Microsoft has all but given up on Windows 11 SE – and it looks like the war against Chromebooks has been lost

Microsoft has said Windows 11 SE will run out of support in October 2026
This brings an end to this alternative spin on Windows 11
However, Surface Laptop SE owners were previously promised a longer timeframe of support for their devices

Microsoft has announced that it’s dropping support for Windows 11 SE in just over a year’s time, leaving buyers of low-cost laptops running this spin on its OS in the lurch – and admitting defeat with this most recent initiative to take on Google’s Chromebooks.

If you’re unfamiliar with Windows 11 SE, it was designed as a (kind of) lightweight version of the desktop operating system. It was preinstalled on affordable laptops that were priced to do well in the education sector, trying to take a piece of the pie that Chromebooks dominate (SE seemingly stood for Student or School Edition).

Windows Central reports that Microsoft announced via its Learn portal that Windows 11 SE support is being shuttered in October 2026.

The company said: “Microsoft will not release a feature update after Windows 11 SE, version 24H2. Support for Windows 11 SE – including software updates, technical assistance, and security fixes – will end in October 2026. While your device will continue to work, we recommend transitioning to a device that supports another edition of Windows 11 to ensure continued support and security.”

So, you won’t be provided with Windows 11 25H2 later this year on your SE device, if you own one – version 24H2 is as far down the line as you’ll get, and all updates will cease full-stop in just over a year.

Microsoft Surface Laptop SE — (Image credit: Microsoft)

Analysis: Silly Ending for a Student Edition?

Microsoft has been trying to take on Google’s Chromebooks for a long time now, including efforts such as Windows 10X – which badly misfired and ended up being canned before it even arrived. Windows 11 SE was the most recent effort, emerging late in 2021, and it was showcased by Microsoft in its Surface Laptop SE. However, as we observed in our review of that machine, there was a problem here – the performance level of the notebook was rather poor.

The simple truth about Windows 11 SE is that while it was supposed to be a streamlined operating system for low-cost devices, this variant of the desktop OS was still too unwieldy. There just wasn’t enough emphasis on trimming down Windows 11 so it performed better.

Indeed, much of the thrust of Windows 11 SE was about simplifying the computing experience for students – the interface, and locking the system to only admin-approved apps, plus cloud services – rather than actually streamlining the operating system so it ran well on lesser hardware. And let’s be honest, the latter was the whole point, really, at least in terms of making affordable laptops to rival cheap Chromebooks (which run very slickly indeed, despite their low cost).

So, all in all, it’s not surprising to see Microsoft shutter this effort in this manner. What is surprising, though, is how owners of Windows 11 SE machines, like the Surface Laptop SE, have now been left in the lurch by this announcement that support is being killed in a year.

As Neowin, which also picked up on this move, points out, the Surface Laptop SE has an end-of-service date (for firmware and drivers) of January 11, 2028. But with Microsoft now having revealed that Windows 11 SE won’t be going on beyond October 2026, that’s cutting this support window (pun not intended) short by over a year.

Those who own a Surface Laptop SE, who thought they were good for another couple of years, have effectively now been told they’re going to be a year shorter on support. If Microsoft promised support for this showcase laptop through to 2028, then why not extend support for the dedicated OS it runs to that date, too? Strong-arming folks into moving early hardly seems fair here.

It seems an odd decision to make, and one that won’t endear Microsoft to some people. Indeed, when it comes to Microsoft’s next big shot at taking on Chromebooks – if there is one – those in the education sector might remember what’s happened here, and be less trusting of new ideas from the software giant.

For those who do have a laptop running Windows 11 SE, and now need to plan on switching away sooner from that OS, maybe to a different flavor of Windows 11, this is possible, albeit somewhat problematic in some reported cases. Going by this Reddit thread, if you’re running into trouble in this endeavor, you may want to try turning off Secure Boot in the laptop’s BIOS to get a working installation of Windows 11 Home or Pro on an SE machine (you can switch the feature back on afterwards, apparently).

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Microsoft has all but given up on Windows 11 SE – and it looks like the war against Chromebooks has been lost