Windows Server 2022: Editions, Requirements & Support Dates

This is a reference page our Windows Server 2022 support team maintains: editions and what separates them, system requirements, support dates, and where to download installation media.

Overview

Windows Server 2022 is the thirteenth major release of Windows Server. It reached general availability on August 18, 2021, per the Microsoft Lifecycle page. It follows the Fixed Lifecycle Policy — a set support window with no annual feature updates — and ships as a Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release. It builds on Windows Server 2019 and shares its codebase with Windows 10 21H2 rather than Windows 11.

Four editions exist: Standard, Datacenter, Datacenter: Azure Edition, and Essentials (OEM-only, for small deployments of up to 25 users and 50 devices). The successor is Windows Server 2025, released November 2024; the full version timeline is in our Windows Server versions reference.

Support lifecycle dates

Practical meaning: an existing 2022 deployment remains patched and supported for five more years. What ends in October 2026 is everything except security fixes — bug fixes for non-security issues, new capabilities delivered through updates, and hotpatching on Datacenter: Azure Edition Core, which Microsoft supports through the end of mainstream support.

Standard vs Datacenter vs Datacenter: Azure Edition

All three editions share the same core roles: Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, file services, IIS, Hyper-V, failover clustering. The differences are virtualization rights and a small set of datacenter-scale features, documented in Microsoft's editions comparison.

Selection reduces to VM density. Both Standard and Datacenter are licensed per core with a 16-core minimum per server. Standard covers two VMs per license; stacking additional Standard licenses adds two VMs at a time. The crossover point where Datacenter becomes cheaper is typically around 10 to 14 VMs per host — below that, Standard; above it, or with Storage Spaces Direct or SDN in the design, Datacenter. Datacenter: Azure Edition is not a purchasing decision for on-premises hardware at all; it exists only as an Azure marketplace image and on Azure Stack HCI, where it adds hotpatching and SMB over QUIC.

Key features

Relative to Windows Server 2019, per Microsoft's What's new in Windows Server 2022:

• Secured-core server. Combines TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, virtualization-based security (VBS), hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI), and firmware protection on certified hardware. Requires DMA remapping (Intel VT-d or AMD-Vi) and DRTM support in the platform.
• TLS 1.3 enabled by default for HTTPS, alongside DNS-over-HTTPS support in the DNS client.
• SMB improvements. SMB AES-256 encryption, SMB compression for large file transfers over the network, and SMB East-West encryption for cluster traffic. SMB over QUIC (port 443, no VPN) is Azure Edition only.
• Azure hybrid integration. Azure Arc onboarding built in, Storage Migration Service enhancements, and Azure Automanage support.
• Platform scale. Support for 48 TB of RAM and 2,048 logical cores across 64 physical sockets.
• Nested virtualization on AMD processors, previously Intel-only.

System requirements

From the official hardware requirements:

These are installation floors, not sizing guidance. Any production role — domain controller, file server, Hyper-V host — needs sizing from the role documentation, not from this table.

Download sources

• Microsoft Evaluation Center — free 180-day evaluation ISO (Standard and Datacenter). The evaluation converts to a licensed edition with a DISM edition switch and a valid key, without reinstalling.
• Volume Licensing (Microsoft 365 admin center / VLSC) — licensed media and MAK/KMS keys for organizations with volume agreements.
• Visual Studio subscriptions — media for development and test use.
• Azure Marketplace — pre-built images, including Datacenter: Azure Edition, which is not available anywhere else.
• OEM — preinstalled on new hardware; the only channel for Essentials.

Deploy 2022 or 2025 in 2026

The relevant facts, without a recommendation:

• Windows Server 2022 mainstream support ends October 13, 2026. Security updates continue to October 14, 2031.
• Windows Server 2025 mainstream support runs to October 9, 2029, extended to October 10, 2034 — three additional years on both counts.
• Both are LTSC releases under the Fixed Lifecycle Policy, licensed the same way (per-core, 16-core minimum, Standard 2-VM / Datacenter unlimited).
• 2025 raises the Server Core RAM minimum to 2 GB and requires SSE4.2 and POPCNT processor instructions, which excludes some pre-2010 hardware that 2022 still accepts.
• A new 2022 deployment today gets no non-security fixes after roughly two months in service; a 2025 deployment gets them for three more years.

Feature and lifecycle differences between the two are covered in our Windows Server 2025 reference.

Upgrade paths

In-place upgrade to Windows Server 2022 is supported from Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 — up to two versions back, per the upgrade overview. Windows Server 2012 R2 and earlier require an intermediate hop (2012 R2 to 2016 or 2019, then to 2022) or a migration to new servers. Edition can be raised during upgrade (Standard to Datacenter) but never lowered, and evaluation installs must convert to retail before upgrading.

From Windows Server 2022 forward, in-place upgrade to Windows Server 2025 is supported directly — 2025 accepts in-place upgrades from 2012 R2 onward. For domain controllers, Microsoft's guidance remains to promote new servers and demote old ones rather than upgrade in place. Migrations of file servers move with Storage Migration Service; Hyper-V guests move via live migration or export/import.

FAQ

When does Windows Server 2022 go end of life?

Mainstream support ends October 13, 2026. Extended support — security updates only — ends October 14, 2031. There is no ESU program announced for Windows Server 2022 yet; historically Microsoft has offered paid Extended Security Updates for three years after extended support ends.

What is the difference between Windows Server 2022 Standard and Datacenter?

Virtualization rights and four features. Standard licenses two VMs per 16-core license; Datacenter licenses unlimited VMs. Datacenter adds Storage Spaces Direct, software-defined networking (Network Controller), shielded VM host support, and unrestricted Storage Replica (Standard is capped at one partnership and a single 2 TB volume). Everything else — AD, Hyper-V itself, clustering, file services — is identical.

Is Windows Server 2022 free?

No. A 180-day evaluation is free from the Microsoft Evaluation Center; production use requires per-core licenses (Standard or Datacenter) plus CALs for users or devices, or an OEM Essentials license on qualifying hardware.

What are the minimum requirements for Windows Server 2022?

A 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor with NX/DEP and SLAT support, 1 GB RAM for Server Core (2 GB with Desktop Experience), 32 GB of disk, and a gigabit network adapter. TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required only for specific features such as BitLocker and Secured-core.

Can I upgrade Windows Server 2016 directly to 2022?

Yes. In-place upgrade to 2022 is supported from 2016 and 2019. From 2012 R2 or earlier, upgrade twice or migrate to a new server.

Is Windows Server 2022 based on Windows 11?

No. It shares its codebase with Windows 10 21H2. Windows Server 2025 is the release that shares its base with Windows 11 (24H2).