After five years, Microsoft is ending Windows 11 SE. Now ChromeOS has little competition left in schools.
Microsoft will pull the plug on October 2026 for Windows 11 SE, the special variant of Windows 11, specifically developed for school laptops as an alternative to ChromeOS. The version will not receive an update to Windows 11 25H2 and will no longer receive security patches from the end of 2026.
End of a Short Lifespan
Windows 11 SE appeared in 2021 and was only available on low-cost educational laptops, such as the Surface Laptop SE. The system was optimized for cheaper hardware, saved files by default in OneDrive, and provided IT administrators with deep control over apps and extensions via Microsoft Intune. Features that could distract or reduce performance were deliberately omitted.
A Long History of ChromeOS Alternatives
Microsoft has tried several times to halt the rise of Google’s ChromeOS in schools, writes Ars Technica. Examples include Windows 8.1 with Bing (2014) and Windows 10 S (2017), now known as S-mode. Windows 11 SE was not a mode you could enable, but a standalone and education-focused edition.
Microsoft advises schools to switch to another Windows 11 version in time to maintain support and security updates. The company has not yet announced an official replacement for Windows 11 SE.