automation

  1. Windows 11 25H2 Release Preview: Enablement Package for Fast, Low-Impact Upgrades

    Windows 11’s next annual feature update is now moving from staged preview into its final validation ring: Microsoft has made Windows 11, version 25H2 available to Release Preview Insiders and commercial customers for targeted testing, delivered as an enablement package on top of the 24H2...
  2. Azure MFA Now Enforced for CLI, APIs, and IaC: Plan Your Migration

    Microsoft has announced that mandatory multi‑factor authentication will soon extend beyond Azure's web consoles to command‑line and programmatic interfaces, forcing a major rethink of developer tooling and automation strategies: starting this enforcement window, any user performing create...
  3. Microsoft 365 Copilot Transformation: Unified Calendar, Templates, and App Handoffs

    Beginning in September Microsoft wrapped a clear, deliberate push to make Copilot the connective tissue of Microsoft 365: Teams’ calendar and task surfaces are moving to the new integrated Microsoft 365 calendar, the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app becomes a preview‑and‑chat surface for Office...
  4. Top Open-Source Windows Tools for Power Users

    Windows power users have long known the best tools often live outside the commercial software ecosystem, but a recent MakeUseOf roundup highlighting “unbelievably” polished open‑source Windows apps crystallizes just how far free software has come: the list assembles utilities that replace or...
  5. Surveys Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot: AI-powered survey workflow in Frontier

    Microsoft’s latest push to fold everyday feedback workflows into its AI assistant stack landed this week with the public preview of Surveys Agent, an AI-powered agent inside Microsoft 365 Copilot that promises to let teams design, launch, monitor, and analyze surveys from a single conversational...
  6. Azure Update Manager: Centralized Patch Orchestration for Cloud, On-Prem, and Hybrid

    Microsoft's latest move to centralize and simplify enterprise patching — pushing Azure Update Manager as the recommended path for orchestrating Windows updates across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid fleets — promises to change how IT teams plan, schedule, and recover from update events while also...
  7. Windows Server 2025: Automation, Hotpatching, and the KB5044284 Lesson

    Microsoft’s latest move to automate and AI‑assist Windows Server 2025 upgrades promises to cut the friction and risk that have long dogged enterprise patch cycles, but the effort is also a reminder that automation without clear metadata and robust controls can make things worse as quickly as it...
  8. Automate Windows Maintenance with Task Scheduler: Clean, Update, Scan, Backup

    Much of keeping a Windows PC feeling fast and reliable comes down to discipline—regular cleanups, timely scans, and dependable backups—and automating those chores with the built‑in Windows Task Scheduler is one of the most effective ways to remove the human factor from maintenance and make a...
  9. King Candy Crush Layoffs and Microsoft's AI Push: A Case of AI-Driven Gaming

    Microsoft’s streamlining of its gaming operations has moved from boardroom memo to daily reality at King, the studio behind Candy Crush — roughly 200 roles are reported to have been cut, and multiple independent accounts suggest remaining staff are being pushed to rely on generative AI tools as...
  10. Check Python Version in Windows CMD: Quick Guide to Installers and Py Launcher

    Checking which Python is installed on a Windows PC shouldn’t be a chore — a couple of quick Command Prompt commands and you’ll know whether you’re running Python 3.11, 3.10, 2.7, or nothing at all. This practical guide expands on the quick tips from Windows Report and turns them into a...
  11. PowerToys on Windows 11: Master multitasking with FancyZones, Run, Peek

    Microsoft PowerToys quietly transforms Windows 11 from a rigid, predictable environment into a highly malleable productivity powerhouse — and once you start using tools like Workspaces, PowerToys Run, FancyZones, Peek, and Keyboard Manager, the OS feels fundamentally different. Toys has evolved...
  12. Best Task Scheduler Alternatives for Windows: Z-Cron, RoboIntern, Task Till Dawn, RoboTask

    If you rely on Windows Task Scheduler but secretly wish it had a friendlier interface, richer triggers, or workflow-style automation, here are four solid alternatives that can replace or augment Task Scheduler for everyday and power-user automation needs. Background / Overview Windows Task...
  13. Windows 11 God Mode: Quick Access to All Tasks and Admin Tools

    Windows 11 quietly preserves the long-standing “God Mode” trick — a simple, hidden folder that consolidates hundreds of Windows configuration panels, admin utilities, and legacy Control Panel applets into a single, searchable view — making it a fast, power-user shortcut for anyone who regularly...
  14. iLink Digital: Azure Expert MSP & Inc. 5000 Growth for Enterprises

    iLink Digital’s recent announcements mark a notable moment in the crowded Microsoft partner ecosystem: the company says it has reached Microsoft’s top-tier Azure expertise and — according to a syndicated press release — earned placement on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list, milestones that, if fully...
  15. God Mode in Windows 11: Quick All Tasks Access & Settings

    Windows 11 hides a surprisingly practical productivity trick behind a single folder name: the so‑called God Mode folder — a Master Control Panel view that gathers hundreds of system settings and administrative tools into one browsable container and can dramatically speed up troubleshooting and...
  16. GA of New Message Trace in Exchange Online: Migrate to V2 Cmdlets & Throttling

    Microsoft has pushed the refreshed Message Trace for Exchange Online out of preview and into general availability for worldwide (WW) tenants, triggering a hard look at automation, reporting integrations, and long-running scripts that rely on the legacy m-tracing stack; admins must plan now...
  17. GA of the New Message Trace in Exchange Online: Migration, Throttling & Deprecation

    The new Message Trace experience for Exchange Online has reached general availability and Microsoft is beginning a global rollout, but the change comes with important operational limits, a firm deprecation timeline for legacy tooling, and migration steps that every Exchange administrator should...
  18. Exchange Online GA: New Message Trace with Get-MessageTraceV2

    Microsoft has moved the revamped Message Trace experience in Exchange Online out of preview and into general availability, bringing a faster UI, new PowerShell cmdlets, extended query windows, and new operational constraints that will change how administrators automate and extract trace data...
  19. PowerToys 0.93 Update: Faster Command Palette and Upcoming Settings Search

    Microsoft’s PowerToys 0.93 delivered a much-needed Settings dashboard overhaul and major Command Palette performance wins, but the suite still lacks a unified Settings search—and community work tracked on GitHub plus Microsoft’s own roadmap notes indicate a settings search bar is targeted for...
  20. ChatGPT Enterprise Leads 2025: Security, Scale, and Custom Automation for Businesses

    ChatGPT Enterprise has emerged as the de facto leader among business-focused chatbots in 2025, distinguished by enterprise-grade security, scalable deployment tools, and deep customization that supports automation, customer support, and advanced data analysis—claims reflected in industry...