Reminder: Windows Server 2022 images with .NET 6.0 will be deprecated in June 2026

If you are running Azure virtual machines based on older Windows Server 2022 Marketplace images, now is a good time to verify whether those images include .NET 6.

Microsoft has reminded customers that the legacy Windows Server 2022 Marketplace images that ship with .NET 6 preinstalled will begin deprecation after June 9, 2026. .NET 6 reached end of support in November 2024, and these older images are now being phased out.

The affected images are the original Windows Server 2022 Marketplace images that included .NET 6 as part of the operating system image. Newer Windows Server 2022 image offers are already available and no longer include .NET 6.

Microsoft's recommendation is straightforward:

• move to the newer Windows Server 2022 image offer
• upgrade applications from .NET 6 to a supported .NET version
• install .NET explicitly if your application requires it.

For example, verify which .NET runtimes are currently installed by running:

dotnet --list-runtimes

Next, check if your application is still targeting .NET 6:

dotnet --version

Newer Windows Server images no longer include .NET by default. Starting with .NET 8 and later releases, you should plan to install the required runtime as part of your deployment process rather than relying on the Marketplace image.

Another important detail is that existing virtual machines will continue running after image deprecation. However, image-based operations such as reimaging and certain scale set scenarios may be affected, since they depend on the original Marketplace image remaining available.

If you are maintaining long-lived Azure VM deployments, it is worth reviewing image references now rather than waiting until the deprecation process reaches enforcement later in 2026.