{
  "id": 19887,
  "title": "Redmond's reaper cometh: October 2026 set to bury a graveyard of Microsoft products",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/22/redmonds-reaper-cometh-october-2026-set-to-bury-a-graveyard-of",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-07-22T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register Software",
    "slug": "the-register-software",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/software/2026/07/22/redmonds-reaper-cometh-october-2026-set-to-bury-a-graveyard-of-microsoft-products/5275627"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "October 2026 looms large for Microsoft administrators as the company announces the end of support for multiple key products. Following the termination of Windows 10 in October 2025, sysadmins are bracing themselves for further eliminations. Among the products set to retire are Office LTSC 2021, which includes applications like Access 2021 and Word 2021, necessitating an upgrade to LTSC 2024 or a transition to Microsoft 365. Windows Server 2022 will also lose mainstream support on October 13, 2026, although extended support will remain until 2031. Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro will cease on the same day, while Windows 11 23H2 for enterprise and education will linger until November 10. Minor products like Publisher 2021, which has been around since 1991, will also meet their end. Moreover, Entra ID Sign-In risk policies, previously known as Identity Protection, will be retired on October 1, 2026, compelling organizations to migrate to Conditional Access. As the corporate landscape gears up for these changes, preparation well ahead of October 2026 could prove crucial.",
  "summary": "Office LTSC 2021, Windows Server 2022, Publisher, and Entra ID risk policies all facing the chop within weeks of each other",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}