Except Microsoft hadn’t already made it very clear that it desires you to improve your Home windows 10 PC this yr, the corporate has introduced it is going to cease supporting Workplace apps on the older OS come October.
In a weblog submit, Microsoft confirmed that to proceed utilizing the Microsoft 365 suite of apps in your machine, you’ll “must improve to Home windows 11” by October 14—the identical day that help will even stop for Home windows 10. And in lots of circumstances, upgrading to Home windows 11 would require upgrading your machine too.
That’s as a result of Home windows 11 has some fairly hefty {hardware} necessities that thousands and thousands of older machines can’t meet, and Microsoft has already confirmed it has no intention of budging these stipulations.
It’s so assured within the transfer that Yusef Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief advertising officer declared 2025 the “yr of the Home windows 11 PC refresh.”
“Whether or not the present PC wants a refresh, or it has safety vulnerabilities that require the most recent hardware-backed safety, now could be the time to maneuver ahead with a brand new Home windows 11 PC,” he wrote in one other weblog submit, earlier this month.
It’s truthful to say that a number of the machines that received’t attain these minimal {hardware} necessities might be approaching 10 years outdated, and will in all probability do with an improve anyway. Nevertheless it’s additionally true that the sheer variety of Home windows 10 machines on the market—information printed by Statcounter in December 2024 suggests there are virtually double the variety of PCs operating Home windows 10 than Home windows 11—means getting all of them converted earlier than help ends is unlikely.
There’s some excellent news for any Home windows 10 customers hoping to cling on and nonetheless use their Workplace apps. Similar to the working system itself, Microsoft 365 received’t fall off a cliff and cease working come October 14. Microsoft has confirmed that Workplace apps “will proceed to operate as earlier than,” however that there might be “efficiency and reliability points over time” as safety and have updates cease coming via.
If that is your tactic, it is perhaps price contemplating Microsoft’s Prolonged Safety Updates, that are being supplied to customers for the primary time. Customers pays $30 to maintain their PC safe with updates for a yr, whereas companies can defend their machines for as much as three. It will not cease your apps from falling outdated, in fact, however will a minimum of assist to maintain the nasties out whilst you plot your subsequent transfer.
