Will MS Publisher Office Pro 2021 work after support is ended in October?

Question

Will MS Publisher Office Pro 2021 work after support is ended in October? I purchased a license for it with MS Office Professional Plus 2021:

When I opened it this morning, a notice popped up that it would no longer function or open Publisher files. Is this true for this version? I did pay for the software, and hope that it will still fuction for me after October, 2026, and the end of support.

Answer 1

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021, including Publisher 2021, is sold as a perpetual license. This means once it is installed and activated, it should continue to function normally even after Microsoft ends support in October 2026. End of support only means Microsoft will stop providing security updates, patches, bug fixes, and technical assistance. It does not make the software stop working or block you from opening files.

The notice you saw saying it would no longer function is unusual. It may be a warning generated by Office or Windows regarding future support, or it could be triggered by a licensing or activation check. The Product Information you provided confirms the activation status.

The software itself will remain usable beyond October 2026, but it will be at increased risk for security issues because updates will no longer be provided.

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hth

Marcin