Microsoft has pushed Windows 11, version 25H2 into the Release Preview channel while publicly denying any link between August’s cumulative updates and a rash of user-reported SSD failures — a week that illustrated both Microsoft’s increasingly disciplined servicing model and the fragility of...
Windows Security failing to open is a deceptively common problem that can leave a PC exposed and users unnerved — yet in almost every case the root causes and remedies are resolvable without a full reinstall. Symptoms range from a completely unresponsive Windows Security app to a blank or...
Microsoft has pushed Windows 11, version 25H2, into the Release Preview Channel — a near‑final enablement‑package update (Build 26200.5074) that flips on features already staged throughout the 24H2 servicing stream, trims legacy management surface area, and spotlights practical, low‑disruption...
Microsoft has begun distributing Windows 11 version 25H2 to Insiders in the Release Preview channel, a move that signals the annual feature update is production‑adjacent and ready for targeted validation ahead of a broader public rollout later this year. (blogs.windows.com)
Background / Overview...
ekb
enablement package
enterprise it
germanium
grouppolicy
it administration
legacy script remediation
mdm csp
pilot testing
powershell 2.0
release preview
windows 11
windows 11 25h2
windows update for business
wmic
wsus
Microsoft has started rolling Windows 11, version 25H2, into the Release Preview Channel — but what arrived is less a headline-grabbing feature update and more a carefully staged enablement package that flips on code Microsoft has already shipped throughout the 24H2 servicing stream. This...
automation
compatibility
copilot
csp
ekb
enablement package
enterprise it
grouppolicy
intune
it administration
pilot testing
powershell 2.0
provisioning
release preview
scripting
servicing model
windows 11
windows 11 25h2
wmic
wsus
Audit and Lock Down App Permissions & Privacy Settings in Windows 10/11
Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 15 minutes
Introduction
Apps asking for access to your camera, microphone, location, files, and other data can be convenient — but they’re also a privacy and security risk if left...
advertising id
app permissions
background apps
controlled folder access
data collection
diagnostics and feedback
file system privacy
grouppolicy
microsoft account privacy
per app permissions
privacy audit
privacy settings
registry tweaks
security hardening
system restore
telemetry
windows 10
windows 11
windows privacy
windows security
Microsoft has pushed Windows 11, version 25H2 (Build 26200.5074) into the Release Preview channel, delivering this year's annual feature update as a lightweight enablement package (eKB) that activates features already staged on devices running 24H2 — and in the process, Microsoft is quietly...
cim cmdlets
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enablement package
enterprise it
get-ciminstance
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it administration
mdm csp
powershell 2.0 removal
release preview
remove default microsoft store packages
security hardening
shared servicing branch
windows 11
windows 11 25h2
windows update for business
wmi deprecation
wmic deprecation
wsus
Microsoft has pushed what it calls Windows 11, version 25H2, into the Release Preview ring — a near‑final, enablement‑package style update that is now available to Insiders and commercial customers for final validation ahead of a broader rollout later this year. The Release Preview post...
24h2
25h2
26200.5074
ai features
copilot
csp
driver compatibility
ekb
enablement package
enterprise it
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iso images
it pilots
mdm
powershell 2.0
release preview
windows 11
wmic
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Windows 11’s next annual feature update is now on the cusp of broad testing — but this year Microsoft shipped something that tidies and trims more than it innovates.
Background / Overview
Microsoft has moved Windows 11 version 25H2 into the Release Preview channel, signalling that the update is...
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...
Releasing Windows 11, version 25H2 to the Release Preview Channel — what you need to know (for Insiders, IT pros, and forum readers)
Today (August 29, 2025) the Windows Insider team made this year’s annual feature update — Windows 11, version 25H2 (Build 26200.5074) — available in the Release...
compatibility
deployment
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enablement package
enterprise it
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insiders
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pilot testing
powershell 2.0 removal
preinstalled store apps
release preview
windows 11
windows 11 25h2
windows insider program
wmic removal
wsus
wufb
Microsoft has warned that the cryptographic roots underpinning UEFI Secure Boot on Windows devices will begin to expire in June 2026, forcing a global certificate update that every IT team and many end users must plan for now to avoid boot-level insecurities and loss of updateability.
Background...
2026 expiration
bitlocker
bootkit
certificate rollover
db
dbx
grouppolicy
intune
kek
linux shim
mdm
oem firmware
pre-boot security
recovery media
secure boot
uefi
vm
windows 11
windows server
windows update
Windows 11 ships with a maze of background services: some are essential, some are convenience features, and a surprising number quietly collect data or spin CPU and disk cycles while you work. A recent practical guide singled out a small set of these services as safe targets for trimming —...
Control Windows Update Interruptions: Active Hours, Pause, and Delivery Optimization
Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 10-15 minutes
Keeping Windows up to date is important for security and performance — but unexpected restarts or large background downloads can interrupt work or slow a...
Microsoft’s AI ambitions inside Windows have quietly been given a new label: mounting evidence from Insider builds and system files suggests Microsoft is preparing to promote a unified artificial intelligence umbrella called Windows Intelligence, consolidating generative-AI controls, app...
adml
ai permissions
ai telemetry
appprivacy
copilot
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grouppolicy
os-level ai
per-app permissions
privacy & security
privacy defaults
recent activity
security
windows 11
windows insider
windows intelligence
Microsoft has quietly flipped a foundational behavior in Word for Windows: new documents you create now start life in the cloud, with AutoSave enabled by default and an immediate OneDrive/SharePoint identity — a change rolling out in Word for Windows Version 2509 (Build 19221.20000) and later...
ai integration
autosave
cloud first
cloud storage
co-authoring
copilot
cross-device
data governance
grouppolicy
it administration
microsoft 365
office
offline access
onedrive
productivity
sharepoint
version history
word for windows
Microsoft is rolling out a quiet but consequential change to how Word for Windows saves new documents: starting with Word for Windows Version 2509 (Build 19221.20000) in Insider channels, documents you create will be saved to the cloud (OneDrive, SharePoint, or a preferred cloud location) by...
admx intune
autosave
cloud storage
cloud-first
copilot
cross-device sync
data governance
date-based filenames
document collaboration
enterprise it
grouppolicy
insiders
microsoft 365
offline mode
onedrive
privacy
save options
sharepoint
word for windows
Microsoft is quietly shifting a fundamental part of the Word for Windows experience: new documents created in Word will now default to being saved in the cloud (OneDrive or another configured cloud destination) with AutoSave enabled, and the change begins with Word for Windows version 2509 and...
ai
ai integration
autosave
cloud first
cloud storage
cloud-first
cloudfirst
cloudgovernance
cloudstorage
co-authoring
collaboration
compliance
copilot
cross-device
crossdevice
data governance
dataretention
datasecurity
dlp
document management
ediscovery
enterprise
filenaming
governance
grouppolicygrouppolicy
insiderbuild
intune
it administration
itadministration
itadmins
known folder move
local-first
localfirst
microsoft 365
microsoft365
office
offline access
onedrive
policycontrol
privacy
productivity
remotework
save options
savesettings
sharepoint
team collaboration
version history
windows2509
word
word for windows
wordforwindows
Microsoft has quietly moved Windows Backup for Organizations from preview into the Release Preview channel with the optional, non‑security cumulative update KB5064080 (Build 22631.5837 / OS Build 22621.5840), pairing a cluster of targeted reliability fixes with a strategically important...
device management
entra id
file explorer
grouppolicy
intune
kb5064080
lcu
microsoft entra
narrator accessibility
refs stability
release preview
removable storage policy
rollback strategy
smb over quic
ssu
unicode ime gb18030
wi-fi reconnect
windows 11
windows backup for organizations
Microsoft is rolling the ability to install Windows quality updates during the Out‑Of‑Box Experience (OOBE) into enterprise provisioning flows, making it possible for eligible Entra‑joined and Entra hybrid‑joined Windows 11 devices to arrive at first sign‑in already patched — but only when...
autopilot
deployment planning
device provisioning
enterprise it
entra
entra hybrid joined
entra joined
esp enrollment status page
grouppolicy
intune
mdm
oobe provisioning
os updates
patch management
quality updates
security updates
windows 11 22h2
windows oobe
windows update for business