Guide
Office and Windows support dates, and what they mean for your office
Unsupported software keeps running. What stops is security fixes from Microsoft. Here are the dates that matter for a small office and the options for each one.
Dates checked against Microsoft's lifecycle pages on October 9, 2026. Microsoft can change them, so confirm on the linked pages before you plan around one.
Office 2021 and Office LTSC 2021
Support for Office LTSC 2021 and the Office 2021 versions sold as a one-time purchase, such as Office Home and Business 2021, has an end of support date of October 13, 2026. From that date Microsoft provides no technical support, bug fixes, or security updates for them, and it has not announced an extended support option. Office 2016 and Office 2019 are already past support.
What to do. Move to the Microsoft 365 apps that come with most Microsoft 365 business plans, which stay current, or to Office LTSC 2024 if a subscription truly does not fit. Check which version each computer runs first. The name on the box and the version installed are not always the same.
Windows 10
Windows 10 Home and Pro reached end of support on October 14, 2025. A Windows 10 computer still turns on and works, but it no longer gets regular security fixes unless it is enrolled in Extended Security Updates.
- Businesses can buy Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 at $61 per device for the first year. The price doubles each year, for at most three years, and a later year can't be bought without the earlier ones.
- Home users have a separate consumer program with an end date of October 12, 2027.
- Some special editions have their own dates. Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 has an end of support date of January 12, 2027.
So a Windows 10 computer is not automatically unpatched. It depends on the edition and on whether it is enrolled in Extended Security Updates. We check both before recommending anything.
What to do. Upgrade computers that can run Windows 11, replace the ones that can't, and use Extended Security Updates as a bridge for a computer that has to stay on Windows 10 for now, like one running older equipment software.
Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10
Microsoft says it will keep sending security updates for the Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 until October 10, 2028, without new features. That protects Outlook, Word, and Excel, not Windows itself.
Why it matters even though everything still works
Cyber insurance applications and customer security questionnaires often ask whether every computer runs supported software. An honest no is better than a yes that isn't true, and a plan with dates is a far better answer than nothing.
How we help
Every $350 office checkup lists the Windows and Office version on each computer we look at and which ones need attention. Upgrades are quoted in writing, and Microsoft 365 setup starts at $1,200 for up to 10 people. Licenses and new computers are bought at cost.
Sources
- Microsoft, Office LTSC 2021 end of support
- Microsoft, Office 2021 lifecycle
- Microsoft, Windows 10 Home and Pro lifecycle
- Microsoft, Extended Security Updates for Windows 10
- Microsoft, Windows 10 end of support and Microsoft 365 apps
Public guidance from Microsoft. It does not endorse Vektrion.
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