TL;DR
Microsoft has stopped issuing extended updates tied to its Premium Assurance plan for Windows Server 2008, effectively ending support for the Vista-era codebase. Separately, recent Windows 10 patches removed several legacy modem drivers tied to Agere chipsets, rendering dependent hardware unusable.
What happened
Microsoft has completed the final round of paid extended updates for Windows Server 2008, marking the end of maintenance for the Windows Vista-derived codebase. Extended support for Server 2008 formally ended on January 14, 2020; customers used Extended Security Updates to stay patched until January 10, 2023, and Microsoft’s Azure offering extended protections to January 9, 2024. A long-defunct paid add-on, Premium Assurance (PA), provided an extra window for organizations that purchased it; Microsoft confirmed it would honor PA terms for those customers, and the final PA-supplied updates expired on January 13, 2026. The underlying Vista codebase was released to manufacturing in 2006 (general availability in 2007), and Windows Server 2008 followed in 2008. In a separate change, Microsoft’s January 13, 2026 Windows 10 patches removed several legacy modem drivers (agrsm64.sys, agrsm.sys, smserl64.sys and smserial.sys), which will stop hardware relying on those drivers from functioning.
Why it matters
- Organizations still running Server 2008 now lack Microsoft-issued security updates unless they have other paid arrangements or migration plans.
- The retirement closes support for a codebase first released in 2006, underscoring the limits of long-term paid support options.
- Removal of legacy modem drivers addresses known vulnerabilities but may cause operational impacts for systems using affected hardware.
- The sequence of ESU, Azure extensions and PA demonstrates Microsoft’s phased approach to winding down support for aging products.
Key facts
- Premium Assurance (PA) was a paid add-on to Software Assurance that extended security updates for certain products.
- Microsoft honored PA purchases for customers who had already bought the plan, but PA is now defunct and its final updates have expired.
- Extended support for Windows Server 2008 ended on January 14, 2020.
- Extended Security Updates kept Server 2008 patched until January 10, 2023.
- Azure-delivered protections extended updates for a further year, to January 9, 2024.
- The Vista codebase was released to manufacturing in 2006 and generally available in 2007; Windows Server 2008 shipped in 2008.
- On January 13, 2026, Microsoft removed four legacy modem drivers from Windows 10: agrsm64.sys, agrsm.sys, smserl64.sys and smserial.sys.
- Drivers in the removed family (notably those for Agere modem chipsets) have been flagged as vulnerabilities; affected hardware will no longer function on Windows after removal.
What to watch next
- Whether organizations still using Server 2008 migrate or adopt other mitigation strategies is not confirmed in the source.
- Any follow-up guidance or extended mitigations from Microsoft for customers affected by the modem-driver removals is not confirmed in the source.
- Potential security incidents targeting unpatched Server 2008 systems after this cutoff are not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Windows Server 2008: A Microsoft server operating system released in 2008 that is based on the Windows Vista codebase.
- Windows Vista codebase: The set of core operating system components and code that first appeared with Windows Vista and underpins some later Microsoft products.
- Premium Assurance (PA): A once-available paid add-on to Microsoft’s Software Assurance that provided additional years of security updates for eligible products.
- Extended Security Updates (ESU): A paid Microsoft program providing time-limited security fixes for products that have reached end of support, intended to aid migration.
- Azure: Microsoft’s cloud computing platform and services, which in this context was used to deliver an additional year of updates for Server 2008.
Reader FAQ
Has support for Windows Server 2008 ended?
Yes. Extended support ended in 2020, and all paid extended-update paths referenced in the source have now expired, with the final Premium Assurance-supplied updates ending January 13, 2026.
What does the final expiration mean for the Vista codebase?
The final patching milestone marks the end of Microsoft-issued updates for the Vista-derived codebase that shipped starting in 2006–2008.
Which modem drivers were removed from Windows 10?
Microsoft removed agrsm64.sys, agrsm.sys, smserl64.sys and smserial.sys in the January 13, 2026 Windows 10 patches.
Will affected modem hardware still work after the driver removals?
No — Microsoft said hardware dependent on those specific drivers will no longer work in Windows.
Are migration paths or further support options from Microsoft detailed here?
Not confirmed in the source.
OSES Hasta la vista! Microsoft finally ends extended updates for ancient Windows version Support expires for Windows Server 2008, and the codebase released to manufacturing in 2006 Richard Speed Wed 14 Jan 2026…
Sources
- Hasta la vista! Microsoft finally ends extended updates for ancient Windows version
- End of support for Windows Server 2008 and …
- Extended Security Updates for Windows 7 and …
- Microsoft Ending Support for Windows 7 and …
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