By
Delia
/ Last
update
February 15, 2022
Support for old Visual Studio will soon be discontinued
Microsoft recently sent out a reminder announcing the impending end of support for multiple versions of Visual Studio, covering Visual Studio 2017, 2019 (version 16.7) and 2019 Preview Channel versions. If you're still using an older version, now is the time to pick a new version to prepare for software feature updates and security patches after April 2022.
After April 2022, older versions of Visual Studio will move into what is known as an "extended support period," with security updates available to customers who need them until April 2027.
In the meantime, Visual Studio 2019 (version 16.7) is being completely abandoned, meaning users will need to migrate to version 16.11, or Visual Studio 2022. And Visual Studio 2012 will also end support on January 9, 2023.
Microsoft explains that VS 2022 is its most efficient IDE ever, and recommends that all customers upgrade their experience immediately, especially veterans of the Community Edition. This gives development teams better control over releases/new features, and Microsoft will provide quality and security fixes for the LTSC channel within 18 months of release. For the current release of Visual Studio 2022, official support will continue until January 2032.
3 Experience Channels for Visual Studio
Visual Studio offers three experience channels that users can choose from based on their needs.
- The Preview Channel provides a sneak peek at the latest feature improvements in response to early feedback.
- The Current Channel provides these new features when they are generally ready, but it is recommended that users install all minor updates to maintain support.
- Finally, there is a Long Term Support Channel for Enterprise, Professional and Build Tools versions of LTSC.