Windows 10 will lose support starting Oct. 14, 2025, and Microsoft is holding firm. That has implications for if you use Office apps in Windows 10.
On Oct. 14, 2025, Windows 10 will be retired. The date has been known for years, but is starting to get quietly closer. Those who had hoped that the popularity of Windows 10 would cause Microsoft to change its mind are in for a treat. In a blog, Microsoft once again confirms the impending end of Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11.
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Continuing to use Windows 10 past its expiration date is not without consequences. For example, Microsoft will no longer roll out security updates, exposing your PC to vulnerabilities. Also, the desktop versions of Office/365 applications will no longer work in Windows 10 starting Oct. 14. You could still get around this by using the Web versions, which do still work on older PCs.
Five scenarios
Those currently using Windows 10 had better start preparing for Oct. 14. We previously outlined the five scenarios that are on the table. The most obvious option is to update your PC to Windows 11, which in the first place requires your PC to meet the hardware requirements imposed by Microsoft: it doesn’t deviate from those either.
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If for any reason it is not possible or desirable to upgrade your PC, you either have to buy a new PC or pay for extended updates. Microsoft opens the paid Extends Secrity Update program exceptionally for individuals. As an individual, you can extend the life of Windows 10 for up to one year; business users get three more years. It is not clear whether Office will continue to work in that case.
Nor is it more than delaying the inevitable. If you still don’t want to switch afterwards, you will have to look for another operating system. The fifth and least desirable scenario is to use Windows 10 without updates, but we wouldn’t recommend this to you at all.
The impending end of Windows 10 creates an extraordinary situation. Windows 10 is even gaining market share versus Windows 11, and Microsoft continues to roll out new features with slight reluctance. Despite all frantic efforts, Microsoft is not getting a large portion of users convinced to switch to the latest version.