Internet Explorer and .NET Framework 4.x support announcements
Originally published: July 18, 2016
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Microsoft offers transformational services for a mobile-first, cloud-first world so customers can do more and achieve more. Today, Microsoft is announcing important information on support timelines for two empowering technologies - Internet Explorer and .NET Framework - to help customers plan for moving to the latest versions, and ensure they take the necessary steps to become more secure and benefit from the latest product releases.
Internet Explorer Support Announcement
The newest Internet Explorer offers improved security, increased performance, better backward compatibility, and support for the modern technologies that power today's websites and services. Microsoft encourages customers to upgrade and stay up-to-date on the latest browser for a faster, more secure browsing experience.
For customers not yet running the latest browser available for their operating system, Microsoft encourages customers to upgrade to take advantage of the latest security and functionality. After January 12, 2016, only the most current version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates, as shown in the table below:
| Windows Platform | Internet Explorer Version |
|---|---|
| Windows Vista SP2 | Internet Explorer 9 |
| Windows Server 2008 SP2 | Internet Explorer 9 |
| Windows 7 SP1 | Internet Explorer 11 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 | Internet Explorer 11 |
| Windows 8.1 Update | Internet Explorer 11 |
| Windows Server 2012 | Internet Explorer 10 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | Internet Explorer 11 |
Customers running on an older version of Internet Explorer, such as Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), Microsoft recommends customers plan to migrate to one of the above supported operating systems and browser combinations no later than January 12, 2016. Microsoft offers online support resources to help customers upgrade to a current version, as well as several deployment and compatibility services to assist with migrations.
Customers may have applications that were developed for previous versions of Internet Explorer, such as Internet Explorer 8. In order to ease the migration of applications to current web standards, Enterprise Mode for Internet Explorer 11, released in April 2014, offers better backward compatibility and enables customers to run many legacy web applications. Microsoft is committed to supporting Enterprise Mode through the duration of the operating system support lifecycle. As an example, Windows 7 SP1 running Internet Explorer 11 with Enterprise Mode will be supported until the end of Extended Support on January 14, 2020.
More information on Internet Explorer Support Lifecycle Policy can be found here.
NET Framework 4.x Support Announcement
Just as the latest Internet Explorer provides the best experience for customers, the .NET Framework does the same for developers or for applications built upon it. The latest .NET Framework, version 4.5.2, offers new workflow features, improved diagnostics, additional performance improvements, and provides a seamless update requiring no recompilation if upgrading from within the .NET 4.x family.
After of January 12, 2016, Microsoft will no longer support .NET Framework 4.0, 4.5, and 4.51 in the .NET 4.x family; we recommend that customers and developers using .NET Framework 4, 4.5, or 4.5.1 complete the in-place update to .NET Framework 4.5.2 or a more recent version no later than January 12, 2016 to continue receiving technical support and security updates. Support for .NET Framework 4.5.2, as well as all other .NET Framework versions such as 3.5 SP1, will continue to be supported for the duration of the operating system support lifecycle.
More details on the .NET Framework Support Lifecycle Policy can be found here.