Here we go again. A zombie news story that should have been laid to rest last January has risen from the grave and is walking among us again.
The original story
In case you missed the original story, here’s a recap: Last January, dozens of tech-focused news sites reported that the free upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 was “for a limited time only.” In a quote from the same source, they warned that Microsoft had decreed you would need to upgrade to Windows 11 to continue using Microsoft 365 apps on your PC after the Oct. 14, 2025, end-of-support deadline for Windows 10.
Also: How to upgrade your ‘incompatible’ Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 – 2 free options
The problem with all those reports is they were based on an article by a very junior Microsoft employee posted on an obscure blog for Microsoft nonprofit customers. It wasn’t an official announcement, and the post was deleted that same day. A Microsoft spokesperson told ZDNET’s sister publication PCMag that the blog post “contained inaccurate information and a misleading headline.”
Microsoft’s official support document, “What Windows end of support means for Office and Microsoft 365,” had been published a month earlier and was much less alarming. It begins: “Microsoft 365 apps will no longer be supported on Windows 10 after it reaches end of support on October 14, 2025.” That statement is repeated in bold later in the document:
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.
Back in the news
So why did this zombie story start appearing in my news feeds today? I blame Forbes.They’re the ones standing there, shovel in hand, shouting about “Microsoft’s surprise deadline u-turn” while continuing to quote from the inaccurate, long-since-deleted zombie blog post.
Also: Is your Microsoft account passwordless yet? Why it (probably) should be and how to do it right
Today’s fuss is based on a newly published page at Microsoft’s product documentation site, Microsoft Learn: “Windows 10 end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps,” which contains this note:
To help maintain security while you transition to Windows 11, Microsoft will continue providing security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 for three years after Windows 10 reaches end of support. These updates will be delivered through the standard update channels, ending on October 10, 2028.
That shouldn’t be a surprise. The three-year continuation in security updates for Microsoft 365 matches the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates available to Microsoft’s enterprise customers. It would be a nightmare to rebuild the Microsoft 365 update servers so they delivered updates only to PCs running Windows 10 with an ESU subscription while blocking other Windows 10 devices. So everyone gets those updates.
What ‘won’t be supported’ means
As I told a colleague when the original story came out, “won’t be supported” means that Microsoft will no longer be committing to test new releases on Windows 10. “Given that they are allowing enterprise customers to extend updates for three years,” I added, “they can’t just break Microsoft 365.” Sure enough, that’s what the expanded documentation says.
Also: ‘End of 10’ offers hope and help to Windows 10 users who can’t upgrade
The article is targeted at enterprise customers, who will continue to be able to open support cases with Microsoft. However, the company warns of three limitations that will apply to incidents involving Microsoft 365 Apps running on Windows 10 after Oct. 14, 2025:
- If the issue occurs only with Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10, with or without Windows 10 Extended Security Updates, and doesn’t occur on Windows 11, support will ask the customer to move to Windows 11.
- If the customer is unable to move to Windows 11, support will provide troubleshooting assistance only; technical workarounds might be limited or unavailable.
- Support incidents for Microsoft 365 Apps running on Windows 10, with or without Extended Security Updates, do not include the option to log a bug or request other product updates.
It’s also worth noting those options aren’t available for consumers running Personal and Family editions of Microsoft 365. You’ll still get security updates on Windows 10, but don’t expect to get much help if you call support.
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