Windows Server 2008

"Windows 08" redirects here. Not to be confused with Windows 8. It is also not to be confused with Windows Server 2012, codenamed "Windows Server 8".
Windows Server 2008
Version of the Windows NT operating system
Screenshot of Windows Server 2008 showing the Server Manager application which is automatically opened when an administrator logs on
DeveloperMicrosoft
OS familyWindows Server
Source model
Released to
manufacturing		February 4, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-02-04)[1]
General
availability		February 27, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-02-27)[1]
Latest releaseService Pack 2 with October 2024 monthly update rollup (6.0.6003.22918)[2] / October 8, 2024; 40 days ago (2024-10-08)[3]
Marketing targetBusiness
Update methodWindows Update, Windows Server Update Services, SCCM
PlatformsIA-32, x86-64 (and originally Itanium)
Kernel typeHybrid (Windows NT kernel)
Default
user interface		Windows shell (Graphical)
LicenseProprietary commercial software
Preceded byWindows Server 2003 (2003)
Succeeded byWindows Server 2008 R2 (2009)
Official websiteWindows Server 2008
Support status
Mainstream support ended on January 13, 2015[4]
Extended support ended on January 14, 2020[4]

Paid updates; only for Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter volume licensed editions:[5][6]

ESU (Extended Security Updates) support ended on January 10, 2023, for non-Azure &
January 9, 2024, for Azure.[7][4]

Grandfathered[8] Premium Assurance security update support until January 13, 2026.[9][10]

See § Paid extended updates for details.
Part of a series of articles on
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Siblings

Windows Server 2008, codenamed "Longhorn Server", is the seventh release of the Windows Server operating system produced by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of the operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on February 4, 2008, and generally to retail on February 27, 2008. Derived from Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 is the successor of Windows Server 2003 and the predecessor to Windows Server 2008 R2. It removed support for processors without ACPI, and is the first version that includes Hyper-V.

It is the last version of Windows Server that supports 32-bit processors (IA-32).

As of July 2019, 60% of Windows servers were running Windows Server 2008.[11]

  1. ^ a b "As Windows Server 2008 RTMs, Customers and Partners Adopting with Help of New Tools, Training". News Center. Redmond, WA: Microsoft. 4 February 2008.
  2. ^ "Build number changing to 6003 in Windows Server 2008". support.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  3. ^ "Windows Server 2008 SP2 Security Monthly Quality Rollup x64-based". Microsoft. October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference sup1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Product Lifecycle FAQ – Extended Security Updates – Microsoft Lifecycle". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  6. ^ "Announcing new options for SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 End of Support". azure.microsoft.com. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  7. ^ "Extended Security Updates for SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 | Microsoft". www.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference PA2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference PA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference PA3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Not dead yet: Windows Server 2008 users have options". January 21, 2020.