Microsoft Changes Course on Office for Windows 10—But There’s a Catch
Following the end of support for Windows 10, support for the Windows 365 Office apps installed on it was also to be withdrawn. Now the company is backing down, at least partially.
To encourage Windows 10 users to switch to the newer version of its operating system more quickly, Microsoft also wanted to limit support for its Office applications. In January, the company declared that support for the manufacturer's Office applications installed on the operating system would also be discontinued with the end of support for the operating system.
This should also apply to the applications used for a Microsoft 365 subscription. However, the software manufacturer is now backtracking on this point.
Limited Support for Microsoft 365 under Windows 10
In a statement, Microsoft announced that support for the individual Office apps will remain in place even after the official end of Windows 10. At the very least, the apps' security will continue to be guaranteed through regular updates, which will be provided via the usual update process.
However, the software company emphasizes that the continued support can only be maintained to a limited extent. If an error occurs in one of the Office programs under Windows 10 but not under Windows 11, it will be ignored.
In such cases, the support team has been instructed to recommend switching to the newer Windows version. If this switch is not possible, the team will only offer assistance rectifying the error. However, technical problem solving may only be possible to a limited extent or not at all.
User Loyalty is Becoming a Problem
When introducing new versions of Windows, Microsoft has always struggled with the loyalty of its users, who stick with "their" Windows longer than expected. However, this means that innovations are very slow to reach the general public. There are many reasons for this. Time and again, Microsoft has presented new operating system versions that users have not received very well. This was already the case with Windows 98, which only became a success after the release of the Second Edition. Windows Me, particularly Windows 8/8.1, was also regarded as a misguided development.
With Windows 11, on the other hand, Microsoft took a rather hard line. The operating system could no longer be installed on computers that were still quite new at the time of release. Many users still see no reason to part with their current system and therefore stick with the Windows version installed on it.
The user figures also underline this: In January, Windows 10 still had a global share of just under 63 percent. This has now fallen to below 53 percent. However, at just under 53%, it is still ahead of its successor, which is installed on around 44% of the PCs surveyed.
