Several Microsoft 365 and Office changes take effect this month. Here are the ones most likely to affect your business.

Key changes

  • Office 2021 support ends on 13 October 2026. After this date there are no more security updates for Word, Excel, Outlook and the other Office 2021 apps.
  • Microsoft Publisher has stopped working from 1 October. Save any important .pub files as PDF or move them to another app.
  • Exchange Web Services (EWS) is being blocked in Exchange Online from 1 October. Older apps and add-ins that connect to email through EWS may stop working.
  • Windows 10 users will stay on the current Microsoft 365 Apps version (2608) from 13 October, with security updates only until October 2028.

What you should do

  • Check whether anyone in your team still uses Office 2021 and plan an upgrade to Microsoft 365 or Office 2024
  • Ask your IT team to confirm that no business tools rely on Exchange Web Services
  • Plan to move remaining Windows 10 PCs to Windows 11

Eniacpro can audit your Microsoft 365 setup and handle upgrades for you.

Need help? Call Eniacpro on +91 82870 04200 or email info@eniacpro.com.

Source: Office Watch – October 2026 Microsoft 365 Office changes