Does this offer also apply to Windows XP, Windows Vista, or earlier versions?

Windows XP and Windows Vista support has already ended, and no further support is available. Customers are encouraged to move to Windows 10 to take advantage of the latest in security and reliability.

Will the Windows 7 ESU include updates for .NET Framework? If so, which version?

Yes. Windows 7 ESU will include support for the .NET Framework 4.5.2–4.8 releases (as of January 2020) and .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

Do Windows 7 Embedded products qualify?

Customers can use an Ecosystem Partner Servicing Offering (EPSO) support contract to obtain ESU for embedded products.

Can Windows 7 Pro OEM customers purchase Windows 7 ESU?

Yes.

Windows 7 VMs hosted in Azure receive free ESU. How are updates delivered to these VMs?

ESU for Windows 7 VMs on Azure are delivered by using the same methods as for on-premises clients. For more information, see the ESU deployment section in this article.

Will Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) continue to protect my computer after end of support?

Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) will continue to receive signature updates after January 14, 2020. However, the MSE platform will no longer be updated. Learn more about MSE.

Are System Center Endpoint Protection (SCEP) Virus Definition updates for Windows 7 covered by ESU?

SCEP definition and engine updates will continue for Windows 7 regardless of ESU status, according to the respective lifecycle policy for the listed SCEP versions.

All in-support versions of SCEP offer anti-spyware and anti-virus updates on version 4.10.209.
SCEP Current Branch will be the only EndPoint Protection product that will offer AV updates (until January 2023) after the 2012 version reaches its end of support in July 2022.

Is technical support included?

No. Customers that purchase directly from Microsoft (for example, VL customers or CSP direct Partners) can use an active support contract such as Software Assurance or Premier or Unified Support to request assistance with Windows 7. Partners can also use their Partner Support Plans to request assistance for Windows 7.

Can customers get technical support on-premises for Windows 7 after the end-of-support date if they do not purchase ESU?

No. If customers have Windows 7 and do not purchase ESU, those customers cannot log support tickets for Windows 7 even if they have support plans.

Can an organization that purchases ESU use its Unified or Premier Support agreements to submit support incidents?

Yes. Organizations that use VL to purchase ESU can submit support incidents by using any Microsoft Support offering, including Unified and Premier Support. A Microsoft Partner can submit tickets on behalf of a customer as long as the customer has purchased ESU, and the Partner has a support agreement in place.

Can customers use their Premier/Unified contracts to contact support if they have purchased ESU from a CSP Partner?

No. CSP customers should use their partners for technical support or purchase a pay-per-incident plan through Microsoft Professional support.

Can partners submit support incidents on behalf of their customers?

Yes. CSP direct Partners can use their existing Partner Support plans to request assistance for Windows 7 ESU. Resellers should work together with their CSP indirect Partners to request assistance for Windows 7 questions regarding devices that are covered by ESU.

How are ESU customers entitled for support? Can they submit tickets online by using support.microsoft.com or Services Hub?

All ESU customers must call Microsoft Support in order to place a request for a technical support incident. Premier and Unified customers can find the correct number to call within Services Hub. Non-Premier and Unified customers can find the correct number to call on the Global Customer Service phone numbers page.

How do partners obtain support? Can they use Service Hub to submit tickets online?

Partners who have Partner Support plans can use Service Hub to submit support tickets online on behalf of their customers if those customers have already purchased ESU. When asked for their ESU ID, Partners should enter their CSP Tenant IDs to validate the ESU purchase by their customers.

How do tech routers know who has purchased ESU?

We continue to work to fully automate the validation process. Tech routers verify whether customers have purchased ESU by asking for their Enterprise Agreement numbers or full customer names. After customers have been verified, the tech routers create cases and route them to the appropriate queues for technical support.

What type of response should customers expect if they encounter an issue that requires a new feature?

No new product enhancements will be made for Windows 7. ESU help keep Windows 7 devices secure for a limited time. They assist customers during the transition to a supported version of Windows. If an investigation into a customer issue determines that a product enhancement that is available in a recent release (such as Windows 10) resolves the issue, Microsoft Support will recommend that the customer upgrade to the most recent release.

After customers purchase ESU, will Microsoft help troubleshoot issues that are not related to an extended security update?

Because Windows 7 support has ended, Microsoft is committed to helping customers upgrade to a supported version of Windows or migrate to the cloud. We will provide best-effort support to troubleshoot issues for customers who purchase Windows 7 ESU.

What type of response should customers expect when they request support for a product that is covered by ESU?

For VL customers and CSP direct partners who have Premier Support plans, the expectations are as follows.

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Is Internet Explorer 11 covered under Windows 7 ESU?

Yes. Internet Explorer 11 will receive security updates as necessary through Windows 7 ESU.

When will security updates be delivered for customers who have purchased Windows 7 ESU?

Security updates for Windows 7 will be released to ESU customers on the second Tuesday of every month. If there are no Critical or Important updates for Windows 7 in any given month (as prescribed by the Microsoft Security Response Center), there will be no ESU updates in that update cycle. If an off-cycle security update is considered necessary, Windows 7 ESU customers will receive the update outside the regular monthly cadence.

Is there any advance notification of security updates for Windows 7 ESU?

No. There is no advance notification of security updates for Windows 7 ESU at this time. However, you can view details of past updates at Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 update history.

Where can I learn more about the specific security updates that have been issued for Windows 7 ESU?

A full list of updates to Windows 7 SP1, including ESU updates, is available at Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 update history.

General information

ESU purchasing

ESU coverage

ESU deployment