Microsoft Lifts Update Ban for Windows and Office in Russia: What’s Next?

Microsoft had previously suspended software licensing purchases and update services for customers in Russia due to certain reasons. A notable example is that even ordinary consumers who had already purchased licenses for Windows 10/11 and Microsoft Office were unable to download updates.

Similarly, Microsoft also blocked Russian IP addresses from accessing the download pages for Windows 10/11 image files. This forced many Russian users to use VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to change their IP addresses in order to obtain updates.

This situation persisted for nearly a year, with intermittent unblocking and re-blocking. From a contractual obligation standpoint, since users have purchased licenses, Microsoft should provide subsequent updates, so Microsoft's approach has been subject to considerable criticism. (Note: The updates mentioned here refer to major version updates, not the monthly security updates, which can be normally downloaded and installed.)

Now, Microsoft has once again lifted the ban on updates for Windows and Office, including but not limited to consumer and enterprise versions of Windows 10/11, the Windows Server series of server operating systems, and Office productivity software, all of which can now be directly updated.

Some enterprise IT administrators have confirmed this news, but it is unclear how long this unblocking will last, or whether Microsoft will re-impose the ban in the future. Given the current situation, it seems unlikely that there will be another ban, as the license renewal issues with Microsoft Azure have already been resolved.

Previously, according to the 12th round of sanctions against Russia issued by the EU in December 2023, Microsoft was required not to provide data analysis software to customers in specific industries in Russia. As a result, in March of this year, Microsoft informed Russian customers that they would not be able to renew their licenses after they expired.

By late April, Microsoft began renewing licenses for these customers again, although new licenses could not be purchased. This means that existing Russian customers can continue to use these products and continue to receive security and technical support.

The only thing that remains unclear is whether Russian home consumers can directly download Windows 10/11 image files from the official website. BlueDot Network has not yet found definitive information on this matter.