RIP Windows 10 October 2018 Update (1809): Microsoft to end support on May 12, 2020

What you need to know

• Windows 10 version 1809 will reach end of support on May 12, 2020.
• Windows 10 version 1809 was initially delayed and had a bumpy launch across the board.
• It's normal for older versions of Windows 10 to fall out of support.

Microsoft announced an official date that Windows 10 version 1809 will reach end of support (via TechRader). On May 12, 2020, Windows 10 version 1809 will officially be out of support, meaning it will not receive security updates following that date. People should move to a newer version of Windows 10 to maintain security updates on their devices.

It's standard practice for Microsoft to stop supporting older versions of Windows 10. Microsoft wants people running recent versions of Windows 10 and does not want to have to spend resources keeping older versions up to date. May 12, 2020 is 18 months after the rollout of Windows 10 version 1809 and almost three months away, so people should have time to update their systems.

Some people elect to delay updates on their systems because new versions of Windows 10 can have issues. That was the case with Windows 10 version 1809. Windows 10 version 1809 was delayed by a major issue that deleted user data during the upgrade process. Microsoft had to stop the update rollout, sort out a fix, and then "rerelease" the update in November 2018.

Following the issues that affected Windows 10 version 1809, Microsoft had to address the process for future Windows updates. Microsoft outlined changes to smooth out the update process.

If you take a look at our page with all of our articles about Windows 10 version 1809, you'll see that Microsoft had to take several steps to smooth out its issues. With the update to that version being so bumpy, some people decided to skip it altogether. If you'd like to update your system before the May 12, 2020 support cutoff, you can update to the Windows 10 November 2019 Update.