No more security updates
Microsoft’s extended support for Windows Server 2016 ends on January 12, 2027 (Microsoft lifecycle page). After that, new vulnerabilities are not patched for free.
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Windows Server 2016 end of supportA guide for 5–30 person offices
Windows Server 2016 support ends January 12, 2027.
If your office runs a server bought around 2016–2019, there is a good chance it runs Windows Server 2016. After January 12, 2027, Microsoft stops releasing free security updates for it. Here is what that means for a small office, how to check, and the four realistic options — including the ones that don’t involve us.
- End of support
- Jan 12, 2027Microsoft extended support ends
- After that
- No free patchesNew security holes stay open
- Typical move
- Weeks, not daysPlan ahead of the deadline
- Accounting firms
- After April 15We never build during tax season
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What changes
The server keeps running. That’s the problem.
Nothing switches off on January 12. Files still open, logins still work. What stops is the flow of fixes: any security hole found after that date stays open on your server.
Client data on an unpatched box
For accounting, law and insurance offices, that server usually holds client files. Rules like the FTC Safeguards Rule and your professional duties expect reasonable protection — your firm decides what that means, but an unpatched server makes the answer harder.
Programs may stop supporting it
Vendors of tax, practice-management and agency software tend to drop old server versions after Microsoft does. Check with each vendor whose program runs on your server.
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How to check
Is your server on 2016?
On the server itself (or ask whoever set it up):
- Press the Windows key, type winver and press Enter.
- The window shows the version: Windows Server 2016 also appears as “Version 1607”.
- Or open Server Manager → Local Server and read “Operating system”.
Windows Server 2012 or older? Those are already past end of support, and the options below apply even more.
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Your options
Four ways forward. Only one is ours.
Every office is different. Here is how the realistic choices compare, so you can pick with open eyes.
Keep running it
No cost today. Risk grows every month as unpatched holes accumulate, and a hardware failure still means an emergency replacement.
Pay for extended updates
Microsoft has sold paid Extended Security Updates for past versions. Check Microsoft’s current terms and price for 2016. It buys time; the old hardware stays.
Buy a new server for the closet
New hardware, new licenses and someone to install and move everything. You keep owning the box — and its next replacement in five to seven years.
Move it to a cloud server we run
VNYX moves the server, firewall and backup to a setup dedicated to your firm, then runs it. A fixed, public setup fee, infrastructure at exact cost and a per-person monthly fee. See the fees.
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If you choose option 4
You pay, connect and approve.
- Tell us about your office and get a free plan with a price — no call, no card.
- You pick the move week. We build about 3 weeks before it — after April 15 for accounting firms.
- We rehearse, then switch over on your chosen night and keep the old server for up to 72 hours.
- Then we run it: online backup of every server, daily, with a restore test every month.
Cancel before we start building for a full deposit refund. Today you get and save your plan; reservations open with our first moves. The full sequence.
Q.01When exactly does Windows Server 2016 support end?
Microsoft’s extended support for Windows Server 2016 ends on January 12, 2027. After that date Microsoft no longer releases free security updates for it.
Q.02Will my server stop working on January 12, 2027?
No. It keeps running. What stops is security updates, so any vulnerability found after that date stays open on your server.
Q.03We are an accounting firm. Can we move before tax season?
We do not start building or touch your old server from January 1 through April 15. You can get your plan now and pick a move week after April 15.
Q.04Do we have to move to the cloud?
No. Paid extended updates or a new on-site server are valid choices. Moving to a cloud server run for you is one option among four; the free plan shows the price so you can compare.
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Next step
See what your move would cost — before the deadline.
A free plan with a price, built from your answers. No call, no card.
Prefer to ask first? Book a 15-minute call — optional, never required.
Questions? contact@vnyxit.com