Microsoft’s decision to stop supporting Windows 10 has pulled the company’s full engineering weight behind Windows 11, and the result is an aggressive, cross-cutting wave of updates that position Copilot as the system’s center of gravity while delivering practical improvements across File Explorer, accessibility, gaming, security, and connectivity.
Microsoft formally set October 14, 2025 as the end-of-support date for Windows 10, after which routine feature, quality, and security updates for mainstream Windows 10 editions cease unless customers enroll in Extended Security Updates (ESU). This hard breakpoint creates both urgency and opportunity: consumers and enterprises that want continued protection must upgrade or enroll in ESU, while Microsoft can now concentrate product development and platform investments on Windows 11.
With that strategic pivot, Microsoft’s October–September feature rollouts and insider previews have been notable for two consistent threads: first, making Copilot the primary way people interact with Windows, and second, embedding AI into common workflows so everyday tasks require fewer context switches. Those changes are visible in concrete feature launches that are already shipping to Insiders and rolling out to mainstream channels.
At the same time, the rollout highlights a recurring theme: the best, lowest-latency experiences are still tied to certified Copilot+ hardware, vendor drivers, and licensing. Organizations and power users should pilot carefully, validate driver stacks, and lock down privacy and telemetry settings before flipping on broad AI features. Microsoft’s documentation and insider channels are being updated rapidly as features move from preview to general availability, so staying current with official release notes and testing guidance is essential.
Windows 11’s evolution is not a single “big swing” but a series of incremental, thoughtfully placed improvements that, when combined, make the OS behave more like an assistant-driven workspace. For users ready to embrace Copilot, the productivity and accessibility wins are real. For everyone else, the new Windows gives clear upgrade incentives—better security posture, faster networking when hardware allows it, and a steadily improving, AI-infused desktop that will only get richer as Microsoft and its partners refine the platform.
Source: PC Guide All the best features coming to Windows 11 now that Windows 10 support is over
Microsoft formally set October 14, 2025 as the end-of-support date for Windows 10, after which routine feature, quality, and security updates for mainstream Windows 10 editions cease unless customers enroll in Extended Security Updates (ESU). This hard breakpoint creates both urgency and opportunity: consumers and enterprises that want continued protection must upgrade or enroll in ESU, while Microsoft can now concentrate product development and platform investments on Windows 11. With that strategic pivot, Microsoft’s October–September feature rollouts and insider previews have been notable for two consistent threads: first, making Copilot the primary way people interact with Windows, and second, embedding AI into common workflows so everyday tasks require fewer context switches. Those changes are visible in concrete feature launches that are already shipping to Insiders and rolling out to mainstream channels.
Overview: The AI-first desktop — what “AI PC” means in practice
Windows 11’s recent updates intentionally reframed many user touchpoints so they feel like they’re assisted by AI rather than simply running on a smarter OS. That includes:- Contextual AI actions (right-click shortcuts in File Explorer) that let you edit images or summarize documents without opening apps.
- System-wide Copilot placement, moving from a sidebar to taskbar/ask experiences and adding agentic features that can execute multi-step tasks with explicit permission.
- Copilot Vision and Gaming Copilot, enabling visual grounding and in-game assistance directly in Game Bar and the Xbox ecosystem.
File Explorer: AI where files live
What’s new
File Explorer now exposes an AI actions submenu in the context (right-click) menu for supported files. For images, out-of-the-box actions include:- Blur Background — launches Photos with a background blur template.
- Erase Objects — preloads an erase/remove workflow for distracting elements.
- Remove Background — opens Paint (or the image editor) with a cutout applied.
- Bing Visual Search — find similar images or related products on the web.
Why it matters
This turns the File Explorer context menu into an action surface: small edits and triage tasks happen in-place without launching full apps or breaking flow. For people who triage photos, moderate large document folders, or need quick summaries, those seconds saved compound over a day.Practical caveats and privacy
- Many AI actions are convenience shortcuts that pre-fill editors rather than perform irreversible changes silently; always keep originals when editing critical files.
- Some summarization and higher-fidelity image edits may run in the cloud depending on your hardware and license; organizations should review data-flow and compliance settings before enabling cloud AI on sensitive document collections.
Widgets and the lock screen: curated, glanceable information
What’s changed
Widgets received a visual and organizational refresh: a cleaner Discover feed, multiple widget boards for different contexts, and the ability to add widgets directly to the lock screen for immediate glanceability (weather, watchlists, sports scores). Microsoft is surfacing suggested widgets to help users discover relevant cards.Strengths and risks
- Strength: Lock-screen widgets reduce friction for common checks (flight status, timers) without unlocking the PC.
- Risk: Anything visible pre-login increases the need for careful default privacy settings; administrators should confirm which widgets are allowed on the lock screen to avoid accidental data exposure.
Accessibility: Narrator’s Braille viewer and smoother Word navigation
Braille viewer
Narrator now includes a Braille viewer that shows on-screen textual content and its Braille representation, updating dynamically with a connected refreshable Braille display. The viewer is especially designed to help Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) follow along, and it can scale to the number of Braille cells on the attached device. The feature is accessible after installing the Narrator Braille support package under Settings > Accessibility > Narrator.Improved reading in Word
Narrator’s Word support has been improved to provide more consistent list announcements, clearer table boundaries, reliable continuous reading, and smoother navigation through footnotes and comments—small refinements with outsized impact for document-heavy workflows.Why it matters
These changes continue to push Windows toward parity with best-in-class accessibility platforms. Braille viewer in particular helps instructors and collaborators bridge sighted and tactile experiences in educational settings.Gaming: Gaming Copilot and Xbox app improvements
Gaming Copilot in Game Bar
Microsoft is rolling out Gaming Copilot (Beta) into Game Bar on Windows, providing an in-session, voice-enabled assistant that understands gameplay context, can consume screenshots to ground answers, and offers recommendations, tips, and achievement help—all without full-screening or breaking immersion. Voice Mode supports push-to-talk to reduce ambient listening.Xbox app: Network Quality Indicator and library consolidation
The Xbox PC app now surfaces a Network Quality Indicator (NQI) to help troubleshoot cloud-streaming issues and gives clearer save-sync diagnostics when game saves are pending from another device. The app’s My Library experience consolidates games from multiple storefronts and shows play history, improving fusion between PC and Xbox ecosystems.Practical notes for players
- Gaming Copilot is currently in preview and region-limited in some early rollouts. Expect incremental feature expansion and iterative tuning based on Insider and Xbox feedback.
- Because the feature captures screenshots for context, players should review capture permissions and avoid exposing private windows during sensitive gameplay sessions.
Security: Administrator Protection, Windows Hello refresh, and passkeys
Administrator Protection
Windows 11’s Administrator Protection introduces a structural change to elevation: when an admin task is requested, Windows generates an isolated, system-managed admin token from a hidden profile-separated account, grants that token for the duration of the action, and discards it after use. The model enforces just-in-time elevation and profile separation to reduce invisible privilege exposure and blunt common elevation-of-privilege attack vectors. Integration with Windows Hello provides authorization for these temporary elevations.Windows Hello visual refresh and automatic credential selection
Windows Hello has a refreshed sign-in UI that aims to make switching between authentication options (passkeys, biometrics, PIN, or connected devices) cleaner and quicker, and Microsoft describes an automatic credential selection mechanism that surfaces the safest credential when multiple are available. That modernized sign-in flow is rolling out in preview builds and to Insiders.Passkeys and third-party credential managers (1Password)
Windows 11 now supports a plugin credential manager model for passkeys, enabling third-party managers (notably 1Password in the Insider builds) to integrate with Windows passkey flows. That allows users to create or use passkeys managed by a credential manager and authenticate via Windows Hello verification. The platform APIs and documentation for plugin passkey managers are available to developers.Why this matters
- Administrator Protection raises the bar for malware and lateral-movement attacks by ensuring admin privileges are transient and isolated.
- Passkey plugin support is a major step toward a passwordless future on Windows, enabling users to centralize credential management in popular vaults while preserving Windows Hello verification. Enterprises should test credential manager compatibility and the Advanced options workflow before broadly deploying.
Connectivity: Wi‑Fi 7 support and what you must know
OS-level support
Microsoft has added OS-level support for Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be) starting with Windows 11 version 24H2 and later previews; however, driver and hardware readiness matter. Vendors like Intel state that Wi‑Fi 7 features are enabled only when running Windows 11 24H2 with compatible drivers—the drivers and firmware determine whether MLO (Multi-Link Operation), 320 MHz channels, and other Wi‑Fi 7 capabilities are exposed.Practical deployment checklist
- Confirm the device is running Windows 11 24H2 or later (and the matching KB preview when required).
- Install vendor-certified Wi‑Fi 7 drivers (Intel BE200/BE201/BE202 or OEM-supplied packages). Generic drivers may fall back to Wi‑Fi 6E behavior.
- Ensure access points and controllers run firmware that supports Wi‑Fi 7 features and enterprise modes if you plan to use this in managed networks.
Caveat
The OS enabling Wi‑Fi 7 is only half the equation—real-world multi-link performance depends on NIC drivers, AP firmware, and RF conditions. Treat the OS support as necessary but not sufficient for “Wi‑Fi 7” in production.Deployment, licensing, and enterprise considerations
Copilot licensing and Microsoft 365 entitlements
Some Copilot-powered actions (notably Summarize for OneDrive/SharePoint) require Microsoft 365 licensing and Copilot entitlements in enterprise tenants. Admins should audit licensing, data residency, and model usage settings before enabling Copilot features broadly.Staged rollouts and enablement packages
Windows 11’s feature updates in 24H2/25H2 are often delivered as enablement packages, flipping feature flags already staged in prior cumulative updates. That means many features arrive with small restarts instead of full, heavy installs—but enterprises should pilot in representative rings to validate EDR/AV compatibility and driver interoperability.Governance and privacy
AI features that inspect on-screen content, capture screenshots, or process document contents create new telemetry and data-flow vectors. Organizations must evaluate:- Which Copilot connectors and data sources are allowed.
- Where processing occurs (on-device vs cloud) and what controls are available for sensitive workloads.
- Audit logs and admin controls for agentic features like Copilot Actions.
Strengths and notable wins
- Genuine productivity wins: AI actions in File Explorer, Click-to-Do improvements, and Copilot integration reduce context switching for routine tasks.
- Accessibility momentum: Braille viewer and improved Narrator behavior are real, tested improvements with clear educational use cases.
- Gaming ecosystem integration: Gaming Copilot and Xbox app updates address long-standing friction in PC gaming (tips, save-sync, cloud streaming diagnostics).
- Security posture enhancements: Administrator Protection, passkey plugin support, Windows Hello modernization, and kernel memory-safety investments reflect an enterprise-forward security posture.
Risks, limitations, and open questions
- Fragmented availability: Many of the most compelling experiences are gated by hardware (Copilot+ NPUs), region, and license entitlements—this will create user confusion about feature visibility.
- Data flow and privacy: Visual grounding and screenshot use increase surface area for sensitive exposures; by default, settings should err on the side of conservative capture and cloud processing.
- Enterprise rollout friction: Driver and firmware dependencies (Wi‑Fi 7, NPU drivers, capture drivers) make enterprise pilots essential before wide deployment.
- Agentic automation risk: Copilot Actions that can act on the web or interact with services raise control, audit, and compliance questions—Microsoft describes scoped permissions, but admins must enforce guardrails.
Practical upgrade guidance (for consumers and IT teams)
- Confirm Windows 10 end-of-support handling for each device: upgrade eligible devices to Windows 11 or enroll in ESU if needed.
- Pilot Windows 11 24H2/25H2 in a small user cohort to validate EDR, driver behavior (Wi‑Fi, GPU), and Copilot feature visibility.
- Inventory copilot-dependent workflows and map required licensing (Microsoft 365, Copilot entitlements) prior to enabling Summarize and other commercial AI features.
- For Wi‑Fi 7 deployments, coordinate drivers and AP firmware upgrades—do not assume OS upgrade alone will unlock full 802.11be features.
- Harden privacy defaults: disable automatic screenshot transfer, limit lock-screen widgets, and document where AI processing happens.
Conclusion
The close of Windows 10’s support lifecycle cleared the runway for Windows 11 to accelerate an AI-first desktop vision: Copilot is being stitched into the fabric of file management, system settings, games, and accessibility. Many of these changes are practical and immediately useful—AI actions in File Explorer, Braille viewer in Narrator, Gaming Copilot in Game Bar, passkey plugin support with 1Password, and OS-level Wi‑Fi 7 readiness are all concrete upgrades that improve day-to-day workflows.At the same time, the rollout highlights a recurring theme: the best, lowest-latency experiences are still tied to certified Copilot+ hardware, vendor drivers, and licensing. Organizations and power users should pilot carefully, validate driver stacks, and lock down privacy and telemetry settings before flipping on broad AI features. Microsoft’s documentation and insider channels are being updated rapidly as features move from preview to general availability, so staying current with official release notes and testing guidance is essential.
Windows 11’s evolution is not a single “big swing” but a series of incremental, thoughtfully placed improvements that, when combined, make the OS behave more like an assistant-driven workspace. For users ready to embrace Copilot, the productivity and accessibility wins are real. For everyone else, the new Windows gives clear upgrade incentives—better security posture, faster networking when hardware allows it, and a steadily improving, AI-infused desktop that will only get richer as Microsoft and its partners refine the platform.
Source: PC Guide All the best features coming to Windows 11 now that Windows 10 support is over