As promised in mid-April, Microsoft is ending support for the original release version of Windows 10 as of today, May 9. The release in question is version 1507, which was the first Windows 10 release to make its way to the public upon launch of the OS in 2015.
If you happen to still be running version 1507, Microsoft notes in a support document that you will no longer receive security and quality updates after today. And while 1507 will continue to run, you'll be leaving yourself wide open to viruses and other security issues. The simple solution is to update to the latest version of Windows 10, the Creators Update, which will continue to be supported for 18 months after its release.
This move is a part of Microsoft's Windows as a Service (WaaS) model, which began with Windows 10. Under it, new feature releases are pushed to the public at a more rapid pace than in the past, but that also means each major release is only supported for 18 months at a time. Microsoft explains:
With Windows 10, we introduced a new model whereby we release feature updates a few times a year, rather than holding back features for a new release every 2-3 years as in the past. In doing so, it's important that our customers stay current by installing feature updates as they are released.
If you need to find out which version you're running, you can type "winver" into your taskbar search and open the About Windows box. If the version listed is 10.0, you're on Windows 10 release 1507 and you'll want to update. Thankfully, updating is pretty simple: Microsoft suggests you head to its software download page and click "Update now" to grab the Update Assistant.
