What Windows end of support means for Office and Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 and the Modern Lifecycle Policy

Microsoft 365 is governed by the Modern Lifecycle Policy which requires customers to stay current as per the servicing and system requirements for the product or service, including using Microsoft 365 on a Windows operating system that is currently in support.

Using Microsoft 365 on older, unsupported operating systems may cause performance and reliability issues over time. As a valuable Microsoft 365 subscriber, we want to continue to provide a stable productivity experience. Therefore, if you're using Microsoft 365 on a computer running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1, we strongly recommend you move to a supported Windows operating system. If you are using Microsoft 365 on a computer running Windows 10, we strongly recommend that you upgrade to Windows 11 before Windows 10 support ends on October 14, 2025.

Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and Microsoft 365

Support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025. After that date, if you're running Microsoft 365 Apps on a Windows 10 device, the applications will continue to function as before. However, we strongly recommend upgrading to Windows 11 to avoid performance and reliability issues over time.

In the interest of maintaining your security while you upgrade to Windows 11, we will continue providing security updates for Microsoft 365 on Windows 10 for a total of three years after Windows 10 end of support, ending on October 10, 2028. 

Support for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 have all ended. Devices running these versions of Windows no longer receive security updates. Therefore, if you're using Microsoft 365 Apps on a computer running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 and are configured for automatic updates, you'll no longer receive updates for the Office apps, including feature, security, and other quality updates.

In order to continue to receive Microsoft 365 product updates, we recommend upgrading Windows to a supported operating system.

If you're not ready to upgrade at this time, Office on the web is an available alternative.

Office Home & Business, Office Home & Student, and other versions of Office

Non-subscription versions of Office, such as Office Home & Student, Office Home & Business, or Office Professional Plus, will continue to be fully supported based on the Fixed Lifecycle Policy. However, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7 no longer receive security updates, leaving them vulnerable to security threats. After support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025, it will become vulnerable to security threats as well.

If you're running Microsoft Office on a Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 PC, we recommend upgrading to a supported operating system.

The following table shows the supported versions of Office and Windows operating system.

*These versions of Office will continue to be supported so long as they are within the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy. The exception to this is if you're running Office on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, and we determine your issue is caused or related to one of those out of support operating systems, and not an issue with Office. In this case, your problem won't be supported.