The end of Windows 8.1 | IT Support Essex

Microsoft has confirmed support for Windows 8.1 and Microsoft 365 Office apps installed on the Operating System has come to an end. This may have you jumping for joy, but it is bad news if you find yourself stuck with an unsupported operating system.

Any individual or organisation still running Windows 8.1 (including Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 8.1) will be affected. Support for Windows 8 ended on 12^th January 2016. The problem is Windows 8.1, which up until now has been supported, is now having it’s support canned as well. To make matters worse, the support was pulled on 10^th January 2023 and there will be no extensions.

What does “no more support” actually mean?

Microsoft has stated that Windows 8.1 users will no longer receive updates for Windows and the Office apps installed on the OS, including “features, security, and other quality updates”. In the past, Microsoft has provided an Extended Security Update for products that are no longer fully supported but, this won’t be happening with 8.1.

The best solution Microsoft has to offer users stuck with 8.1 requiring Office functionality is to use the online equivalents instead. This may not be ideal, but the option is there if needed.

The only real way out of this is to upgrade to a newer version of Windows. However, it’s likely that PCs running 8.1 are potentially as old as the operating system itself. This means that they may struggle to run Windows 10, never mind Windows 11. This means a probable upgrade to the devices running on the defunct operating systems.

Not everyone can do this, so unfortunately, a lot of companies may continue running outdated hardware and software which may be increasingly vulnerable to attacks involving hacks, bugs, and malware.

What can you do?

Whatever you think of the Microsoft Business Model, this is going to happen increasingly going forwards, whichever version of Windows you use. Fortunately, the team at Trichromic are there to help you.

Give our friendly experts a call on 020 3327 0310.

They will be delighted to discuss your issues and challenges and advise you accordingly.

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2022-02-01

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2022-01-10

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2022-01-10

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2022-01-10

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2020-08-14

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2017-05-30

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