October 13, 2026 is not one product sunset. It is a same-day stack of Microsoft end-of-support and end-of-servicing dates that can push businesses to retire older PCs, Office installs, and servers together. If those machines leave the building without a clear data and disposition plan, the risk moves with them.

Here is a practical checklist of what the sources confirm ends that day, and what to do with the hardware that comes with it.

What actually reaches end of support or servicing on October 13, 2026

Per Microsoft's Ending Support in 2026 lifecycle page and related announcements:

Office 2021 (retail/perpetual apps). Access, Excel, Office, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Project, Publisher, Visio, and Word 2021 are listed as retiring on October 13, 2026. After that date, Microsoft's lifecycle page states there will be no new security updates, non-security updates, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates.
Office LTSC 2021. Microsoft's Office LTSC 2021 announcement confirms Office LTSC 2021 reaches end of support on October 13, 2026. After that date, Microsoft says it will no longer provide technical support, bug fixes, or security updates for the product. The same October 13 end-of-support date appears on the Ending Support in 2026 page for Office LTSC 2021 and the related LTSC 2021 apps.
Windows 11, version 24H2, Home and Pro. These editions reach end of servicing on October 13, 2026. BleepingComputer's September 17, 2026 report, citing Microsoft, notes that after that date those devices no longer receive monthly security and non-security preview updates. Enterprise and Education editions of 24H2 are not in that same boat; BleepingComputer reports they remain under mainstream support until October 2027.
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016. Microsoft's lifecycle page lists Windows 10 2016 LTSB as reaching end of support on October 13, 2026. BleepingComputer likewise reports that Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016 reaches end of updates that day.
Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2, Extended Security Update Year 3. Both are listed on Microsoft's Ending Support in 2026 page as reaching end of support on October 13, 2026 when ESU Year 3 ends.

Microsoft's page also lists Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB 2016 under the same October 13 end-of-support date, if that SKU is in your environment.

One related commercial Windows 10 note

Commercial Windows 10 Extended Security Updates Year 1 also ends on October 13, 2026, according to Microsoft's Extended Security Updates lifecycle FAQ. If you are weighing whether to renew for Year 2, we already walked through that math in Windows 10 Extended Security Updates: What Year Two Really Costs Your Business. This checklist is about the broader same-day wave, not a repeat of that pricing article.

Why same-day cutoffs push hardware retirements

When Office, older long-term Windows builds, and Server 2012-era ESU coverage stop on the same calendar day, IT teams often accelerate refresh and decommissioning plans. That is normal. The risk is treating the old gear as an afterthought.

Retired desktops, laptops, and servers can still hold business data. Drives that are only deleted or quick-formatted are not securely erased. Machines left in closets, on pallets, or with the lowest-bid hauler become the weak link in an otherwise careful upgrade.

A better approach:

Inventory what is affected. Flag Office 2021 / LTSC 2021 installs, Windows 11 24H2 Home/Pro devices that will not move forward cleanly, Windows 10 LTSB 2016 systems, and Server 2012 / 2012 R2 hosts whose ESU Year 3 coverage ends.
Separate upgrade from disposition. Plan the supported replacement path, and separately plan pickup, data handling, and value recovery for what you are taking out of service.
Get a quote on what has resale value. Send a spreadsheet or rough list. Working units and harvestable parts may offset refresh cost. Items without resale value still need the same secure data handling.

How RePower handles the decommissioning side

RePower is an IT asset disposition (ITAD) and IT buyback company in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. We work with businesses, government agencies, and schools. We accept any IT equipment of any age or condition. We pay for items with resale value. We do not pay for items without it, but we still take them and still handle the data.

Every device gets:

NIST 800-88 certified data erasure, with a serialized certificate of erasure
Physical destruction when a drive cannot be wiped
R2 certificate of destruction provided

We log every serial number, pick up anywhere in the US, quote within 24 hours of receiving equipment details, and can repair devices and harvest parts to keep working equipment out of landfills. Disposal fees are rare and apply only to a few items, such as old CRT TVs. About 25,000 devices come through our warehouse every month.

Don't let October 13 turn into a storage-room problem

If this month's Microsoft cutoffs are pushing a refresh, treat secure retirement as part of the project, not a cleanup task for later.

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