Microsoft will deactivate OneDrive app on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 in March 2022

Microsoft reports that the OneDrive application for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 will no longer sync with the cloud from March 2022. Windows 8.1 is still in its extended support phase until January 10, 2023.

Microsoft reports that it is shutting down the apps in order to “focus resources on new technologies and operating systems, and provide users with the most up-to-date and secure experience.” Two months before the apps stop working, so on January 1, 2022, they will no longer receive updates. Despite the fact that Windows 8.1 will still receive extended support for ten months after the shutdown, Microsoft is pulling the plug.

The company’s advice is to upgrade to Windows 10 or 11 to avoid service disruption. In addition, using OneDrive via the browser is an alternative, but users cannot automatically sync files with it.

Users of the business version of OneDrive can still use the app; Microsoft tells about this that ‘support for this application is in line with the Windows support cycle’. That probably means that Windows 8.1 users can continue to use that app until the end of its extended support phase and that Windows 7 users with extended security updates are also eligible.