrade. Test compatibility levels. |
| 14 Nov 2028 | .NET 10 (LTS) | Support ends. | Plan the move to the following LTS release during 2028. |
| 9 Jan 2029 | Windows Server 2019 | Extended support ends. | Fold into the same server refresh as 2016 if you can. |
| 9 Jan 2029 | .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 | Support ends (a standalone product from Windows 10 version 1809 and Windows Server 2019). | Move .NET 2.0 to 3.5 applications to 4.8.x or modern .NET. |
| July 2029 | SQL Server 2016 ESUs | Year 3, the final ESU year, ends. | Hard stop for SQL Server 2016. |
| 8 Jan 2030 | SQL Server 2019 | Extended support ends. Mainstream support ended on 28 Feb 2025. | Just outside this window. Target a later version when you upgrade 2016 or 2017. |
| Follows Windows | .NET Framework 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8, 4.8.1 | Supported as a Windows component for the life of the host OS. | Stay on 4.8.x. The date that matters is your operating system’s. |
| Follows Windows | Visual Basic 6.0 runtime | Supported on supported Windows versions. The IDE has been unsupported since 8 Apr 2008. | Runs, but you cannot maintain it with supported tools. Plan the replacement. |
For the .NET 8 deadline in detail, including Azure App Service and Functions, see what to do before .NET 8 support ends.
What does end of support actually mean?
On the day, nothing switches off. Servers boot, databases answer queries and applications serve users. What stops is Microsoft’s work: security updates, non-security fixes and technical support. Microsoft’s ESU FAQ adds a detail people miss. For Windows Server 2012 without ESUs, you cannot log a support ticket at all, even with a paid support plan.
The practical effect builds over months. Each newly disclosed vulnerability stays open on your systems. Compliance then catches up with you. Version 3.3 of the NCSC’s Cyber Essentials requirements says all software on in-scope devices must be licensed and supported. Software that becomes unsupported must be removed, or put in a sub-set with no internet traffic. Customer audits and security questionnaires tend to ask the same question.
Can you buy Extended Security Updates, and are they free on Azure?
Extended Security Updates (ESUs) are Microsoft’s paid bridge. They deliver Critical and Important security updates for up to three years after a product’s end of support. Microsoft states that they do not extend the product lifecycle. They also exclude new features and general technical support. The “free on Azure” offer depends on the product, and SQL Server 2016 changed the rules.
| Product | ESUs available | Free on Azure? |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 | Up to three years for organisations, by device. Year 1 was USD 61 per device and the price doubles each year. | Yes, for Windows 10 VMs in Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Azure VMs and several other Azure services |
| SQL Server 2016 | Up to three years, via Azure Arc pay-as-you-go or volume licensing with Software Assurance | No. Moving to an Azure VM no longer gives free ESUs, unlike SQL Server 2014. |
| SQL Server 2014 | Final year ends 12 Jul 2027 | Yes, on Azure VMs |
| Windows Server 2016 | Yes, through Azure Arc with subscription billing, announced in February 2026 | Microsoft’s general ESU FAQ says ESUs are free for VMs in Azure, but its detailed terms so far cover 2012 and 2012 R2. Get 2016 confirmed in writing. |
| .NET 8 and .NET 9 | No Microsoft ESU. A third party, HeroDevs, sells extended support for .NET 8. | Not applicable |
| .NET Framework 4.6.2 | Not needed. Update in place to 4.8 or 4.8.1. | Not applicable |
Two details catch people out. First, ESUs are cumulative: Microsoft says that if you join Windows 10 ESU in year two, you pay for year one as well. Second, SQL Server ESUs have no regular cadence. Microsoft releases one only when its Security Response Center rates a vulnerability as Critical, so a quiet month does not mean coverage has lapsed.
When does .NET Framework support end?
Since version 4.5.2, Microsoft has defined .NET Framework as a component of Windows, supported on the same lifecycle as the operating system it is installed on. In practice, .NET Framework 4.8 on Windows Server 2022 is supported for as long as Windows Server 2022 is. Two versions have their own dates: 4.6.2 ends on 12 January 2027, and 3.5 SP1, a standalone product from Windows Server 2019 onwards, ends on 9 January 2029.
The 4.6.2 fix is cheap. Microsoft describes 4.6.2 and later as compatible in-place updates, so installing 4.8.1 on the server normally keeps existing applications running without a recompile. Test it in pre-production first, as Microsoft itself recommends.
There is a catch. .NET Framework runs only on Windows, and ASP.NET Web Forms and server-side WCF have no direct equivalent in modern .NET. The support date rarely forces the move. Hiring, hosting cost and the next Windows Server refresh usually do. If that is your position, my legacy modernisation service starts with a 15-minute call about what you have.
Is VB6 still supported on Windows 11?
Partly. Microsoft’s support statement lists the VB6 runtime files as supported on Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 through 2025, for the support lifetime of each version. The support bar is limited to serious regressions and critical security issues in existing applications. The runtime is 32-bit only, so VB6 applications run under WOW64 on 64-bit Windows. Third-party ActiveX controls are outside Microsoft’s statement entirely. The IDE lost support on 8 April 2008, which means there is no supported way to change a VB6 application. I cover the options in migrating VB6 to .NET.
Which deadline should you deal with first?
I sort a client’s estate in this order:
- Internet-facing and already unsupported. Windows Server 2012, SQL Server 2016 without ESUs, and from 10 November, .NET 8 web apps. These carry live exposure today.
- Shared deadlines. A .NET Framework 4.6.2 application on Windows Server 2016 hits two dates on 12 January 2027. Plan the server move and the framework update as one piece of work.
- Cheap fixes. In-place .NET Framework updates and .NET 8 to .NET 10 retargets cost little. Clear them early so they stop appearing in audits.
- Structural work. Web Forms, WCF and VB6 applications need a migration plan rather than a patch. Start the assessment now, because the effort depends on what the code does.
If you want a second pair of eyes on the order, the Modernisation Blueprint covers exactly this.
Sources
- Microsoft: .NET and .NET Core support policy
- dotnet/core on GitHub: .NET release notes and schedule
- Microsoft .NET Blog: .NET 8 and .NET 9 end of support
- Microsoft Learn: Azure Functions in-process model end of support and migration
- Microsoft Learn: .NET Framework lifecycle dates
- Microsoft Learn: Lifecycle FAQ for .NET Framework
- Microsoft Learn: SQL Server 2016 lifecycle
- Microsoft Learn: SQL Server 2017 lifecycle
- Microsoft Learn: SQL Server 2019 lifecycle
- Microsoft Learn: What are Extended Security Updates for SQL Server?
- Microsoft: Extended Security Updates for SQL Server and Windows Server
- Microsoft Learn: Windows Server 2016 lifecycle
- Microsoft Learn: Windows Server 2019 lifecycle
- Microsoft Windows Server Blog: Planning ahead for Windows Server 2016 end of support
- Microsoft Learn: Lifecycle FAQ for Extended Security Updates
- Microsoft Learn: Extended Security Updates for Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2
- Microsoft Learn: Windows 10 Home and Pro lifecycle
- Microsoft Learn: Extended Security Updates programme for Windows 10
- Microsoft: Windows 10 consumer Extended Security Updates
- Microsoft Learn: Support statement for Visual Basic 6.0
- NCSC: Cyber Essentials Requirements for IT Infrastructure v3.3 (PDF)