If part of your fleet is past end of life, the vendor ships nothing to patch it with — yet 'patch management' keeps billing monthly. A fair, 20-minute self-audit for SMB owners, plus the exact questions to put in your next MSP QBR.
What Commonly Lurks in an SMB Fleet Right Now
| Software | End of Life | Status | Where you'll find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 (22H2) | October 14, 2025 | EOL | Desktops and laptops across the office — the single largest SMB exposure right now |
| Windows Server 2012 / 2012 R2 | Extended support ended Oct 10, 2023; final paid ESU year ends Oct 13, 2026 | ESU cliff | The old file server or line-of-business app box in the back room |
| PHP 7.4 | November 28, 2022 | EOL | The company WordPress site — EOL for over three and a half years |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | May 31, 2025 | EOL | Web servers, internal tools, that VM someone spun up in 2021 |
| SQL Server 2016 (SP3) | July 14, 2026 | EOL — days old | Behind accounting, ERP, and practice-management software — crossed the line this very week |
What's covered
- August 2026: The Patching Console Itself Is the Live Example
- Why This Happens Without Anyone Lying
- What Commonly Lurks in an SMB Fleet Right Now
- The 20-Minute Self-Audit (No Technical Skill Required)
- Questions for Your Next QBR
- A Good MSP Will Thank You for This
Full guide with every version, risk scores, and live updates: https://endoflife.ai/article-msp-eol-audit
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