Microsoft is ending support for the OneDrive desktop sync app on older Windows 10 PCs from August 15, 2026. One thing decides whether this affects you: is your PC on Windows 10 version 22H2 or not? If you are on 22H2, nothing changes for a long while. If you are on an older build, the OneDrive sync app stops getting updates on that date. It is a two-minute check, not a crisis.

Windows 10 desktop illustration representing Microsoft's Windows 10 lifecycle and support changes
Image: Microsoft

How OneDrive support on Windows 10 22H2 is changing

Microsoft is tying OneDrive support to the Windows lifecycle. In practice that splits Windows 10 users into two groups:

  • Windows 10 22H2 (the final Windows 10 feature update): the OneDrive sync app keeps getting feature updates, bug fixes, and security updates through October 10, 2028. You are not affected.
  • Any build older than 22H2 (21H2, 21H1, 20H2, 2004, 1909 and so on): the OneDrive sync app loses support on August 15, 2026 — no more new features, bug fixes, or security updates for the desktop client.

If you are on Windows 11, ignore all of this. Windows 11 is entirely unaffected, regardless of version.

One note on wording: Microsoft’s own advisory describes the cutoff as “Windows 10 version 22H1 and earlier.” Don’t go looking for “22H1” on your PC — that build was never released to the public. Windows 10 went from 21H2 straight to 22H2, so the only line that matters is whether your version reads 22H2.

What happens after August 15, 2026 on older PCs

On pre-22H2 machines, the OneDrive sync app — the part that handles Files On-Demand, Known Folder Move, offline file access, and syncing your personal OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint libraries — stops receiving updates. Existing installs may keep working for a while, but Microsoft is not guaranteeing that. Sync could quietly break at some point, and no fix would be coming. The one safety net: OneDrive in a browser at onedrive.live.com keeps working no matter what Windows version you run, and stays available as a fallback for your files.

Microsoft’s stated reason is straightforward. The company says the change “aligns OneDrive support with the Windows lifecycle policy and helps Microsoft focus ongoing investments on supported operating systems.” Reasonable enough — though it is also, conveniently, another gentle push toward newer Windows and newer hardware. It is a routine lifecycle move, not a scandal; just worth naming for what it is.

How to check your Windows 10 version

  1. Press Win + R, type winver, and press Enter. A small dialog shows your version. Alternatively, open Settings > System > About and look under “Windows specifications” for the Version field.
  2. If it says 22H2, you are set through October 2028 — stop here. If it shows anything else (21H2, 21H1, 20H2, 2004, 1909, and so on), your PC loses OneDrive sync support on August 15, 2026.

How to update to 22H2 if you’re not on it

  1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click Check for updates. Most active Windows 10 PCs updated to 22H2 automatically years ago, since it has been the only feature update on offer for a long time. The ones still on older builds tend to be machines with frozen or paused updates, unactivated copies, or old and rarely-used PCs — a description that fits plenty of budget and idle machines in Indian homes, offices, schools, and cybercafes, so run this check on those too.
  2. If Windows Update doesn’t offer 22H2 — common on very old or stuck installs — download and run the official Windows 10 Update Assistant from Microsoft directly.
  3. If you genuinely can’t reach 22H2, use onedrive.live.com for now, and move to Windows 11 if your hardware qualifies.

Don’t confuse this with Windows 10 security updates

This is only about the OneDrive sync app. It is a separate thing from Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU), which cover OS-level security patches and run to October 12, 2027. If you are staying on Windows 10 and want the OS itself patched, that is a different track — we covered it here: Still on Windows 10? Get free security updates until October 2027.

Sources: PCWorld (which surfaced Microsoft’s Message Center advisory MC1426708), Microsoft OneDrive system requirements