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Knowledge Base

Legacy Windows Support Plan for VMware Horizon (76934)

Last Updated: 1/24/2023Categories: InformationalTotal Views: 43252Language:
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Details

Microsoft ended its extended security update support for Windows 7 on January 10, 2023. For additional details and migration guidance, please see Microsoft's Lifecycle Guidance for Windows 7

Microsoft ended its extended security update support for Windows 8.1 on January 10, 2023. For additional details and migration guidance, please see Microsoft's Lifecycle Guidance for Windows 8.1

To keep our customers secure, VMware will not be able to support environments running an OS which is not getting security updates.

This article expands on our existing support documentation:

VMware Life Cycle Product Matrix

VMware Support Policies

VMware EUC Blog

Solution

The Horizon Client follows the support dates for the version of the Horizon server that shipped at the same time, so all dates below apply to the server, agent and client.

Horizon 7 - Windows 7 Support

Horizon 7 - Windows 8.1 Support

Horizon 8 - Windows 7 and 8.1

Horizon 8 Windows 2012 R2

VMC

Horizon Cloud & Azure

App Volumes Agent Support

Dynamic Environment Manager Support

Horizon 7 - Windows 7 Support

VMware will offer technical guidance under the following conditions:

VMware will offer Horizon 7 technical guidance until the general Horizon 7 End of Technical Guidance date: 4/30/2025.

The customer does not need to be signed up for Microsoft extended support.

VMware recommends running the last version of Horizon that was supported.

VMware will not be adding any new features for Windows 7.

Horizon 7 - Windows 8.1 Support

We will be limiting our Windows 8.1 support.

The customer must be running a version of the server/agent/client that shipped with Windows 8 support. VMware recommends running the last version that was supported.

VMware will offer Horizon 7 technical guidance until the general Horizon 7 End of Technical Guidance date: 4/30/25

VMware will not be adding any new features for Windows 8.1.

Licensing for Microsoft's Extended Security Update (ESU) for Windows 7

Customers who wish to stay on Windows 7 will need to purchase MSFT's extended support. During the extended support period, MSFT will provide security updates via the Extended Security Update (ESU).

For customers with Volume Licensing (VL), MSFT will provide an ESU MAK (Multiple Activation Key) which will allow customers to enable security updates on Windows 7. The ESU MAK works side-by-side with the KMS activation of VL. From MSFT FAQ, "An organization that uses volume licensing (VL) to manage on-premises deployments can use VL to deploy ESU to the covered devices. When an organization purchases Windows 7 ESU, Microsoft provides a Multiple Activation Key (MAK) key in the VLSC. This MAK key is independent of the Windows 7 activation key and can work in parallel with a KMS activation deployment."

Customers using Full Clones can directly apply MAK to each individual clone.
For customers using Linked Clones or Instant Clones, it is less straightforward because the MAK key is device specific and anytime a new clone is spun, a new MAK is needed. There are two workarounds:

Customers can apply a combination of MAK and KMS keys. Here is the recommended approach: on the primary image, customers should activate the ESU MAK key and download all updates. Then remove the MAK from the clone as a part of a post-customization script (this script runs before the clone is activated by the agent). After that regular cloning and refresh/recompose will work same as before. KMS will activate new clones and they will already have the security updates from primary image. Make sure to buy enough ESU MAK keys for the maximum number of clones you will spin up.

For post-synchronization script, use the command: cscript slmgr.vbs -upk <Activation Id>

Add this command for each ESU MAK activated on the primary with their corresponding Activation Id.

To display the Activation ID for activated keys on primary , run slmgr /dlv on a command prompt as explained in How to get Extended Security Updates for eligible Windows devices.

Set refresh option to "Never", which effectively makes the desktop a persistent clone. This prevents clone refresh from happening and ensures that only one copy of the MAK key is consumed per desktop.

The downsides are:

You must use dedicated assignment, "Never refresh" is not supported by floating assignment.

You cannot use App Volumes, it does not support a "persistent" clone.

You can no longer use recompose/push an image.

Horizon 8 - Windows 7 and 8.1

Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 are not supported with Horizon 8.

Horizon 8 - Windows 2012 R2

Windows 2012 R2, is supported as a VM OS with extended support from Microsoft. This policy also applies to any server components running on Windows 2012 R2.

For instance, if you are running Horizon 8 on a Windows Server 2012 R2 computer, you must sign up for Microsoft extended support to get support for the Horizon 8 broker.

Microsoft will end its extended security update support for Windows Server 2012 on Oct 13, 2026. For additional details and migration guidance, please see Microsoft's Lifecycle Guidance for Windows Server 2012

VMC

Support for Horizon on VMC is similar to Horizon on-prem. In order to maintain Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 support with Horizon after Horizon 8 becomes available, customers must be on a Horizon 7 ESB release and must have valid Microsoft support. Horizon 7 will be available until the Horizon 7 end-of-life date, 3/22/21. We will not be offering extended support for Horizon 7 on VMC.

Horizon Cloud & Azure

Horizon Cloud will generally follow the same support strategy as the Horizon agent. In other words, Horizon Cloud will support Windows 7 as long as the current agent version is supported and the customer has Microsoft extended support. The exception will be for Windows 7 on Azure.

Microsoft is offering 3 years of extended security updates for Windows 7 running in Windows Virtual Desktop on Azure (other Azure instances, including AVS, do not count), through January 2023. Customers do not need to purchase support separately.

VMware will support Windows 7 in Windows Virtual Desktop as well. The environment will run a Horizon 7 agent with Windows 7 support.

To connect, customers must use a Horizon Client that supports Windows 7 (see above).

Even though customers don’t have to pay Microsoft for the extended support, the VMware dates are still valid for Horizon 7. End of Life 3/22/2021; end of technical guidance 3/22/2023.

App Volumes Agent Support

App Volumes will announce support for Windows 10 and discontinue support for Windows 7 and Windows 8 with the next major version of App Volumes. Similarly, App Volumes will support the Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 operating systems specified in the Installation Guide if the customer has the following:

Customer must be signed up for and obtained Microsoft extended support for the guest OS.

Customer must be running the last version of the agent that shipped while the guest OS was supported: App Volumes 2.x (likely 2.18).

VMware will offer App Volumes 2.x support until the (2.18) end-of-life date: 9/17/2021

VMware will offer App Volumes 2.x technical guidance until the (2.18) end of technical guidance date: 9/17/2023

Dynamic Environment Manager Support

DEM will discontinue support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 with the DEM release starting 2020Q3 (DEM 9.13) onwards.

DEM will only support Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 if the customer has the following:

Customers must be signed up for Microsoft extended support.*

Customers must be running a version of the DEM that shipped with Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 support. VMware recommends running the last version that was supported. The current planned last release with Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 support is DEM 9.12 (2020Q2).

VMware will offer DEM 9.x support until the (DEM 9.12) end of general support date: 06/15/2022.

VMware will offer DEM 9.x support until the (DEM 9.12) end of technical guidance date: 06/15/2024.

VMware will offer support for the DEM 9.x ESB releases until the stated ESB expiration. We expect the last ESB 9.12 release to ship in Q2 of 2020.

The above policy also applies to the server versions:Windows 2008 and Windows 2008 R2. Support for both windows server versions will be discontinued starting DEM releases 2020Q3 (DEM 9.13).

Details on Microsoft support here:

Windows 7 support ended on January 14, 2020

Windows lifecycle fact sheet

Helping customers shift to a modern desktop

A new way for small and midsize businesses to stay secure and current

End of support for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows lifecycle fact sheet

FAQ about Extended Security Updates for Windows 7

Now is the time to make the shift to Microsoft 365

*This is not necessary if the customer's Windows 7 instance is still under support

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