Windows Server 2008 End Of Life - Are You Prepared?

All good things must come to an end and the life of Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 will be ending soon. Originally released on 27th February 2008, it is still widely used today. Ten years though, is a long time in terms of technology and Microsoft is pulling the plug on its aging software on January 14th, 2020.

What does this mean for current Server 2008 users?

After 14/1/20, computers still running Windows Server 2008 will no longer receive updates, patches, new releases or ANY support from Microsoft (free or paid). Of lesser importance, but still critical to know, Windows 7 and Office 2010 will also see it’s end of life at the same time. Click here for information on the EOL for Windows 7.

The implications are far-reaching. If Microsoft does not support Windows Server 2008, you can expect other software vendors to follow suit, with:

No more anti-virus updates.
No printer driver updates for printers connected to Windows 2008 Server.
No hardware drivers or updates for Windows Server 2008 hardware.
No updates from other software vendors for Windows Server 2008 applications.

So for business still using Server 2008 this really means one thing - it is time to upgrade.

Businesses running Windows Server 2008 may not realize the severity of using outdated software, but it’s critical to migrate. Microsoft has put together some excellent points I’d like to share.

The security, compliance and privacy implications of this event could have significant impacts on your business:

Security Risks
- Without critical Windows Server 2008 security updates, your server will become vulnerable to harmful viruses, spyware and other malicious software which can steal or damage your business data and information.
- Anti-virus software will also not be able to fully protect you once Windows Server 2008 itself is unsupported.
Software Issues
- Many software vendors will no longer support their products that are running on Windows Server 2008 as they are unable to get the Windows Server 2008 suport they need from Microsoft.
Hardware Issues
- Most users still running Windows Server 2008 are using old machines. Running older machines greatly increases the risk of failure and data loss. Now is a great time to move to Windows Server 2008 or Azure and also upgrade your server hardware.
No One to Call
- When problems arise, online and phone-based technical support will unfortunately no longer be available to assist you or your IT partner, leaving you on your own to deal with the problem.
Down Time
- The risks of system failure and business disruption could increase because of the end of support, lack of supported software and the increasing age of hardware running Windows Server 2008.

Further information on this is available from Microsoft here.

As an Australian Microsoft Partner, DP Computing have the resources to make sure your migration from Server 2008 to Server 2019 or Azure is successful. Whether it’s a custom build server from us or a server from another manufacturer, we are here to help you. We are able to assist with:

New server procurement and setup.
Data transfer, including system settings, company & user data, email, etc…
Training and tuition as needed
Ongoing support
and any other migration needs