Published on October 7, 2026 · The mitza.es team
On 13 October 2026 two end-of-support dates coincide that affect many offices: the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 version 24H2 stop receiving updates, and Office 2021, the one-time-purchase suite, loses support. Microsoft itself states this on its lifecycle pages for Windows 11 Home and Pro and for Office 2021.
That day is also the second Tuesday of October, the "Patch Tuesday" on which Microsoft publishes its monthly patches, so it will be the last security package for the affected versions. The PCs will keep booting and the programs will keep opening; the problem is that any flaw discovered from then on will go unfixed.
Who is affected by the end of Windows 11 24H2
It affects the Home and Pro editions of version 24H2, which was released in October 2024. Microsoft gives each version of those editions 24 months of support, and that period is now running out. One detail is worth noting: Pro is the most common edition in small businesses, so your PCs are likely to fall into this group. The Enterprise and Education editions of 24H2 follow a different calendar and remain covered until October 2027, as reported by ADSLZone based on Microsoft's documentation.
What exactly is lost: monthly security updates, preview updates, fixes for known issues, time zone updates and technical support.
Will the PC update itself?
Partly. Microsoft pushes compatible Home and Pro devices to version 25H2 when a version nears the end of its servicing. The important exception for businesses: according to ADSLZone, devices managed with tools such as Microsoft Intune or WSUS do not receive that automatic update, because whoever manages them decides when and how to roll it out. In other words, the best-controlled machines are the ones that can be left behind if nobody checks.
To find out which version each PC is on, press Windows + R, type winver and press Enter: the window shows the version (24H2, 25H2…). It also appears under Settings > System > About.
25H2 or 26H2: which version to move to
According to Microsoft's table, version 25H2 (available since 30 September 2025) is supported on Home and Pro until October 2027, and 26H2, available since 29 September 2026, until October 2028. Specialist press such as DiarioBitcoin explains that 26H2 is delivered as an enablement package on top of 24H2 and 25H2: a small download and a restart, with no new hardware requirements compared with those versions. The rollout is gradual, so it may not show up in Windows Update yet.
Moving to 25H2 is the minimum step to stay covered after 13 October; 26H2 gives you more headroom. If you use critical software (invoicing, accounting, printers or scanners with their own drivers), test on a single PC first and roll out afterwards. And back up before any version update.
Office 2021: it will still open, but without patches
Support for Office 2021 (Home and Business, Home and Student and Professional, including the Mac versions) ends on the same 13 October. The apps will keep working, but Microsoft will stop publishing security updates and offering technical support. Word, Excel and Outlook open third-party attachments every day, which makes them exactly the programs you want to keep up to date.
You have three reasonable paths: move to Microsoft 365 (a subscription with continuous updates; before deciding, see how its price has changed in our article on the Microsoft 365 price increase), buy a more recent one-time-purchase version, such as Office 2024, or, if your use is basic, consider alternatives such as LibreOffice or Google Workspace. Until you decide, disable macros by default and don't open attachments from unknown senders.
Checklist for a small business
- Take inventory. The Windows version (with winver) and edition (Home, Pro, Enterprise) on each PC, and the Office version.
- Update the 24H2 Home and Pro machines. Move them to 25H2 or 26H2 from Settings > Windows Update before 13 October.
- Check managed devices. If you use Intune, WSUS or policies that defer version updates, they will not update on their own.
- Decide what to do about Office 2021. Microsoft 365, a more recent version or another alternative, and set aside the budget.
- Check your backups. That they exist and can be restored, before updating anything.
- Don't forget the older machines. If you still have PCs on Windows 10, we go over the options in our guide to Windows 10 ESU; and if it is time to replace them, keep the RAM and SSD price crisis in mind.
Why it's not worth putting off
The volume of monthly Windows patches is so high that going without them is not a theoretical risk: the September Patch Tuesday fixed 966 vulnerabilities and two actively exploited zero-days. A PC that stops receiving them accumulates known flaws that anyone can look up. Updating a Windows version takes a while; recovering from an intrusion takes considerably longer.
How we can help
If you'd rather have someone take inventory, update the PCs and tell you what is worth replacing, our computer repair and tune-up service includes it. If you're in Valdemoro or nearby, we also offer IT maintenance in Valdemoro for small businesses and freelancers, with regular reviews of your fleet so no support date catches you by surprise.
See every deadline in our digital compliance calendar for SMEs and freelancers.