Alert! Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook to be BLOCKED from today for these users; are you on list? Do this now | HT Tech

Alert! Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook to be BLOCKED from today for these users; are you on list? Do this now

In what will be a nightmarish scene for many, starting today, Microsoft Word, Outlook and more will be BLOCKED for these users.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Aug 17 2021, 10:58 IST
Starting today, Microsoft will shut down Word, Excel, Powerpoint OneNote and Outlook services for users if they have this browser.
Starting today, Microsoft will shut down Word, Excel, Powerpoint OneNote and Outlook services for users if they have this browser. (Microsoft)
Starting today, Microsoft will shut down Word, Excel, Powerpoint OneNote and Outlook services for users if they have this browser.
Starting today, Microsoft will shut down Word, Excel, Powerpoint OneNote and Outlook services for users if they have this browser. (Microsoft)

Mega corporation Microsoft has dropped a bombshell! The creator of the popular Windows operating system, which also offers software services to users and businesses through Microsoft 365, has threatened to block many users from using Microsoft Word Outlook and more starting today. The service that Microsoft offers includes the company's Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneNote and Outlook services for a subscription. Starting today, Microsoft will shut down access to these services on the web for certain users if they are running the outdated and unsupported Internet Explorer browser on Windows.

Shockingly, this also means that even if users have paid for a subscription to Microsoft 365, they will not be able to access the service if they are using the old Internet Explorer 11 on their computers. The company will also reportedly block access to the older, “legacy” version of Microsoft Edge browser as well. We reported earlier in March that Microsoft was pulling the plug on its older EdgeHTML based Edge browser, in favour of the new version based on Google's Chromium browser engine.

Also read: Looking for a smartphone? Check Mobile Finder here.

Back in August 2020, Microsoft announced that it would block access to its Microsoft 365 services on Internet Explorer 11 on August 17, 2021. This gave users exactly a year to upgrade their browser to a more modern, supported browser. While Chrome is now the most widely used browser across platforms, millions of users still have Internet Explorer 11 installed on their computers and some users have been using the same browser as it comes preinstalled with Windows.

Notably, Microsoft also shut off access to Microsoft Teams on the old browser last November.

What users can do now

You need to take action right away to fix the situation in face of Microsoft threat. Users who are still using Internet Explorer should immediately download a modern browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or the new Microsoft Edge on their computer to continue using Microsoft 365 services. Even if you do not use the company's services, it is a good idea to use these browsers over the older Internet Explorer 11 as it does not come with security mechanisms to protect you and your data as you browse the well, while most modern websites will not display properly due to the outdated browser engine.

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First Published Date: 17 Aug, 10:58 IST
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