The end is near for the OneDrive desktop app if you’re not on Windows 11 or 10

It was inevitable.

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What you need to know

If you’re still on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, the powers that be (Redmond) have decided to deliver unto you bad news on a Friday: The OneDrive desktop application is losing support on the aforementioned operating systems. Should you want to maintain desktop app support, you’ll need to use the shiny and newWindows 11or ever-cool Windows 10.

Starting the very first day of 2022, the OneDrive desktop app will stop receiving updates on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 devices. Then, on March 1, 2022, cloud syncs go the way of the dinosaur.

Here’s what Microsofthas to sayfor thosestill rocking Windows 7, 8, or 8.1: “If you are currently using one of these operating systems, we recommend upgrading your operating system to either Windows 10 or Windows 11 to avoid disruption. For machines that do not meet system requirements for Windows 10 or Windows 11 operating system upgrade, you can back up and protect your files by manually uploading them to OneDrive on the web, and continue to access, edit, and share your files on all your devices.”

As apurple man once said, “it’s just the way it is.” Old operating systems eventually lose the attention of their creators, and the passage of time sweeps away any lingering guilt. However, end-users aren’t nearly as bound to linear progression, hence whyWindows XPis still being enjoyed by many, many people.

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Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He’s a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author ofCold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.