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As of August 18, 2026, Monthly Enterprise Channel versions 2605, 2606, and 2607 are supported. Version 2604 reached end of service on August 11, 2026, so version 2604 and every earlier Monthly Enterprise Channel release is out of support. In Microsoft Configuration Manager (the product formerly called SCCM), identify those builds, synchronize the current Office updates through WSUS, distribute the content, deploy to a pilot collection, and verify the installed build after enforcement.
Support dates change monthly. Confirm the live Microsoft 365 Apps update-history table before approving a production deployment.
What “out of support” means
Microsoft 365 Apps uses the Modern Lifecycle Policy. Once a channel version passes its end-of-service date, it is no longer a supported servicing baseline and should not be treated as a compliant long-term configuration. The apps may continue to open, but the organization has lost the supported security and update position for that version. Microsoft describes the applicable lifecycle principles in its Office and Windows configuration matrix.
This is separate from Configuration Manager support. Your site can be on a supported current-branch release while an Office build is expired, or the reverse. Check the Configuration Manager release lifecycle independently at Microsoft’s Configuration Manager updates page.
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Monthly Enterprise Channel support status on August 18, 2026
Microsoft’s dated update-history table lists these versions for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, Microsoft 365 Apps for business, and subscription desktop Project and Visio.
| Status | Version | Build listed by Microsoft | Latest release shown | End of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supported | 2607 | 20228.20188 | August 11, 2026 | November 10, 2026 |
| Supported | 2606 | 20131.20206 | August 11, 2026 | October 13, 2026 |
| Supported | 2605 | 20026.20266 | August 11, 2026 | September 8, 2026 |
| Out of support | 2604 | 19929.20264 or later historical builds | — | August 11, 2026 |
| Out of support | Earlier versions | Varies | — | Before August 11, 2026 |
Monthly Enterprise Channel releases are generally published on the second Tuesday of the month. “Latest” is not a permanent compliance rule: an organization may approve the newest build, the oldest still-supported build, or another ring-specific target, but the target must remain inside Microsoft’s current support window. See Microsoft’s software-download settings guidance for release and servicing considerations.
How Configuration Manager delivers Office updates
The supported SCCM architecture is WSUS plus Configuration Manager; WSUS alone is not a supported deployment method for Microsoft 365 Apps updates. Microsoft publishes the update to the Office Content Delivery Network and a corresponding package to WSUS. Configuration Manager synchronizes the catalog through its Software Update Point, downloads the selected package, distributes it to distribution points, and instructs the Office Click-to-Run client when and where to install it. Applicability rules normally limit installation to the matching Office channel and to devices whose target build is higher than the installed build.
Prerequisites
- Configuration Manager current branch and a supported Microsoft 365 Apps deployment.
- WSUS 4.0 integrated with the Software Update Point.
- Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise or business, or subscription Project/Visio, on a supported channel.
- Office update product and the Updates classification enabled for synchronization.
- Office COM management interface enabled on clients.
- Connectivity from top-level WSUS and Configuration Manager site servers to required Microsoft endpoints, including
*.microsoft.com,*.msocdn.com,*.office.com,*.office.net,*.onmicrosoft.com,officecdn.microsoft.com, andofficecdn.microsoft.com.edgesuite.net.
Enable Microsoft 365 Apps updates in Configuration Manager
- Open the Configuration Manager console and go to Administration > Site Configuration > Sites.
- Select the site server, choose Home > Configure Site Components > Software Update Point.
- On Products, select Microsoft 365 Apps/Office 2019/Office LTSC.
- On Classifications, select Updates, then synchronize software updates.
- Go to Administration > Overview > Client Settings, open the applicable policy, choose Software Updates, and set Enable management of the Office 365 Client Agent to Yes.
These settings and the end-to-end workflow are documented in Microsoft’s Configuration Manager management guide.
Find devices running an expired build
Inventory and report on at least the following fields:
- Device name and primary user
- Office update channel
- Installed version and full build
- Last hardware-inventory time
- Last software-update scan and enforcement state
- Compliance state, client health, and collection membership
- Whether Office COM management is enabled
For the August 18 snapshot, a simple rule is:
IF Channel = Monthly Enterprise
AND Version NOT IN (2605, 2606, 2607)
THEN NoncompliantUse version and build together when validating installation. For durable reporting, store supported versions and end-of-service dates in a maintained reference table rather than permanently embedding the three August values in a report. A device on 2605 is supported on August 18 but reaches end of service on September 8, so it should normally be treated as a short-lived bridge, not a final target.
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Remediate unsupported devices
1. Choose the target
Deploy the latest organization-approved supported release after pilot testing. Version 2607 has the longest remaining window in the August table. A compatibility-sensitive organization can temporarily target 2605, but its September 8 end date leaves little time for another cycle.
2. Synchronize and download
- Run a Software Update Point synchronization after confirming the Office product and Updates classification.
- Locate the Monthly Enterprise Channel update matching the approved target.
- Download the update and select the distribution points used by the affected collection.
- Confirm content validation and distribution completion before creating a broad deployment.
3. Deploy in rings
Deploy first to a pilot collection, define user deadlines and restart behavior, then expand to production rings. Office applications may need to be closed; provide postponement rules or a clearly communicated enforcement deadline. Configuration Manager will evaluate applicability and will not normally install a lower target build over a higher installed build.
4. Monitor and validate
Review scan, download, enforcement, and compliance states. After installation, force or await hardware inventory and verify the Office version and build, not merely the deployment state. A stale inventory record can leave a device in the wrong collection even when Office has already updated.
Why an update can be visible but not install
Not visible after synchronization
- The Office product or Updates classification is not selected.
- Synchronization has not completed or failed.
- The update is expired, superseded, or filtered by metadata.
Visible but not applicable
- The endpoint is on another channel or a higher build.
- The title was selected without matching applicability rules.
- The device’s inventory is stale.
Download or installation is stuck
- Content has not reached the required distribution point.
- Firewall or proxy rules block Microsoft and Office CDN domains.
- Office COM management is disabled, so Configuration Manager cannot issue the update command.
- Office applications remain open or the user has postponed the deadline.
The channel changed but the build did not
A channel assignment is only an intended servicing path. The Office Automatic Updates 2.0 scheduled task must detect it, the matching update must be available from the configured source, and the next Configuration Manager Software Updates Deployment Evaluation Cycle must run. Microsoft documents this behavior, the policy registry location, and channel limitations at Change update channels for Microsoft 365 Apps.
Group Policy keeps reversing the setting
Inspect both Office Deployment Tool configuration and Group Policy. The documented policy path is Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 2016 (Machine) > Updates > Update Channel. The policy registry location is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftoffice16.0commonofficeupdate. In a test device, run gpupdate /force and then recheck the effective policy.
The device is on Current Channel
Configuration Manager does not support moving directly from a channel carrying a newer Office build to a channel with an older build through the normal update mechanism. Plan a supported channel-change method instead of expecting a downgrade deployment to work.
July 2026 channel unification
Beginning with Version 2606, Microsoft unified the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel and Monthly Enterprise Channel servicing experience. Devices previously configured for Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel receive the same feature and security updates beginning with Version 2606. After a 2606-or-later build is installed, the Office interface may display Monthly Enterprise Channel, while existing reports or management tools can still show the legacy Semi-Annual label.
Update reports and automation to use version, build, and effective support dates alongside channel text. Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Version 2508 remains supported through September 8, 2026 when an organization deliberately prevents the transition update. The first transition can also be substantially larger than a normal monthly delta; Microsoft cites roughly 1.6 GB for a Version 2508-to-2606 move. Details are in Microsoft’s unified update channels guidance.
To configure Monthly Enterprise Channel with the Office Deployment Tool, Microsoft documents the command form setup.exe /configure yourconfigfile.xml and this configuration element:
<Configuration>
<Updates Channel="MonthlyEnterprise" />
</Configuration>Use the latest Office Deployment Tool and verify the current schema before production. Microsoft’s Monthly Enterprise guidance identifies ODT version 16.0.12827.20258 or later as supporting this channel; Group Policy can still take precedence.
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Alternatives to SCCM-controlled servicing
- Office Deployment Tool: Useful for an on-premises source or controlled channel change, but it does not replace Configuration Manager reporting and deployment governance by itself.
- Intune: Suits cloud-first or co-managed environments, subject to migration and workload design.
- Microsoft 365 Apps admin center Cloud Update: Provides rollout waves, exclusions, pause, and rollback for eligible devices. It is not automatically a drop-in replacement for SCCM content controls and collections; see Cloud Update documentation.
Operational checklist
- Check Microsoft’s dated support table before each release decision.
- Inventory channel, version, build, scan time, enforcement state, and client health.
- Confirm the Configuration Manager site itself is supported.
- Verify WSUS product/classification synchronization and Office COM management.
- Download and distribute the approved update to every required distribution point.
- Pilot, then deploy through staged collections with application-close and deadline policies.
- Validate installed builds after fresh hardware inventory.
- Revise dashboards and automation that rely only on the old Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel label.
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