Microsoft directs affected users to three options: [...] or paying for a Microsoft 365 subscription or a new perpetual Office Home 2024 license.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and I must be a Microsoft customer.

They cannot do that, it's a lawsuit magnet.

Not sure they understand the meaning of the word "perpetual". 💀

Their charm offensive is full steam ahead,I see.

I think it's great what they do for the Linux and Foss scene

The only reasonable option here is to switch to LibreOffice or some other FOSS product.

Getting sick of all these Windows updates scheduled remote degradations

When I sold customers office a couple years ago. I would give them two options, you can go with MS365( or what ever bullshit they call it now) and pay the yearly subscription to always have the newest product. Or you could buy perpetuals and hope they don't start sunsetting perpetuals faster than they did back then. They have always made perpetuals unusable after 6+ years through one mechanism or another.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRnno9VIZx0

thats some bull

You’re being robbed.

Pirate.

Or, an actually better option, switch to LibreOffice.

Absolutely wild.

Is this even legal? If someone bought this previously .... They just essentially .... Cancel it?

I thought it meant it just wasn't getting updates anymore, but this is wild

The July 13, 2026 conversion instead drops the apps into a Microsoft-defined "reduced functionality mode," in which files can be opened and viewed but not edited or saved

Not much of a "word processor" if all it can do is view files. Clearly trying to force users towards their shitty subscription service.

I can almost understand 2019, which was End of Support in 2023. Blame Apple’s certificate requirement, I guess?

But 2021 is still literally under support until later this year, which is mind blowing.

They already stole Microsoft Access 2019 from me on Windows as they switched me from a Professional license to Home and Small Business or whatever.

False.

Microsoft breaks things they don't own.

It's not as much of a Microsoft problem, as it is the problem of the whole app notarization concept, which is extremely hostile to both consumers and developers and provides little to none security benefits. If Apple didn't have that crap in place, not Microsoft and not anyone else would be able to pull off such stunt.

I have a perpetually licenced cheese sandwich in the kitchen. I bought it, it's mine.