Windows and Office end of support in the dental practice

Microsoft's official calendar, kept up to date and translated for a practice: what no longer receives updates, what is coming, and what to do

Windows, Office and Microsoft's server software all have an end date. After that date, no more security fixes are released: the computer keeps working, but every vulnerability discovered remains open. In the practice, this concerns the reception and treatment room computers, the radiology computer, the server of the practice management software and its database, and office software. This page brings together Microsoft's official dates and what they mean in practice.

The calendar in one table

The dates are those published by Microsoft. We review this table at each deadline; the date of the last update is shown at the top of the page.

Windows 10: what is still possible

Windows 10 has not received security fixes since 14 October 2025. Three routes remain open:

• move to Windows 11, free of charge if the computer meets the requirements, otherwise by replacing it;
• extended security updates for businesses: 61 US dollars per computer for the first year according to Microsoft, a price that doubles each year, for three years at most. The computer must be on version 22H2;
• isolate the computer that can neither be replaced nor receive updates.

The free consumer programme is not intended for commercial use, and it is excluded for computers joined to a domain. The options are detailed in our news item Windows 10 in the practice, one year on.

Windows 11: each version also has its end date

Windows 11 receives a new version every autumn (23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H2…). For the Home and Pro editions, each version is supported for about two years; the Enterprise and Education editions, one year longer. A computer "on Windows 11" may therefore be out of support if it has stayed on an old version.

To find out a computer's version: Settings, then System, then About, "Version" line. New versions are offered by Windows Update. A computer that does not receive them deserves a check: a setting, lack of disk space, or a deliberate block.

Office: 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 or Microsoft 365

Office 2016 and 2019 have been out of support since 14 October 2025, Office 2021 since 13 October 2026. It is a sensitive point in the practice: Outlook and Word open attachments from outside every day, the most common way in for attacks.

Two options:

• a Microsoft 365 subscription: the applications are updated continuously, with no deadline to keep an eye on;
• Office 2024, bought once, supported until 9 October 2029.

Servers and databases

The practice server often hosts the database of the practice management software, sometimes the radiology images too. Two components each have their own end date: the server's operating system (Windows Server) and the database engine (for example SQL Server).

• Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2: no more updates at all since 13 October 2026. To be replaced without delay.
• Windows Server 2016: ends on 12 January 2027. Its replacement needs to be prepared now.
• Windows Server 2019 is supported until 9 January 2029, Windows Server 2022 until 14 October 2031.
• SQL Server 2016 has been out of support since 14 July 2026; SQL Server 2017 is supported until 12 October 2027.

Changing server or database version is prepared with the vendor of the practice management software: they indicate the supported versions and the procedure for moving the database without loss.

Devices that cannot keep up: isolate them

Some computers control a device (radiology, scanner, camera) whose software does not exist for a recent version of Windows. As long as there is no solution, these computers must be isolated: no internet browsing, no e-mails, a separate part of the network with only the access the device needs, and no USB sticks from outside. It is a stopgap, to be reviewed with the device's supplier.

Before migrating: check the practice management software and imaging

An update of Windows, Office or the server is not done blindly in a practice:

1. Ask in writing the vendor of the practice management software and the supplier of each device for the list of versions they support.
2. Check the backup before any intervention: it must be recent and already successfully restored.
3. Try it on a single computer, outside consultation hours, before rolling it out.
4. Note what was done and when: it is useful for the next change, and for your FADP documentation.

Replacing computers and the server is part of our support: see our IT hardware for dental practices page and our news item 13 October 2026: Office 2021 and Windows 11 24H2 no longer receive updates.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Microsoft Learn, "Ending Support in 2025": learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/end-of-support/end-of-support-2025
• Microsoft Learn, "Ending Support in 2026", updated on 19 August 2026: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/end-of-support/end-of-support-2026
• Microsoft Learn, "Ending Support in 2027": learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/end-of-support/end-of-support-2027
• Microsoft Learn, "Windows 11 release information", updated on 13 October 2026: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/windows11-release-information
• Microsoft Learn, Windows Server 2019 lifecycle: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-server-2019
• Microsoft Learn, Windows Server 2022 lifecycle: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-server-2022
• Microsoft Learn, SQL Server 2019 lifecycle: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/sql-server-2019
• Microsoft Learn, Office 2024 lifecycle: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/office-2024
• Microsoft Learn, "Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10", updated on 17 November 2025: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/extended-security-updates
• Microsoft, "Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program": microsoft.com/en-us/windows/extended-security-updates
• Microsoft, "Windows Secure Boot certificate expiration and CA updates" (KB5062710): support.microsoft.com/help/5062710

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