PowerShell 7.4 LTS Upgrade Before November 10, 2026 End of Support — when and how should I migrate?
Decide when automation scripts and developer workstations should move beyond PowerShell 7.4 before its end-of-support date in November 2026.
Blockers
- runtime/powershell-7-4 — EOL 2026-11-10
- runtime/powershell-7-5 — EOL 2026-11-10
- runtime/powershell-7-6 — EOL 2028-11-14
- requires_version: runtime/powershell-7-4 → runtime/dotnet-8-0
- requires_version: runtime/powershell-7-5 → runtime/dotnet-9-0-14
- requires_version: runtime/powershell-7-6 → runtime/dotnet-10-0-5
- ThreadJob module name changed to Microsoft.PowerShell.ThreadJob
- PowerShell 7.4 is the last PowerShell version supported for Azure Functions Linux Consumption plan apps
Who this is for
- enterprise
Candidates
Standardize new work on PowerShell 7.6 LTS now
As of 2026-04-01, PowerShell 7.6.0 is the current LTS release, built on .NET 10.0.5, and Microsoft lists its end of support as 2028-11-14. The previous LTS release, PowerShell 7.4.14, remains supported only until 2026-11-10. Official 7.6 breaking changes include the ThreadJob module name changing to `Microsoft.PowerShell.ThreadJob` and `Join-Path -ChildPath` changing to `string[]`. This is the only supported PowerShell 7 line that materially extends runway beyond November 2026.
When to choose
Use this for developer workstations and general automation when you want the next long support window and can validate a small set of documented breaking changes. It is the decisive choice if the goal is to avoid another PowerShell migration in 2026.
Tradeoffs
Best support runway and least deadline pressure, but requires regression testing for scripts that module-qualify `Start-ThreadJob` or depend on older `Join-Path -ChildPath` behavior.
Cautions
PowerShell only supports the latest update version of a release. PowerShell support also ends when the underlying OS reaches end of life, and Microsoft notes that PowerShell module support outside the core release package follows each module's own lifecycle.
Hold on PowerShell 7.4 briefly, but finish migration well before 2026-11-10
As of 2026-04-01, PowerShell 7.4.14 is still supported and Microsoft lists its end of support as 2026-11-10. It is built on .NET 8.0 and remains the prior LTS release after 7.6 GA. This is the lowest-change path for existing scripts and workstation baselines in the short term. It is also the last PowerShell version supported for Azure Functions Linux Consumption plan apps.
When to choose
Use this only when you need temporary stability for existing automation or you have Azure Functions Linux Consumption workloads that cannot move yet. The decisive factor is platform lock-in or near-term change freeze, not long-term support.
Tradeoffs
Lowest immediate migration risk, but it leaves a hard support cliff in November 2026 and compresses testing, packaging, and rollout work into the same year.
Cautions
Do not treat 7.4 as safe to keep through late 2026 without a parallel migration track. For Azure Functions Linux Consumption, newer PowerShell versions are not added, so moving beyond 7.4 there may require platform migration to Flex Consumption rather than an in-place language version bump.
Use PowerShell 7.5 only as a short feature bridge, not as the destination
As of 2026-04-01, PowerShell 7.5.5 is the current Stable release, built on .NET 9.0.14. Microsoft's lifecycle pages list the same end-of-support date for PowerShell 7.5 and PowerShell 7.4: 2026-11-10. PowerShell 7.5 adds features and fixes such as `ConvertTo-CliXml` and `ConvertFrom-CliXml`, web cmdlet improvements, and a documented set of breaking changes. Because 7.5 and 7.4 retire on the same date, 7.5 is a feature bridge rather than a lifecycle-extending upgrade target.
When to choose
Use this only if you need 7.5-specific fixes or features now and already expect to move again to 7.6. The decisive factor is feature need, because it does not buy extra support runway over 7.4.
Tradeoffs
More current features than 7.4, but still requires another upgrade cycle before or by the same November 2026 deadline.
Cautions
Review documented 7.5 breaking changes before rollout, especially `ConvertTo-Json` serializing `BigInteger` as a number, `New-FileCatalog` defaulting `-CatalogVersion` to 2, and network help being blocked in restricted remoting sessions.
Try with your AI agent
$ npm install -g pocketlantern $ pocketlantern init # Restart Claude Code, Cursor, or your MCP client, then ask: # "PowerShell 7.4 LTS Upgrade Before November 10, 2026 End of Support — when and how should I migrate?"