Office 2016 and 2019 face October 14 execution date
(2025/09/16)
- Reference: 1758029771
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/09/16/office_2019_2016_support/
- Source link:
While Windows 10 might seem to be the biggest casualty as a result of Microsoft's ax-swinging, Office and recent versions of Windows 11 are also set to be chopped.
Yesterday, Microsoft's director of product marketing for the Microsoft 365 portfolio [1]reminded administrators that support for the Office 2016 and 2019 suites will end on October 14. In addition to familiar applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with the 2016 or 2019 suffix, Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 will also retire, as will Skype for Business Server 2015 and 2019.
In July, Microsoft [2]announced a stay of execution – at least in terms of security fixes – for Exchange Server and Skype for Business Server, for users who had signed up for security updates (although it did not guarantee that any updates would be forthcoming).
[3]
But Office hasn't been given a reprieve. With less than a month to go, the [4]message from Microsoft is clear: "There will be no extension and no extended security updates."
[5]
[6]
As with affected versions of Windows 10, unsupported versions of Office won't suddenly stop working. However, there will be no more updates or fixes, and the company will also stop providing technical support over the phone or via chat.
Microsoft's recommendation, unsurprisingly, is that customers sign up for Microsoft 365. It has made massive investments in the cloud technology in the hopes users would do just that. Smoothing revenue with a subscription model would hardly hurt either.
[7]Microsoft preps for a year of enterprise-impacting M365 retirements
[8]Under Trump 2.0, Europe's dependence on US clouds back under the spotlight
[9]Soon the most popular 'real' desktop will be the Linux desktop
[10]Microsoft to block downloaded VBA macros in Office – you may be able to run 'em anyway
Alternatively, there is always the on-premises Office LTSC 2024 option for commercial customers who prefer not to move to the cloud.
Office 2016 and 2019 aren't the only products set to lose support. Windows 11 22H2 (the Enterprise and Education editions) will also reach the end of servicing on October 14. On November 11, Windows 11 23H2 (Home and Pro editions) will hit the end of its support lifecycle. So it's handy that Microsoft is removing the compatibility holds that blocked some users from updating to Windows 11 24H2.
[11]
Late 2025 will be a busy time for administrators. The end of support for several editions of Windows 10, as well as some versions of Windows 11, will keep them on their toes. Losing support for Office 2016 and 2019 (even if some server products might get an undetermined number of security updates if you ask Microsoft nicely) is just one more headache to deal with. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/officeeos/get-ready-now-one-month-until-office-20162019-end-of-support/4453395
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/17/microsoft_extended_security_exchange_skype_server/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aMmJl87mfI5j-x9j45fwTwAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/end-of-support-for-office-2016-and-office-2019-818c68bc-d5e5-47e5-b52f-ddf636cf8e16
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aMmJl87mfI5j-x9j45fwTwAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aMmJl87mfI5j-x9j45fwTwAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/09/microsoft_enterprise_impacting_retirements/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/26/europe_has_second_thoughts_about/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/04/linux_desktop_cloud_desktops/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/08/microsoft_office_default_macro_block/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aMmJl87mfI5j-x9j45fwTwAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Yesterday, Microsoft's director of product marketing for the Microsoft 365 portfolio [1]reminded administrators that support for the Office 2016 and 2019 suites will end on October 14. In addition to familiar applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with the 2016 or 2019 suffix, Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 will also retire, as will Skype for Business Server 2015 and 2019.
In July, Microsoft [2]announced a stay of execution – at least in terms of security fixes – for Exchange Server and Skype for Business Server, for users who had signed up for security updates (although it did not guarantee that any updates would be forthcoming).
[3]
But Office hasn't been given a reprieve. With less than a month to go, the [4]message from Microsoft is clear: "There will be no extension and no extended security updates."
[5]
[6]
As with affected versions of Windows 10, unsupported versions of Office won't suddenly stop working. However, there will be no more updates or fixes, and the company will also stop providing technical support over the phone or via chat.
Microsoft's recommendation, unsurprisingly, is that customers sign up for Microsoft 365. It has made massive investments in the cloud technology in the hopes users would do just that. Smoothing revenue with a subscription model would hardly hurt either.
[7]Microsoft preps for a year of enterprise-impacting M365 retirements
[8]Under Trump 2.0, Europe's dependence on US clouds back under the spotlight
[9]Soon the most popular 'real' desktop will be the Linux desktop
[10]Microsoft to block downloaded VBA macros in Office – you may be able to run 'em anyway
Alternatively, there is always the on-premises Office LTSC 2024 option for commercial customers who prefer not to move to the cloud.
Office 2016 and 2019 aren't the only products set to lose support. Windows 11 22H2 (the Enterprise and Education editions) will also reach the end of servicing on October 14. On November 11, Windows 11 23H2 (Home and Pro editions) will hit the end of its support lifecycle. So it's handy that Microsoft is removing the compatibility holds that blocked some users from updating to Windows 11 24H2.
[11]
Late 2025 will be a busy time for administrators. The end of support for several editions of Windows 10, as well as some versions of Windows 11, will keep them on their toes. Losing support for Office 2016 and 2019 (even if some server products might get an undetermined number of security updates if you ask Microsoft nicely) is just one more headache to deal with. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/officeeos/get-ready-now-one-month-until-office-20162019-end-of-support/4453395
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/17/microsoft_extended_security_exchange_skype_server/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aMmJl87mfI5j-x9j45fwTwAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/end-of-support-for-office-2016-and-office-2019-818c68bc-d5e5-47e5-b52f-ddf636cf8e16
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aMmJl87mfI5j-x9j45fwTwAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aMmJl87mfI5j-x9j45fwTwAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/09/microsoft_enterprise_impacting_retirements/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/26/europe_has_second_thoughts_about/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/04/linux_desktop_cloud_desktops/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/08/microsoft_office_default_macro_block/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aMmJl87mfI5j-x9j45fwTwAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Anonymous Custard
And I know at least a few users who refused to move off 2016 due to ribbons....
Anonymous Coward
We moved from 2019 to 365, and I'd be hard pressed to spot a difference.
Wally Dug
Do you mean in terms of application functionality or your bank balance?
Fruit and Nutcase
Think of poor Satya Nadella. He must be fed and clothed. Every Microsoft 365 subscription helps keep Satya away from the workhouse
moneygrabbing
anthonyhegedus
That fucking company. People - ordinary lay people - must have no clue what's going on. And microsoft do their damnedest to confuse.
I know offices that keep using way older versions of Microsoft Office because all they need is Word and Excel so why pay for a newer version?