Microsoft has confirmed it blocked a recent Windows 11 update for select Dell PCs due to compatibility and performance issues.

The Patch Tuesday update (KB5101650) began rolling out on 14 July and included several quality improvements for users.

Microsoft halted the update after revealing a “number of Dell devices” began displaying a yellow exclamation point next to the Intel Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant driver in Device Manager.

In a health status update, Microsoft said the issue meant users working with Intel devices could “potentially experience unexpected shutdowns, poor performance, increased heat, and battery drain”.

The issue affects Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2, according to Microsoft.

What caused the pause?

The source of the issue is related to an “incompatibility between the Intel driver and the new Windows USB-C Connection Manager interface”.

The issue was first flagged in the wake of a preview update rolled out in late June (KB5095093). These previews are rolled out to enable IT administrators to familiarize themselves with upcoming patches.

Microsoft said it is working closely with Dell to “prevent the affected models from experiencing the issue”. A spokesperson for Dell echoed the tech giant’s comments on a fix.

“We are aware of an issue impacting a limited number of Windows devices with the Windows 11, version 25H2 and 24H2 (KB5101650) update,” the spokesperson said.

“Microsoft has temporarily paused the update for those devices and published guidance for impacted users, and we are working closely with them to support a resolution.”

ITPro asked Dell to confirm which specific devices were affected by the update, but the spokesperson did not reveal any further details.

An exact timeline on when users can expect a fix is also yet to be revealed by both companies, although Microsoft said it plans to release a resolution “in the next few days”.

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Windows may be a timeless OS, and practically synonymous with modern PCs, but that doesn't mean it's well-loved by its users. In fact, the opposite might be true in some instances, according to anecdotal evidence as well as reports by publications like Windows Central.

While the development world is far from a homogeneous blob, anecdotal consensus suggests that Windows 11 is the least enjoyed mainstream platform for developers, with systems like macOS and Linux overwhelmingly preferred. But why does Windows 11 have such a bad reputation among developers, anecdotally at least?

Whether it's on internet forums, in blog posts, or in our conversations with experts, Windows 11 is often snubbed in favour of macOS or Linux, depending on the context. In fact, one of the best advantages of Windows, developers say, is the capacity to run Linux on mainstream hardware. There are, of course, some advantages to using Windows 11 for development – but what could Microsoft do to get more developers on board?

Which OS do coders and programmers really prefer?

ITPro consulted with more than a dozen programmers, engineers, and developers to understand why they use the platforms they do, and whether Microsoft has the potential to transform Windows into an attractive destination for coding.

Little research exists into which OS developers truly prefer, although Stack Overflow findings suggest that Windows is the dominant platform in which they work; nearly half (49.5%) use it over alternatives, including macOS (32.9%) and Ubuntu (27.7%), among others. But just because Windows is the "primary [OS] in which you work" — that doesn't mean it's the OS of choice, with organizations and administrators usually calling the shots more often than not.

The developers we spoke with were divided evenly between the three major systems – Windows, macOS, and Linux — with some even using all three depending on the task. However, when we asked which OS they prefer to code on, none answered Windows.

The vast majority say they preferred using macOS when coding, including Mike McQuaid, project lead of Homebrew, the open source package manager. "Apple and the wider ecosystem seem to care more about design and building high-quality applications for free or a reasonable one-off price."

What's the trouble with Windows 11?

McQuaid tells ITPro that "Microsoft’s developer experience on their platforms has never been great", with critique among those we spoke with ranging from concerns with the tools available to the notion that Microsoft is simply less easy on the eye. Where developers use Windows, it's largely because "that's the corporate choice", as Egor Danilkov, global development director at Innowise, neatly summarized it.

The OS is, however, "cumbersome", according to Nikita Kuznetsov, founder and developer of GameAP, an open-source game server management panel, and "ships with tools I don't need"; "the ones I do need have to be installed and configured manually". Some tooling is built for POSIX systems (Linux and macOS) first and is then ported to Windows, so these versions don't always behave as expected.

Many complaints center on inconsistency, with the notion that different developers on identical Windows hardware may end up with environments that behave differently. Windows is also a massive target and attracts far more malicious attention.

There's also the question of how "managed" company machines are. That's something that Jessica Kerr, engineering manager of developer relations at Honeycomb, an observability platform, can attest to.

"Companies can put more restrictions on Windows machines, and these restrictions hamper developers. As a software engineer, I install software. I run unverified, unapproved apps (for instance, when I’m writing them)," she says. "I access the file system from the command line and write scripts and run ad-hoc programs. Windows computers can be locked down, and Macs… if they can be locked down like that, I’ve never seen a company do it."

Much of the feedback around Apple's flagship OS is around the Unix-based terminal, which feels more natural to use and can be very powerful, as well as the fact that shell scripting, SSH, and command-line tooling all behave as you'd expect. Some of the positive feedback also centers around the user interface, which is universally considered intuitive, clean, and well-designed – not that Windows 11 doesn't have its fans. An additional benefit for Danilkov is the way that Apple devices work so well together.

Windows has its problems – but is the criticism unfair?

Danilkov describes some of the criticism as "outdated", suggesting Windows 11 is "leaps and bounds better" than its predecessors and that "many reactions to Windows are based on a version of the platform used years ago". This is an idea that Jitesh Keswani, managing director at e intelligence, a digital marketing agency, expands on.

"In the past, developers found it difficult to get their development environments up and running," he explains. "This typically involved a plethora of command-line tools. In addition, many of the development environments set up on a developer’s Windows desktops would not work in the same way on the Linux-based production servers that they were deployed to. This is a legacy problem that Windows still has to overcome."

Windows does have its advantages – and that primarily comes in the form of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which lets developers run full Linux environments directly on Windows 11 platforms without the need for a dual-boot setup or virtual machine (VM). Dwellwell Analytics' data science engineer, Olga Kuzmich, humorously quips: "The best feature for developers on Windows is the one that lets you run Linux."

This system repeatedly came up in our conversations. Many of the compatibility issues simply aren't relevant anymore thanks to this platform. It also means developers can run Windows applications, Linux tools, Docker containers, and more, all on the same machine. The next iteration, WSL3, is also getting a major upgrade, with new features such as the ability to take full advantage of your machine's GPU and NPU without a "performance tax".

The other advantages come in the form of Visual Studio, which Danilkov and Taimur Ijlal, information security leader at Proxy Coupons, UK, both describe as one of the strongest Integrated development environments (IDEs) available. Ijlal also describes Windows Terminal as "top shelf". The advantages of coding on Windows also extend to certain development platforms. As Jiří Fabián, co-CEO & founder of TopMonks, put it: "I would choose Windows only if I were a .NET developer working on Windows desktop applications or a game developer."

Giving Windows a new lease of life for coding and programming

With so much hesitation and opposition to using Windows as a system for coding, barring the ability to run WSL, is there anything that Microsoft can do to tempt the developers that ITPro spoke with?

There isn't a clean fix, says Omari Wright, web development manager at digital marketing agency seoplus+. "A lot of what makes macOS work well for development teams is structural, and changing it would mean Microsoft moving away from the openness that Windows users value," he says, adding that the tech giant could push harder on WSL and "make it feel less like a workaround and more like a first-class development path".

Nothing, however, would pull Kuzmich back. "Linux is just too natural now, and I think a lot of developers feel the same. That's exactly why, in my opinion, Microsoft had to ship WSL in the first place, and this is very telling."

Doubling down on WSL and improving this as a feature is where the majority of developers we spoke with centered their feedback around. Microsoft could make the remaining gaps between Windows and Linux file systems less noticeable, for example, and improve performance when working with larger repositories, containers, and some tools.

Keswani also suggests that Microsoft should push Windows as close as possible to a native Linux environment without sacrificing the user-friendly elements. This focus on user-friendliness is great "for end-users who don't need to know much about what's going on under the hood," Fabián adds, but to win more developers over, "Microsoft would need to base the core of Windows on Unix, which will never happen".

He continues: "With the rise of AI and heavier terminal usage, I need all core Unix utilities bundled with the system, without having to install and maintain them myself — tools for file manipulation, SSH, search, and so on."

McQuaid, meanwhile, centers his criticism on the direction that Microsoft has been taking Windows in the last few years, lamenting: "Stop trying to overrule my preferences on how to use my computer". He tells ITPro: "I use Edge and Bing there now just because they keep overruling or pressing me to change my defaults.

"There are ads (or what feels like ads) and upselling all over the OS. It’s gross and feels bargain-basement compared to Apple. I'd love to see Microsoft make Windows feel like “spammy” and more of a cohesive, overall pleasant developer experience."

There are various reasons why developers prefer other systems over Windows 11, macOS especially, with the main benefit of Microsoft's flagship OS, according to the programmers that we interviewed, being the fact that it lets you run Linux and bypass Windows entirely.

Nobody, Microsoft included, would describe Windows 11 as perfect, hence why there's such an active Insider program with updates shipped frequently and continuously. There are some unrealistic demands on developers' wish list, like making Windows Unix-based, but more realistic seems to be giving WSL more love – making it streamlined, more functional, and more powerful so that developers feel more supported by their devices at work.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appears to have extended an olive branch to Windows users after several months of backlash over the direction of the operating system.

During the company’s Q3 earnings call, Nadella highlighted ongoing efforts to improve experiences for Windows, Xbox, Bing, and Edge users.

“When it comes to our consumer business, we are doing the foundational work required to win back fans and strengthen engagement across Windows, Xbox, Bing, and Edge,” he told listeners.

“In the near term, we are focused on fundamentals, prioritizing quality and serving our core users better”.

Nadella pointed to improvements the tech giant has already made on this front, including performance boosts for lower-memory devices, as well as a more “streamlined” Windows Update process.

He added that it has “brought back focus to core features and fundamentals that matter most to our customers”.

Nadella’s comments come in the wake of long-running concerns about the future of the Windows operating system, particularly on the topic of AI integration.

In November last year, Windows chief Pavan Davuluri sparked controversy after outlining plans to transform Windows into an “agentic OS”.

Davuluri’s X post suggested the company aimed to offer a “multi-modal” experience for users, with an array of AI features baked into the operating system.

The post sparked a fierce backlash among users, with some questioning why the tech giant was focusing so heavily on integrating AI features while other areas like performance and reliability were being overlooked.

The furore appears to have resonated with the company, and in March this year Davuluri detailed plans to dial back "unnecessary" Copilot features within the operating system.

In a blog post at the time, Davuluri said the company will only integrate AI where it’s “most meaningful”.

“You will see us be more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows, focusing on experiences that are genuinely useful and well‑crafted,” he wrote.

That same move by the company also marked efforts to improve feedback from users - the “largest update to Feedback Hub yet” - which aimed to make it easier to submit feedback.

A looming Windows overhaul?

Efforts to build on Davuluri’s March pledges appear to be accelerating, according to recent reports from Windows Central.

Citing sources close to the matter, the publication noted an internal project dubbed ‘Windows K2’ is already underway and working on sweeping upgrades to performance, reliability, and user experience.

These efforts won’t come in the form of a dedicated update, but instead will be intermittent improvements on a rolling basis.

Performance, in particular, is a key focus of the initiative. Company documents viewed by the publication suggest the tech giant is aware that performance has been a recurring pain point for users, specifically in applications such as File Explorer.

Elsewhere, UI improvements aim to deliver a smoother experience for Windows 11 users, according to Windows Central.

The report tracks with the key focus areas identified by Davuluri in his March blog post, which included goals to deliver a “faster and more dependable File Explorer” as well as taskbar customization and "more control over widgets and feed experiences".

Nadella touts strong Windows uptake

Elsewhere in the earnings call, Nadella hailed strong user growth on Windows 11 – an area in which the company has faced an uphill battle.

Figures touted by the Microsoft chief now put monthly active users at over 1.6 billion.

Windows 11 uptake has been sluggish since its launch in 2021, largely due to the huge popularity of its predecessor. Indeed, Windows 11 only overtook Windows 10 in popularity last year, nearly four years after its official release.

As ITPro reported at the time, figures from Statcounter showed the newer OS finally edged into the lead in mid-July.

Nadella’s comments came as Microsoft announced strong quarterly earnings. Chief financial officer (CFO) Amy Hood said the company “delivered results that exceeded expectations across revenue, operating income, and earnings per share”.

Annual revenue run rate for Microsoft’s AI business surpassed $37 billion in the company’s third quarter, growing 123% year-over-year.

Business is also booming for Microsoft Cloud, Nadella noted, which exceeded $54 billion in revenue, marking a 29% increase year-over-year.

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Microsoft's facing a £2 billion lawsuit in the UK over its cloud computing and software licensing practices.

A lawsuit brought by competition lawyer Maria Luisa Stasi on behalf of nearly 60,000 businesses alleges that the company has been overcharging UK organizations that use its Windows Server on rival cloud services.

And the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has now ruled that the case can go ahead, dismissing Microsoft's arguments and saying that the case 'comfortably crosses the hurdle of having a real prospect of success'. It's granted a Collective Proceedings Order (CPO) on an opt-out basis.

"Today's ruling is an important moment for the thousands of organizations impacted by Microsoft's conduct and in ensuring that a critical sector of the economy is innovative and open," said Stasi.

"For years, Microsoft's practices have had real financial impact on both public and private organizations. I'm now looking forward to preparing for trial and getting their money back on their behalf."

The lawsuit alleges that customers using Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Alibaba Cloud, rather than Microsoft Azure, were charged higher licensing fees for Windows Server.

The Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA), it said, also offers lower quality services than the Microsoft Azure licensing deal.

"We are very pleased with the Tribunal's decision, including its confirmation that Dr Stasi's action should proceed on an opt-out basis, as sought in her application," said James Hain-Cole, partner at law firm Scott+Scott, which is leading the case.

"Certification of this claim is a pivotal step in securing compensation for thousands of businesses and organisations. The decision illustrates the importance of the regime for UK businesses who, like consumers, require and deserve the access to justice that it was designed to offer."

Microsoft, which has claimed that its business model improves competition, said it planned to appeal against the CAT's decision.

This case is one of many challenging Microsoft's licensing practices. Last month, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it planned to open a strategic market status investigation in May, covering the firm's licensing practices in relation to Microsoft 365.

In November last year, the European Commission announced another investigation to assess whether Microsoft should be designated as a 'gatekeeper' for its cloud computing services under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), despite not technically meeting the DMA gatekeeper thresholds for size, user number, and market position.

And last summer, the firm settled a $22 million case with cloud industry group Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers in Europe (CISPE) that claimed customers on non-Azure platforms were paying a 20% surcharge on Microsoft software. Other investigations have been launched over the last year in Brazil, Switzerland, the US, and Japan.

Microsoft has announced plans to cut prices for its Windows 365 Cloud PC service next month.

The 20% rate cut, which comes into effect from 1 May, is aimed primarily at small businesses, according to the tech giant. The firm said the reduction will make cloud personal computers “more cost effective”.

It’s worth noting that the 20% reduction appears to apply to new customers only, with existing subscriptions receiving updated pricing at their next renewal and “subject to purchase channel and terms”.

Regardless, the update comes amid rising hardware prices for businesses of all sizes due to surging RAM costs. Combined with device refresh cycles and the shift to Windows 11, SMBs are expected to be among those worst hit by the surge.

Last month, Omdia recorded a 60% rise in prices for PCs across Q1 of 2026 while Gartner projects a 130% surge in combined DRAM and SSD prices by the end of the year.

As ITPro previously reported, low-budget devices are expected to be the hardest hit due to skyrocketing prices, with manufacturers prioritizing higher-end options to absorb costs.

Microsoft touts on-demand benefits

In addition to the price cut, Microsoft said the update will introduce an “on-demand start experience” that aims to deliver better performance.

From May, cloud PCs will stay powered on for one hour after sign-out/disconnect, the company said. Reconnects within a period of one hour will remain unchanged.

“Reconnects after more than an hour might take slightly longer as the Cloud PC resumes from hibernation (with the same performance once connected),” the company said in a blog post.

What to expect with Windows cloud PCs

Windows cloud PCs come in a range of separate packages, all of which support desktop versions of Microsoft 365 apps.

The basic package, which includes two vCPUs, 4GB RAM, and 128GB storage comes in at £26.90 per user, per month (£32.28 including VAT).

Meanwhile, the standard package, which will set you back £35.60 per user, per month, includes two vCPUs, 8GB RAM, and 128GB storage. Each package has a maximum of up to 300 seats.

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Microsoft's retirement of a key OS deployment (OSD) tool is forcing admins into a scramble to find new tools – and the cloud might not offer all the answers.

That's according to a survey of IT professionals from Recast Software, which found that although 99% say OS deployment is important, 18% are still relying on Windows Deployment Services (WDS) or the now-retired Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT).

The survey highlights the urgency of finding alternatives or replacements, according to David Segura, Senior Software Engineer at Recast.

Part of the drive to find alternatives is down to Microsoft retiring MDT in January, with WDS losing significant features and being partly deprecated.

Segura noted that once the VBScript component is removed from Windows 11 releases – expected to happen next year – MDT will no longer be able to deploy new versions of the OS.

"The organizations that are managing this transition well aren't waiting for MDT to break," Segura said in a blog post. "They're planning now."

The shift to cloud hasn't changed the importance of bare-metal deployment, thanks to ransomware recovery, hardware upgrades, and production imaging at scale, which involves deploying OS builds across large fleets with a custom image, he said.

"With 81% of respondents rating bare-metal or disaster recovery OSD as having a high or critical importance, the urgency is real," Segura said. "Organizations leaning on a retired tool for a critical workflow face compounding risk the longer they wait."

Finding a better way

The results of the poll suggest that teams are moving to more modern management options, with 48% Intune-only and 40% hybrid.

Key pain points remain, however, including maintenance overheads (28%), driver management (25%), speed (20%), and costs (11%) all highlighted in the survey.

"These aren't new problems, but they're persistent ones," Segura said. "The common thread: SysAdmins want OSD to be less work, not more, especially as environments grow more complex."

While companies are shifting to Intune, or a mix of ConfigMgr and Intune, Segura noted that isn't always enough.

"The challenge is that OSD and imaging workflows don't map 1:1 from ConfigMgr to Intune," he said.

"Autopilot handles provisioning for new devices in Intune, but it wasn't designed for bare-metal rebuild or disaster recovery scenarios. Organizations moving to cloud management still need a way to handle those cases."

Next steps for admins

Segura warned that action was needed now, regardless of what alternative your company chooses.

"If your organization is still running MDT, the window to plan a replacement is narrowing," he said.

The first step is to audit your bare-metal OSD dependency to understand which workflows continue to rely on MDT or WDS.

For those switching to cloud management, it's time to audit OS deployment to see anywhere that lacks coverage from existing tools.

"Those are your risk areas," he said.

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A preview of a major Windows 11 update has been paused by Microsoft after users reported installation errors.

The update, KB5079391, is a preview of non-security features for Windows 11, so it won't have gone out to all users. The preview was first released last week, and paused a day later.

While spotting a flaw in an update is rather the point of previews – it's better than the update going out to a wider user base – the error comes hot on the heels of a pledge to improve Windows, in particular updates.

"Across the operating system, we will focus on improving the baseline reliability of areas such as the Windows Insider Program, drivers and apps, updates and Windows Hello," the company said in a March blog post.

That promise followed a series of security patches and other updates featuring bugs that caused chaos for users by starting reboot loops, breaking reset and recovery loops, and even possibly bricking some SSDs.

Why did Microsoft pause the Windows update preview?

In this instance, the update is a non-security feature preview, so isn't a requirement to roll out quickly. The flaw appears to block users from installing the preview at all.

Reports from Tom's Hardware suggested an error message shown to users said that update files were missing or had flaws, with the system promising to download the update again later.

On Microsoft's support site, the company said: "Rollout of this update is temporarily paused due to installation error."

"To prevent additional impact while the issue is investigated, Microsoft has temporarily limited the availability of this update," the company reportedly added. "As a result, the update temporarily might not be offered through Windows Update."

Microsoft is yet to reply to ITPro's request for further comment. The update was initially released on 26 March, and was paused the following evening; as yet, Microsoft has not reissued the update.

What was in the Windows update?

The update for Windows 11 applied to versions 25H2 and 24H2 and was labelled as KB5079391. Microsoft noted the update primarily targets "production-quality improvements" for the operating system.

When the preview is fixed, the update will include new features for Windows 11 – with the company specifically highlighting new "AI powered capabilities".

That includes a tool called Narrator, which uses Copilot to describe images. This is being expanded from Copilot-only devices to all running Windows 11. Another feature is the ability to enable or disable Smart App Control without a clean install.

Alongside those, Microsoft is rolling out updates to Display reliability and a few usability tweaks to Account Settings and File Explorer.

"You can more reliably unblock files downloaded from the internet in order to preview them in File Explorer," the company noted, adding files can be renamed using Voice Typing.

"You can now sort the permissions entries in the Advanced Security Settings window for a folder in File Explorer by Principal."

Other improvements are coming to Windows Hello fingerprint reliability, Voice access tools, and loading taskbar components in safe mode, according to the support document.

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Microsoft has announced plans to dial back AI features in Windows 11 as the company looks to counter growing customer pushback.

The tech giant revealed it will integrate AI “where it’s most meaningful” across the operating system.

In a blog post on Friday 20 March, Pavan Davuluri, EVP of Windows and Devices, said the company plans to reduce “unnecessary Copilot entry points” for certain applications.

These initially include Notepad, Snipping Tool, and various widgets, Davuluri said.

“You will see us be more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows, focusing on experiences that are genuinely useful and well‑crafted,” he wrote.

“As part of this, we are reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad.”

The announcement from Microsoft marks the second roll-back on integrated AI features in the space of a month. According to recent reports from Windows Central, the company put plans to roll out new AI features in Windows 11 on the back burner.

The publication noted that AI features were planned for File Explorer, the settings app, and other core functions.

Customer pushback

Microsoft has faced criticism over its persistent integration of Copilot features across the operating system, a strategy it has pursued for over 18 months now.

As ITPro reported in November last year, Davuluri outlined plans to transform Windows into an “agentic” operating system with more AI-infused capabilities.

In a post on X ahead of the company’s 2025 Ignite conference, Davuluri said Windows is “evolving into an agentic OS, connecting devices, cloud, and AI to unlock intelligent productivity and secure work anywhere”.

The post prompted significant pushback at the time, with users questioning the need for increased AI features rather than a sharpened focus on performance and reliability.

Gergely Orosz, software engineer and curator of the Pragmatic Engineer newsletter, noted a growing sense of frustration among developers due to the Windows AI shift.

In his recent blog post, Davuluri said the company hopes to improve communication with Windows users through the Insiders program, as well as a new feedback hub.

“Your feedback is essential to improving Windows, and it should be easy to share and see what others are saying,” he wrote.

“Today, we’re rolling out the largest update to Feedback Hub yet to our Insiders, with a redesigned experience that makes it faster and easier to submit feedback and engage with the community.”

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Apple’s MacBook Neo announcement sent shockwaves across the hardware industry last week, and the arrival of a budget device from the tech giant couldn’t have come at a better time.

The launch of a $599 (£599 in the UK) laptop is a bold move by Apple, enabling it to tap into demographics previously excluded by the high prices associated with its flagship models.

The 14in MacBook Pro M5 comes in at $1,699 (£1,699 in the UK), while the MacBook Air M5 will set you back $1,099 (£1,099 in the UK). That’s a significant price drop.

At the very least, the MacBook Neo will force the rest of the industry to react. This isn’t so much a race to the bottom on cost, but a sharpening of the focus on giving consumers better bang for their buck.

Some, it seems, are already at panic stations over the announcement. Speaking during a recent earnings call, Asus’ chief financial officer Nick Wu said competitors will have to react swiftly or be left in the dust.

“Given Apple’s historically very premium pricing, launching such an affordable product is certainly a shock to the entire market,” he said, per reports from Seeking Alpha.

The fact this has come as such a shock to the market speaks volumes about its recent trajectory. The incessant focus on AI-powered devices, which come with a premium price tag, is an issue I’ve raised in previous columns for ITPro.

We’ve seen recurring Windows-related gripes, with users pushing back against efforts to transform the operating system into an “agentic OS”. This sentiment stacks against Apple’s competitors – even if the tech giant is itself embedding generative AI throughout its products via Apple Intelligence.

A viable option for small businesses

While Apple is primarily targeting the education sector and students with the MacBook Neo, there is certainly room here for small businesses to capitalize. IT leaders already sweating over costly device refresh programs and price hikes thanks to the RAM crisis will undoubtedly be considering the Neo.

The device will certainly offer better bang for buck. An array of comparison tests between the Neo and Windows-based alternatives already show there are glaring pros and cons.

Testing by ITPro found the Neo performs well in single-core performance, scoring a 3,287 in GeekBench 6. This puts it ahead of devices such as the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x and the Dell 14 Plus – two devices ITPro has had hands-on experience with.

It’s once you get into multi-core tasks that issues arise, particularly when running multiple programs or specialist tasks such as video rendering. Tom’s Guide noted the Neo’s performance drops off here compared to its aforementioned competitors.

Apple has framed the Neo as a viable option as a work device. Promotional materials specifically touted its potential in enterprise domains.

“From building spreadsheets to managing payroll, MacBook Neo gets the job done,” the company claims. In many ways, the Neo does punch above its weight, but knowing the limitations and making them clear is an area Apple has been candid on in recent years - take its AI approach, for example.

The company has adopted a standoff-ish approach to AI over the last three years, hedging its bets on building a more reliable integrated AI assistant and making that strategy clear. It’s a tactic that’s drawn an equal mixture of praise and criticism from industry stakeholders, but one that’s ultimately paid dividends and underlines its long-running cautious approach.

Apple isn’t rash. It’s cold, calculated, and knows exactly when to strike.

The MacBook Neo is another Apple masterclass

Apple has a long-running reputation for shaking up markets; it did it with the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad, and the MacBook Air some 20 years ago.

This latest move may be the most consequential product launch in the company’s history – and given recent memory cost concerns, the impact cannot be understated.

Skyrocketing memory costs are severely affecting the budget device market, according to recent analysis from Omdia. These surging costs mean vendors are now focusing their attention on premium range devices to absorb the financial blow.

Omdia’s research specifically noted that PC prices below $500 will be hit the hardest, with global shipments plummeting by 28% across 2026. Simply put, you can kiss goodbye to your low-budget devices over the next year.

A device roughly within this price range, from a brand such as Apple, will be a tantalizing prospect for businesses and consumers alike.

MacBook Neo performance may be an issue

Performance may be a sticking point for some. But the benchmark situation is complicated and doesn’t paint a full picture.

On the surface, the MacBook Neo doesn’t quite shape up in terms of performance compared to its flagship products, or other Windows devices out there. The device will boast just 8GB of memory, with two distinct ranges offering 256GB and 512GB of storage.

Powering the Neo is the A18 Pro chip, an ARM-based system currently used in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone Pro Max.

Apple noted in its announcement that this is 50% faster at web browsing, while boasting three-times the performance handling workloads compared to PCs with Intel Core Ultra 5 chips.

An area in which the Neo has a distinct advantage, however, is the ecosystem it inhabits. Apple designs the interlinking parts under the hood, from the CPU and hard drive to the operating system.

Apple RAM also uses a unified memory architecture, creating a shared memory pool which allows the CPU and GPU to share bandwidth. What this means is that it better utilizes memory compared to a Windows device.

Add that to the broader Apple ecosystem and compatibility just makes sense given the demographic the company is targeting: students. Having your messages, photo albums, and various files accessible just adds to the ease of use factor.

Microsoft has issued patches for more than 60 flaws this month, including six zero-day vulnerabilities that are already being targeted by hackers.

As part of this month's "Patch Tuesday", Microsoft listed 58 vulnerabilities in its own software, as well as four in other tools, including Chromium.

While this number of flaws isn’t out of the ordinary, security expert Dustin Childs noted that the volume under active attack is “extraordinarily high”.

"Microsoft lists six bugs being exploited at the time of release, with three of these listed as publicly known."

Of the six zero-day flaws, five are rated as important and one moderate, rather than the more serious critical. As such vulnerabilities are already being targeted by hackers in the wild, quick patching is advised.

One targets Microsoft Word, allowing attackers to bypass local security features to access advanced control settings and possibly allow code execution. However, as Microsoft noted: "An attacker must send a user a malicious Office file and convince them to open it."

Another security feature bypass flaw being patched also requires user interaction, with a malicious link or shortcut file clicked before the attacker can make use of this bug to slip in.

"Successful exploitation lets the attacker suppress or evade the usual “are you sure?” security dialogs for untrusted content, making it easier to deliver and execute further payloads without raising user suspicion," said Malware Bytes security researcher Pieter Arntz in a blog post.

While users need to be tricked via a malicious link, Childs noted: "Still, a one-click bug to gain code execution is a rarity."

Other zero-day flaws being addressed by Microsoft include a denial of service bug targeting Windows Remote Access Connection Manager, an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Remote Desktop Services, and a bug in Desktop Window Manager.

The last of the six zero-days affects Internet Explorer – though it may be long gone as a browser, it still lingers in Windows. Once again, users need to be fooled into clicking a malicious link to enable this attack.

"The bypass here is simply the ability to reach IE, which shouldn’t be possible," noted Childs, adding that calling IE "always results in a vulnerability somehow."

Patches issued for Azure, GitHub Copilot flaws

The remaining flaws patched by Microsoft included a trio of critical bugs spotted in Azure as well as vulnerabilities that could allow remote code execution in GitHub Copilot.

These flaws all center on a command injection vulnerability, noted Kevin Breem, senior director for cyber threat research at Immersive Labs, and can be triggered via prompt injection.

Breem said this could allow a hacker to embed a malicious prompt that's triggered when a developer uses an agent workflow, potentially slipping past existing security restrictions to run code or commands.

That's particularly problematic as developers may have access to sensitive data such as API keys, he added.

"Coupled with organizations enabling both developers and automation pipelines to use LLMs and Agentic AI with the right prompt, an attacker could have a significant impact," he noted.

"This is not to say stop using AI, but to ensure developers understand the risks and identify what has access to AI Agents, and lastly, least privilege can limit the impact if a developer's secrets are compromised."

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The “Mac vs. Windows” debate has been a longstanding feature of the IT landscape since Apple desktops first hit the market, solidified by the iconic “I’m a Mac” ad campaign.

Today, though, the idea of it being a binary choice is increasingly irrelevant. With the right support, enterprises can easily have multiple systems that complement rather than contradict each other.

Channel partners who can offer support to enterprises that are seeking to adapt to a world where Apple and Microsoft coexist have a powerful opportunity to expand and deliver more value to their customers.

Why Apple demand is rising in the workplace

Historically, businesses viewed Macs as a niche option for corporate endpoints, typically associated with specialist creative roles such as design or the personal choice of senior executives.

While Windows is still the king of desktop computers, claiming around 72% of the market, Apple has seen a steady increase in market share in recent years, and we expect this to continue.

There’s a clear generational shift underway. More people are now coming into the workforce having grown up with Apple, whether through using a MacBook at university, having an iPhone as their mobile device, or now paying for items via their watch. They’ve come to see Mac and the Apple ecosystem as a useful, consistent, and reliable choice, and this personal preference is influencing the workplace.

Apple’s status as the dominant mobile operator has helped things along. OS devices claim around 27% of the more diverse mobile market, and iPhones are a common choice of corporate device even when desktops are Windows. iOS mobile devices also offer a lot of flexibility – consider how common it is to see iPads as retail POS terminals, for example.

The Apple ecosystem offers a continuous experience across multiple devices, a compelling reason to bring in desktop machines alongside mobile. This is particularly well-suited for hybrid workers and BYOD programmes, enabling a seamless blend of personal and corporate.

These trends mean organizations face a growing demand for a mixed OS environment, and implementing a flexible device strategy is increasingly important for attracting and retaining the tech-savvy younger generation entering the workforce.

However, it can also be difficult to manage without the right resources. It’s a common source of friction with IT teams, who still believe that bringing in Apple will cause serious operational issues and drain resources compared to running a purely Windows environment.

Busting the myths: Why IT resistance to Mac is fading

There are some persistent myths around Macs being difficult to manage and integrate into wider non-Apple ecosystems, but these typically no longer apply in a modern IT environment.

For example, IT veterans will likely recall the earlier difficulties in binding a Mac OS device to a Windows domain to allow credential authentication through Windows Active Directory. This process was prone to breaking for no particular reason, leaving the user stranded without access and creating unnecessary headaches for the IT team.

Today, however, the shift to cloud-based authentication allows for a seamless experience across different platforms. Enterprise tools like Microsoft 365, Slack, and Zoom can be freely used across both platforms, and integration with services like Microsoft Entra ID and Okta Single Sign-On provides further support for a smooth user experience.

Some IT teams also object to the perceived additional burden of adapting management processes and skilling up personnel to support Macs. Again, though, modern management tools have drastically simplified the deployment and oversight of Mac devices to the degree that there is little need for extensive Mac-specific training. ​

How the channel can address key IT pain points

The growing demand for Apple in the workplace is a powerful opportunity for partners to step up and prove their value. MSPs that can provide unified endpoint management and technical support for mixed environments can further establish their position as trusted strategic advisors.

Most IT teams already face noisy, fragmented landscapes. They’ve got flashing lights pinging all over the place with security alerts, they have to keep up with updates and patching, and many other duties. Adding the need to support multiple operating systems will be a significant additional burden unless they’re properly supported.

Being the one to offer an accessible and affordable solution to all these issues is an easy win for the channel. Partners can really shine by serving as a source of expert guidance on how to bring in a more flexible approach to managing multiple operating systems.

On a strategic level, they can help organizations clarify how employee device choice meshes with the company's objectives and weigh up the benefits and costs. This means taking the project beyond IT to consider how other departments are affected - for example, will HR need to work on new contracts and terms?

Tactically, partners are also able to identify customer pain barriers and challenges of transitioning from a Windows-based ecosystem. This includes considering what tools will be needed and what policies must be changed or established to manage them.

It’s a great opportunity for partners to develop their own unique IP while serving their existing customers and reaching new ones. We’re seeing partners bringing us significantly more opportunities in recent months, which is a sign of how much market share is up for grabs.

There’s also been a notable shift in the way the channel approaches it. We have some partners with significant presence that didn’t care about Apple five or six years ago and have now fully embraced the opportunity. On the other hand, there are those who were previously Apple specialists and now have the opportunity to branch out into mixed ecosystems.

Partners who can offer full support for an integrated ecosystem have a chance to scoop up market share that was previously limited to specialists on either side of the fence.

Supporting choice is the future

With Apple devices becoming more commonplace in the corporate world, the choice isn’t Apple or Microsoft; it’s both.

The channel has a growing opportunity to help customers manage a mixed IT environment. End users want simplicity, security, and quality performance, regardless of what platform they are using.

Partners who embrace the reality of mixed, integrated environments today and support that flexibility will be set up for the win.

Microsoft Windows chief Pavan Davuluri has made no secret of the tech giant’s plans for the future of Windows, having previously claimed the next version of the operating system will draw upon AI to offer users a more “multi-modal” experience.

With Microsoft’s annual Ignite conference looming this week, Davuluri has once again been banging the drum for an AI-infused Windows operating system, but users weren’t exactly pleased.

Promoting an upcoming session at the conference in a post on X earlier this month, Davuluri said Windows is “evolving into an agentic OS, connecting devices, cloud, and AI to unlock intelligent productivity and secure work anywhere”.

The buzzword-laden post prompted a fierce backlash, with users claiming “no one wants this”. Others, meanwhile, questioned why the tech giant is focusing on packing the operating system with new AI features instead of improving functionality, reliability, and performance.

Gergely Orosz, software engineer, author, and curator of the Pragmatic Engineer newsletter, pounced on the tweet, suggesting the automation push at Microsoft could alienate developers using the OS.

“Can’t see any reason for sq engineers to choose Windows with this weird direction they are doubling down on,” he wrote.

“So odd because Microsoft has building dev tools in their DNA…their OS doesn’t look like anything a builder who wants OS control would choose.”

Davuluri acknowledged the criticism in a response to Orosz’s post, noting that he had “read through the comments and see focus on things like reliability, performance, ease of use and more”.

The Windows lead insisted the company “cares deeply about developers” and that it still has “work to do on the experience” for developers and “power users”.

Exact details on how Microsoft plans to address these issues weren’t detailed in the response, however.

What on earth is an agentic OS?

‘Agentic OS’ is a new term – so new that we recently did a whole podcast episode about it, live from Dreamforce 2025.

In the case of Salesforce, the term has some tangible meaning. The CRM giant has spent the past year integrating its agentic AI platform Agentforce across its offerings, and at Dreamforce 2025 unveiled sweeping changes to Slack that allow users to more closely control Salesforce agents through the collaboration platform.

Far from a buzzword, ‘agentic OS’ is used here as a pretty effective description of the vision Salesforce has for Slack’s future.

No one’s arguing that Slack will literally become an operating system. Instead, users are invited to treat the platform as a sort of natural language creator and scheduler for AI agents, a search engine for enterprise data, and a platform enhanced with built-in chat summarization powered by yet more agents.

With Windows, it’s trickier to nail down exactly what Microsoft is planning. Regardless of the fact that it’s increasingly swamped with AI features, there haven’t been any clear indications of how Windows as a whole will help users to create, augment, or launch AI agents.

With AI hype at fever pitch and workers continuing to voice doubts over promises that the technology will meaningfully improve their productivity, it’s important that AI developers speak as clearly as possible about their products.

Bandying around vague terms is a sure-fire way to be accused of peddling snake-oil or making empty promises. Worse still, it could erode the meaning of nascent AI terminology and make it a meaningless expression before the first products of its kind ever get off the ground.

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Windows 11 is four years old, yet many businesses still haven't taken the plunge. This isn't always a bad idea. Organizations frequently adopt a wait-and-see approach to implementing major operating system upgrades, as it gives Microsoft, Apple, and Linux distro maintainers time to iron out any kinks that emerge only through mass deployment. It also allows third-party developers to ship fully compatible updates to the business-critical applications on which they rely. Fortunately, in this instance, most Windows 10 applications will run without modification.

Mainstream support for Windows 10 ended in October 2025. Beyond that, the Extended Security Update (ESU) scheme gives home and small business users 12 months of additional coverage in return for syncing their PC settings, cashing in 1000 Microsoft reward points, or paying the local equivalent of $30 plus tax (full details at microsoft.com). Enterprises can push cover further, to October 2028, with a charged-for agreement.

However, while there may be valid business reasons for further postponing the switch, Windows 11 is undeniably a mature, well-supported operating environment, and one that's getting more capable by the day. Delaying much further means your business won't benefit from the features that competitors may already be enjoying.

Productivity enhancements

The UI has undergone a subtle refresh. Most noticeably, items on the taskbar have moved to the center by default (but can be returned to the left if you prefer), and the interface itself feels lighter. Windows 11's Fluent Design uses virtual Mica and Acrylic, along with a dimming overlay called 'smoke'. Each has a specific use. Mica, which is opaque, is used for primary window elements; acrylic, which is semi-transparent, for transient overlays; and smoke, to draw your attention away from the object to which it's applied and towards something more important, like a popped-up dialog.

These make Windows 11 a more appealing place to spend your working day but, more importantly, they supplement practical enhancements, like snap layouts, which make it easier to arrange windows for an overview of the applications you're using. Combine them with a suitably sized monitor, and they could make a quantifiable improvement to your workflow. So would continued support for Cloud Clipboard, through which users signing in via a Microsoft Account can copy multiple selections and synchronize them across all devices logged in with the same credentials.

The Start menu is less fussy than it was in Windows 10, having done away with pinned tiles in favor of app and file lists. In place of live tiles, we have Widgets, which live in a dedicated overlay that you can reveal by clicking a taskbar icon or pressing Windows + W. You can add to and subtract from the default selection, or hide Widgets from the taskbar entirely if it's not something you're ever going to use.

Organizations can use Widgets to surface corporate information when users sign in with Active Directory or Entra ID. Users can also use it to monitor their own responsibilities, with Microsoft 365 Workfeed Integration showing upcoming meetings and calendar events, recent documents in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint, and tasks assigned to them.

You can pin objects to either of the Start menu's app and file lists, or let Windows decide what should appear based on your activities. Again, by keeping the files you rely on close at hand, this could help shave sufficient minutes off your searching and switching to make things flow more smoothly. The File Explorer sidebar likewise reorganizes itself to keep your commonly used folders close at hand, and you can open multiple folders in tabs to reduce on-screen clutter and help with multitasking.

Teams is pre-installed, and the Chat app that sat on the taskbar in earlier versions has been phased out since launch. This is good news for business, as Chat was a consumer edition of Teams, closely integrated with the operating system, that wouldn't work with the corporate equivalent. That meant business users may have ended up with two versions installed side by side, so this move avoids potential confusion.

Stay focused

Windows 10 already had Focus Assist to suppress notifications when you needed to get on with your work. Windows 11 goes one step further with direct focus setting from the taskbar, and a focus utility that should be immediately familiar to anyone who uses the pomodoro technique or similar to manage their productivity.

Focus works with the Windows Clock app, in which you can specify your preferred work and break periods. If you integrate it with a Microsoft To Do task list you can select the task on which you want to focus during the session, and you can also pair it to Spotify if you work best when listening to music.

When you start a focus session, Windows suppresses all app and contact notifications, sounds, and alerts, and temporarily turns off flashing and badges on the taskbar to avoid drawing your attention. It's a small but significant change from the focus tools in Windows 10, but for anyone who finds themselves easily distracted, it could help them get more done in a working day – or allow them to knock off early.

Windows 11 AI

Copilot is commonly pre-installed and pinned to the taskbar or Start menu. It's invoked using a shortcut (Windows + C or, on some devices, alt + space), a wake-word, or by pressing the dedicated Copilot button on Copilot+ PC keyboards. You can uninstall Copilot entirely via Settings if you don't want to use it in your organization, or disable it via Group Policy or Intune. As you'd expect, you can use it to ask regular questions, brainstorm ideas, and fact-check, but depending on your Windows build and the hardware on which it's running, it has a number of additional features that are particularly suited to business use.

Copilot+ PCs, which benefit from an onboard neural processing unit (NPU), for example, can use Copilot to perform live video and audio translation from more than 40 languages into English, and some will also have access to Recall, which remains in preview for the time being. This takes regular screenshots and uses the NPU to index and analyze them. They can later be used to answer natural language queries. If Recall is supported by your hardware, it will be turned off by default and can be activated by launching the Recall app and working through the setup process, or by turning it on through the 'Privacy & security' area of Windows Settings.

Other recent additions include off-web support for Copilot Actions, which debuted in October 2025 and lets you use Copilot to automate tasks across apps and files using natural language. There's also Copilot Vision, through which the AI can view your desktop or app window to help you complete tasks. You can share up to two apps simultaneously with Vision and have a voice-led conversation about them. Vision won't take actions directly on your PC, but it can use an on-screen pointer to highlight elements, and can explain steps and show you what to do next. Microsoft clarifies that Vision doesn't capture, store, or use your data to train its models, and all images, audio, and context are deleted at the end of the session.

Both Actions and Vision could help staff do more under their own steam and may, in some instances, reduce their reliance on in-house or contracted support, thus reducing downtime.

Security

Windows Hello binds your login credentials – in the form of a PIN or biometric reading – to your device, which means they're only effective for logging in to that machine, and not any other to which you might have access. This minimizes the surfaces across which a malicious actor has access should they gain knowledge of a user's PIN. The same can't always be said for logging in to an app or machine with traditional username and password pairs.

Windows Hello for Business is an enterprise-grade extension to the regular Windows Hello system, designed for managed networks. It integrates with Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, and FIDO2 hardware keys to simplify users' login processes, while simultaneously hardening protection against credential theft and phishing.

Meanwhile, optional Microsoft Defender for Endpoint integration gives security teams a portal through which they can monitor incidents and alerts across their estate, and necessary remediation steps, allowing them to reduce their response time when a threat emerges. It gives teams a system-wide overview of emerging issues, helps them enforce policies, and, with automated investigation and response, can isolate or clean an endpoint automatically if required.

Windows 11 also supports Pluton Security Processors, which are integrated into some CPUs to protect credentials, identities, personal data, and encryption keys, as well as ensuring code integrity. As these functions are handled by a hardware component rather than software it's far more challenging for attackers to circumvent.

Making the switch

While there are some important visual differences, it should take very little time for users – whether in business or at home – to acclimatize to Windows 11. There's only so much you can tweak in a mouse-driven GUI, and while centering the Start menu has changed the look, it's barely impacted the feel of the operating system overall.

A more significant stumbling block when upgrading may therefore be Windows 11's system requirements. Most are conservative, kicking off with a 1GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and support for Secure Boot. While many devices manufactured at the turn of the decade will meet all of these requirements, some may fall down when it comes to the requirement for Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. TPM is a hardware-based security element that checks that the overall boot process and the software and hardware underpinning it are trustworthy. Version 2 was announced in 2014, and we're running Windows 11 on a machine that's been in service since May 2016 without issue, but it's nonetheless worth surveying your fleet as part of your upgrade planning to check specifically for TPM 2.0 support.

In some instances, it may be that TPM is present but switched off, in which case, check whether it can be enabled. However, if the module is absent, you'll have to either upgrade your hardware or switch to an alternative operating system. Upgrading needn't be expensive, and if you prefer not to buy new, you'll find that many reconditioned and refurbished options satisfy the necessary requirements.

Which Windows is right for your business?

All editions of Windows 11 support encryption on capable devices, biometric security for user identification, and presence sensing to secure devices when unattended – subject to them running on appropriate hardware.

Pro and Pro for Workstations editions also benefit from BitLocker device encryption, remote deployment and compliance, support for joining Active Directory domains, Hyper-V virtualization, and Windows Sandbox. They also have an Assigned Access feature, through which users' ability to run different applications can be restricted on the basis of their individual identities; Group Policy Management; and Remote Desktop built in. Pro for Workstations uniquely features Resilient File System (ReFS), which can pull in data from a mirrored drive if the source data on a local machine is corrupted.

Beyond these, Windows 11 Enterprise adds the kind of features that would often be of greatest interest to a national or multinational organization with an IT team. These include Microsoft Endpoint Manager for centralizing device management and security policies, Windows Autopilot for automated provisioning, Credential Guard to stop credential theft, and Autopatch to automate validation and deployment of updates across fleets.

At first glance, therefore, Windows 11 Pro, as the middle-ground, would appear to be the best fit for most small- to mid-sized businesses, with Enterprise editions tailored to anything larger. Solo workers and some small businesses will likely manage with Windows 11 Home, as it includes Copilot, Teams, biometrics, and encryption (even if it lacks BitLocker), alongside everything the average knowledge worker should need to remain productive.

Most machines can be upgraded from Windows 10 to the equivalent version of Windows 11 at no cost, so long as they meet the minimum system requirements. If you do need to buy outright, prices fluctuate, and there's a significant premium for going Pro. Expect to pay around £119 for Windows 11 Home, and £219 for Windows 11 Pro.

Microsoft has issued a fix for a recent Windows 11 update after the patch caused USB devices such as mice and keyboards to fail.

After rolling out this month's security update (KB5066835), Windows 11 users reported keyboards, mice and other USB connected devices wouldn't work when in Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

That meant such input devices worked properly during normal operation, but would fail if a user entered recovery mode to reset or repair their laptop – leaving them unable to navigate the settings,

"After installing October 2025 security update (KB5066835), USB devices, such as keyboards and mice, do not function in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)," Microsoft noted in a statement.

"This issue prevents navigation of any of the recovery options within WinRE. Note that the USB keyboard and mouse continue to work normally within the Windows operating system."

Microsoft acknowledged the issue on 19 October, saying engineers would work to develop a solution.

A day later, Microsoft released an out-of-band update, fixing the flaw six days later rather than waiting for next month's scheduled patch.

That is rolling out via Windows Update for Windows 11 users. The flaw impacts all Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, as well as Windows Server 2025. If you haven't yet run the update, perhaps avoid resetting your PC or going into recovery mode — if possible.

Windows 11 update riddled with issues

The WinRE UBS support bug isn't the only issue with the October update. Microsoft has detailed a full list of known issues, including smartcard authentication issues, problems playing protected content with some DVD and BluRay applications, and failed updates using shared network folders. Microsoft also noted that IIS websites may fail to load properly.

Similarly, the tech giant warned that smartcard authentication issues might occur owing to a security change introduced for strengthening Windows Cryptographic Services.

That latter flaw has been resolved, and all have been mitigated so far aside from the IIS website issue.

Repeated bugs

Microsoft has been hit by a spate of bugs in its updates of late. In August, Windows 11 users reported their SSDs weren't working following a Patch Tuesday update, and that was followed by a problem in reset and recovery operations, sparking an out-of-band update.

Back in April Microsoft admitted that its enterprise device management software Intune had a "latent code issue" that upgraded devices contrary to corporate policies.

Last year, a bug meant users of older versions of Windows Server saw an unexpected upgrade to the 2025 version without paying; that updated version also came with its own bugs, including one that crashed computers.

Elsewhere, last year Microsoft pulled a preview of an update to Windows 11 before it was even fully released after problems were spotted in Windows update itself, with some users reporting it was crashing computers.

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With Windows 10 reaching end of life on 14 October, enterprises and consumers alike globally will be making the shift to Microsoft’s newer operating system.

While issues like security and device compatibility have become common recurring talking points, concerns have been rising about a looming torrent of e-waste, with thousands of tonnes of waste expected in the UK alone.

A key factor behind this is that many older devices aren’t capable of running the newer operating system, rendering them obsolete and bound for the scrapheap.

Based on metal recovery rates and the average weight of both laptops and desktop devices, analysis from Businesswaste.co.uk suggests the Windows 10 end of life transition could generate more than 12,805,100 kg of metals – equivalent to more than 8,000 cars.

Vital materials including copper, gold, silver, and other precious metals are all included in this mounting heap of waste, and the estimated recovery costs are eye–watering.

Materials such as gold, for example, have an estimated total value of over £1.6 billion while copper and silver have estimated values of £100 million and £33 million respectively.

Mark Hall, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk, said the figures highlight the environmental impact this transition period could have and the crucial considerations facing enterprises moving to new device ranges.

“It’s essential that any obsolete devices do not enter general waste streams. This is against UK WEEE regulations, meaning it’s illegal, and it can be highly damaging to our environment,” he said.

“WEEE waste recycling is complex and requires expert handling. Some electronic equipment and appliances can contain hazardous materials and it’s vital these are separated.

“With the mass scale of e-waste likely to be generated by the Windows 10 shutdown, we’re urging the public and businesses to ensure any old devices are handled correctly to avoid an environmental catastrophe.”

The Windows 10 end of life e-waste conundrum

This research isn’t the first to highlight the e-waste problem associated with device refreshes or operating system upgrades.

Researchers at Canalys raised serious concerns about the issue in late 2023, nearly two years ahead of the end of life deadline.

Analysis from the consultancy showed up to 240 million PCs would be terminated as a result of the shift to Windows 11 – largely due to not meeting minimum system compatibility requirements.

Many of these, Canalys warned, would eventually end up in landfill.

“Their incompatibility with the latest supported version of Windows massively reduces their value for refurbishing and reselling,” Canalys said at the time.

“If these were all folded laptops, stacked one on top of another, they would make a pile 600 km taller than the moon.”

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Extended support for Windows 10 could cost enterprises billions according to new research, prompting questions over why many are still plugging away with the operating system.

Analysis by Nexthink, released just weeks before Microsoft cuts off support for Windows 10, found maintaining custom versions of the operating system could cost in excess of $7.3 billion globally.

While businesses can choose to pay for extended support, this will set them back $61 per device for the first year. That price then doubles every year, for a maximum of three years, further compounding costs.

Enterprises and consumers alike have been moving away from Windows 10, albeit slowly, Nexthink found. Researchers at the company observed a 33% decrease in Windows 10 devices between 19 May 2025 and 1 August.

Figures from Statcounter also show the operating system still holds a 43% market share, with Windows 11 only recently overtaking it in popularity.

Based on current trends, this means even by the 14 October deadline around 121 million devices would still be running the operating system globally.

Sticking with Windows 10 poses risks

With this in mind, Nexthink said organizations need to ramp up efforts to switch operating systems ahead of the deadline, as failing to do so puts them at risk of cyber threats like malware and ransomware.

From a productivity perspective, failing to upgrade also has a marked impact on business efficiency, Nexthink noted. Similarly, partial upgrades can create their own issues, causing friction across teams due to “inconsistent experiences” between the two operating systems.

Tim Flower, digital employee experience strategist at Nexthink, said shifting to a new operating system “shouldn’t feel like a disruption”.

“It should be an opportunity to improve how employees work every day,” he said.

“That means understanding how devices and applications perform before the migration, anticipating issues and problems, and taking steps to ensure migrations and upgrades run smoothly.

“The goal is to avoid productivity being interrupted by an IT event, and help organizations see clear benefits from their investment.

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A senior Microsoft executive has suggested future versions of Windows will mark a step change in how users interact with the operating system.

During a recent appearance on the Windows IT Pro podcast, Pavan Davuluri, head of Microsoft’s Windows and Devices business, hinted that the company's next operating system - perhaps Windows 12 - will offer users a more “multimodal” experience, drawing from on-device AI capabilities.

“I think one of the core constructs there [is] looking at the interface of Windows evolving, looking at the interface itself becoming more multimodal and more capable based on new interaction technologies that come to life,” he said.

“Whether that’s mouse and keyboard moving to pen and touch and so on. I think one of the transformational things that’s also happening for us is the fact that we now have these AI models that can run on-device.

“These are reasonably performant models running on-device. They in turn, bring a bunch of new capabilities and agencies to the platform and the device itself.”

In terms of what capabilities users might expect from this sharpened focus on AI in Windows, Davuluri said this deeper integration and fusion between the operating system and AI will help drive improved tool orchestration and edge capabilities.

“For us, the biggest priority, of course, is to be able to make sure as we evolve Copilot Plus PCs with these new capabilities, we’re able to have the Copilot in Windows, have the M365 Copilot, take advantage of these capabilities,” he added.

“We see value in the Windows operating system itself having intrinsic understanding of these new AI models that are running in them and taking advantage of new capabilities.”

Windows 12 will be a more interactive experience

The multimodality Davuluri touted for any upcoming operating system will be the linchpin for new interactive features, particularly in areas such as voice input.

It’s an area that not only appears to represent the next logical step in user interaction - especially given on-device natural language capabilities - but also from an accessibility standpoint, as host Christiaan Brinkhoff noted.

“I think we will see computing become more ambient, more pervasive, continue to span form factors, and certainly become more multi-modal in the arc of time,” Davuluri said.

“We started with the notion of a desktop and a keyboard and a mouse and a monitor. We've gone through several revolutions, several technology new paradigm shifts.

“I think experience diversity is the next space where we will continue to see voice becoming more important. So you'll be able to speak to your computer while writing, inking, interacting with another person, for example. You should be able to have the computer semantically understand your intent to interact with it.”

We’re going to be waiting a while for Windows 12

Speculation over when Microsoft will announce plans for Windows 12 has been mounting over the last 18 months, especially given the fact Windows 11 will be four years old in October.

Hopes of a pending reveal were dashed when the tech giant confirmed the next big update for Windows 11 in June, with 25H2 coming later this year.

This update is expected to coincide with the Windows 10 end of life deadline in October, which itself has been a long-running challenge for the tech giant.

Microsoft has embarked on a massive push to drive users to Windows 11 in recent years, with many unwilling to switch to the new operating system - largely due to the popularity of Windows 10.

Indeed, Windows 11 only recently overtook its predecessor in terms of global user count, highlighting the customer hesitancy Microsoft has faced.

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Microsoft has admitted yet another problem with its August update, this time in reset and recovery operations – serious enough to spark an out-of-band update.

The monthly update was issued last week with a set of security patches including one zero-day vulnerability. However, beyond security, the update batch also introduced new features and made minor improvements.

A series of bugs have since shown up in the days since the release, highlighting how updates can wreak their own havoc for administrators.

Immediately after the update was released, Microsoft noted that some Windows upgrades might fail; the issue has since been resolved, and the tech giant advises anyone still seeing the error to retry the upgrade process.

Users also reported that SSDs have disappeared from view in systems that have been recently updated, potentially leading to a loss of data.

Commenting on the issue, a Microsoft spokesperson said: "We're aware of these reports and are investigating with our partners."

User tribulations aren’t over yet, however, with Microsoft acknowledging another flaw - this time causing failures with reset and recovery tools.

Microsoft confirms reset and recovery flaw

This newest flaw hits specific versions of Windows that have run the August update when users attempt to reset or recover their device. The bug is triggered by running key recovery processes: Reset my PC, Fix problems using Windows Update, and RemoteWipe CSP.

"Microsoft has identified an issue where some attempts to reset or recover Windows devices might fail," Microsoft said in a support document.

"This issue is observed after installing the August 2025 Windows security update on some client versions of Windows."

The issue rears its head after installing the August 2025 Windows security update — KB5063875 — on client versions of Windows 10 and 11, but not server OSes nor Windows 11 24H2. (The full list can be founder here.)

That means anyone running the latest version of Windows isn't affected, but anyone still on Windows 10 may be — right at a time when Microsoft is trying to encourage people to upgrade their OS or their hardware to the newer system, and therefore need the reset and recovery functions.

What administrators need to know

Initially, users were told to avoid using reset and recovery until the issue was fixed.

Naturally, this might prove problematic as those are tools used to solve issues when something is wrong with a device, meaning some users may have been left without a functional PC - albeit temporarily.

However, the wait would have been short, as Microsoft fixed the problem in less than a day from when it announced the flaw.

Microsoft has since issued an out-of-band (OOB) update to address this particular fault, with the company recommending installing the new update instead of the original from last week for anyone using an affected device.

"If your organization uses the affected platforms and hasn’t yet deployed the August 2025 security update yet, we recommend you apply this OOB update instead," Microsoft said in a support document.

As admins will be well aware, this is hardly the first time Microsoft has had issues with Windows updates — just last month Microsoft mistakenly flagged a non-security update issue as being resolved, only for it to return.

The tech giant issues an apology to customers for “any inconvenience and confusion” the issue caused.

ITPro contacted Microsoft for comment on the latest fault, but has yet to hear back.

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Last week's August update from Microsoft has reportedly caused issues with SSD storage devices for Windows 11 users.

The concerns center on update KB5063878, issued last week for Windows 11 by Microsoft as part of its monthly Patch Tuesday security updates. According to various reports, running the update makes some SSDs disappear from systems, potentially corrupting files.

Microsoft is yet to acknowledge or confirm the flaw in the update, and the reports remain sporadic, suggesting the fault only happens in specific situations.

ITPro contacted Microsoft for comment, but is yet to hear back.

Reports of problems first emerged with a post from a Japanese user on X that suggested the issue seems to occur on SSDs that are 60% full after they write 50GB of data.

The post added that Phison NAND controllers are particularly prone, but the problem appears to exist across SSD makers. ITPro has contacted Phison for clarification on the matter.

Meanwhile, a thread on social media site Reddit has multiple user reports of similar issues, starting in Japan. The reports suggest the fault occurs after writing large amounts of data, with Windows 11 subsequently failing to see the impacted drives.

Reports suggest some HHDs may also be affected by the flaw.

While the cause of the fault remains unconfirmed, and may not be caused directly by a flaw in Microsoft's code, any user concerned about the issue can hold off on installing the update.

It's not the first time Microsoft has faced a flaw in a cumulative batch of updates, with a patch last year causing the dreaded Blue Screen of Death crashes for users.

Elsewhere in the Windows 11 update

Issued last week, the Windows 11 patch for 24H2 and 23H2 systems was rolled out with security updates — the collection addressed 119 vulnerabilities across all Microsoft software — as well as a few smaller usability tweaks.

One new feature is quick machine recovery, which is designed to help recover devices suffering critical boot errors. Beyond the potential SSD problems, the update has seen other issues.

Microsoft said in a support document that some users have seen an error code alongside failure to install the update, in particular when it's deployed via Windows Server Update Services, so it's likely to impact business and enterprise users rather than home users.

That issue has now been resolved, Microsoft said, advising anyone with a failed install to refresh and resync with the update services and try again.

Microsoft also admitted users may see an additional error update related to "Microsoft Pluton Cryptographic Provider" not loading because initialization failed.

However, the company said that it relates to a feature still in development and will not cause any problems with Windows now, so no action is required.

Beyond that update, Microsoft has issued an alert to any users on Windows 10 advising them to upgrade to Windows 11 ahead of the end of support looming in mid-October.

Anyone unable — or unwilling — to shift to the newer OS can sign up for Microsoft's Extended Security Updates program to at least continue receiving monthly security updates.

Microsoft also warned about Windows Secure Boot certificate expiration in June 2026, calling for individuals and businesses to update devices ahead of time to avoid failing to boot securely.

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For Microsoft Windows 10 users, the clock is ticking down to October 14, 2025 – the date at which support for the platform will end, along with free software updates, essential security fixes, and technical assistance. According to Statcounter, Windows 10 still held 52.94% of the Windows Desktop market worldwide in April 2025, indicating the ongoing reluctance of businesses to upgrade to Windows 11 more than three and a half years after it was launched.  

Given the dependence of businesses on Windows, the decision about what to do next is not one that can be ignored forever. Anecdotally, it is one of the most frequently raised topics by companies through our reseller channel right now, and the decisions made will have a significant impact on efficiency, security, and overall IT strategy. 

So, let’s look at the various options available and how the channel can help to guide companies towards a resolution.  

The options 

No action at all 

Any company can choose to do nothing and continue using Windows 10 after the October date, but this is a risky strategy and is unlikely to be the guidance offered by resellers.

Systems will immediately become vulnerable to cyberattacks and compliance issues if they no longer have access to security updates and technical support, putting at risk operational, reputational, and financial stability.  

Maintain Windows 10 with extended support 

If a company is not yet ready to move to Windows 11 or to invest in new hardware, resellers could suggest that it continue using Windows 10 and pay for extended support for an agreed period of time.  

With the help of a reseller, the company can access Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates for a fee to ensure critical security is maintained after the end-of-support date. What should be stressed, however, is that this is a temporary solution, while the transition to a supported operating system is organized.  

Recommend pre-installed new devices 

New hardware, pre-installed with the Windows 11 operating system, would appear to be a smart move, since it ensures compatibility with the latest software and security features and ensures a seamless transition. 

Resellers working with companies that have constrained budgets may find that they simply can’t afford to invest in new devices. With a larger budget, however, the question will undoubtedly be whether they should purchase an AI PC or a non-AI PC. 

AI PCs offer many benefits, including enhanced performance and efficiency in AI tasks, and greater security and privacy, but there are a number of limitations that need to be considered. Because they include cutting-edge components such as Neural Processing Units and high-performance CPUs and GPUs, they come at a cost. If a customer will benefit long-term from these features, the investment will be worthwhile, but resellers should provide guidance where this is unlikely to be the case. In addition, a decision will need to be made about whether to opt for devices with ARM chipsets, such as Qualcomm Snapdragon, or X86 chipsets, like those from Intel or AMD, where again, the reseller has an important role to play.  

Snapdragon AI PCs provide improved overall performance compared to their AMD or Intel counterparts. However, running x86 applications on Snapdragon CPUs can require emulation, such as Prism on Copilot+ PCs. In turn, this can lead to slower performance, and some emulated OS features are incompatible with the hardware. 

In truth, the hype around AI PCs doesn’t often live up to the reality, and organizations are still struggling to realize practical applications from their AI PC investments. This will likely change when more AI-driven software and applications are introduced, but early adopters could find themselves stuck with devices with inadequate specifications and starting all over again.  

Purchasing new non-AI PCs is more straightforward and has the advantage of delivering Windows 11 from the start, solving that conundrum. Resellers should inform companies that these devices will typically last between 3 and 5 years, but also make them aware that with the fast development of AI PCs and their applications, there will be a point at which new software and updates for their non-AI PC will become less compatible.  

Upgrade existing devices 

Perhaps the best advice that resellers can give to their customers who are unsure about the best next steps is to enhance their existing systems so they can upgrade to Windows 11 without investing in all-new hardware. Adding memory and SSD storage, for example, will, at the very least, provide existing devices with the specs they need to meet the requirements of Windows 11 and extend the life of their current hardware while providing access to enhanced security and productivity features. 

App maturity and compatibility for new AI PCs is still evolving, which makes upgrading memory and storage a strategic move. Improving the performance and expanding the lifespan of current hardware allows organizations to delay a full hardware refresh until the market has matured and reduces the need for immediate replacements. 

Next steps

Resellers should be informing their customers that Windows 10 is reaching the end of support, and it’s time for them to consider what direction they want to take. Buying new Windows 11-enabled devices is a viable option that comes at a cost, and at a time when AI technology is evolving very rapidly.

Our recommendation would be for the channel to encourage customers to upgrade existing hardware to Windows 11 and enhance it with additional memory and SSDs to ensure a good cost/performance ratio. This will help organizations to navigate this transition period and take full advantage of the benefits of Windows 11, whilst keeping their technology options open for what’s to come next.   

It’s just over two months until Windows 10 reaches its end-of-support deadline in October. This represents a crucial moment for businesses in their digital transformation journeys. If businesses don’t make any decisions about transitioning their devices to supported Windows 11 desktops, they will face major operational and compliance risks after the deadline.

In January 2025, the market share of Windows desktop versions in the UK was split exactly between Windows 10 and 11, with both at 49.4%. As of March this year, these figures were weighted at 54.7% for Windows 11 and 43.8% for Windows 10 – a 5% swing each way in two months. However, there is now less than two months left to get the latter down to near zero, so the pace has to pick up.

That means more than two in every five Windows desktops are currently approaching their end of life (EoL).

From an operational resilience perspective, even if machines are running internally and not ‘internet facing’, the threats are still there from unsupported systems. And from a compliance perspective, there are project issues with getting the migration to Windows 11 done in time.

But how can you achieve this modernization task by mid-October? Here are six steps for the next two months:

1. Understand your estate

To know the scale of the problem, you have to know what you’re dealing with. So, the first step is to carry out an audit to understand how widespread, or not, the problem is. How many Windows 10 machines do you have? How many employees are using them?

If you discover you need large rollouts of new devices because the old devices don’t support Windows 11, then you need to start the program urgently. But what if you don’t even know if your devices have an issue with Windows 11? It may be that your company is hoping things will work fine, and they haven’t got a plan in place. That assumption is very dangerous.

2. Do you have the budget? If not, get it

Budgets are always tight, so it's likely you don’t have it, especially with the current economic volatility and new NI rates for employers.

If this is the case, approach the relevant leadership stakeholders and find the money. This is mission-critical. Without it, your business will face security risks that threaten its whole operation. No more needs to be said.

3. Know there's still time (for some)

What is possible in the time you have left? For larger organizations, it's harder to turn the ship. It’s like a small ship versus a cargo ship in the Suez Canal. The cargo ship is going to take a year or two to turn around, trying not to get stuck in the process – these large organizations will already be (or at least should be) underway carrying out this transition to Windows 11.

But smaller ships can still change course; they have time to turn this around. Planning-wise, they have to take similar steps, but can do so with different timelines.

4. Manage your internal messaging

You need to get the message out to those up and down the chain about the importance of securing Windows 10 devices. When we did a survey exploring EoL challenges, nearly half of the respondents (46%) were unaware that Windows 10 would no longer receive official support or security updates next year.

Are your leaders aware of the plans? Have they bought into them? It’s one thing to get the money, but that has to be joined by getting agreement from them for the strategy that’s being followed. After all, this is a change that's going to affect them as much as it affects everybody else.

Have you also got buy-in from end users? Establishing this messaging and understanding will make the rollout far easier.

5. Make a defined plan, test it…

Try to have a smooth plan. And be sure to have contingencies in place just in case there are issues, as well as making sure you’ve got backups upon backups of capabilities. This will mean that people aren’t all hit with a brand new machine on the same day, two days before Windows 10 is turned off.

You can test as much as you like internally with “we're going to get this new laptop, it runs these pieces of software,” but if you haven't got end users doing some initial testing, you're not going to be hitting all of the pain points they will encounter.

Therefore, you've got to have some early adopters taking to it quickly and validating the new environment. This helps to ensure there aren't any unforeseen hurdles that need to be overcome.

6. …And then implement it

How do you do this? Well, start the migration – it needs to be rolled out by the deadline date, so you have to go for it. But you need to make sure you’re confident you can achieve your goals and you're not going to end up with a mess to tidy up.

Just because everyone now has a Windows 11 laptop/desktop in front of them doesn’t necessarily mean it's meeting their needs and expectations. You don't want to roll it out to everybody to have them all come back and say, “No, this doesn't work for me”, as then you've got to go through the pain of rollback and remediation.

So ensure everyonr is onboarded and trained to use the new environment effectively.

Six steps to modernize

The lack of awareness of the Windows 10 EoL deadline poses a threat to operations and compliance.

Smaller companies, in particular, could have a real challenge because their end users might not know that this is an issue. These smaller firms are usually already swamped with everything else going on, so ensuring users understand this is a priority and providing clear steps on how they will be affected is key.

If you haven’t already started, over the next two months, you will need key milestones to define the completion of the planning, testing, and implementation phases. You’ll also need to keep focused on the deadline to ensure the milestones are hit. The clock is ticking….

The UK's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) has urged organizations to upgrade to Windows 11 before the end of support deadline for Windows 10 hits in October.

In a blog post, the cybersecurity body pointed out there are significant security risks for those who do not choose to upgrade.

Beyond the difficulties linked to being out of a dedicated support period, out-of-date operating systems are prime targets for cyber criminals – and the NCSC said the risks simply aren’t worth it.

Take the IE 6-11 vulnerability from the end of support for Windows XP as an example.

Organizations have until October 2025 to update their devices and hardware before Windows 10 reaches end-of-life status. Despite Windows 11 being almost four years old, many have still not made the switch.

“While Windows 10 was released more than a decade ago, it is still used widely by enterprises and not upgrading is akin to incurring a debt at a high interest rate – with the threat of forced repayment at a future date,” NCSC chief technical officer, Ollie Whitehouse, warned.

“The NCSC implores any organisation that has not already migrated to a more modern system to do so to help address security vulnerabilities in your devices and ensure overall cyber resilience. This is essential as demonstrated by the requirement to maintain supported software in Cyber Essentials.”

What’s holding up the shift to Windows 11?

One reason for companies holding on to Windows 11 could be the necessary hardware requirements.

Requirements such as TPM 2.0, UEFI, and support for Secure Boot may mean upgrading to more modern laptops, which might be a cost headache in the short term.

However, the cost of a cyber incident might be far worse in the long run.

As part of its guidance, the NCSC also released updated configuration packs for Microsoft Windows, with selected group settings to make it easier to deploy.

The requirements have led to suggestions that it could lead to a global torrent of e-waste, with millions of devices scrapped.

Research from Canalys suggested that up to 240 million PCs around the world could be terminated as a result of the shift to Windows 11.

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Windows 11 has officially overtaken Windows 10 as Microsoft’s most popular operating system, nearly four years after its official release.

According to figures from Statcounter over the weekend, the operating system is now running on 51.77% of all Windows PCs, edging out its predecessor at 45.02%.

This marks a major milestone for the flagship operating system. When it launched in October 2021, user uptake was underwhelming to say the least. By the end of its first year, it had only recorded around 10% of all installations on Windows PCs.

Windows 11’s market share has been climbing in recent years, but not quite to the extent that the tech giant might have hoped. In 2023, for example, it had captured around 28% of all installations on Windows PCs, while 2024 saw that rise to 36%.

This progress was overshadowed by the continued popularity of Microsoft’s previous operating system, Windows 10.

Analysis from ControlUp last year showed that both businesses and consumers alike were lagging on Windows 11 migration, with over 82% of business devices still not running the operating system.

Windows 11 uptake comes at a critical time

The growing popularity of Windows 11 comes ahead of a critical period for users and enterprises globally. From 14th October this year, Windows 10 will reach its ‘end of life’ date, meaning the operating system will no longer receive security updates.

There are exemptions here, however. Microsoft will offer extended service updates (ESU) past the October deadline, but pricing has been a contentious topic.

Microsoft has been keen to emphasize the importance of switching to the new operating system ahead of this deadline, as it could leave users open to an array of potential security risks.

Cybersecurity experts also agree on the possibility of security issues. Speaking to ITPro earlier this year, Steve Prescott-Jones, UBDS Digital managed services director, said enterprises still working with Windows 10 past the deadline risk exposing themselves to malware, ransomware, and a variety of threats.

“Without these updates, businesses may also face operational inefficiencies and compliance challenges that could disrupt day-to-day activities,” he added.

But switching over isn’t quite as simple as it may seem. There are hardware compatibility considerations at play while many enterprises still have lingering concerns about botched migrations.

ControlUp’s analysis last year specifically highlighted this as a key factor behind sluggish enterprise uptake alongside device refresh considerations.

Looking for advice on how to make the switch to Windows 11? ITPro has you covered in our comprehensive migration guide.

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With the clock ticking down to the Windows 10 end of life (EOL) deadline in October, organizations are dragging their feet on Windows 11 migration – and leaving their devices vulnerable as a result.

New data from threat exposure management platform NordStellar shows that nearly six-in-ten systems affected by infostealers in December last year are still running Windows 10.

"The number of systems affected by infostealers closely mirrors the overall operational system market share — Windows 10 has been heavily targeted for years due to its popularity,” said Vakaris Noreika, a cybersecurity expert at NordStellar.

“However, it will have an even bigger target on its back in the wake of its end of life, which will eventually create new vulnerabilities.”

"Once an operational system reaches this deadline, it no longer receives any security updates, vulnerability patches, or support from the software creator. These vulnerabilities are widely known and often exploited — infostealers can be coded to target these weaknesses more efficiently, resulting in more effective attacks against outdated systems."

Sticking with Windows 10 could have dire consequences

While the Windows 11 adoption rate has been rising steadily since last November, time is running out. Microsoft has made no secret of the changeover, and has repeatedly urged enterprises and consumers alike to make the shift to the newer operating system.

Failure to do so could have dire consequences, Noreika warned, with enterprises leaving themselves open to an array of threats.

"Migrating to a new operational system takes time — based on the current adoption rate, we estimate that approximately 30 to 40% of systems may still be running Windows 10 when it reaches end of life in October, creating a substantial attack surface for cyber criminals," said Noreika.

The situation may mirror that of Windows 7, which still had a 23% market share six months before its end of life - and 20% when the deadline hit. Even now, according to NordStellar, it holds a 2% market share and is still being targeted by infostealers.

Meanwhile, infostealers aren't the only risk for future Windows 10 users, with malware and new data exfiltration and exploitation techniques on the rise.

"Considering just how many enterprises might still be running Windows 10 after its end of life, there's a high possibility that we'll see a growth in various cybersecurity incidents if businesses continue to delay migration," said Noreika.

"Taking into account the financial and reputational losses that come with a data breach, delaying migration can be a decision that eventually costs the company millions of dollars and their client's trust, which will take years to regain."

Users seeking to continue with Windows 10 can fork out for extended security updates (ESU), which provide critical security updates for up to three years after the official EOL date.

But they don't come cheap, at $61 per device for the first year, doubling every year to $122 per device in year two and $244 in year three. Nor do they include ongoing technical support.

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Microsoft has declared end of life for Windows 10 from October 14, 2025. After this date, the operating system will no longer receive security updates, marking time for businesses to migrate to Windows 11.

But despite the risks, many organizations haven’t made the switch yet. As of December 2024, over 62% of devices worldwide were still running Windows 10, according to Statcounter. There are multiple reasons for delaying upgrading to the latest version. Some firms are finding their hardware isn’t compatible with Windows 11 and many don’t have the budget to upgrade, while others struggle with time constraints, given that employees need a teething period to get used to doing their jobs using the updated OS.

So, what issues are preventing the upgrade to Windows 11 and what options are available to make the process easier for IT leaders?

Staying on Windows 10

Experts tell ITPro that staying on Windows 10 is not an option in the long term. As of October, Microsoft will no longer provide software updates, technical support, or critical security patches for Windows 10. This milestone also marks the end of support for Microsoft 365, Office 2016, and Office 2019, says Steve Prescott-Jones, UBDS Digital managed services director.

For organizations still relying on Windows 10, Prescott-Jones says this creates “significant risks”, including exposure to malware, ransomware and other cyber threats. “Without these updates, businesses may also face operational inefficiencies and compliance challenges that could disrupt day-to-day activities,” he adds.

If you work in a regulated industry, using unsupported software could land you in trouble during audits – or even lead to fines, says Kier Nolan, head of managed services at Cobweb.

Operational downtime is another risk. Security breaches or technical failures could cause unnecessary downtime and stress, says Nolan. “For businesses, ignoring the end of life deadline could mean risking data security and losing the trust of customers.”

Yet updating to Windows 11 isn’t easy for many firms. One major challenge is hardware compatibility, says Prescott-Jones. “Windows 11 has stringent system requirements,” he tells ITPro. “Older devices may not meet these specifications, forcing organizations to budget for new hardware.” Additionally, legacy line-of-business applications, which many organizations depend on, could require expensive rework or replacement to function seamlessly on the new operating system, he says.

Migrating also has an impact on users. “Employees may need training to navigate the updated system, and IT teams could face a surge in user incidents as people adapt to the change,” Prescott-Jones points out.

The Windows 10 holdouts

Jonathan Dedman, director at Cloudhouse says the firm has been working with “a number of clients” who are still using Windows 10 and are in the project planning stages for their Windows 11 upgrade. “They have large Windows 10 estates and trying to migrate their staff onto Windows 11 requires significant time and investment in new hardware. The projects are large enough that the deployment will have to be handled in phases to ensure a smooth transition.”

Some firms say they haven’t updated due to legacy software dependencies. Nolan cites the example of a mid-sized company whose critical software didn’t work with Windows 11. “They needed to invest in costly updates and train their employees, which delayed the move.”

Budget constraints is another issue cited by firms that haven’t been able to upgrade. “One example is a small business struggling to afford the hardware needed for Windows 11, such as newer processors and TPM 2.0.,” Nolan explains.

For organizations needing more time, Microsoft offers an Extended Security Updates (ESU) program which extends Windows 10 security support for three years at increasingly steep costs. This can help in the short term if there’s a good reason not to update to Windows 11.

While it has a cost implication, the program allows organizations to run a “carefully planned, multi-year migration project” to Windows 11, says Dedman. However, this cost does not solve the problem of applications unable to run on Windows 11, he warns.

Extended support may be worth it for organizations that operate in highly-regulated industries or have critical legacy applications that can't be migrated in time, says Alon Bar, global CISO at Checkmarx. However, it’s more cost-effective in the long term to invest in upgrading systems to a supported OS, he says.

Upgrading to Windows 11

It will create extra work, but experts think upgrading to Windows 11 is worth it. The operating system offers “numerous benefits” beyond continued support, says Prescott-Jones. “It is designed with modern security in mind, incorporating features such as biometric authentication through Windows Hello and real-time phishing protection that alerts users when credentials are shared with malicious sites.”

However, organizations must weigh the advantages against the potential costs. “Devices that don’t meet the system requirements for Windows 11 may need to be replaced, and while it’s possible to bypass TPM 2.0 requirements, doing so introduces significant risks,” Nolan concedes. “Devices that aren’t fully compatible may not receive updates, and warranties could be voided due to incompatibility issues.”

But if you’re thinking about sticking with Windows 10 after the deadline, there could still be hidden costs. “You could end up spending more on third-party security tools to make up for missing updates,” Nolan says.

The potential financial hit from data breaches or fines for non-compliance and the hassle and expense of maintaining older systems are other issues to consider, he adds.

Taking this into account, if you are still using Windows 10, it’s worth considering your upgrade plan now. The priority should be conducting a thorough audit of systems to identify potential vulnerabilities and hardware constraints, says Stew Parkin, global CTO at Assured Data Protection. “While Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates can provide a short-term buffer, they’re not a sustainable solution.”

A phased rollout can help minimize disruption, says Prescott-Jones. “Prioritize high-risk devices and critical systems for early upgrades while allowing time for user training and process adjustments. In the interim, while Windows 10 is still supported, organizations should ensure all devices are patched, monitored and protected with tools such as Microsoft Defender to mitigate risks.”

Windows 10 end of life (EOL) is a year out, meaning the clock is ticking for businesses still to undergo a Windows 11 migration plan.

The aging operating system (OS) is still widely used, however, and a burden for IT departments looking to keep pace with advancing technology and changing device requirements.

With the deadline looming and most users cutting it fine, group director of sustainability and growth at Circular Computing Steve Haskew told ITPro how businesses should be preparing for the change.

Security should be top of mind, Haskew said. While Windows 10 won’t come to a complete halt next October, there will generally be no updates or patches for the OS.

This leaves those yet to migrate vulnerable, as IT teams will have to deal with more bugs and may be left open to cyber attacks, he added.

On the sustainability side, there’s also an e-waste concern, as those with hardware incapable of supporting Windows 11 will need to dispose of equipment. Last year, analysts warned that Windows 10 EOL could lead to a torrent of e-waste as up to 240 million PCs were left destined for the scrap heap.

As a first step, Haskew said, IT teams concerned about the migration process should check devices with Microsoft’s PC health tool to see if they are compatible and eligible for a free upgrade.

“If not, there are options - consider switching to different operating software like Google’s OS Flex, which can transform your old Windows-based device into a Chromebook,” he added.

Make it a priority to back up any files, he said, to avoid the risk of data loss during the migration process. In addition, businesses should responsibly recycle unwanted equipment.

“Contact the retailer you bought it from for options or consider donating it to charity,” he added.

Windows 10 remains pervasive 

Despite being launched nearly a decade ago, Haskew said, Windows 10 is still hugely popular and continues to have millions of users.

“This has led to a very long goodbye as Microsoft tries to prepare the ground for a smooth transition over to Windows 11, yet most PC users are still yet to make the move,” he added.

A study from earlier this year found that over three quarters (82%) of devices still aren’t running on Windows 11. Much of this hesitancy is due to wariness about the migration process, experts told ITPro at the time.

Try as it might, Microsoft can’t seem to push the needle. The firm has promoted Windows 11 on the back of its enhanced generative AI features, while also bumping up the price of Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10.

According to Statcounter, though, Windows 10 still holds 62.79% of the market compared to the 33.37% of Windows 11.

Microsoft has further detailed how its Windows Recall tool will work, months after it delayed the roll-out of the snapshotting tool following a privacy and security backlash.

Windows Recall is part of the AI-powered Copilot+ system. The tool would, if enabled by a user, take screenshots every few seconds of everything happening on screen, saving the images in an encrypted file.

That would allow a user to search the images, rather than have to dig through files to find content they need or answer questions. Passwords would not be snapped by the system, and users could turn Recall off for a period of time or disable it for specific apps, Microsoft noted. The data would all be saved locally rather than in the cloud.

Microsoft has now said in a blog post that Recall will launch from November, detailed further security improvements, and confirmed it will allow users to easily uninstall the tool — whether that proves enough to encourage widespread acceptance of the AI tool remains to be seen.

To start, Recall will now be off by default and users must actively opt in to use it — though it may prove a challenge to say no to employers who require the snooping snapshots to be enabled. Plus, Microsoft is allowing Recall to be fully uninstalled from your PC, including the AI models that power the system.

On the privacy front, Recall will never collect images from private browsing sessions, and users can choose apps and websites to ignore, choose how long to keep Recall images, and delete a time range or all content from an app if it's accidentally collected.

Encryption and virtualization in Windows Recall

In addition to those options for users, Microsoft has also properly encrypted all sensitive aspects of Recall, including the collection of snapshots. To access the images, the computer must be authenticated with Windows Hello, using a fingerprint, facial recognition, or a PIN.

"Recall leverages Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security to authorize Recall-related operations," explained David Weston, Vice President Enterprise and OS Security, in the Microsoft post.

"This includes actions like changing Recall settings and run-time authorization of access to the Recall user interface (UI). Recall also protects against malware through rate-limiting and anti-hammering measures. Recall currently supports PIN as a fallback method only after Recall is configured, and this is to avoid data loss if a secure sensor is damaged."

Core to that is enclosing the snapshot system, search and images inside a virtualization-based security enclave (VBS Enclave).

"Within Recall, the services that operate on screenshots and associated data or perform decryption operations reside within a secure VBS Enclave," Weston said. "The only information that leaves the VBS Enclave is what is requested by the user when actively using Recall."

Accessing that sectioned off area requires credentials, he added. "This area acts like a locked box that can only be accessed after permission is granted by the user through Windows Hello," Weston said. "VBS Enclaves offer an isolation boundary from both kernel and administrative users."

Change enough?

Those security features sound like what should have been in place when Recall was first unveiled — but why weren’t they included? Weston said Microsoft saw Recall as a preview product with security still in development, and after the backlash moved up that work to include said features at launch.

"It’s not just about Recall, in my opinion we now have one of the strongest platforms for doing sensitive data processing on the edge and you can imagine there are lots of other things we can do with that,” Weston told The Verge.

“I think it made a lot of sense to pull forward some of the investments we were going to make and then make Recall the premier platform for that.”

Recall history

Microsoft first unveiled the Recall tool back in May, instantly sparking a backlash centered on privacy as well as security — despite the fact Recall was only intended to be made available on Copilot+ PCs and not rolled out to all Windows machines.

Security experts immediately criticized the tool, with one former Microsoft employee calling it a "new security nightmare", saying the feature fundamentally undermines Windows security.

The feature announcement also caught the attention of the UK data watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office, which said at the time it was "making enquiries with Microsoft to understand the safeguards in place to protect user privacy."

The furor led Microsoft to delay the feature's availability. Recall was first supposed to be released in mid June, but that was delayed for further security testing and would be initially released as a preview via the Windows Insider Programme in the "coming weeks".

In August, that was pushed back to October; now, the tool won't be available until November.

Then, at the beginning of September, careful Windows watchers spotted an option to uninstall the tool in a preview version of the OS. However, Microsoft noted the setting's inclusion in the Windows Control Panel was a mistake.

The ICO last week said it had nothing to add on the looming Recall launch, but after the Microsoft news acknowledged the "series of changes" and said it would continue to assess the product before launch.

Microsoft has pulled the preview of an update for Windows 11 ahead of next week's cumulative batch after it sparked "blue screen of death" crashes for users.

Microsoft issues security updates on the second Tuesday of every month, colloquially known as Patch Tuesday; alongside that, Microsoft often issues non-security updates to save admins on restarts.

The troubled update that was distributed was a non-security preview for next week's October Cumulative Update, meaning it hasn't impacted as many people as if it went out as part of the wider Patch Tuesday package.

In this preview, Microsoft released an update to Windows 11 service stack (KB5043143), the component that installs Windows updates itself.

Microsoft said in a statement on its support pages: "Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates."

The company admitted there were known issues in the update, including crashing computers. "After installing this update, some customers have reported that their device restarts multiple times or becomes unresponsive with blue or green screens," the company said in its support pages.

"According to the reports, some devices automatically open the Automatic Repair tool after repeated restart attempts," the company added, referencing a system that attempts to diagnose and repair issues. "In some cases, BitLocker recovery can also be triggered."

Beyond trapping uses in a cycle of blue screens and reboots, the problematic update is also wreaking havoc with hardware that's connected via USB or Bluetooth, such as keyboards, mice, printers and so on. After the update, some no longer work and the USB Host Controller under Device Manager shows a yellow exclamation mark.

Microsoft is addressing the Windows update problem

Microsoft is addressing the issue itself via a Known Issue Rollback (KIR), which is a system introduced to reset computers to a previous state following a problematic update.

Managed devices, such as those in enterprises, can immediately resolve the issue by installing and configuring a policy detailed in Microsoft's support pages.

"Please note that it might take up to 24 hours for the resolution to propagate automatically to consumer devices and non-managed business devices and business devices that are not managed by IT departments," the company added. "Restarting your Windows device might help the resolution apply to your device faster."

The flawed update has been pulled so can no longer be downloaded or installed. Microsoft said it is continuing to investigate the issue, and it remains unclear at the time of writing whether the service stack features will be part of next week's cumulative update.

Problems with Microsoft updates aren't uncommon, and in this instance the blue screen issue was in a preview, rather than an update rolled out to all Windows 11 users — that highlights the importance of these testing programmes.

Earlier this year, a flawed update from CrowdStrike caused widespread disruption, while reports this summer revealed a Patch Tuesday update caused disconnections for Windows Server users.

More from ITPro

• How to fix the blue screen of death error in Windows 11
• Windows 11 minimum requirements: How to check your system
• Most common Windows 11 problems and how to fix them

A flaw targeting Windows Update could rollback versions of the operating system so it's easier to attack, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft revealed the critical vulnerability in its September "Patch Tuesday" update, but it's a similar style of attack spotted by a researcher last month.

In August, SafeBreach security researcher Alon Leviev revealed a "downgrade" attack. Leviev was able to rollback Windows to a previous state, leaving it vulnerable to an exploit that had since been patched.

The flaw would allow attackers to undo patches on that version of the OS, leaving computers unprotected for known vulnerabilities Internet Explorer 11, Windows Media Player, and more — making it easier for hackers to attack.

Microsoft said that this specific flaw has not been seen in use in the wild, meaning it was patched before hackers managed to make use of the vulnerability.

"This specific vulnerability impacted the Windows update system in a way that security patches for some components were rolled back to a vulnerable state and will have remained in a vulnerable state since March 2024," Kevin Breen, Senior Director Threat Research at Immersive Labs, said to Help Net Security.

"Some of these components were known to be exploited in the wild in the past, meaning attackers could still exploit them despite Windows update saying it is fully patched," Breen added.

What you need to know about the Windows 10 flaw

Thankfully, this vulnerability only appears to impact specific versions of Windows 10 — so if you've upgraded to Windows 11, this doesn't affect you or your users. The impacted versions of Windows 10 (version 1507) reached end of life in 2017, though there are enterprise editions that are still supported, Microsoft noted.

"Microsoft is aware of a vulnerability in Servicing Stack that has rolled back the fixes for some vulnerabilities affecting Optional Components on Windows 10, version 1507 (initial version released July 2015)," the company said in a statement

"This means that an attacker could exploit these previously mitigated vulnerabilities on Windows 10… systems that have installed the Windows security update released on March 12, 2024 (KB5035858 OS Build 10240.20526) or other updates released until August 2024. All later versions of Windows 10 are not impacted by this vulnerability."

To fix the servicing stack flaw in affected versions of Windows 10, admins or users simply need to install the September 2024 Servicing stack update followed by the September 2024 Windows security update. Microsoft notes the updates must be run in that order.

Adam Barnett, lead software engineer at Rapid7, added that the flaw has a high severity rating, but stressed that only limited versions of Windows were impacted.

"Also, Microsoft notes that while at least some of the accidentally unpatched vulnerabilities were known to be exploited, they haven’t seen in-the-wild exploitation of [the flaw] itself, and the defect was discovered by Microsoft," he said.

"All in all, while there are certainly more than a few organisations out there still running Windows 10 1507, most admins can breathe a sigh of relief on this one, and then go back to worrying about everything else."

Downgrading protections

Barnett noted that the flaw sounded "eerily similar" to the flaw that Leviev unveiled at the Black Hat and DefCon security conferences last month, but added there was "not obviously any substantial connection between the two." Perhaps, he suggested, Microsoft is simply looking for similar flaws.

Indeed, at the time, Leviev called for increased awareness of downgrade attacks, saying he saw no existing mitigations from Microsoft, though the company issued patches immediately. Leviev also noted that other OS makers should be aware of this style of attack.

"I found several vulnerabilities that I used to develop Windows Downdate — a tool to take over the Windows Update process to craft fully undetectable, invisible, persistent, and irreversible downgrades on critical OS components — that allowed me to elevate privileges and bypass security features," Leviev said in a blog post at the time.

"As a result, I was able to make a fully patched Windows machine susceptible to thousands of past vulnerabilities, turning fixed vulnerabilities into zero-days and making the term “fully patched” meaningless on any Windows machine in the world."

Most businesses are lagging on Windows 11 migrations, with a study from ControlUp showing that over three-quarters (82%) of devices are still not running on the latest operating system (OS).

This is despite the impending Windows 10 end of life (EOL) slated for late 2025. Following this point, organizations can only pay for three years of updates before the OS is fully unsupported.

Fielding data from over 750,000 devices, the results of ControlUp’s study point to an evident anxiety about OS migration among businesses. 

“The clock is ticking for enterprises to adopt the more secure and capable Windows 11, yet many organizations are stuck, unsure about their environment’s readiness,” said Simon Townsend, field CTO at ControlUp. 

Organizations are being forced to re-evaluate their endpoint devices, added IDC research director Shannon Kalvar, and it has become “imperative” that businesses plan their move to next generation of operating systems.

Older devices may not be equipped to run Windows 11, which requires a 64-bit CPU, ‘Secure Boot’ capabilities, and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip to run.

Of the 82% of devices not yet upgraded, 88% of them are fully equipped for the upgrade. By comparison, just 11% need to be fully replaced to meet the demands of Windows 11 while 1% can be upgraded to meet the requirements before migration.

With the overwhelming majority of surveyed devices “ready for migration”, there are evidently other considerations for businesses when looking at Windows 11 migrations. 

Firms don’t want to repeat difficult migrations with Windows 11

Many businesses are “wary” of the Windows 11 upgrade because of the challenges they faced upgrading to Windows 10, according to Cloudhouse director Mark Gilliand. Cloudhouse is an enterprise Windows user and currently runs on Windows 11.

“The transition to Windows 10 was often lengthy and disruptive, particularly due to issues with legacy applications and compatibility,” Gilliand told ITPro. 

“Companies are wary of repeating this experience, with concerns over the cost, time, and potential operational impact of another upgrade,” he added.

One of the major obstacles, added Gilliand, is ensuring that commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and “home-grown” business applications will run on the new OS, which he noted is an “often-overlooked challenge” for businesses.

“Even if most vendors have certification for Windows 11, it may only be for the latest release. In-house applications will need testing and tweaking, triggering another round of quality assurance (QA),” Gilliand said.

The “serious challenge” comes when applications have no forward compatibility, he added, stranding business-critical operations on obsolete platforms and raising concerns around compliance.  

Microsoft is pushing back against reluctant businesses 

To incentivize end-user migration to Windows 11, Microsoft has tried to both persuade and coerce enterprises and businesses into making the switch.  

The firm tried to drive the change through the promise of an AI-enhanced Windows 11, with updated features for Copilot Preview for Windows 11 and new plugins for applications like Shopify and Klarna.

Following that move, Microsoft opted for a slightly more aggressive approach by ramping up the price of Extended Security Updates (ESU) for users who have not switched past the October 2025 deadline.  

Once the deadline has passed, businesses will have to pay $61 for the first year of updates, followed by $122 for the second year and $244 for the third. This is a significant markup from the Windows 7 ESU program. 

Extended updates for this OS only cost users $25 per device for the first year, followed by $50 for the second, and $100 for the third.

A new Windows vulnerability could be exploited by attackers to generate an unrecoverable inconsistency and repeatedly crash affected systems, researchers have warned.

Ricardo Narvaja, principal exploit writer at cybersecurity and automation software company Fortra, uncovered a vulnerability in the common log file system (CLFS.sys) driver of Windows.

Disclosed by Fortra on 12 August, CVE-2024-6768 is said to have been caused by improper validation of specified quantities in input data, leading to an unrecoverable inconsistency, which triggers the KeBugCheckEx function, resulting in the infamous blue screen of death.

A proof of concept (PoC) developed by Narvaja revealed that by crafting specific values within a .BLF file, the format of log files used by the Windows common log file system t, an unprivileged user could cause the target system to crash.

Despite only requiring low level account privileges and being listed as having a low attack complexity, CVE-2024-6768 is a medium severity security flaw rated a 6.8 on the CVSS, possibly due to a potential attacker requiring a local access in order to exploit it.

CVE-2024-6768 gives attackers “another tool in their post-compromise toolkit”

Tyler Reguly, associate director of security R&D at Fortra, told ITPro that due to fact  the attacker would already need access to the system to exploit it, this flaw is not the most dangerous to emerge recently, 

“To classify this vulnerability as dangerous would be a mistake. Not every vulnerability is world ending, but it is important that we still think about them and understand them. In this case, the attack vectors are limited as are the real-world use cases,” he explained.

“Since the attacker must have access to the system, we’re talking about an insider attack or someone who has already compromised your network, which means there’s a bigger risk that already exists. Next, we’re talking about crashing a system. There’s no code execution or privilege escalation associated with this; it is a straightforward denial of service. 

Reguly warned, however, that CVE-2024-6768 would be a handy addition to a hacker’s post-compromise toolkit. 

“Where the risk comes in is if someone wants to disrupt a multi-user environment or reboot a system where they don’t yet have increased privileges.,” he noted.

“This vulnerability doesn’t give an attacker the keys to the kingdom. Instead, it gives them another tool in their post-compromise toolkit – a self-recovering denial of service that essentially lets you reboot a system without permission to do so.”

Fortra’s blog warned the issue affects all versions of Windows, up to and including the latest versions of both Windows 10 and 11 with all updates applied.

Narvaja has made the functional PoC with sources as well as the crafted .BLF file available on Fortra’s GitHub for those looking to learn more about the vulnerability.

Microsoft's Hyper-V hypervisor can be used to create and manage any number of virtual machines on a computer running Windows. Here's how to install and use it on Windows 10 or 11.

How to configure Hyper-V on Windows 10 and 11

What do I need to run Hyper-V?

Hyper-V is widely used on Windows server systems, but it's also included in the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 10 and 11. It allows you to install most versions of Windows as a guest OS, along with many Linux and BSD variants: check the Microsoft website for the full list of supported guest operating systems

There are just a few hardware requirements: the host PC needs a 64-bit processor with hardware virtualization support and a minimum of 4GB of RAM. Almost any PC less than five years old will probably meet these specifications, and many older systems should work too. You can check compatibility by opening a PowerShell terminal and entering system info to generate a report of hardware and settings; at the bottom, you'll see details of Hyper-V requirements.

Enabling Hyper-V on Windows 10 and 11

Hyper-V isn't installed with Windows by default. To add it to a standard installation you need to use a Control Panel tool called "Turn Windows features on or off". In both Windows 10 and 11, you can find this tool by searching the Start menu for its name.

When the tool opens you'll see a list of optional features – some with ticks or blocks next to them to show that they're installed, but most with empty boxes, indicating components that can be added on demand. Some also have "plus" icons, indicating that they have multiple installable components.

To add the full Hyper-V product to your Windows 10 or 11 installation, simply click the main box next to "Hyper-V" – it will show a square block on Windows 10, or a tick on Windows 11 – and hit OK. Your computer will now install the required files (this should take less than a minute) and prompt you to reboot. Once you've restarted, the full Hyper-V virtualization product will be available for you to use; the features and settings are effectively identical on all versions of Windows.

Setting up a new VM with Hyper-V

The installation process above installs the Hyper-V Manager console, which lets you create, configure, and manage virtual machines. It also installs the Hyper-V Quick Create tool, which provides an easy way to set up a new VM.

You can find Quick Create by typing its name into the Start menu. When you open the tool, you'll see a choice of five default environments in the left-hand pane. The MSIX packaging environment is based on Windows 10 Enterprise, and is intended to help developers update their application installers; the other four options are more general-purpose, offering three LTS (long-term support) releases of Ubuntu Linux, plus a time-limited Windows 11 environment intended for lightweight development and testing.

You can set up any of these operating systems by simply clicking on them; alternatively, below the pane of default operating systems you'll see a button for "Local installation source"; click this to select an ISO, VHD, or VHDX image containing the OS installer of your choice.

Then click "Create Virtual Machine". The Quick Create tool will now download the relevant installation media and use it to create a new VM, or set up a default environment using your provided installation image.

Configuring and starting your new Hyper-V virtual machine

Once Hyper-V has built your new virtual machine you'll see a window with two buttons. You can click the upper button, labeled "Connect" to launch the VM with default settings, or you might first choose to click the lower button, labeled "Edit settings..." to configure VM-specific settings – we'll discuss these below.

When your new virtual environment first opens it will be powered down. Click "Start" to virtually switch it on and boot the system. With most operating systems there'll be a first-boot process to go through, involving confirming your regional settings and creating a new user account. Once you get through this you're free to use the virtual machine in any way you like; settings and controls can be accessed from the menus and buttons along the top of the Hyper-V window.

Using Hyper-V Manager to create and manage virtual machines

You can use the Quick Create tool to set up as many VMs as you like, but if you want to manage multiple VMs or configure advanced Hyper-V settings, you're better off using the Hyper-V Manager console.

Hyper-V Manager has the familiar look of an MMC snap-in. In the left-hand pane, you'll see a list of all available virtualization hosts; by default, this will just show your local PC, but you can right-click to add remote servers or other computers running Hyper-V, and manage all their VMs from one place.

In the upper-middle pane, you'll see a list of all virtual machines available on the selected host, with details of its state, CPU usage, assigned RAM, uptime, and status. Below is a list of Checkpoints (known as snapshots in other hypervisors); right-click on one to launch your VM as it was at the time the Checkpoint was created. At the bottom, you'll see details of the guest OS, and you can click on the Memory and Networking tabs to see more specific technical information.

The Hyper-V Actions pane

The right-hand pane of the Hyper-V Manager is headed "Actions", and the upper part offers shortcuts to common Hyper-V tasks. Click Quick Create... to launch the Quick Create tool, or click New... to open an advanced wizard that gives you more control over the configuration of your new VM. You can also import a virtual machine file that was exported from a different PC. 

The lower half of the pane lets you Connect (that is, open a view on) a running VM, start a stopped one, create a Checkpoint, delete a VM that's no longer needed. You can also adjust VM-specific settings – see below.

Hyper-V Settings

Clicking "Hyper-V Settings..." in the Action pane will bring up the main settings window for Hyper-V. It's worth exploring this to ensure everything is set appropriately. The top section offers five pages of server settings:

Virtual Hard Disks and Virtual Machines: On these pages, you can configure where virtual hard disk files and configuration data are stored for your VMs.

NUMA Spanning: These options allow VMs to use memory allocations that don't match the physical RAM configuration of the host machine. Spanning is enabled by default for maximum flexibility but can be disabled for potentially improved performance.

Storage Migrations: Hyper-V can dynamically move VM storage from one location to another, to gain space or performance. By default the number of simultaneous migrations is limited to two, but if you wish to raise the limit you can do so here.

Enhanced Session Mode Policy: Enhanced Session Mode allows the guest OS to access local resources such as USB peripherals, printers, and physical drives. Disable this to enforce a more classically isolated VM model.

The lower section, headed User, offers four pages which determine how Hyper-V responds to user input:

Keyboard: This page lets you determine whether key combinations are forwarded to the virtual machine or received by the host.

Mouse Release Key: Here you can set a key a combination to "release" the mouse pointer from the VM and make it work in the host OS instead.

Enhanced Session Mode: This option tells the VM to use Enhanced Session Mode extensions – if permitted by the policy setting above.

Reset Check Boxes: Here you can Hyper-V to forget all "don't ask this again" requests so that previously hidden confirmation messages will be shown.

Configuring Hyper-V virtual machine settings

You can open settings for each of your VMs at the point of creation – by clicking the "Edit settings..." button at the end of the Quick Create wizard – or afterward by selecting a VM in the Hyper-V Manager and clicking "Settings..." in the lower part of the right-hand pane.

The window that opens lets you customize numerous aspects of your virtual machine. The top group of settings, labeled "Hardware", is divided into six sections:

Firmware: Here you can choose whether your VM should boot from Hyper-V's virtual EFI file, from its own hard disk, or from a network server.

Security: Enable Secure Boot to prevent the VM from starting up if its OS installation has been tampered with.

Memory and Processor: This is where you can decide how much RAM and how many CPU cores will be available to your virtual machine; remember, assigning more resources to the VM means fewer are left for your host system. 

SCSI Controller: Configure virtual hard disks and optical drives.

Network adapter: Choose a network connection for the virtual machine.

The lower section of the Settings window, headed "Management", offers a further six sections:

Name: Set the name of your virtual machine, and optionally add notes for convenient reference.

Integration Services: Enable the OS to communicate with the virtual OS in various ways such as Heartbeat, which allows the host to check on the health of the guest OS, automatic backup, and Guest services, which allow files to be copied between the physical and virtual systems. You can find full details of the integration services on the Microsoft website.

Checkpoints: Decide whether your VM will support Checkpoints, choose whether or not they'll be created automatically, and select whether they only back up data or capture application states as well.

Smart paging file location: Select where the virtual memory file for your virtual machine will be stored.

Automatic Start and Stop Actions: Choose whether to automatically start the VM with Windows, and whether to save its state when the host PC shuts down.

Businesses looking to keep using Windows 10 past the approaching end of life (EOL) date will face steep costs, Microsoft has confirmed.

The firm clarified the cost of its extended service updates (ESU), which allow users access to critical security updates for up to three years past the Windows 10 EOL date, set for 14 October 2025.

ESU updates will require users to pay an annual fee which increases incrementally over the three year eligibility period. It will cost $61 per device for the first year, doubling every consecutive year to $122 per device in year two and $244 in year three.

They can only be purchased in yearly iterations, the tech giant noted, with year-one starting in November 2025. Importantly, if you decide to purchase the program in year two or three, you’ll have to pay cumulatively for the previous years.

There are exceptions to the fees. ESU is available for free for Windows 10 virtual machines (VMs) running in Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop, as well as for Windows 10 endpoints connecting to Windows 365 Cloud PCs.

No technical support is included in ESU, Microsoft said, though the firm will assist customers who encounter challenges related to the updates themselves. Windows 10 ESU are available in volume licensing now.

Windows 10 migration problems persist

Windows 10 EOL has not been a straightforward process so far, with a report from last summer showing that 82% devices are still not running on Windows 11 - partly due to enterprise anxiety about making the switch.

Companies are wary of repeating the transition to Windows 10, which was often time-consuming and disruptive, Cloudhouse director Mark Gilliand told ITPro at the time of the study.

There was also an indication that the EOL could create a huge volume of e-waste as millions of devices are condemned to the scrap heap, research from Canalys suggested at the end of 2023.

Businesses wary of the looming deadline should put security and sustainability front and center, Circular Computing’s Steve Haskew told ITPro in October.

They should also conduct an audit of device eligibility for Windows 11 and create backups of data.

Windows 11 users are set for another batch of generative AI-flavored features as Microsoft looks to continue driving customers to the operating system. 

The tech giant unveiled plans to add a host of new AI-powered features to its Copilot Preview for Windows 11, including new plugins for easy access to applications such as OpenTable, Instacart, Shopify, Klarna, and Kayak.

From late March, Copilot in Windows will also offer a new set of skills which can be accessed by typing in a prompt to Copilot in Windows. Copilot will then perform the requested action and confirm once it has been completed.

The prompts are available for some settings, such as turn on/off battery saver or show battery information, and for some accessibility settings, allowing users to launch the screen magnifier or launch voice input.

These can also be used to access some device information such as to display the device IP address, or the empty recycle bin.

Microsoft also said it is rolling out new features including Generative Erase which allows users to select and remove unwanted objects when using the Photos app.

New ‘voice shortcuts’, which are custom commands to do things like pasting text, or opening folders, files, apps or URLs, will also be added, the company said. Voice commands can also be used across connected screens, making it easier to navigate between displays or move files and apps.

Windows 11 enterprise users are getting new features

For enterprise customers, Microsoft said it is simplifying the update management solution by combining the Windows Update for Business deployment service with Autopatch into a single update management solution.

Windows Autopatch will provide a single way for organizations to manage updates across Windows PCs, Microsoft 365 applications, Microsoft Edge, and Teams, the company said, and will use AI to program the necessary updates and reduce the impact on team productivity.

Some of the new features are available now via Windows Update and new apps available via Microsoft Store updates. Windows 11 PCs will get new the functionality at different times, as Microsoft is gradually rolling out some of these new features over the coming weeks via controlled feature rollout.

Most of these new Windows 11 features will be enabled by default in the March 2024 optional non-security preview release for all editions of Windows 11, versions 23H2 and 22H2.

Microsoft really wants you to switch to Windows 11

As well as these new features, Microsoft is trying to persuade Windows 10 users that it really is time to upgrade.

Starting with the April 2024 security update, Windows users working on non-managed cloud domain-joined and domain-joined business devices will see “invitation messages” about their free upgrades to Windows 11.

Microsoft said the invitation to upgrade to Windows 11 will appear after signing in and usually following a reboot. It will show on Windows 10 Pro and Pro Workstation devices that are eligible for Windows 11 but are not managed by IT departments.

Once prompted, users will be able to opt to get Windows 11, version 23H2 or stay in Windows 10 if they want to (the buttons for choosing the upgrade are in the middle of the screen while the ‘Keep Windows 10’ option is down and to the left.

Users who do want to upgrade can schedule when the Windows 11 upgrade should begin.

Windows 11 adoption seems to have been slower than the pace at which Windows 10 was taken up. It arrived in October 2021, but still only accounts for somewhere around 28% of the Windows PCs online according to Statcounter data, even if that is up significantly from 19% in February last year.

Windows 10 was launched back in July 2015, and is due to reach end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, is the final version of Windows 10.

Windows is getting its own version of the popular Linux sudo tool. Sudo for Windows is a new way for users to run elevated commands - as an administrator - directly from an unelevated console session on Windows, Microsoft said.

Sudo (‘su do’ or ‘superuser do’ depending on your point of view) is a tool that allows a system administrator to give users the ability to run commands as root or as another user, on a per-command basis. It’s a well-known and handy feature for Linux users but hasn’t been a part of Windows until now.

“Windows now has a built-in Sudo command. So you can run elevated tools directly from Terminal, without having to right-click and select ‘run as admin’ and start a new session. With this you can do file operations like deleting a protected file, invoking elevated commands, or opening up a new command shell,” Microsoft partner development manager Cory Hendrixson explained.

The new feature – for Windows at least – is coming with the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26052. Sudo for Windows isn’t available for Windows 10, but may be in the future, Microsoft said.

“It is an ergonomic and familiar solution for users who want to elevate a command without having to first open a new elevated console,” said Windows Developer Platform product manager Jordi Adoumie.

Adoumie also said Microsoft is going to open source the project on GitHub, and suggested anyone looking for extra functionality beyond that offered by sudo for Windows should look to Gerardo Grignoli’s gsudo, which has a number of additional features and configuration options and describes itself as ‘the missing piece in Windows’.

Getting started with Sudo for Windows

Microsoft said to enable Sudo for Windows, you have to navigate to the Settings > For Developers page in Windows Settings and toggle on the “Enable Sudo” option. 

Sudo for Windows currently supports three different configuration options. 

The configuration can be set from the Settings > For Developers menu or programmatically, using the command line.

The configuration options are:

In a new window (forceNewWindow)

The forceNewWindow configuration option is the default configuration option for Sudo for Windows. 

You can use sudo in this configuration to run the command in a new window. This is similar to the behavior of the runas /user:admin command.

Input closed (disableInput)

The disableInput configuration option will run the elevated process in the current window, but with the input handle closed. Microsoft said this means that the elevated process will not be able to receive input from the current console window. 

That is useful when you want to run a command as an administrator, but do not want to allow the command to receive input from the current console window.

Microsoft said this option provides some of the convenience of the inline configuration option while mitigating some of the associated security risks.

Inline (normal)

The normal configuration option is most similar to how sudo behaves on other operating systems, and will run the elevated process in the current window and the process will be able to receive input from the current console session.

“This configuration option provides the most convenience, but you should only choose this option if you are familiar with the associated security risks,” Microsoft said.

How to use Sudo for Windows

To use Sudo for Windows, add sudo to the front of the command you want to run as an administrator. For example, to run netstat -ab as an administrator, you would run sudo netstat -ab in your console window. 

Because sudo elevates the targeted process to run with administrator-level permission, a prompt will open asking you to verify that you want to continue.

What about the security risks?

Microsoft noted that there are some risks associated with running sudo in the Input closed (inputClosed) or Inline (normal) configurations. The inline configuration option runs the elevated process in the current window and the process is able to receive input from the current console session. 

An unelevated process can send input to the elevated process within the same console windows or get information from the output in the current windows in this configuration.

The inputClosed configuration option mitigates risk by closing the input handle.

It's also worth noting that Windows does have an existing runas command. While sudo allows you to quickly elevate a command as administrator from your current unelevated command line context, the runas command offers a way to run programs as any user, including administrator. Right now, the sudo command on Windows does not support running programs as other users.

“You should consider your particular use-case and plan to use the command that best meets your needs. You should also consider the security implications of running sudo in the inputClosed and normal modes,” Microsoft said.

“The default forceNewWindow configuration option is recommended unless you are familiar and comfortable with the risks associated with the other sudo configurations.”

Analysts have warned Windows 10 end of life plans could spark a global torrent of e-waste, with millions of devices expected to be scrapped in the coming years. 

Research from Canalys shows that up to 240 million PCs globally could be terminated as a result of the shift over to Windows 11, raising critical questions about device refreshes and the responsibility of vendors to extend life cycles.

A key concern highlighted by Canalys was Microsoft’s current practices regarding Windows 11 device compatibility.

Minimum system requirements for installing Windows 11 on a PC mean users must have a processor of at least 1 GHz or faster along with a minimum of 4GB RAM. Storage requirements are also set to a minimum of 64GB.

Many of the devices set for scrapping after the Windows 10 support deadline, set for October 2025, won’t meet these requirements despite being in “good condition” and potentially recycled by enterprises.

The consultancy added that many of these 240 million devices will end up in landfill.

“Their incompatibility with the latest supported version of Windows massively reduces their value for refurbishing and reselling,” Canalys said.

“If these were all folded laptops, stacked one on top of another, they would make a pile 600 km taller than the moon.”

In the coming years, Canalys warned this could place significant strain on IT budgets, with many organizations tightening purse strings as a result of challenging economic conditions.

Vendors “have a responsibility to extend lifespans”

Canalys said its research highlights the critical need for device manufacturers and software vendors such as Microsoft to “maximize products’ usable lifespans”. 

The environmental impact of scrapping devices en-masse will be significant, the consultancy warned, and vendors should place a stronger focus on supporting circular economy goals.

“OEMs must embed durability, reparability, and recyclability into the design of their devices, and OS vendors must ensure these devices are usable and secure for as long as possible,” it said.

A lack of robust regulatory standards at present means there is no impetus for vendors to change practices in this regard, Canalys noted.

Windows 10 end of life security support has been extended

In December, Microsoft announced plans to provide extended security updates for Windows 10 until 2028, enabling users to continue to receive critical security patches past the official end-of-support deadline. 

To access this, however, users will be required to pay an as-of-yet unspecified fee.

Canalys welcomed the move as a positive step to extending lifespans, but noted these fees could prove prohibitive to some organizations with strained budgets.

“Though the provision of extended support can prolong the lifespans of Windows 11-ineligible PCs, the cost of these security updates will likely be a barrier for many users,” it warned. 

Pricing plans for Windows 7’s extended support scheme, for example, began at $25 per PC for the first year of support, but eventually quadrupled to $100 per device on an annual basis.

“If Microsoft pursues a similar pricing structure for Windows 10’s extended support, the more cost-effective option will be migration to newer, Windows 11-capable PCs – forcing older PCs onto the scrapheap.”

Microsoft has moved to make printing more secure with a new Windows Protected Print Mode (WPP) in what the company said is one of the biggest changes to the Windows Print stack in more than 20 years. 

The move comes amid a period of continued threats to printers, with a recent report from Sharp revealing that printer-related security risks are still rife and that nearly one-fifth of firms have experienced a printer-related security breach.

The Windows print system has long been a target for attackers, as the Spooler requires high privileges and must load code from the network. Print bugs have been implicated in Stuxnet and Print Nightmare, and account for 9% of all Windows cases reported to MSRC, the firm said.

There's also an issue with driver compatibility, with some print drivers now incompatible with newer security mitigations, such as Control Flow Guard (CFG), Control Flow Enforcement Technology (CET), Arbitrary Code Guard (ACG), and others.

Microsoft has attempted to improve matters by encouraging users to switch to Internet Printing Protocol (IPP), when possible, and by recently ending servicing for the legacy v3 and v4 Windows printer drivers.

Windows Protected Print Mode: New improvements

Microsoft said WPP takes things further by blocking all third-party drivers altogether, while adding in a range of new security protections.

After analyzing past MSRC cases for Windows Print, it found that WPP mitigated over half of those vulnerabilities.

"Moving away from driver-based printing offers many benefits to users and allows Microsoft to make many meaningful improvements to our print system," said Microsoft security engineer Johnathan Norman.

"The existing driver-based system, established decades ago, depends on many third parties and Microsoft all playing their role, which has proven to be too slow for modern threats."

With WPP, privileges for the Print Spooler service have been restricted to decrease the attack surface, with a new Spooler Worker process having a restricted token that removes many privileges such as SeTcbPrivilege and SeAssignPrimaryTokenPrivilege, and no longer running at SYSTEM IL.

While it does retain SeImpersonatePrivilege, Norman said the company plans to remove this when it can.

Control Flow Enforcement Technology hardware-based mitigation should help to mitigate Return Oriented Programming (ROP) based attacks, while child process creation will be blocked, preventing attackers from spawning a new process if they manage to get code execution in the Spooler.

Redirection Guard prevents many common path redirection attacks which often target the Print Spooler, while Arbitrary Code Guard prevents dynamic code generation within a process.

Point and Print will be prevented from installing third-party drivers, and WPP will make it clear to users when their traffic is encrypted and, when possible, encourage users to enable encryption.

Microsoft has reassured businesses it will run an extended security update (ESU) program to provide critical support for those still running Windows 10 after the operating system reaches end of life (EOL).

Windows 10 will reach end of support on 14 October 2025, at which point Microsoft will no longer provide devices with free bug fixes, security patches, or technical support.

This means organizations still running Windows 10 will have just under two years to upgrade their systems if they want to continue receiving new features and regular non-security updates.

For those unable to meet this deadline, Microsoft will provide an ESU program similar to that offered for Windows 7, where customers can pay to receive critical security updates for a further three years.

The ESU will be a yearly subscription and devices enrolled in the program will get monthly security updates throughout the three year period.

Windows 365 subscriptions will include ESUs for free, covering any Windows 10 devices that access Windows 365.

Customers running Windows 10 instances in Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 10 devices connected to a Windows 11 cloud PC, will also receive these updates at no additional cost.

Microsoft did not reveal how much this subscription would cost, but it is expected to be comparable to the pricing of the Windows 7 ESU program, which finished on January 10 and was available as an add on for Windows Enterprise customers for $25 per device for the first year, $50 for the second, and $100 for the third.

Windows 10 end of life: Why is Microsoft still clinging on?

The market share of desktop Windows versions currently sits at 68% of users still running Windows 10, with Windows 11 accounting for 27% of Windows desktop devices, according to Statcounter.

The 400 million monthly active users of Windows 11 is dwarfed by the 1 billion devices still running Windows 10.

The ESU program indicates Microsoft may not quite be ready to force the vast majority of users still using Windows 10 to upgrade to the latest operating system.

Microsoft’s recent decision to integrate its AI Copilot in Windows 10 also shows the tech giant recognizes the significant market share its previous OS enjoys, as well as its willingness to meet user demands for AI-powered features.

In some cases, however, the upgrade is not simply a question of moving on to a quicker, more efficient operating system. Windows 11’s system requirements are not compatible with some Windows 10 machines, complicating the process somewhat.

Companies will be able to extend security support for these devices for a further three years after the end of support in October 2025, but beyond this point it remains uncertain whether businesses will need to fork out to migrate to cloud-based systems or make significant hardware replacements.

Microsoft has announced Windows 11 users will be able to uninstall core applications in a bid to comply with EU regulations. 

The tech giant said several new changes to the operating system will allow users to essentially opt out and uninstall pre-packaged apps such as the Microsoft Edge browser.

Users will also be able to uninstall Bing Search from the Windows Search panel while an update to the OS’ Widgets Board will allow users to switch off the Microsoft News feed and advertisements.

The move is aimed at ensuring the company complies with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The changes will apply to all 27 countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), Microsoft confirmed. The firm added that the changes will be “gradually rolling out to devices in Release Preview over the next couple weeks”.

Similar changes for Windows 10 users will also be available in the Release Preview Channel “at a later date”, Microsoft added.

“We’ll be updating Windows 10, version 22H2 and Windows 11, version 23H2 PCs in the EEA to be compliant by March 6th, 2024.”

Microsoft once again bows to EU pressure

Microsoft’s latest move follows a back-and-forth between the tech giant and EU regulators in recent months over business practices.

In August, Microsoft announced plans to unbundle Teams from its Microsoft 365 and Office 365 productivity suites for EU customers.

The move was aimed specifically at staving off regulatory scrutiny from EU lawmakers following the launch of an investigation into the bundling of Teams within its software suites.

Microsoft’s practices were the subject of an official complaint from Slack, lodged in 2020, that alleged the tech giant was “force installing” Teams for millions of customers, blocking its removal, and thus harming competition for rival software providers.

What is the Digital Markets Act?

The Digital Markets Act is a piece of sweeping EU legislation that aims to improve fairness and competition across the union’s digital economy.

The DMA has been billed as a key piece of legislation to ensure that large tech companies such as Meta, Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft are scrutinized for potentially anti-competitive practices.

These ‘gatekeeper’ organizations have been criticized for essentially creating walled gardens around products which limit consumers’ access to alternative platforms and services.

Tiny11 is a stripped-down version of Windows 11. Where the full-fat OS requires 4GB of RAM and 64GB of drive space, Tiny11 can manage with 2GB and 8GB respectively. It looks like the perfect solution for older machines that fall short of Windows 11's specs as, in the developer's words, it will run on "basically any computer that also ran Windows 10".

That might leave you wondering why Microsoft, with all of its resources, didn't manage the same. The answer is most likely that Microsoft didn't want to: its goal was to ship a feature-rich operating system that was a genuine step up from Windows 10, rather than a minimized working environment.

Tiny11 developer NTDev hasn't stripped out everything. Accessibility features and smaller apps such as the Calculator and Notepad, plus Windows Terminal and PowerShell, have all been retained. Microsoft Store is also in there, so you can manually update applications and add new ones as required. 

The most obvious benefit of Tiny11 is that it should continue running efficiently on older hardware over the longer term, not merely the next year or two. Nor does it come with Microsoft bloatware: both Edge and Teams have been removed. You can add them from the Microsoft Store, or choose an alternative browser and log in to Teams on the web.

Tiny11: Installation 

There are two versions of Tiny11 available for download, one of which is designed for older hardware that lacks support for TPM2; this handles on-device encryption and was a key requirement blocking many users from upgrading incompatible machines. It's worth noting that Tiny11 does not require a secure boot.

You could install a regular build of Windows 11 and strip out the features you don't require. There are utilities to help you achieve this, such as Debloos/BloatyNosy, which can analyze your system and automatically remove what it considers bloatware, or give you the option of manually removing components you don't need and have no plans to use.

However, you can only access post-production apps such as BloatyNosy if you've already successfully installed Windows 11, which won't always be possible. Tiny11, on the other hand, is an all-in-one solution where installation is possible precisely because it's been stripped down in advance.

The benefit of sticking with an operating system based on Windows 11 is that you can continue running the applications you already use. There's no need to use a workaround such as WINE under Linux, and nor is there any need to learn how to use a new OS or apps. You can avoid converting your data from its original formats, too.

By default, Tiny11 uses a local account, rather than a Microsoft account, so your activities are less intimately linked to your profile (you can revert to a Microsoft account if you prefer). If you're particular about your privacy, this could be a reason to switch on your own – particularly as Microsoft is now encouraging Microsoft account login as the standard option. 

Tiny11 hasn't come out of nowhere: it's a follow-on from Tiny10, so has been in active development for several years. As such, it's improving over time. The first release achieved its small size through the removal of the Windows Component Store, which made it impossible to add new features and languages.

However, release notes for the latest build state that the Windows Component Store is back, in a release that also sees the removal of sponsored apps.

Tiny11: Is it worth it? 

So, are there reasons not to switch to Tiny11? For sure. First of all, it isn't an official build. It's not supported by Microsoft and there's no guarantee it will keep working in the future. Neither is Tiny11 a free operating system.

If you don't already have a code to activate Windows 11 Pro, you won't be able to activate Tiny11, so if you're installing it as a money-saving measure it could be worth taking another look at Linux. Unless you have to run Windows, that's still what we would recommend people do.

Tiny11 may be the best-known stripped-down build of Windows 11, but it isn't the only option. Ghost Spectre 11 likewise lets you install a debloated build on machines without TPM support.

ReviOS is another stripped-down OS, removing common tools such as Photos and Windows Mail. It also avoids pre-installed apps such as Disney, plus core features such as the Telemetry Client, screensavers, and themes. All of which is to say you have a choice. Download, play, and consider your options.

Microsoft is reportedly planning to integrate its AI Copilot in Windows 10 as part of a sweeping new update, according to reports. 

The decision to roll out its AI Copilot for Windows 10 users could prove vital in its push to boost adoption of the AI assistant. 

The move will see Windows 10 users given access to a Copilot button on the taskbar, enabling them to access the tool to support a range of tasks, according to Windows Central.

Copilot capabilities on Windows 10 are expected to be “roughly the same” as on Windows 11, the publication said. This will also include plugin compatibility across both versions of the operating system. 

Copilot officially rolled out on the operating system in November 2023 as part of the Windows 11 version 23H2 update. 

Sources told Windows Central the update is part of an effort to capitalize on the significant market share that Windows 10 still holds.  

The move could allow Microsoft to get more eyes on the AI Copilot by drawing on a far larger user base. At present, Windows 11 boasts around 400 million monthly active devices globally, whereas Windows 10 is still in use on around one billion devices. 

The resounding popularity of Windows 10 has proven difficult for Microsoft to overcome in its efforts to push users to the newer OS following its launch in October 2021. 

Sources told Windows Central that the move will also give Microsoft an “easier time selling developers on the idea that they should build plugins for Copilot” given it will be available to users of both operating systems.

Windows 10 AI Copilot looks to target enterprise users

Copilot represents billions of dollars of potential revenue for Microsoft. The firm has gone all in on AI throughout its stack to stay ahead of competitors, having spent billions supporting OpenAI in return for the use of the AI developer’s models. 

This bet has paid off, as customer anticipation for Copilot lifted Azure revenues in the firm’s Q1 2024, and Microsoft has leant ever more heavily into the importance of generative AI as a cornerstone of the new Windows experience.

The full release of the AI Assistant on Windows 11 was a moment for which the firm had spent a full year preparing, with gradual releases and teases of products across the Copilot range such as GitHub Copilot, as well as Bing and Edge Copilot.

It makes sense that Microsoft would want to provide the large number of users clinging onto Windows 10 a taste of what they are currently missing with Copilot for Windows 11. 

Because the processing for Copilot is fulfilled entirely in the cloud, there are no hardware requirements that would hold back even older Windows 10 machines from enjoying the benefits of the AI assistant.

Windows 10 is set to hit its end of life (EOL) in 2025, so between now and then the firm has a little over a year to convince users who might otherwise switch to MacOS or Linux that there are powerful reasons to stick with Windows in the form of Windows 11.

Microsoft could particularly target the Windows 10 Enterprise crowd, who could be swayed by the ease of use for Copilot in Windows and subsequently look into the more powerful features of Microsoft 365 Copilot for their business.

Questions around end of life support are being considered by figures at Microsoft, according to Windows Central. Internal discussions are ongoing over whether this could be extended if the roll-out of Copilot on the operating system proves popular. 

There are multiple ways to factory reset Windows 11 machines, with different advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we're going to look at how to reset Windows 11 without losing any data, why you might want to wipe your computer entirely, and what some other options are if you've found your way to this page because your computer is suddenly lacking performance. 

How to factory reset Windows 11

• Open the Start Menu and then the Settings menu. This can be done by typing "Settings" or by pressing the gear icon.
• Click "System", then "Recovery". You will be shown a menu containing a button labeled "Reset this PC".

• Click "Reset this PC", and you will be presented with two options: 
• Keep my files
• Remove everything

Next, you'll be asked to choose if you want to keep your files and whether you'd like your new Windows 11 reinstall to come from a local source – check out this guide to see how to create one of those – or via the web. Keep in mind that a web install will mean that your download speed is tied to your internet connection.

Why should I factory reset Windows 11? 

There are multiple reasons you might choose to reset your computer to its factory settings. One common use case is if you are moving to new devices and want to make sure that anyone who finds your old device cannot recover your sensitive data. While there are (often expensive) third-party data wiping tools, we doubt government agencies are purely relying on Microsoft's factor reset procedure. For most users, this is a fine way to send your machine along with minimal risk. 

Another reason to reset, this time without losing your data, is if you want to have a fresh install of your operating system without losing your files. Often after months or years operating systems get bogged down with non-fatal errors and get bloated with unnecessary files. Sometimes things can go haywire – even if you have been religiously creating restore points before any major changes – but a factory reset is a common tool to get you back on track. 

While we would always recommend you back up your data using backup software before even clicking through the factory reset menus, the factory reset user interface allows you to put a fresh new copy of Windows 11 on your machine without having to resort to using third-party tools or additional wizards. The factory reset pathway within Windows 11 is intuitive, simple, and relatively stress-free.

What's Next If A Factory Reset Doesn't Fix My Issue with Windows 11? 

While it's true that even the simplest IT fixes can feel like an incredibly annoying game of Whack-A-Mole, there are tangible next steps you can take if your factory reset does not fix an issue you were having with your machine.

We've mentioned restore points before, which you can use to revert back to a time when your machine was working. To create a restore point, follow these steps:

• EmptOpen the Start Menu and search "Create a restore point", then select it from the results.
• On the System Protection tab in System Properties, select Create.
• Provide a name or description for the restore point, then click "Create".y list

You can also use Secure Boot to run your machine in a way that checks if any of the drivers running on your computer are incorrect or harmful. For more on how to use the Secure Boot feature, check out our recent guide. 

Microsoft has released the new Windows 11 23H2 update, marking the official integration of its Copilot AI assistant on operating systems around the world.

The update, branded ‘Moment 4’ by Microsoft, brings a raft of new features including the much anticipated roll-out of 365 Copilot for enterprise customers. 

The roll-out also includes updates for Microsoft teams, as well as some streamlining changes within Windows. 

Windows 11 23H2 update: What you need to know

Microsoft’s Copilot is a generative AI assistant that users can interact with in a conversational manner to perform tasks within Windows. 

Leveraging the power of OpenAI’s GPT-4 large language model (LLM), users can use simple text inputs to summarize, explain, and create content in a wide number of applications across the operating system.

Previewed in September 2023, this update means the Copilot AI assistant is now switched on in Windows by default. 

Copilot is accessible through a dedicated Copilot button in the taskbar or by using the ‘Windows + C’ shortcut. This means users can get Copilot to perform system tasks such as opening apps, adjusting settings, or getting help on taking a screenshot. 

Microsoft has been clear to highlight the sophistication of their flagship AI offering, such as Copilot’s ability to mimic a user’s writing style when generating emails. 

Microsoft 365 Copilot is available to enterprise users for $30 per month, and provides full integration of its AI assistant within the Microsoft productivity suite with the ability to perform a wide range of application-specific actions.

For example, Copilot’s Excel integration allows users to give the assistant basic text prompts in order to generate formulae, provide analysis of charts and graphs, and highlight interesting data-points. 

Furthermore, Copilot can also respond with helpful tips on how to use excel more efficiently, such as why a particular formula is best for performing a specific function.

Teams updates and additional streamlining

Other changes in the latest Windows update include the replacement of Chat with the free version of Microsoft Teams. The collaboration platform has also received SMS integration for users with Android phones and is now pinned to the taskbar by default. 

Microsoft also added a new ‘mini communications experience’ to Teams (free) that will allow users to chat, call, meet, and create a space for group collaborations from a single, compact window. 

Further updates to Windows include improved backup functionality, a streamlined File Explorer, additional support for file types such as .rar files, more taskbar customization, AI-centered updates to Snipping Tool, Paint, and Photos, and boot to the cloud feature. 

How to get the Windows 11 23H2 update

The new update shares the same code base as its previous version and will be available through the typical update channel. 

To upgrade, users can open the settings app and navigate to the Windows Update tab and hit ‘Check for updates’. 

Make sure you have turned on ‘Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available’ in order to ensure you get the Windows 11 Copilot with the update. 

The 23H2 update is available to commercial customers through Windows Server Update Services (including ConfigurationManager), Windows Update for Business, and the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC).

However, a footnote on the blog post from Microsoft warns that “downloads in the VLSC and similar channels may be delayed”.  

Qualcomm has hinted the new Snapdragon X Elite chip for PCs has excelled in tests on an unspecified “Windows OS” – differentiating this from Windows 11 and fueling rumors of a possible 2024 release for Windows 12.

Revealing the new processor during its launch event in Hawaii, Qualcomm referenced both “Windows OS” and “Windows 11” on the same slide during a presentation. 

Qualcomm said its Snapdragon CPU was tested on a reference laptop running on the former. 

The Intel Core i7-1355U and Intel i7 1360P processors, meanwhile, were tested on a Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 running on the latter, according to Windows Latest. 

What do we know about the Windows 12 launch?

Microsoft hasn’t officially acknowledged Windows 12, let alone offered a release date, but leaks and rumors are beginning to emerge ahead of a widely touted 2024 launch. 

The reason is simple: Microsoft usually releases operating systems every three years, going as far back as Windows 7, and it’ll be about time for an upgrade by 2024. The exception to this was the six-year gap between Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Intel CFO Dave Zinsner, for example, recently said “‘24 (sic) is going to be a pretty good year… because of the Windows refresh” in an interview. 

He added the install base is “pretty old and does require a refresh”, adding that next year will be the start of that “given the Windows catalyst”.  

This comes on top of Microsoft hinting at Windows 12 at its Build conference, according to TechRadar. The tech giant alluded to a “Next Valley Prototype Design” during a session at the conference called “next-gen of Windows”. 

Reports also emerged lately that Widows 12 may adopt a subscription model, rather than exist as a free upgrade. 

This is according to subscription-centric language Deskmodder spotted in October – although this is pure speculation and there’s nothing to suggest Microsoft will move to a subscription model for its flagship operating system.

How should businesses prepare for Windows 12?

Discussions about Windows 12 may feel premature for many organizations, especially given the vast majority of businesses haven’t yet migrated to Windows 11 – and some are still running outdated systems like Windows 7.

Around 71% of desktops still run Windows 10, compared with roughly 24% running Windows 11, according to Stat Counter. This is alongside 3% running Windows 7. 

The market share for Windows 10 is higher – not lower – than it was in January 2020, when nearly 68% of devices used the operating system. This can be explained by the relative prevalence of Windows 7 at the time, which had a 25% market share. 

There are many reasons to explain why Windows 11 is far behind the adoption rates of Windows 10, including Trusted Platform Module (TPM) requirements and the fact devices with certain processors are blocked from receiving the upgrade.  

It’s down to these reasons that many businesses may not even meet the compatibility requirements for Windows 12, let alone those for Windows 11.

With generative AI also set to become a major force in the Windows ecosystem, too, it may be the hardware requirements are even more strict – with businesses needing to instigate mass-scale device refreshes to keep up with the latest standards.  

Windows 11, for example, has seen Microsoft embed OpenAI technology including GPT-4 and DALL·E into the likes of Copilot and Paint, respectively. But this is just the start. 

“We are building Windows to be the destination for the best AI experiences,” Microsoft’s chief product officer, Pavan Davulari said at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite launch event, according to Windows Central.  

“Moving forward, this will require an OS that simply blurs the lines between the cloud and the edge, and using the right silicon in the right place is foundational for us."   

The inconvenience and stress of an operating system (OS) upgrade will be familiar to everyone. Once you have agreed to the upgrade, you are placed into a indefinite period of digital quarantine. Heaven forbid an error occurs mid-upgrade, in which case you’re likely in for a tough ride. Even if the upgrade is successful, there is still a chance that some of your apps, drivers, and plugins will be incompatible with the new OS and won’t function.

So for those of you hanging on to Windows 10, your hesitancy to upgrade is totally understandable regardless of Microsoft’s incessant reminders to upgrade to Windows 11.

We have some good and bad news. The good news is the annoying reminders to upgrade to Windows 11 are going to be going away. The bad news is that this is because Windows 12 is expected to be released next year at the earliest.

The early signals of Microsoft’s plans for Windows 12 are beginning to trickle out. With Windows 12 expected as early as next year, what can be expected of Microsoft’s next upgrade to its operating system?

Will Windows 12 be more than a lick of paint?

Microsoft will clearly need to visually differentiate Windows 12  from its prior versions, and there are already some hints of what these visual changes might be. 

One screenshot that appears to have been inadvertently shared at a Windows Ignite developer conference showed the taskbar at the bottom of the screen floating, instead of remaining anchored to the bottom of the display. Floating at the top of the screen, Windows 12 displayed the time, weather, connection status, battery life, and search box – suggesting a more phone or tablet-like interface.

The more significant changes will probably take place under the hood in response to the Cambrian explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) powered apps that have emerged over the past few months.

“I suspect Microsoft will go hard on ‘AI’ features as part of the next major version of Windows,” says Zac Bowden, senior editor at our sister outlet, Windows Central – who is one of the best-connected people on the Windows beat.

Bowden speculates it could be AI predicting what apps or shortcuts you may need next, based on what you’re currently looking at on screen, such as Windows spotting you’re emailing someone and mentioning you need to send wedding invitations and having Windows suggest the Microsoft Designer app in the Start Menu.

“You might also see smart enhancements to existing features like Snap Assist, remembering which apps you frequently snap together, for example,” says Bowden.

How will Windows 12 be structured?

The biggest change that might be coming with Windows 12 could be a significant shift in how the OS is structured. An internal Microsoft project – “CorePC” – is reportedly working on breaking Windows down so it will function on a more modular basis across the various form factors. This would be a considerable movement away from the previous method of shipping Windows as a one-size-fits-all system – similar to what it was trying to achieve with the abandoned Windows 10X.

It means, for example, we could see future versions of Windows running on tablets or foldables running ARM processors that are capable of running many ‘full-sized’ Windows apps, without the need to build in support for ‘legacy’ Windows apps that date back to stone-aged versions of the operating system.

The other major innovation, as reported by Bowden, is the CorePC versions of Windows will also be “state separated”, meaning apps will work a little more like iPad apps, which are restricted to only certain parts of the system – enhancing security and privacy.

Will Windows 12 be more flexible?

Potentially making Windows more flexible is arguably something of a row-back from the intentions of CEO Satya Nadella when he first took over from Steve Ballmer in 2014.

In his first few years, he reorganized the company to promote the company’s booming Azure business, and abandoning the Ballmer-era strategy of having ‘Windows’ on every device – with the release of Office on iPad as the totemic example of this shift in mindset.

It was a strategic shift characterized by the influential technology analyst Ben Thompson in 2018 as “The End of Windows”. Could the renewed push towards the modular CorePC concept signal that getting Windows everywhere again is back on the agenda?

“Windows is never going to go away,” says Bowden. “It's certainly a legacy product but Windows' legacy is what makes it a viable product for so many people. Enterprises will never drop Windows, and gamers will never drop Windows.”

That’s why Microsoft still envisages a world where it remains competitive with iPadOS and Android on mainstream devices. “The PC industry is huge, and there's no alternative for Dell, HP, Lenovo, et cetera, to adopt,” says Bowden. “Chrome OS isn't good enough to replace Windows, and macOS isn't licensable. Current Windows leadership is trying to reposition Windows as a flagship OS platform for the masses, and I suspect that will continue with Windows 12.”

When will Microsoft release Windows 12?

Although Windows 12 is in development, Microsoft hasn’t officially indicated when its next flagship OS will be ready for businesses to use.

Microsoft intends to ship major versions of Windows every three years, according to Windows Central, meaning, if true, Windows 12 will see the light of day at some point in 2024.

This would track with the release cycle of previous versions of Windows – with the expectation of Windows 11, which was released six years after Windows 10, rather than the three years between Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

As with all versions of Windows – and all major feature updates to Windows – those on the Windows Insider program will have the chance to test Windows 12 in various phases before general release. This will likely go on for months before general rollout.

How much will Windows 12 cost?

Similar to Windows 11, when it is ready to be shipped Microsoft will likely offer Windows 12 as a free optional upgrade. There’s a chance Windows 10 users will also be offered the free upgrade too. 

Microsoft will, however, likely charge a premium for customers who wish to buy the OS, rather than upgrading an existing installation. Windows 11 Home costs $139/£119.99 and Windows 11 Pro costs $199.99/£219.99, meaning Windows 12 will likely be priced at the same price – or around that price point – once it’s ready to be released.

It saddens me greatly to be delivering this wake-up call. Almost as much as it saddens me that I’m so late to this particular party. However, it seems that many unfortunate Windows 11 users have been experiencing the “BitLocker ransom” problem for six months or more. 

The problem is your Windows 11 PC or laptop can turn BitLocker disk encryption on, and not tell you about it, in the course of an earlier Windows Update process. Later on, this invisible change grows teeth, when a later (and in my case, optional) update includes a file that, perversely enough, is sufficiently similar to other types of threat that your data is “at risk”. The only way to protect it is by encrypting the boot volume of your machine, and demanding a recovery key before you’re allowed back in.

If you’re lucky, you have some way of getting to your Microsoft account not involving using the now utterly stone-dead bricked laptop, to obtain the recovery key. If you’re like me, then various policies of my own, such as not traveling with more than one laptop and not logging into my Microsoft identity for protracted periods of time, are likely to keep it out of reach. 

As Microsoft says, those might not be the only set reasons why you can’t retrieve the key. Perhaps the most annoying one is that if a different login enabled BitLocker at the outset – easily done, given how short on warnings or progress reports the whole process is – then it’s likely that they get sent the recovery key, not you. Not that you can figure out who to chase down in that scenario, because giving away the account name with the key in it would constitute a “security breach”. 

There are fixes, but every last one of them is about before it happens, not after. You can disable BitLocker, either via the Control Panel, or using PowerShell, or Group Policies (even if you’re not in a corporate network).

I was amazed to find out just how many fellow administrators were really not sure of how their various afflicted machines got that way in the first place. Their puzzlement made me feel a lot better: as a group of hardcore systems admins, well used to Microsoft behavior with system updates, they were shocked to find that some of their personal devices had gone to DEFCON 1, with BitLocker turned on silently and without their consent – or so they thought, not having looked hard or often at this bit of the system. 

The reason to bring your attention to this is, in fact, all about its long-term, slow-motion car crash effect. I am not at all convinced the preventative Group Policies, drive formatting, or Control Panel pages are going to help. Microsoft has a good deal of previous for not caring about dissenters; some settings come back, even when you’ve decided you don’t want them.

Every Windows 11 user needs to take steps to prevent this particular bear trap from closing on their work-in-progress documents, emails, and so on. Of course, if you have been a total goody-two-shoes and accepted all of Microsoft’s suggestions for online data sync services, and you have several fully-licensed, synchronized, and up-to-date machines, then your stuff ought to be reachable.

But when the Windows 11 machine I was reviewing displayed the BitLocker Recovery Key screen, I was a long way from my other machines. That’s what I use laptops for, working while traveling. As a frequent traveler, I have developed a few hard and fast rules that rather go against the assumptions that Microsoft presents as part of its excuses package for BitLockering. One is that I minimize logging in to online accounts while away from my home network, mostly to avoid the floods of paranoid warning messages this causes. Another is, no online purchasing while traveling, whether on my own machinery or others which circumstances force me to use. I don’t even like the US habit of walking off with my credit cards and doing the contactless transaction themselves.

At the moment, I am telling all my user contacts not to leave documents on Windows 11 devices of any kind. Last time, I mentioned keeping scans of my vital identity documents on a USB key dangling beside my house keys: that’s been upgraded a bit because I find my current minimum working set of files and emails is a good few gigabytes. 

In the long term, I won’t be using Windows 11 at all until a satisfactory solution to this foolishness emerges. In fact, all the way through the writing of this column, my oldest, most presentable laptop has been downloading three complete versions of Fedora Linux, one after another. I assume each is about a DVD’s worth of code, but even my older machine is coping well so far. It will be with me on my next trip in a few days’ time; the Windows 11 machine will be at home, on the bench, awaiting a solution.

Microsoft announced that it has taken an additional step forward to embracing Rust as a core language by introducing new Rust-based kernel features to the latest Windows Insider build.

On Wednesday it shipped Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25905 containing what it called a “small trial” of another critical kernel feature written in Rust.

The update specifically concerns a new implementation of GDI Regions in the win32kbase_rs.sys driver file located in System32. The _rs refers to the Rust language version.

GDI Regions refer to shapes, or a combination of shapes, that can be created for tasks like hit testing - checking to see if a cursor is hovering over a specific icon, for example.

“While this is a small trial, we will continue to increase the usage of Rust in the kernel,” Microsoft said in a blog.

“We are beginning to roll this out, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders in the Canary Channel just yet as we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.”

Microsoft’s commitment to Rust

It’s long been known that Microsoft has aimed for a stronger adoption of the Rust programming language.

The company’s CTO issued a call to the industry last year, encouraging it to embrace Rust over traditional languages like C and C++, following in its own footsteps as well as other major tech firms like Cloudflare and Linux, the latter of which is also implementing Rust in its own Kernel.

Microsoft’s interest in Rust dates back years and made a case for its adoption as early as 2019. 

It highlighted in a 2019 BlueHat presentation that most security vulnerabilities are caused by developers accidentally implementing memory safety issues in software components written in C or C++.

Rust and memory safety

One of the headline benefits of Rust is its inherent memory safety. For this reason, it’s considered a more secure programming language that can do the same things that the older C/C++ can do, at the same speed and efficiency - the main reasons for sticking with the older languages for so many decades - with better security.

Rust is memory-safe thanks to its compiler which refuses to build any program it's used to write unless memory safety can be guaranteed.

It makes for fewer security vulnerabilities and more reliable programs that are less likely to crash.

For this reason, it’s also being adopted by an increasing number of major ransomware operations, with a number of groups rewriting their payloads using the language.

BlackCat, Hive, and LockBit are among the most notable ransomware groups that have shifted to Rust in recent months. Ransomware binaries also benefit from Rust’s anti-analysis properties, largely attributed to the complex way in which its compiler translates developer code into machine-readable code.

Major tech companies, in addition to the aforementioned Microsoft, Cloudflare, and Linux also have their own Rust projects running in some capacity.

Meta, Amazon, Mozilla, Dropbox, and Figma are among the most notable in this far-from-exhaustive list.

Rust has also been the ‘most loved’ language by developers in the past seven annual StackOverflow surveys, underlining its popularity. 

As more tech companies increasingly embrace the language, it’s likely to become more of an in-demand skill for developers in the years ahead.

When the death knell finally rang out for Windows XP, there were still many organizations either scrabbling to update to Windows 7 or 8, or making their peace with running an out-of-date operating system on some of their machines.

While there were some companies in the latter group able to work out a bespoke continued support deal with Microsoft, for others it was a case of crossing their fingers and hoping for the best when it came to fending off cyber attacks.

Since then, things have been relatively stable, even as end of life for Windows 7 and Windows 8 have rolled round. But there’s now a new Windows-shaped headache looming on the horizon.

In 2025, Windows 10 will reach end-of-life. Dubbed the “last version of Windows” when it was released in 2015, it turns out that Microsoft has a somewhat elastic interpretation of the word “last”. Come 14 October, the new and improved ‘last’ version of Windows – Windows 11 – will become the only kid on the block. At least until the next one is released…

Windows 11 update problems

So why the big deal? The main issue is the hardware requirements for Windows 11, which are more stringent than those for Windows 10. This isn’t unexpected, given Windows 10 was released in 2015, but nevertheless it’s causing headaches for IT administrators and decision makers already.

The primary hurdle to Windows 11 adoption is the need for a TPM 2.0 chip. While it enhances the security of any machine – undoubtedly a good thing – it isn’t ubiquitous. For larger businesses that refresh their IT estate on a regular basis (every five years, for example), their hardware is likely to already be in line with Windows 11 requirements by the deadline. For those in the public sector, education, and smaller businesses, however, the prospect of replacing their entire IT estate is daunting. Indeed, in the words of one member of the ITPro Network, the public sector can be “laggy in places”, giving the example of one Windows 7 roll-out completing “just as everyone else was working on projects for Windows 10”.

Is Windows 10 EOL as bad as Windows XP?

One of the reasons so many organizations clung to Windows XP for so long was the significant differences in compatibility between that operating system and Windows 7 or Windows 8.

For Paul Watts, distinguished analyst at the Information Security Forum, while there are hardware compatibility challenges when upgrading to Windows 11, they’re not as significant as those of the past.

“The hardware requisites will be a problem for many.  And we still have the odd flutter of supply chain issues from the past few years causing additional challenges there. I don't think this is as big a crisis as Win XP EOL,” he says.

“[There] seems to be a narrower compatibility 'leap' from 10 to 11, as opposed to XP to 10.”

Nevertheless, he believes Windows 10 won’t go gentle into that good night, pointing not only to the hardware challenges but also the changes to the Windows 11 user interface (UI) that in his opinion make it somewhat less pleasant to use than its predecessor.

Gerard McGovern, director of digital strategy at a large NGO, says he “[doesn’t] really see the crisis”.

“2025 will be 10 years after Windows 10 launched. This is fairly standard from Microsoft. There will be a small number of machines that can’t run 11 in 2025 but the majority will,” he says. “Worst case, Microsoft will offer extended support, just like they did with Windows NT/2000/XP/7.”

The certification stumbling block

When it comes to the public sector and higher education, IT decision makers may find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Cyber Essentials Plus certification, which almost all such organizations want to have, requires the use of up-to-date software that’s fully supported by the manufacturer. Equally, though, many may find their IT estate isn’t currently up to the job, while a wholesale hardware refresh may be out of reach.

Peter O’Rourke, assistant director of IT operations at the University of Sussex said a “substantive part of [the university’s] Windows PC estate will not allegedly run Windows 11”.

“Across the University we have a diverse group of stakeholders, students, academics, active researchers, and professional services staff. While a lot of these groups will … spend a lot of their time using fairly traditional business applications, we do have our fair share of expensive academic and research equipment attached to ancient computers. This will never change for us,” he explains.

“We do have thousands of devices that are in everyday use both personally and in lab, teaching, or study spaces. A lot of these are not Windows 11 compatible.”

Should the university opt to simply overhaul its IT estate, within the limitations outlined above, it would present “a large refresh bill”. There are, however, other options as O’Rourke points out.

“We are also taking the time to consider how we wish to deliver applications and services in the future. i.e. Not simply assuming these must always be locally installed on an end user device,” he says.

“Desktop as a service might be another option, but a potentially costly one,” says Watts. “And it's not just about the endpoint anyway; it's the whole backwards compatibility with bespoke and aged software issue to be dealt with as well.  Although I'd warrant that it won't be as painful as previous EOL events.”

Happy birthday, Windows 11?

Windows 11 adoption has been slow. According to StatCounter, only 24% of all Windows computers were running Windows 11 in June 2023 and while this is an increase on the 10% adoption rate of June 2022, it’s still meager growth. Windows 10, on the other hand, continues to ride high with a 71% market share.

Our experts think this may change in the coming months, though.

Chris Madden, IT and operations director at Kreston Reeves, suggests that “businesses will wait until the first anniversary update is released before jumping on Windows 11”.

Watts agrees, saying: “Microsoft would argue that 11 has already benefited from updates and enhancements of course, but yes there is always a temptation to stay n-1 in the interests of stability – stay away from the bleeding edge and all that.  Certainly when operating at scale.”

If Madden and Watts are right, this could lead to a significant boost in adoption of Windows 11. While the Windows 11 first anniversary update release date is yet to be set officially, it’s generally expected to be before the end of the summer.

The Windows 10 cliff edge doesn’t seem to be quite as steep as that of Windows XP but there are still challenges to be overcome for many organizations. Our ITPro Network members indicate there’s hope even in tricky situations and when considering your own strategy a straightforward hardware refresh doesn’t have to be the only option.

Microsoft has been busy in the past few days with a series of announcements and patches, including new features for the Windows Subsystem for Android and critical security updates.

We’ve listed some of the top features included in the new Windows 11 updates, including details of the latest vulnerabilities affecting devices that haven’t yet been updated.

File sharing with Android

Windows Insiders can now share files directly from their user folder to the Windows Subsystem for Android.

Windows Subsystem for Android allows users to run Android apps directly on their device, provided they are downloaded directly through the Amazon Appstore.

Much like Windows Subsystem for Linux, it negates the need for manual virtualization and allows developers to debug Android APK files directly on their PC.

Apps must request file viewing and editing permission through a system dialog each time they are connected to a compatible device, and this can be revoked at any point. System folders and hidden folders are excluded from file sharing.

Microsoft also stated that potential threats from an app will be scanned and blocked via the user’s antivirus software, regardless of whether the app was installed through the Amazon Appstore or 

A full release date for the feature has yet to be announced, but is expected in the near future.

Microsoft also stated that potential threats from an app will be scanned and blocked via the user’s antivirus software, regardless of whether the app was installed through the Amazon Appstore or another platform.

A full release date for the feature has yet to be announced, but is expected in the near future.

June 2023 Patch Tuesday fixes

This month, Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday security release included a total of 94 patches, inclusive of 14 Chromium flaws and five GitHub vulnerabilities.

Six critical vulnerabilities were included in this list, including three Windows Pragmatic General Multicast (PGM) vulnerabilities carrying near-maximum severity scores of 9.8 on the CVSS v3.1 scale. 

The high severity scores were assigned because exploiting them could have led to remote code execution (RCE) via the Windows messaging queue.

The PGM vulnerabilities were tracked as CVE-2023-29363, CVE-2023-32014, and CVE-2023-32015 respectively.

Microsoft also patched a SharePoint vulnerability that could have allowed a threat actor to obtain administrator powers through privilege execution, tracked as CVE-2023-29357.

Unlike every Patch Tuesday for the past year, this month’s contained no zero-day vulnerabilities.

“This is the third month in a row where Patch Tuesday features at least one critical RCE in Windows PGM, and June adds three to the pile,” said Adam Barnett, lead software engineer at Rapid7.

“Microsoft hasn’t detected exploitation or disclosure for any of these, and considers exploitation less likely, but a trio of critical RCEs with CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 will deservedly attract a degree of attention.”

While Microsoft has not identified any of the vulnerabilities as having been exploited in the wild, there are some that have been highlighted as “exploitation more likely”, underlining the need to patch them as soon as possible.

Moment 3

Windows has also dropped a fresh cumulative update for Windows 11 22H2 (KB5027231), which had been known under the codename ‘Moment 3’ prior to release.

A significant feature of the update is a fix for 32-bit apps that use the CopyFile API and support the large address aware memory usage option. The error affected file copying and attachment in commercial and enterprise environments.

The update also comes with a number of quality-of-life improvements, including support for Bluetooth low energy (LE) audio and a new section in the settings menu for USB-4 and Thunderbolt devices connected to a device.

Microsoft rolled out accessibility improvements within the release, including a fix that allows the narrator tool to correctly describe file attributes.

Even more features in a cumulative update

In addition to KB5027231, Microsoft also rolled out another update named KB5027223 for Windows 10 21H2.

In addition to all of the patches from Moment 3, KB5027223 includes a number of other improvements such as general improvements for the taskbar search box.

The update fixes an error that prevented users from accessing the Server Message Block (SMB) shared folder, one that prevented the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) from working, and an audio issue affecting certain CPUs.

It also addresses a Windows kernel vulnerability that could have allowed attackers to view heaped memory from secure processes.

Sometimes your Windows 11 operating system (OS) needs a complete reinstallation. Where you may have once booted Windows from an installation disk, you can replicate this by downloading a Windows 11 ISO file and writing that to a USB drive or even a physical disk. There’s even a way to install Windows using the ISO file in a virtual machine (VM).

While some hardware manufacturers make it fairly easy to request a disk version of your Windows install, the vast majority of users will use the Microsoft website to download a new version of the OS. There are also tools out there that let you download files from Microsoft’s update server and put together a custom ISO that’s up-to-date with a Windows Insider build. There are several ways to get started, but regardless of the method, you should be able to follow these instructions and perform a clean Windows 11 install with ease.  

Why should I download a Windows 11 ISO file?

What is an ISO file?

A Windows 11 ISO file, named after the data system used on CDs, is most commonly used to create a bootable USB drive, CD, or DVD. Take, for example, if you have just built a brand new PC from scratch and want to get your system running or if your laptop has an issue so significant it refuses to cooperate with alternative options to update or restore the OS.

A clean install of Windows can help reduce the system bloat that comes with the long-term use of a PC. It can also be a troubleshooting step to take if you have an unidentifiable and sudden Windows issue that isn’t easily resolved through something like a restore point. 

Microsoft points out that an ISO file is not the ideal solution to update your system if everything is running as expected. For that, you’ll want to use Windows Update. 

Can I use a Windows 11 ISO file to upgrade from Windows 10?

An ISO can be used to update your Windows system without a boot drive or disk of some kind – known as mounting the ISO – but Microsoft recommends you use their Windows 11 installation assistant if your goal is to upgrade the OS on the device you’re using at the time. In other words, don’t use the ISO method if you’re trying to update from Windows 10.

Preparing your PC for a reinstall

While refreshing your system with a clean install isn’t complex, it does require some preparation. First, make sure that your computer meets the system requirements for Windows 11. Secondly, if using a USB drive or a DVD, you’ll need to obtain a blank one. If you are using a USB that has data on it, be sure to back that information up as the ISO download process will wipe that information. Finally, remember to back up any sensitive data. While a fresh Windows install, like on macOS, shouldn’t erase any of your data, backing up sensitive data is always a good idea before any kind of significant OS change. 

How to download a Windows 11 ISO File

Start by clicking through to Microsoft’s dedicated page for downloading the Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO). 

The next step depends on your intended purpose. If you want to perform a reinstall of Windows 11, download the media creation tool by clicking ‘Download now’ under ‘Create Windows 11 Installation Media’. To create a bootable installation media or a VM to install Windows 11, choose the ‘Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO)’ option from the dropdown menu under ‘Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)’. Then click Download. 

In both cases make sure to read the ‘Before you begin’ section. For the ISO image option,  click Download and select your appropriate language. This file is 5.2GB and the speed at which it downloads will depend on your internet connection.

From there, follow the  installation Instructions provided on the website

If you are looking to create installation media, click download now and run the file titled “mediacreationtool.exe”.

First, read and then accept the terms of conditions.

Choose the language and system type.

Choose whether you are looking to create a DVD or a USB Drive.

Choose where you will be saving your ISO media creation media – either a place to put your file before burning to a DVD or a USB drive that you have plugged in.

From there, you will be waiting while Windows 11 downloads onto your hardware. Finally, click Finish, and your device will be ready to install the OS.