StatCounter’s August 2025 snapshot produced a deceptively simple headline — Windows 11 slipped below 50% of desktop Windows installations while Windows 10 regained ground — but the data behind that headline, and what it means for users and IT teams as Windows 10 support ends in October, require...
cloud desktops
compliance
cybersecurity
data analytics
desktop os
end of support
endpoint management
enterprise it
esu
hardwarecompatibilityhardware requirements
it administration
it budget
migration
msp
os migration
pilot rollout
policy
risk management
rollback testing
secure boot
security updates
statcounter
tpm 2.0
upgrade path
upgrade planning
web telemetry
windows 10
windows 11
windows 365
windows lifecycle
Microsoft’s choice to omit the x86 HLT (halt) instruction from Windows 95’s shipped idle path was not a bug or oversight — it was a deliberate, conservative engineering decision taken to avoid a catastrophic failure mode that, in lab and field tests, could leave some laptops effectively bricked...
apic
bios
bricked laptops
cpu idle
engineering decision
firmware
hardwarecompatibility
hlt
hlt instruction
kernel idle
legacy os
oem ecosystems
power efficiency
power management
recovery and rollback
risk management
smm
system safety
windows 95
x86
Set Up Storage Spaces Mirror in Windows 10/11 for Local Redundancy
Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 30-45 minutes
Introduction
Storage Spaces is a built-in Windows feature that lets you group two or more physical drives into a single virtual pool and create resilient storage volumes...
admin rights
backups
data redundancy
disk management
hardwarecompatibility
ntfs
performance
pool creation
powershell
refs
resiliency
storage pool
storage spaces
thin provisioning
three-way mirror
troubleshooting
two-way mirror
virtual disk
windows 10
windows 11
Microsoft’s decision to stop issuing free security updates for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025 has forced IT leaders into a binary choice: pay to buy time, or accelerate an estate-wide migration to Windows 11 — and the short-term cost of staying on Windows 10 could be measured in billions for...
Microsoft is ending mainstream support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025 — yet for many users the story doesn’t end there: Microsoft has opened a narrowly scoped, one‑year consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program that lets eligible Windows 10 devices receive security‑only patches...
22h2
cert-in
cloud backups
consumer esu
cybersecurity policy
data backup
e-waste
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settings sync
tpm 2.0
up to 10 devices
upgrade options
upgrade strategy
upgrade to windows 11
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 11
windows 11 migration
windows 11 upgrade
windows backup
windows update
The countdown is real: Microsoft will stop issuing regular security updates and technical support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, and owners of older but still serviceable laptops face three clear choices — upgrade to Windows 11 if the hardware permits, pay for a short-term Extended Security...
8th generation intel
chromeos flex
e-waste
end of support
esu eligibility
esu program
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laptop upgrade decision
lightweight operating system
linux mint
linux on laptops
pc health check
secure boot
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tpm 2.0
windows 10 end of life
windows 10 support ends
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Windows 11’s Bluetooth audio experience just shed one of its longest‑running annoyances: when the headset mic opens, audio no longer has to collapse into a muffled, mono mess. Microsoft’s recent updates add full Bluetooth LE Audio support with a new super‑wideband stereo routing mode that keeps...
a2dp
auracast
bluetooth
bluetooth 5.2
bluetooth drivers
driver updates
gaming audio
hardwarecompatibility
hfp
isochronous channels
lc3
le audio
mic performance
oem support
stereo audio
super-wideband
tmap
voice chat
windows 11
Microsoft has fixed a hard deadline: Windows 10 reaches end of support on October 14, 2025, and the calendar is not negotiable—users must choose to upgrade, buy a short-term extension, or accept growing security risk.
Background / Overview
Microsoft’s lifecycle policy for Windows 10 has been...
azure virtual desktop
chromeos flex
cloud desktops
cloud pc
compensating controls
cybersecurity
data backup
e-waste
end of support
esu
extended security updates
hardwarecompatibilityhardware refresh
it leadership
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media creation tool
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october 14 2025
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tpm 2.0
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windows 10
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windows update
As the calendar races toward October 14, 2025, a striking and inconvenient truth has emerged: a very large portion of the global PC installed base is still running Windows 10, even as Microsoft prepares to stop issuing free security updates and feature patches for that OS. PC makers, market...
ai pcs
azure virtual desktop
cloud desktops
cloud pc
consumer esu
consumer it
copilot
cybersecurity risk
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device inventory
e-waste
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vdi
windows 10
windows 10 devices inventory
windows 10 end of life
windows 10 end of support
windows 11
windows 11 migration
windows 11 requirements
windows 11 upgrade
windows 365
windows update
With the clock counting down to October 14, 2025, millions of PCs face a stark choice: upgrade to Windows 11, pay for a short-term safety net, or keep running an increasingly risky, unsupported Windows 10—while the debate over hardware compatibility, drivers and sustainability suddenly looks...
ai benchmarking
ai pcs
android tablets
asset inventory
azure virtual desktop
backup
bios/uefi
board governance
clean install
cloud adoption
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roi
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tco
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tpm 2.0
upgrade guide
usb installation
vdi
windows 10
windows 10 end of life
windows 10 end of support
windows 11
windows 11 requirements
windows 11 upgrade
windows 365
windows backup
windows update
Microsoft’s push to bring Bluetooth LE Audio into Windows 11 finally closes a painful, decades‑old gap between high‑fidelity stereo playback and usable microphone audio on PCs — and owners of compatible Samsung Galaxy Buds models are among the first to see tangible benefits.
Background
Bluetooth...
22h2
24h2
a2dp
audio codecs
audio for windows
audio latency
auracast
bluetooth
bluetooth adapters
bluetooth audio
bluetooth drivers
bluetooth lc3
bluetooth le audio
driver updates
earbud firmware
earbuds
firmware updates
galaxy buds
galaxy buds 2 pro
galaxy buds 3
galaxy buds 3 pro
game audio
gaming audio
hardwarecompatibility
headset compatibility
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hfp
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isochronous channels
lc3
lc3 codec
le audio
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multistream audio
spatial audio
super wideband stereo
teams
teams spatial audio
tmap
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windows 11
windows 11 le audio
windows updates
wireless audio
If you’ve spent a decade — or three — inside Windows and the prospect of switching to Linux feels equal parts liberating and terrifying, you’re not alone; recent coverage and community chatter have distilled the crossover into four practical tactics that turn a daunting migration into a...
backups and recovery
compatibility layers
dual boot
fedora
gaming on linux
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kde plasma
linux migration
linux mint
live usb
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operese
privacy and control
proton
ubuntu
virtual machines
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wine
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zorin os
Windows 11’s latest LE Audio work finally breaks the decades‑old trade‑off that forced Bluetooth headsets to choose between high‑fidelity stereo playback and usable microphone quality during calls and game chat, delivering a super‑wideband stereo path that keeps your game audio in stereo while...
Microsoft's latest Windows 11 update brings a long‑awaited fix for muffled Bluetooth headset audio: support for Bluetooth LE Audio's super‑wideband stereo, letting game audio remain high‑fidelity while voice chat or calls run at a much higher sample rate than the old Hands‑Free Profile allowed...
On August 24, 1995, Microsoft unleashed a consumer operating system that would reshape everyday computing, not just as a technical milestone but as a cultural event: Windows 95 combined a sweeping user-interface overhaul, aggressive marketing and architectural changes that together accelerated...
32-bit architecture
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rolling stones start me up
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start button
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taskbar
user interface
virtualization
windows 95
windows ux evolution
wrapper app
Microsoft’s official support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025 — and that deadline turns a decade-old, still‑widely used operating system into a growing security liability unless you act now. 10 has been a workhorse for hundreds of millions of PCs, but when Microsoft stops shipping...
azure virtual desktop
backup
backup strategy
budget procurement
cloud pc
compatibility
compliance risk
copilot
data protection
device inventory
end of support
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esu
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south africa it
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tpm 2.0
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upgrade vs replacement
vbs
vdi
vdi windows
windows 10
windows 10 end of support
windows 11
windows 11 migration
windows 11 requirements
windows 365
Microsoft is urging users to prepare for a hard deadline—Windows 10 reaches end of support this October, and a flood of promotional offers has followed, including a widely shared deal that advertises Windows 11 Pro for as little as $14.97 as users scramble to move off an unsupported OS...
activation keys
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esu program
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license risk
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oem keys
pc health check
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security updates
tpm 2.0
upgrade checklist
windows 10 end of support
windows 11 pro
windows 11 upgrade
windows licensing
Windows 10 reaches its official end of support on October 14, 2025, which means millions of PCs will stop receiving free security updates, feature patches, and technical support — and that looming deadline forces a hard choice: upgrade to Windows 11, buy time with paid protections, migrate to a...
0patch
azure virtual desktop
azure-virtual-desktop
backup-and-migration
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end-of-support-2025
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New Windows 11 24H2 cumulative updates released in August have been linked to a worrying, reproducible storage regression that can make some SSDs and a few HDDs vanish from the operating system during heavy, sustained writes — in a number of community tests the failure has led to corrupted or...
data backup
data loss
diagnostics
dram-less
enterprise it
firmware
hardwarecompatibility
heavy writes
hmb
kb5062660
kb5063878
known issue rollback
nvme
phison
ssd
storage regression
sustained writes
windows 11
windows updates risk
Microsoft’s latest cumulative for Windows 11 24H2 has been tied to a small but serious cluster of storage failures that can make NVMe SSDs disappear during heavy writes and, in a handful of cases, leave data unreadable — a scare that underscores why updating and backup discipline still matters...
24h2
26100.4946
august 2025 update
backup
data backup
data integrity
data recovery
dism
dram-less ssd
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firmware update
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it admins
kb5063878
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nvme ssd
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sccm
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ssd disappearance
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support guidance
vendor diagnostics
windows 11
windows 11 24h2
windows updates
wsus