# End-of-Life Devices Insight for Hardware Refresh

The **End-of-Life Devices** insight identifies devices that are approaching or have exceeded their recommended operational lifespan. As hardware ages and warranties expire, organizations face increasing risks — hardware failures, expired vendor support, reduced compatibility with modern software, and higher maintenance costs.

This insight gives IT administrators early visibility into aging hardware so that hardware refresh cycles can be planned proactively rather than reactively — reducing unexpected failures, unplanned downtime, and emergency procurement costs.

**This is a lifecycle planning insight, not a performance alert**

A device appearing in this insight is not necessarily performing poorly right now. The insight provides early warning so you can plan proactively. Use it to build a prioritized refresh queue, not to trigger emergency replacements.

This insight helps administrators:

- Identify devices with warranties expiring within 90 days before vendor support coverage lapses
- Detect devices that have exceeded 5 years of operational age
- Build and prioritize a hardware refresh queue based on actual warranty and age data
- Forecast hardware replacement budgets with accurate, device-level data
- Reduce operational risk for business-critical users on aging hardware

## Trigger Conditions

The End-of-Life Devices insight is generated when either of the following conditions is met:

| Condition | Default Threshold | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| **Warranty expiry** | Less than 90 days from today | The manufacturer warranty will expire within 3 months. After expiry, hardware repairs require out-of-pocket costs or a separate support contract. |
| **Device age** | Greater than 5 years | The device has been in service for more than 5 years, placing it beyond the typical enterprise hardware refresh cycle. |

**OR condition — either criterion triggers the insight**

A device is flagged if **either** condition is met. This means a 1-year-old device with a warranty expiring in 24 days will appear, and a 7-year-old device with an active warranty will also appear. Always check both the **Days to Warranty Expiry** and **Device Age** columns to understand which condition triggered each specific device.

**Tip**

Both thresholds can be customized independently to match your organization's hardware lifecycle policy.  
**Navigation:** DEX > Insights > End-of-Life Devices insight > Edit icon next to criteria

## Accessing the Insight

1. In Endpoint Central, click **DEX** in the top navigation bar.
2. Select **Insights** from the left sidebar.
3. Locate the insight: **Devices approaching or past End of Life, posing risks to security and support coverage**.
4. Click the insight name to open the detail view.

**Navigation**

DEX > Insights > Devices approaching or past End of Life, posing risks to security and support coverage

**Note**

This insight appears under the **Device Reliability** category on the Insights page. Use the **Category** filter to locate it if needed.

## Interpreting the Insight Metrics

The summary bar shows four cards identifying scale, hardware model, vendor, and site location. All four have **View More** drill-downs.

![Insight summary bar showing Total Impacted Devices, Top Impacted Model, Top Impacted Vendor, Top Impacted Remote Office](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/eol-devices1.webp)

## Analyzing Affected Devices

The device table provides the lifecycle data needed to triage, prioritize, and plan replacements. With 12 devices flagged, the table drives the refresh queue.

## Understanding Lifecycle Risk by Device Profile

Not all end-of-life devices carry the same risk. Use device age and warranty status together to determine the right action for each device:

## Remediation

## Post-Remediation Monitoring

**Recommended ongoing practice**

Review this insight at the start of each budget planning cycle. Export the device list via the export icon (top right of device table) and share it with your procurement team as the basis for the next hardware refresh budget. Flag devices with fewer than 90 days to warranty expiry for immediate procurement action.

## Configuring the Lifecycle Thresholds

1. Navigate to **DEX > Insights**.
2. Locate the End-of-Life Devices insight row.
3. Click the edit icon (pencil) next to the criteria description.
4. Update the warranty expiry window and/or device age threshold and save.

**Navigation**

DEX > Insights > End-of-Life Devices insight > Edit icon next to criteria

**Recommended thresholds**

Standard enterprise (4—5 year refresh cycle): device age > 5 years, warranty expiry < 90 days (default).  
Aggressive refresh environments (3—4 year cycle): device age > 4 years, warranty expiry < 120 days.  
Extended lifecycle (6+ year refresh): device age > 6 years, warranty expiry < 60 days.  
High-availability or critical infrastructure: warranty expiry < 180 days — flag earlier to ensure replacement lead time is sufficient before coverage lapses.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why is a 1-year-old device appearing in this insight?

Because the insight uses an OR condition — a device is flagged if either its warranty is expiring within 90 days OR its age exceeds 5 years. A device that is only 1 year old but has a warranty expiring in 24 days triggers the warranty condition. The correct action here is to extend the warranty, not replace the hardware. Always check both Device Age and Days to Warranty Expiry together before deciding on the remediation path.