Microsoft is ending support for the OneDrive desktop application for users of older Windows versions starting in 2022.

Updates for the personal version of the application will cease on 1 January 2022 for anyone still using Windows 7, 8, and 8.1.

Microsoft suggests upgrading to a newer version of its operating system (OS) to keep the same secure experience, according to a blog post making the announcement.

OneDrive for business users will receive support for the desktop application aligned with the respective support lifecycles of the OS their devices run. 

Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users will see extended support until 10 January 2023, while Windows 8 reached the end of support on 12 January 2016.

All personal OneDrive applications will stop syncing to the cloud on 1 March 2022 as Microsoft appears to be making the next step towards shifting its users to newer versions of Windows. 

All files stored locally on the OneDrive desktop app will remain accessible in the app however, users will either have to upgrade to a newer OS or upload their files via OneDrive for web in order to sync files to the cloud.

Mainstream support ended for Windows 8 in 2016, Windows 8.1 two years later in 2018, and Windows 7 in 2020 – the more popular of the three versions.

Microsoft announced earlier this year, ahead of the Windows 11 launch announcement, that Windows 10 will also be going ‘end of life’ in 2025.

Currently, the most popular OS used worldwide, Windows 10 has just a few years of security updates left before the 14 October 2025 end date.

Windows 11 launched on 5 October 2022 with a new look and strong UI improvements, such as better window management. Experts said at the time there was a strong likelihood that businesses will be slow to adopt the new OS – perhaps taking a year or longer – due to concerns over availability and app compatibility.