Support for Python-2.7 & 3.8 and PowerShell- 7.1 & 7.2 will be retired on 30 September 2026 - upgrade your runbooks to latest version

Question

Hello,

I am contacting you regarding the End of support notice: “Support for Python-2.7 & 3.8 and PowerShell- 7.1 & 7.2 will be retired on 30 September 2026 - upgrade your runbooks to latest version”

 We have runbooks running in PowerShell 7.2.

However, when we try to create a new runbook of type PowerShell, we cannot select a PowerShell version higher than 7.2 (see below):

How can we upgrade our current runbooks running in PowerShell 7.2 to an higher PowerShell version?

Thanks

Regards,

Answer 1

To upgrade existing PowerShell 7.2 runbooks to a higher version in Azure Automation, use Runtime environment. The newer PowerShell versions are created and managed through a Runtime environment, not through the older Create a runbook runtime version dropdown shown in the screenshot.

Supported and recommended versions in Azure Automation are:

• PowerShell 7.4 and PowerShell 5.1
• Azure Automation also announced PowerShell 7.6 support in public regions
• PowerShell 7.1 and 7.2 are being retired on 30 September 2026

Use this upgrade path:

1. In the Azure portal, open the Automation account.
2. Under Process Automation, select Runtime Environments.
   • If Runtime Environments is not visible, select Try Runtime environment experience on the Overview page.
3. Select Create.
4. On Basics:
   • Enter a name for the runtime environment.
   • Set Language to PowerShell.
   • Set Runtime version to 7.4.
   • Enter a description.
5. On Packages, review the default Az and Azure CLI packages, and add any required packages from the gallery.
6. Select Create.
7. Link the existing runbook to the new Runtime environment.

Azure Automation documentation states that upgrading a runbook from one runtime version to another is done by creating a different Runtime environment and then linking the runbook to it.

Important behavior after retirement:

• Runbooks using retired runtime versions can still be created, deployed, and run.
• They move to a reduced-support state.
• They do not receive new features, security updates, or performance optimizations until updated.
• In some cases, platform scaling can be limited.

If only 7.2 or lower appears in the legacy runbook creation UI, that is expected for the older experience. Use Runtime Environments to move to the newer supported runtime.

---

• Update runbook from PowerShell 7.1 to PowerShell 7.4
• Azure Automation runbook types
• What's new in Azure Automation?
• Support and retirement policy for Azure Automation language stacks

Answer 2

Hello Quattrocchi, Calogero

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Q&A platform.

The screenshot you shared is from the classic Automation account experience. In that older interface, the Runtime version list only offers 5.1, 7.1 (preview), and 7.2. Newer PowerShell versions are not exposed there by design.

Since PowerShell 7.1/7.2 and Python 2.7/3.8 reached end-of-support with their parent products, Azure Automation moved version management into a feature called Runtime environment, which is now generally available. Supported versions today are PowerShell 7.4 (long-term supported and recommended) and Python 3.10 and these are selectable only through Runtime environments.

How Runtime environment helps here:

Runtime environment splits every runbook into two independent pieces, the script code and the runtime environment (language, version, and packages). Because these are decoupled, you can change the PowerShell version without recreating or re-importing your runbooks. One Runtime environment can also be linked to multiple runbooks, so you can create a single PowerShell 7.4 environment and re-point all your existing 7.2 runbooks to it.

Steps to upgrade your existing PowerShell 7.2 runbooks:

1. Switch to the Runtime environment experience Go to your Automation account → Overview → select Try Runtime environment experience. Runtime Environments will then appear under Process Automation.

2. Create a PowerShell 7.4 Runtime environment:

• Runtime Environments → Create
• Basics tab: enter a Name (must start with a letter; only letters, numbers, underscores, and dashes), set Language = PowerShell and Runtime version = 7.4, add a description
• Packages tab: the default Az and Azure CLI packages are already included. Use + Add from gallery to bring in any additional modules your runbooks need
• Review + create → Create

3. Re-link your existing runbook:

• Go to Runbooks → open the runbook currently on 7.2 → select Edit in portal
• From the Runtime environment dropdown, choose the 7.4 environment you just created (only compatible environments are listed)
• Make any code adjustments needed for 7.4 compatibility
• Use the Test pane to validate the run, then select Publish
• The Runbooks list will now show that runbook linked to the PowerShell 7.4 Runtime environment

The same approach applies to your Python runbooks, just create a Python 3.10 Runtime environment and re-link them.

• Runtime environments are available in all public regions except Brazil Southeast and Gov clouds, so your West Europe account is fully supported.
• Runbook updates persist between the new and old experience, so switching back and forth won't lose your changes.
• After 30 September 2026, runbooks on retired versions will still run, but in a reduced-support state, no new features, no security updates, no performance optimisations, and the platform may limit scaling to a single instance. That's the main reason to complete the migration before the deadline.

Official documentation

• Update runbook from PowerShell 7.1 to PowerShell 7.4
• Runtime environment in Azure Automation — overview and capabilities
• Manage Runtime environment and associated runbooks
• Azure Automation runbook types — currently supported language versions
• Support and retirement policy for Azure Automation language stacks — what happens after retirement

Thanks,

Suchitra.