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End of VS Code Support for .NET 6 and 7

Microsoft has announced that starting January 2026, the C# Dev Kit and C# VS Code extension will no longer support development using the .NET 6 and .NET 7 SDKs. In the blog post below, I’ll walk you through what teams running these versions of .NET in production need to know.

VS Code Support

The January 2026 release of the C# Dev Kit for VS Code will drop support for the .NET 6 and .NET 7 SDKs. If you continue developing with those SDKs in VS Code, you can expect:

  • Degraded IntelliSense and code navigation
  • Debugging and project system issues
  • Bugs that will not be fixed

Microsoft recommends using a supported SDK such as .NET 8 or later for development, even if you are targeting older frameworks.

.NET 6 and 7 Are Already Out of Support

This tooling announcement is a follow-on effect, not a new policy change. Both of these versions of .NET have already been out of support for a while:

  • .NET 6 reached end of support in May 2024
  • .NET 7 reached end of support in November 2024

Being out of support means that these frameworks no longer receive security patches, runtime fixes, or official support. Applications will continue running, but they are doing so outside Microsoft’s support window.

Visual Studio Support

If you are using Visual Studio, your existing applications will continue to work. You can still:

  • Open, build, run, and debug projects targeting .NET 6 and .NET 7
  • Maintain legacy solutions without immediate disruption

However, Visual Studio compatibility does not change the underlying support status of the framework. Over time, newer IDE features, libraries, and tooling will increasingly assume .NET 8 or later. As of today, Microsoft supports the following .NET versions:

  • .NET 8 (LTS) — supported through November 2026
  • .NET 9 (STS) — supported through May 2026
  • .NET 10 (LTS) — released November 2025, supported through November 2028

Any application targeting .NET 7 or earlier should be considered out of support and be updated as soon as reasonably possible.

What to Do With a .NET 7 Or Earlier App

In many cases, getting back into support does not require a rewrite. At a minimum:

  • Install a supported SDK (for example, .NET 8, 9, or 10)
  • Upgrade the application’s target framework to a supported version

In real-world systems, this usual also includes:

  • Updating dependencies and build pipelines
  • Addressing deprecated APIs
  • Validating security, performance, and behavior changes
  • Aligning CI/CD and hosting environments with modern .NET practices

This is where a simple upgrade can become a broader modernization effort. This is often easier for more recent versions of .NET, and more time-consuming for older ones. Having experience with this process can be helpful. That’s where Trailhead comes in.

Trailhead Can Help

Trailhead often helps teams move from out-of-support to future-ready with minimal risk. We work with teams to:

  • Assess upgrade readiness and technical risk
  • Define safe, incremental upgrade paths
  • Modernize architecture and tooling where it delivers value
  • Align framework upgrades with business goals and timelines

If you’re running .NET 6 or 7 and want a clear path forward, Trailhead can help you get back into support. Simply contact us to get started!

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J. Tower

Jonathan, or J. as he's known to friends, is a husband, father, and founding partner of Trailhead Technology Partners, a custom software consulting company with employees across the U.S., Europe, and South America. He is a 12-time recipient of the Microsoft MVP award for his work with .NET, a frequent speaker at software conferences around the world, and was recently elected to the .NET Foundation Board for the 2026–2027 term. He doesn’t mind the travel, though, as it allows him to share what he's been learning and also gives him the chance to visit beautiful places like national parks—one of his passions. So far, he's visited 58 of the 63 U.S. national parks. J. is also passionate about building the software community. Over the years, he has served on several non-profit boards, including more than a decade as president of the board for Beer City Code, Western Michigan's largest professional software conference. Outside of work, J. enjoys hiking, reading, photography, and watching all the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars ceremony each year.
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Montage Portal

Montage Furniture Services provides furniture protection plans and claims processing services to a wide selection of furniture retailers and consumers.

Project Background

Montage was looking to build a new web portal for both Retailers and Consumers, which would integrate with Dynamics CRM and other legacy systems. The portal needed to be multi tenant and support branding and configuration for different Retailers. Trailhead architected the new Montage Platform, including the Portal and all of it’s back end integrations, did the UI/UX and then delivered the new system, along with enhancements to DevOps and processes.

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We’ve logged countless miles exploring the tech world. In doing so, we gained the experience that enables us to deliver your unique software and systems architecture needs. Our team of seasoned tech vets can provide you with:

Custom App and Software Development

We collaborate with you throughout the entire process because your customized tech should fit your needs, not just those of other clients.

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We want your end users to have optimal experiences with tech that is highly intuitive and responsive.

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This combination of Agile software development and IT operations provides you with high-quality software at reduced cost, time, and risk.

Trailhead stepped into a challenging project – building our new web architecture and redeveloping our portals at the same time the business was migrating from a legacy system to our new CRM solution. They were able to not only significantly improve our web development architecture but our development and deployment processes as well as the functionality and performance of our portals. The feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive. Trailhead has proven themselves to be a valuable partner.

– BOB DOERKSEN, Vice President of Technology Services
at Montage Furniture Services

Technologies Used

When you hit the trails, it is essential to bring appropriate gear. The same holds true for your digital technology needs. That’s why Trailhead builds custom solutions on trusted platforms like .NET, Angular, React, and Xamarin.

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We partner with businesses who need intuitive custom software, responsive mobile applications, and advanced cloud technologies. And our extensive experience in the tech field allows us to help you map out the right path for all your digital technology needs.

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We partner with businesses who need intuitive custom software, responsive mobile applications, and advanced cloud technologies. And our extensive experience in the tech field allows us to help you map out the right path for all your digital technology needs.

Our Gear Is Packed and We're Excited to Explore with You

Ready to come with us? 

Together, we can map your company’s tech journey and start down the trails. If you’re set to take the first step, simply fill out the contact form. We’ll be in touch – and you’ll have a partner who cares about you and your company. 

We can’t wait to hear from you! 

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