INFO: Support for Legacy Platforms

What platforms does Rebex consider "legacy"?

Legacy platforms are platforms that are no longer covered by our Standard Support but have not yet reached End of Life. Legacy Editions of Rebex components targeting these platforms are available as separate products.

Which Legacy Editions are currently available?

Currently, Legacy Editions targeting .NET Compact Framework 3.5, 3.9 and .NET Framework 2.0/3.0 are available.

Platform code  Target platforms of the latest version Release date End of Standard Support End of Life
netcf-3.5 .NET Compact Framework 3.5 2009-01-12 2019-07-01 2021-04-13 (*1)
netcf-3.9 .NET Compact Framework 3.9 2013-12-02 2019-07-01 2023-10-10 (*1)
net-2.0 .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0 2006-11-27 2020-01-01 2024-05-14
Note: Not all platforms will get legacy platform support. This includes, for example, platforms that follow Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle Policy. Binaries targeting these platforms are usually superseded by binaries targeting a more recent version of the platform.
*1) Due to popular demand, we will provide and maintain binaries for .NET Compact Framework 3.5/3.9 until at least 2024-10-10, as long as your legacy support contract remains active. However, please note that support for Rebex binaries on end-of-life platforms is limited - see below for details.

Does Rebex support end-of-life platforms?

End-of-life platforms are no longer supported by Microsoft and may contain serious bugs and other issues that are never going to be fixed. Although we will try to aid our customers using end-of-life platforms, we cannot guarantee support for them. Upgrading to a more recent version of the platform is strongly recommended.

Fully supported legacy platforms:

  • Windows Embedded Compact 2013

End-of-life legacy platforms:

  • Windows Embedded Compact 7
  • Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5
  • Windows Embedded CE 6.0
  • Windows CE 5.0
  • Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0, 6.1, 6.5
On 2021-04-13, Rebex component binaries targeting .NET CF 3.5 reached end-of-life, and we cannot guarantee any kind of support for them. However, in practice, not much has changed for most of our customers. We still try to solve critical issues on these old platforms, just like we did before for customers using Rebex components on Windows XP, Windows 7 or Windows Mobile 6.5 (all of these are already end-of-life platforms). But if you run into an issue with .NET CF 3.5 that we cannot reproduce on .NET CF 3.9, we might be unable to help you on .NET platforms that are no longer maintained and supported by their vendor.

Are binaries for legacy platforms included in standard packages?

No. They are only included in Legacy Editions which have to be purchased separately.

What is the difference between a Legacy Edition and standard edition?

Legacy Edition releases are less frequent than standard editions. Critical bug fixes and some updates are backported to Legacy Edition, but most new features are not. For details, see Legacy editions release history.

How to get a Legacy Edition of a Rebex component?

If you are interested in .NET CF edition, download a trial to give it a try (make sure to pick the .NET CF legacy edition), and purchase a license for it.

Legacy editions for .NET Framework 2.0/3.0 are available upon request. Please contact us to get a link.

I will only use a legacy platform. Can I only buy a Legacy Edition license?

Yes. Legacy Editions and standard editions are separate products and can be purchased separately.

What will happen when my Legacy Edition expires?

  • You can continue using any version you already acquired.
  • You will lose access to technical support.
  • You will lose access to new releases.

What will be costs for renewal for another year?

If you renew anually, renewal costs will be 50% of the full license price. See Rebex Support Contract page for more information.

Can I get support for platforms after the End of Life date?

Custom software development and consulting services are part of our service offering and apply to deprecated historical platforms as well. Please contact sales@rebex.net to discuss terms and conditions.