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Microsoft has reminded customers that Office 2016 and Office 2019 will reach the end of extended support on October 14, 2025. After this date, no further updates, security fixes, or technical support will be provided.
Office 2019 reached the end of mainstream support in October 2023, while Office 2016 reached its end in October 2020. Users are advised to migrate to newer versions such as Office 2024 (LTSC) or subscribe to Microsoft 365 for continued security and feature updates.
Migration Options:
- Office LTSC 2024: A standalone version for businesses and consumers without a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Microsoft 365: Cloud-based subscription with continuous updates.
🔗 Reference: Microsoft Office Support Lifecycle
You Should Know:
1. Verify Your Office Version (Windows & macOS)
To check your current Office version:
- Windows (CMD/PowerShell):
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\" | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -like "Office"} | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion - macOS (Terminal):
ls /Applications | grep "Microsoft"
2. Manual Uninstall of Office (Windows)
If migrating, remove old versions first:
cd %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.xxxxx.xxxx
3. Deploy Office LTSC 2024 via PowerShell
Automate installation:
$setupExePath = "\server\share\OfficeLTSC2024\setup.exe" $configPath = "\server\share\OfficeLTSC2024\config.xml" Start-Process -FilePath $setupExePath -ArgumentList "/configure $configPath" -Wait
4. Disable Legacy Office Services (Security Hardening)
Prevent outdated Office apps from running:
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun\Configuration" -Name "UpdatesEnabled" -Value "False" -Force
5. Check for Office Updates via CMD
Force-update remaining installations:
"%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\OfficeC2RClient.exe" /update user
6. Backup Office Customizations
Export Outlook signatures & templates:
Copy-Item "$env:APPDATA\Microsoft\Signatures" -Destination "D:\Backup\Office_Signatures" -Recurse
7. Block Office 2016/2019 via Group Policy
Enforce migration via AD:
1. Download Office ADMX templates from Microsoft.
2. Configure:
Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → Microsoft Office 2016 (Machine) → Disable Office 2016
What Undercode Say:
Migrating from outdated Office versions is critical to avoid zero-day exploits and compliance risks. Use PowerShell/WinGet for automated deployments and Registry/Group Policy for enforcement. For Linux admins managing Windows environments, leverage Ansible:
- name: Deploy Office LTSC 2024 win_chocolatey: name: office2024-ltsc state: present
Expected Output:
Office 2016/2019 support ends on 2025-10-14. Migrate to LTSC 2024 or Microsoft 365. Verify versions, uninstall legacy apps, enforce updates via GPO/PowerShell.
References:
Reported By: Phuong Nguyen – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
