Jan 22 (Reuters) - Microsoft's suite of productivity software was down for thousands of users on Thursday, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com. There were nearly 8,200 incidents of people reporting issues with Microsoft 365 as of 4:54 p.

The dilemma for millions of Windows users now is that Microsoft also warns that “while you might choose ultimately to uninstall a security update, you should know the risks associated with the uninstallation.” These include vulnerability to attacks, compromised personal information and potential data loss, Microsoft says.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Microsoft has confirmed that its 365 system is experiencing a widespread outage affecting users across parts of North America. The company posted an alert on X (formerly Twitter) around 2:17 p.m., announcing that it has identified the problem and is working to restore services.

According to the website the outage started around 2 p.m. and spiked at around 3:15 p.m. with 15,792 people reporting outages. The numbers started to drop, and at 4:30 p.m. showed about 9,800 users still without Microsoft 365.

Microsoft admits that “Classic Outlook profiles with POP accounts and PSTs hang after Windows updates on January 13, 2026.” If you’re affected, you need to await a fix. “The Windows Team will be documenting fix guidance. We will update this topic with a link to the Windows guidance as soon as it is available.​​​​​​​”

An hours-long outage is preventing Microsoft's enterprise customers from accessing their inboxes, files, and video meetings.