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Windows
Periodically, as part of the Microsoft Lifecycle
Policy, Microsoft might announce an end of support (EOS)
date for a version of their operating system that you are using for VM instances
on Compute Engine. On the EOS date for that version of the operating
system:
Google can no longer access updates.
Google can no longer access security patches.
The OS image is deleted from the Compute Engine images project.
If you need to create VMs that use any of these EOS versions after
the EOS date, make copies of the images
before the EOS date.
If you are running VM instances on Compute Engine based on one of these
operating system images, keep in mind that beginning on the EOS date:
VMs based on images that are beyond their EOS date continue to operate, and
billing continues for premium images.
Future Google Cloud features might not perform as expected if you
use an image that is beyond its EOS date.
Google can no longer provide updates or security patches. Microsoft
might provide additional support through its Extended Security
Update (ESU)
program. It is your responsibility to install and test all updates provided by
Microsoft.
Google provides support for VMs that use EOS images. For more information,
review End of support (EOS)
documentation.
Using an unsupported and unpatched version might create material security risks.
If you are running VM instances based on an operating system image with an
announced EOS date, Google recommends that before the EOS date, you:
Consider configuring a
Remote Desktop Gateway to
restrict remote access to your instance.
If you continue to use an image after the EOS date for that image, Google
recommends that you not update the guest
environment because Google doesn't test
new versions of the image against the EOS version. When Google releases
additional image families, those newly
released image families might not support the EOS versions of the images,
so we recommend that you continue to use the image family that you
are using.
The following table shows Microsoft operating systems that are no longer
supported, their EOS dates, where to find Microsoft's EOS
announcements, and links to content about upgrading or migrating:
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-26 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eMicrosoft's End of Support (EOS) for Windows operating systems means Google can no longer provide updates or security patches, and the OS image is deleted from the Compute Engine images project.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eVMs using images beyond their EOS date will continue to operate, but future Google Cloud features may not perform as expected, and using an unpatched version can create security risks.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eGoogle recommends upgrading or migrating to a supported Windows version before the EOS date, and to copy any images needed for future VM creation after the EOS date.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eFor enhanced security when using EOS images, it is recommended to remove external IP addresses, utilize internal IPs, and consider configuring a Remote Desktop Gateway to restrict remote access.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAfter an EOS date, you should not update the guest environment and continue using the current image family because new image families may not support EOS versions.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["Windows\n\n*** ** * ** ***\n\nPeriodically, as part of the [Microsoft Lifecycle\nPolicy](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/hub/4095338/microsoft-lifecycle-policy), Microsoft might announce an end of support (EOS)\ndate for a version of their operating system that you are using for VM instances\non Compute Engine. On the EOS date for that version of the operating\nsystem:\n\n- Google can no longer access updates.\n- Google can no longer access security patches.\n- The OS image is deleted from the Compute Engine images project. If you need to create VMs that use any of these EOS versions after the EOS date, [make copies of the images](/compute/docs/images/create-custom) before the EOS date.\n\nIf you are running VM instances on Compute Engine based on one of these\noperating system images, keep in mind that beginning on the EOS date:\n\n- VMs based on images that are beyond their EOS date continue to operate, and\n billing continues for [premium images](/compute/disks-image-pricing#premiumimages).\n\n- Future Google Cloud features might not perform as expected if you\n use an image that is beyond its EOS date.\n\n- Google can no longer provide updates or security patches. Microsoft\n might provide additional support through its [Extended Security\n Update (ESU)](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4497181/lifecycle-faq-extended-security-updates)\n program. It is your responsibility to install and test all updates provided by\n Microsoft.\n\n- Google provides support for VMs that use EOS images. For more information,\n review [End of support (EOS)](/compute/docs/images/os-image-lifecycle#eos)\n documentation.\n\nUsing an unsupported and unpatched version might create material security risks.\nIf you are running VM instances based on an operating system image with an\nannounced EOS date, Google recommends that before the EOS date, you:\n\n- Upgrade or migrate to a [supported version of the Windows operating\n system](/compute/docs/images/os-details#windows_server).\n\n- If you anticipate needing to create VM instances after the EOS date, make\n copies of the images in your projects.\n\n- Remove any [external IP address](/compute/docs/ip-addresses#externaladdresses)\n because publicly accessible instances might be\n vulnerable to unpatched security exploits. Instead, use the instance's\n [internal IP address](/compute/docs/ip-addresses#networkaddresses) to host\n services and enable\n [Private Google Access](/vpc/docs/configure-private-google-access).\n\n- Consider configuring a\n [Remote Desktop Gateway](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/rds-plan-access-from-anywhere) to\n restrict remote access to your instance.\n\nIf you continue to use an image after the EOS date for that image, Google\nrecommends that you not update the [guest\nenvironment](/compute/docs/images/guest-environment) because Google doesn't test\nnew versions of the image against the EOS version. When Google releases\nadditional [image families](/compute/docs/images#image_families), those newly\nreleased image families might not support the EOS versions of the images,\nso we recommend that you continue to use the image family that you\nare using.\n\nThe following table shows Microsoft operating systems that are no longer\nsupported, their EOS dates, where to find Microsoft's EOS\nannouncements, and links to content about upgrading or migrating:\n\n| Operating system | EOS date | More information |\n|------------------------|------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| Windows Server 2012 R2 | October 10, 2023 | - [Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 reaching end of support](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/announcements/windows-server-2012-r2-end-of-support) - [Performing an in-place upgrade of Windows Server](/compute/docs/tutorials/performing-in-place-upgrade-windows-server) |\n| Windows Server 2008 R2 | January 14, 2020 | - [End of support for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4456235/end-of-support-for-windows-server-2008-and-windows-server-2008-r2) - [Performing an in-place upgrade of Windows Server](/compute/docs/tutorials/performing-in-place-upgrade-windows-server) |\n| Windows Server 2008 | January 14, 2020 | - [End of support for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4456235/end-of-support-for-windows-server-2008-and-windows-server-2008-r2) |\n| Windows Server 2003 R2 | July 14, 2015 | - [Windows Server 2003 extended support ended on July 14, 2015](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/windows-server-2003) - [Migrate for Compute Engine](/migrate/compute-engine) |\n| Windows Server 2003 | July 14, 2015 | - [Windows Server 2003 extended support ended on July 14, 2015](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/windows-server-2003) - [Migrate for Compute Engine](/migrate/compute-engine) |\n\nWhat's next\n\n- Learn about the [licensing options for Microsoft\n software](/compute/docs/instances/windows/ms-licensing) on\n Compute Engine.\n\n- Learn more about the [operating system images](/compute/docs/images) that\n Compute Engine provides."]]
