Microsoft has introduced that the ultimate day it would provide safety assist for Phrase, Excel, and PowerPoint on Home windows 10 will likely be Oct. 14, 2025. Companies that depend on Microsoft 365 apps and use the outdated working system should improve to Home windows 11.
“After that date, should you’re operating Microsoft 365 on a Home windows 10 gadget, the functions will proceed to operate as earlier than,” Microsoft stated within the announcement. “Nonetheless, we strongly advocate upgrading to Home windows 11 to keep away from efficiency and reliability points over time.”
This is applicable to the subscription model of Workplace, Microsoft 365, and non-subscription variations of Workplace 2021, Workplace 2019, and Workplace 2016. Microsoft says that when a person upgrades to Home windows 11, all Microsoft 365 options and safety updates will resume as earlier than they usually can run an Workplace replace to make sure they’ve the newest model.
SEE: What’s Inside Microsoft’s Main Home windows 11 Replace?
This October cutoff may also mark the end of Windows 10 support, becoming a member of Home windows 7, Home windows 8, and Home windows 8.1 within the working system graveyard. Nonetheless, Home windows 10 continues to be the most used Microsoft OS, with 62.7% of the market share as of Dec. 2024. Home windows 11 has simply 34.12% of the market share.
Microsoft calls 2025 ‘the 12 months of the Home windows 11 PC refresh’
Microsoft has dubbed 2025 “the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.” Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s Government VP, stated in a weblog submit: “We consider that one of the vital items of know-how folks will look to refresh in 2025 isn’t the fridge, the tv, or their cell phone. Will probably be their Home windows 10 PC, and they’ll transfer ahead with Home windows 11.”
The submit is seemingly trying to solicit customers to improve by associating Home windows 11 with its Copilot+ PCs and different AI improvements. Microsoft has additionally tried pestering customers into submission, by displaying full-screen pop-ups suggesting customers upgrade their device and transfer their files.
SEE: Microsoft Copilot Cheat Sheet: Worth, Variations & Advantages
Home windows 11 has confirmed a controversial improve as a result of “non-negotiable” requirement that gadgets wanting to take action should have the Trusted Platform Module 2.0, which was introduced in 2021. Microsoft claims that TPM 2.0 “raise(s) the security baseline” by enabling options like BitLocker, Home windows Whats up, and Virtualisation-Primarily based Safety, that are mandatory for cover towards fashionable threats akin to ransomware.
PCs manufactured after mid-2016 sometimes assist TPM 2.0, although it might want enabling in BIOS, however solely CPUs launched from 2018 onwards will assist Home windows 11. Older PCs with out TPM 2.0 can’t run the OS formally; customers should improve {hardware} or, at their very own danger, bypass necessities utilizing one of many many workarounds found by the Home windows group.
Microsoft providing prolonged safety updates
For individuals who are set on persevering with to make use of Workplace apps on Home windows 10, there may be another method to do that securely. Microsoft is providing Prolonged Safety Updates to customers for the primary time, which means that for $30, anybody can obtain one further 12 months of “Critical and Important security updates”. Enrollment for this will likely be opened “nearer to the tip of assist in 2025.”
Companies will be capable of pay for as much as three years of ESU. It is going to price $61 for the primary 12 months however the value will double for each consecutive year. Enrollment for that is open now and the primary replace will deploy in November.
Those that bought Home windows 10 Lengthy-Time period Servicing Department or Lengthy Time period Servicing Channel may also proceed to obtain safety updates after Oct. 14.