Windows 11 SE is dead — Microsoft pulls plug on special school edition of Windows for low-cost PCs

Microsoft's special school edition of Windows 11 for low-cost PCs is dead after just a few years on the market. Originally announced in 2021, Windows 11 SE was the company's latest attempt at a Chrome OS competitor, designed for low-end PCs built for use in the classroom.

Microsoft has confirmed that it will drop support for Windows 11 SE in October 2026, which includes security updates and new features. The company also says that Windows 11 SE will not get version 25H2 when it launches later this year, affirming that the edition has already received its final major version update with version 24H2.

"Microsoft will not release a feature update after Windows 11 SE, version 24H2. Support for Windows 11 SE—including software updates, technical assistance, and security fixes—will end in October 2026," says a Microsoft Learn document. "While your device will continue to work, we recommend transitioning to a device that supports another edition of Windows 11 to ensure continued support and security."

When Windows 11 SE was first announced, Microsoft described it as a "cloud-first operating system that offers the power and reliability of Windows 11 with a simplified design and tools specially designed for schools." It was an edition of Windows 11 that you could only find pre-installed on certain education focused PCs sold by OEMs, the first of which was Microsoft's own Surface Laptop SE.

Windows 11 SE had artificial limitations such as reduced multitasking capabilities for a more simplified user experience for kids, and was locked down to only run apps that were certified by an admin first. It also had a unique feature that let users pin stickers to their desktop wallpaper.

Under the hood, it was the same operating system as Windows 11 Home and Pro, which meant it still struggled to run well on low-end hardware. The company has failed to deliver a true lightweight version of Windows to the market, and Windows 11 SE was a last-ditch attempt at addressing the low-end education market without actually delivering a lightweight version of Windows.

Microsoft has tried to compete with Chrome OS many times. The closest it ever got was with Windows 10X, which was a true lightweight version of Windows that did run much better on low-end hardware. Unfortunately, Windows 10X was canceled before it shipped to market, leaving Microsoft without a true lightweight Windows OS for low-end PCs.

With Windows 11 SE on its deathbed, Microsoft once again has no edition of Windows especially designed to address the low-end school PC market. Additionally, it has no real Chrome OS or iPadOS competitor. Windows 11 is too big and heavy to optimally run on cheap low-end or low-cost hardware, which is where Chrome OS has thrived in recent years.

Chromebooks have become popular in schools over the last decade, with many students growing up using these devices instead of Windows machines. While Windows is still in use in schools across the world, it certainly isn't as ubiquitous as it used to be, and that's because other platforms have come along that are better optimized for the low-end hardware that schools often use.

Microsoft still ships Windows 11 Education, another edition of the OS that's designed for students and school use. The difference between Windows 11 SE and Windows 11 Education is that Education doesn't feature any artificial limitations like Windows 11 SE did, and also costs significantly more.