[German]Microsoft will end support for Microsoft Office 2016 and Microsoft Office 2019 as planned on October 14, 2025. After that, these versions of Office will no longer receive security updates. However, ACROS Security will continue to secure these two versions of Office beyond October 2025 through its 0patch agent.
End of support for Office 2016 and 2019 in October 2025
I already mentioned this in my blog post End of support for Office 2016 and 2019 in October 2025. In April 2024, Microsoft reminded users that support for its Microsoft Office 2016 and 2019 versions will end in October 2025. Microsoft announced the end of support information on April 15, 2024, in the Tech Community post Key End of Support dates for Office 2016, 2019 Apps & Productivity Servers.
End of support means that applications such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, etc. from Microsoft Office 2016 and Office 2019 will continue to function, but will receive security updates for the last time on October 14, 2025. After that, there will be no bug fixes, security updates, or technical support for the aforementioned Microsoft products.
Microsoft warns that using products after support has expired will leave users vulnerable to potential security threats, productivity losses, and compliance issues. Administrators and IT managers need to consider how to replace the affected Office versions in their companies. Microsoft refers customers to Microsoft Office 2024 or a Microsoft 365 subscription.
0patch will secure Office 2016/2019
But what if a company uses Office 2016 or 2019 and is not yet prepared for the end of Microsoft support in October 2025? Or what about users who want to continue using the functioning Office 2016 or 2019 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. beyond October 14, 2025? Mitja Kolsek from ACROS Security pointed out to me on X that Microsoft Office 2016/2019 will continue to be secured beyond October 14, 2025.
ACROS Security writes that it has a fast, simple, and cost-effective solution. A single 0patch license covers Windows patches, Office patches, zero-day patches, and "won't fix" patches (i.e., vulnerabilities that Microsoft does not fix). In the article End Of Security For Microsoft Office 2016 and 2019? Not With 0patch! Kolsek provided further details.
Starting in October 2025, 0patch will provide security support for Office 2016 and Office 2019 and will continue to provide important security patches for these Office versions for at least three more years – and even longer if there is sufficient demand in the market.
This alone is already a powerful alternative to Microsoft's offerings, writes ACROS Security. For users of Windows 10, which will also lose free support in October 2025, 0patch has a "patching jackpot" in store. That's because Windows 10 22H2 will also be provided with security fixes by 0patch. And the best part: a 0patch license secures both Office 2016/2019 and Windows 10 22H2 on the machine in question.
The price overview above shows that the entire model is very attractive. A free license costs nothing and can be used by private individuals, educational institutions, and for testing purposes. If you want all the safeguards, you can purchase a pro license for €25 + VAT.
How the 0patch concept works
Before anyone asks: 0patch works with micro-fixes that are loaded into memory at runtime and eliminate vulnerabilities. After successful installation, a corresponding 0Patch service is set up in Windows that runs continuously. Here is some information you should know.
- Once everything has been set up, this service retrieves the patches available for the user account and stores them in an internal database. Setup is performed via the 0patch console (see below).
- The service ensures that the modules called up can be monitored when Windows starts.If an application or Windows module for which a micropatch exists is loaded into memory, the service then injects the relevant code into the RAM area of the loaded module.
This is a completely different approach to how Microsoft updates are handled. A Microsoft update is installed on Windows, which may involve replacing a number of files. Once the Microsoft update is installed, the patches remain on the machine.
0patch is operated via the 0patch console, which can be accessed from the Windows Start menu. To retrieve the micro-patches in the 0patch console, you need a user account with the provider 0patch. The provider ACROS Security offers various models, which I have already described in the blog post Project: Windows 7/Server 2008/R2 Life Extension & 0patch one month trial.
Similar article:
Windows 7/Server 2008 R2: 0Patch support until January 2027
Windows 10: 0patch provides 5 years of additional support
