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Cybersecurity researchers have discovered five malicious Rust crates that masquerade as time-related utilities to transmit .env file data to the threat actors. The Rust packages, published to crates.io, are listed below - chrono_anchor dnp3times time_calibrator time_calibrators time-sync The crates, per Socket, impersonate timeapi.io and were published between late February and early March Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

For more than a year, a Russian-speaking threat actor targeted human resource (HR) departments with malware that delivers a new EDR killer named BlackSanta. [...]

A new Android malware named BeatBanker can hijack devices and tricks users into installing it by posing as a Starlink app on websites masquerading as the official Google Play Store. [...]

OpenAI is an artificial intelligence organization comprised of the non-profit OpenAI, Inc. and several for-profit subsidiaries. The company is perhaps best known for its ChatGPT chatbot, which launched in 2022, kicking off a period of massive disruption in the tech industry and beyond.

A complicated and increasingly contentious relationship with Microsoft, ongoing legal issues over copyright infringement, and frequent product announcements keep OpenAI in the news. Follow this page and never miss a beat.

Latest Open AI news and analysis: OpenAI to acquire Promptfoo to strengthen AI agent security testing

March 10, 2026: OpenAI said it plans to acquire AI testing startup Promptfoo, a move aimed at strengthening security checks for AI agents as enterprises move toward deploying autonomous systems in business workflows.

OpenAI robotics chief quits over Pentagon deal

March 9, 2026: Caitlin Kalinowski has resigned over OpenAI’s contract with the US Department of War, saying key safeguards around domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons were not adequately reviewed before the agreement was signed.

OpenAI says Codex Security found 11,000 high-impact bugs in a month

March 9, 2026: OpenAI’s new AppSec agent, Codex Security, has already flagged over 11,000 high-severity and critical flaws in real-world codebases during its first 30 days of research testing. The tool is designed to automatically find, validate, and fix vulnerabilities in software repositories.

OpenAI says its US defense deal is safer than Anthropic’s, but is it?

March 2, 2026: OpenAI has struck a deal to supply the US government with AI services, announcing it hours after US President Donald Trump’s decision to ban its AI rival Anthropic from all US government contracts.

OpenAI partners with consulting giants to deploy enterprise AI agents

February 26, 2026: As it bids to push further into the enterprise, OpenAI announced that it has partnered with several large consulting firms. Frontier Alliances, as the partner initiative is called, will involve work with Accenture, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Capgemini, and McKinsey & Co. 

OpenAI hires OpenClaw founder as AI agent race intensifies

February 16, 2026: OpenAI has hired Peter Steinberger, creator of the viral OpenClaw AI assistant, to spearhead development of what CEO Sam Altman describes as “the next generation of personal agents.”

OpenAI responds to Claude Cowork with its own platform for AI agents

February 5, 2026: Anthropic released 11 open-source plugins that enable Claude Cowork to execute a series of automated processes in areas ranging from customer support to IT operations, OpenAI responded Thursday with a similar platform it calls Frontier.  

Who profits from AI? Not OpenAI, says think tank

January 29, 2026: Findings from a new study by Epoch AI, a non-profit research institute, seeks to answer three questions: How profitable is running AI models? Are models profitable over their lifecycle? Will AI models become profitable?

Will the Microsoft-Anthropic deal leave OpenAI out in the cold?

January 27, 2026: Microsoft wasted little time after reaching a deal to finalize its new relationship with OpenAI to find a new AI dance partner — Anthropic, the second most valuable AI startup in the world. It appears as if Microsoft sees a future with Anthropic that’s at least as valuable as the one it had with OpenAI.

OpenAI to add age verification to ChatGPT

January 21, 2026: OpenAI has adding age verification to ChatGPT following reports that several children and young people have taken their own lives after conversations with the popular chatbot. The move echoes a recent decision by TikTok to do the same thing to protect underage users from accessing inappropriate content.

Musk’s OpenAI lawsuit clears path to trial, putting Microsoft in the spotlight

January 9, 2026: A federal judge has signalled that Elon Musk’s lawsuit challenging OpenAI’s transformation to a for-profit entity will proceed to trial, adding legal uncertainty for enterprise customers that have built AI strategies around the ChatGPT maker’s technology.

OpenAI launches GPT-5.2 as it battles Google’s Gemini 3 for AI model supremacy

December 12, 2025: OpenAI has released GPT-5.2, claiming significant gains in the AI model’s ability to complete real-world business tasks to an “expert level” compared to GPT-5.1, released in November. The new model offers major improvements across a range of benchmarks, the company said.

What does OpenAI’s ‘Code Red’ warning mean for Microsoft?

December 10. 2025: OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman sent out a memo to OpenAI employees declaring a “Code Red” emergency and focusing all company efforts on improving ChatGPT. The reason? Google’s newly released Gemini 3 model beat the pants off GPT-5.1

OpenAI to acquire AI training tracker Neptune

December 3, 2025: OpenAI has agreed to acquire Neptune, a startup specializing in tools for tracking AI training. Neptune promptly announced it is withdrawing its products from the market.

OpenAI admits data breach after analytics partner hit by phishing attack

November 27, 2025: OpenAI suffered a significant data breach after hackers broke into the systems of its analytics partner Mixpanel and successfully stole customer profile information for its API portal, the companies have said in coordinated statements.

OpenAI rolls out GPT-5.1 to refine ChatGPT with adaptive reasoning and personalization

November 13, 2025: OpenAI has introduced GPT-5.1, an update to its GPT-5 model, aiming to deliver faster responses, improved reasoning, and more flexible conversational controls as the company works to refine its ChatGPT experience for both consumer and enterprise users.

OpenAI spends even more money it doesn’t have

November 3, 2025: OpenAI’s overdraft continued its upward trajectory today when the company signed a multi-year $38 billion contract with AWS to have it run its AI workloads. The latest spending spree adds to the incremental $250 billion of Azure services it pledged to buy last week, and, of course, to the commitment it has made towards building Stargate data centers with Oracle.

OpenAI seeks to automate ‘computer use’ for Macs in the enterprise

October 24, 2025: While AI bots have begun mastering tasks in browsers and on Windows, Mac-using enterprises have largely been overlooked, until now. OpenAI aims to change that with its acquisition of generative AI interface maker Software Applications Incorporated.

Enterprises should not install OpenAI’s new Atlas browser, analysts warn

October 24, 2025: Companies that might be eyeing OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Atlas browser should not rush to use it because of potential security risks, analysts said this week. The browser was unveiled on Tuesday after it had been teased for months as a work in progress. It is currently available for MacOS only.

Has OpenAI shown us a future for Safari?

October 23, 2025: Has OpenAI shown us the future of Safari? In one way it has, because its new Atlas browser shows these generative AI (genAI)-based apps are no longer just windows to the web — they’re becoming intelligent copilots for our digital lives. 

OpenAI–Broadcom alliance signals a shift to open infrastructure for AI

October 14, 2025: OpenAI has partnered with Broadcom to co-develop and deploy its first in-house AI processors. The move could reshape data center networking dynamics and chip supply strategies as the ChatGPT maker races to secure more computing power for AI workloads.

OpenAI Codex rivals Claude Code

October 13, 2025: The OpenAI Codex gives software developers a first-rate coding agent in their terminal and their IDE, along with the capability to delegate background tasks to agents in the cloud.

OpenAI Codex adds SDK, admin tools, Slack integration

October 10, 2024: Codex is now generally available. Since being launched as a research preview in May, Codex, OpenAI’s AI-powered software engineering agent that can work on tasks in parallel, has added Slack integration, an SDK, and admin tools.

OpenAI admits AI hallucinations are mathematically inevitable, not just engineering flaws

September 18, 2025: OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, acknowledged in its own research that large language models will always produce hallucinations due to fundamental mathematical constraints that cannot be solved through better engineering.

OpenAI, Microsoft discuss shape of future relationship

September 12, 2025: Microsoft and OpenAI are in talks about the future of their partnership, they said in a joint statement , without providing details. Separately, OpenAI said it wants to go ahead with its previously announced plan to turn its for-profit business into a public benefit corporation, in which its nonprofit organization would own a $100 billion stake.

What Oracle’s $300B OpenAI deal means for enterprise cloud strategy

September 11, 2025: A single $300 billion contract has seemingly transformed Oracle from a traditional ERP and database vendor into a cloud computing powerhouse.The company has signed a five-year computing power commitment with OpenAI, contributing to a reported 359% surge in future contract revenue this quarter.

OpenAI acquires Statsig to speed up generative AI-based product launches

September 3, 2025: OpenAI is acquiring Statsig, a Washington-based product development platform startup, for $1.1 billion to speed up its generative AI-based product launches and accelerate iteration cycles of existing products such as Codex and ChatGPT.

OpenAI drops GPT-5: smarter, sharper, and built for the real world

August 7. 2025: More than two years after GPT-4’s release, OpenAI has unveiled GPT-5, boasting sharper reasoning, multimodal input, better math skills, and cleaner task execution, according to the company.

OpenAI challenges rivals with Apache-licensed GPT-OSS models

August 6, 2025: OpenAI has released its first open-weight language models since GPT-2, marking a significant strategic shift as the company seeks to expand enterprise adoption through more flexible deployment options and reduced operational costs. The two new models — gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b — deliver what OpenAI describes as competitive performance while running efficiently on consumer-grade hardware. 

Google snatches Windsurf execs in a $2.4B deal, derailing OpenAI’s biggest acquisition yet

July 14, 2025: Google has recruited CEO Varun Mohan and co-founder Douglas Chen of AI coding startup Windsurf in a $2.4 billion talent acquisition deal, just two months after Windsurf agreed to be acquired by OpenAI for $3 billion. Mohan, Chen and select research and development staff, will join Google’s DeepMind AI division

OpenAI and Perplexity enter browser wars to take on Chrome

July 10, 2025: Google Chrome’s dominance in the browser market is facing new threats as OpenAI and Nvidia-backed Perplexity unveil AI-powered browsers aimed at reshaping how users interact with the web. Comet is a new web browser with built-in AI search capabilities, the company said.

Microsoft brings OpenAI-powered Deep Research to Azure AI Foundry agents

July 8, 2025: Microsoft added OpenAI-developed Deep Research capability to its Azure AI Foundry Agent service. The move is designed to let developers use Deep Research API and SDK to embed, extend, and orchestrate Deep Research-as-a-service across data and existing systems.

Oracle to power OpenAI’s AGI ambitions with 4.5GW expansion

July 3, 2025: OpenAI has signed a significant compute leasing deal with Oracle, under which it will access 4.5 gigawatts (GW) of data center power, marking one of the largest single leasing arrangements in the industry.

OpenAI tests Google TPUs amid rising inference cost concerns

July 1, 2025: OpenAI has begun testing Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), a move that — though not signaling an imminent switch — has raised eyebrows among industry analysts concerned about the escalating costs of AI inference and its effects.    

Microsoft/OpenAI AGI argument unlikely to impact enterprise IT

June 26, 2025: The contract between the two AI giants has an exit clause once AGI is achieved. The problem: It is impossible to prove when that happens. Either way, IT execs at Macy’s, Bank of America, doubt it will matter.

OpenAI productivity suite could change the way users create documents

June 26, 2025: OpenAI’s planned productivity suite could dismantle traditional habits of how users create and consume documents in the same the way the company changed browsing and search habits.

o3-pro may be OpenAI’s most advanced commercial offering, but GPT-4o bests it

June 24, 2025: In a head-to-head comparison of the two models, researchers found that o3-pro is far less performant, reliable, and secure, and does an unnecessary amount of reasoning. Notably, o3-pro consumed 7.3x more output tokens, cost 14x more to run, and failed in 5.6x more test cases than GPT-4o.

Microsoft and OpenAI: Will they opt for the nuclear option?

June 24, 2025: The fight between Microsoft and OpenAI over what Microsoft should get for its $13 billion investment in the AI company has gone from nasty to downright toxic, with each of the companies considering strategies against the other that can only be described as their nuclear options. 

OpenAI walks away from Scale AI — triggering industry-wide rethink of data partnerships

June 19, 2025: OpenAI has ended its long-standing partnership with Scale AI, the company that powered some of the most complex data-labeling tasks behind frontier models such as GPT-4.

OpenAI’s o3 price plunge changes everything for vibe coders

June 18, 2025: o3 used to be too slow and too expensive for daily coding—no longer. The latency is now bearable, the price is sane, and the chain-of-thought pays off.

Sam Altman: Meta tried to lure OpenAI employees with billion-dollar salaries

June 18, 2025: After reports suggested Meta has tried to poach employees from OpenAI and Google Deepmind by offering huge compensation packages, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman weighed in, saying those reports are true.

OpenAI-Microsoft tensions escalate over control and contracts

June 17, 2025: The relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft is under growing strain amid extended talks over OpenAI’s restructuring, with OpenAI reportedly considering antitrust action over Microsoft’s influence in the partnership.

OpenAI’s MCP move tempts IT to trust genAI more than it should

June 16, 2025: OpenAI late last month announced changes to make it much easier to give its genAI models full access to any software using Model Context Protocol (MCP). Here’s why that’s a bad idea.

OpenAI launches o3-pro, slashes o3 price by 80% in bid to widen AI lead

June 11, 2025: OpenAI has unveiled its most advanced AI model to date, the o3-pro, which surpasses competitors on key benchmarks and replaces the o1-pro. The o3-pro is now available for ChatGPT Pro and Team users, as well as through the developer API, with access for enterprise and education sectors beginning next week.

What Microsoft hopes to get from its breakup with OpenAI

June 11, 2025: The once-tight bond between Microsoft and OpenAI has been fraying for well over a year — and it’s getting worse. What the two companies want from each other now is very different from when Microsoft made its original $13 billion investment.

Oracle to spend $40B on Nvidia chips for OpenAI data center in Texas

May 26, 2025: Oracle is reportedly spending about $40 billion on Nvidia’s high-performance computer chips to power OpenAI’s new data center in Texas, marking a pivotal shift in the AI infrastructure landscape that has significant implications for enterprise IT strategies.

OpenAI’s Skynet moment: Models defy human commands, actively resist orders to shut down

May 30, 2025: OpenAI’s most advanced AI models are showing a disturbing new behavior: they are refusing to obey direct human commands to shut down, actively sabotaging the very mechanisms designed to turn them off.

Jony Ive and OpenAI plan ‘bicycles’ for 21st-century minds

May 21, 2025: OpenAI has announced that it will purchase io, the AI startup founded by acclaimed former Apple designer Sir Jony Ive, who helped create the iMac, iPod, and iPhone. 

OpenAI launches Codex AI agent to tackle multi-step coding tasks

May 19, 2025: OpenAI’s most advanced AI coding agent, Codex, will bring parallel task automation to developers—but analysts caution that speed without scrutiny invites “silent failures.”

Cisco taps OpenAI’s Codex for AI-driven network coding

May 16, 2025: Cisco is working with OpenAI and its newly released Codex software engineering agent to give network engineers access to better tools for writing, testing and building code.

OpenAI’s IPO aspirations prompt rethink of Microsoft alliance

May 12, 2025: Microsoft and OpenAI are renegotiating their multibillion-dollar partnership deal to better align with each company’s evolving goals in the artificial intelligence race

OpenAI hires Instacart CEO Fidji Simo to oversee customer-facing apps

May 8, 2025: The hire indicates that OpenAI’s roadmap will involve more structured, productized offerings rather than just API access.

OpenAI offers help promoting AI outside the US, but analysts question why countries would accept

May 7, 2025: OpenAI, acting as part of the US government-led Stargate AI project, rolled out a program called OpenAI for Countries. The idea is for Stargate to help other countries create their own genAI environments, including data centers and genAI models.

OpenAI reaffirms nonprofit control, scales back governance changes

May 6, 2025: OpenAI has scrapped plans to reduce its nonprofit parent’s oversight and will keep its existing governance structure intact, a move that limits CEO Sam Altman’s influence and responds to mounting external pressure.

OpenAI to acquire AI coding tool Windsurf for $3B

May 6, 2025: The acquisition comes just months after Windsurf explored funding at this same valuation from investors, highlighting the premium being placed on specialized AI coding capabilities, according to reports.

Former OpenAI employees urge regulators to halt company’s for-profit shift

April 23, 2025: A broad coalition of AI experts, economists, legal scholars, and former OpenAI employees is urging state regulators to keep OpenAI’s nonprofit foundation in control of the company.

OpenAI’s new models can ‘think with pictures’

April 17, 2025: OpenAI has released o3 and 04-mini, two reasoning AI models designed to be extra good at programming, math, and science and that can use images to “think,” according to Engadget, This means that users can upload sketches or diagrams, for example, and even if they are of low quality, o3 and 04-mini will understand what is meant.

OpenAI GPT-4.1 models promise improved coding and instruction following

April 15, 2025: The GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and GPT-4.1 nano models, available only via the API, will provide better performance than GPT-4o and GPT-4o mini at a lower price, OpenAI said.

OpenAI slammed for putting speed over safety

April 11, 2025: According to a Financial Times report, the ChatGPT maker is now assigning staff and third-party groups only a few days to assess the risks and performance of its latest large language models (LLMs) as compared to several months they were given earlier.

OpenAI fears irreparable harm from Musk, files countersuit

April 10, 2025: OpenAI has filed a countersuit against Elon Musk, accusing the billionaire of a sustained campaign to damage the company and urging a US federal court to block further actions it described as unlawful and disruptive. The legal filing, submitted in a California district court, marks the latest escalation in a dispute between Musk and the AI startup he helped establish in 2015.

Senators probe Google-Anthropic, Microsoft-OpenAI deals over antitrust concerns

April 9, 2025: Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden have launched a formal inquiry into partnerships between tech giants Google and Microsoft, and AI startups, demanding detailed information about arrangements they fear may be circumventing antitrust scrutiny while consolidating power in the rapidly evolving AI market.

Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s new AI education initiatives offer hope for enterprise knowledge retention

April 4, 2025: Two of the biggest names in artificial intelligence are independently developing new AI tools that encourage learning, at a time when the technology has been criticized for dumbing down smart users in the enterprise and discouraging critical thinking. While the new initiatives from OpenAI and Anthropic are aimed at transforming how AI is used in higher education, the opportunities they open up extend beyond universities.

Amazon, OpenAI, and China’s Zhipu unveil new AI tools amid intensifying competition

April 1, 2025: A wave of new AI products is hitting the market, signaling a shift toward more autonomous, task-completing systems that could reshape how businesses and consumers interact with digital services: Amazon has unveiled Nova Act, an AI agent designed to operate a web browser much like a human user; OpenAI said it will release an open-weight language model; and China’s Zhipu AI introduced a free AI assistant aimed at strengthening its position in the domestic market and competing with Western tech giants.

OpenAI, Google AI data centers are under stress after new genAI model launches

March 28, 2025: New generative AI models introduced by Google and OpenAI have put the companies’ data centers under stress — and both companies are trying to catch up to demand. OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman tweeted that his company was temporarily restricting the use of GPUs after overwhelming demand for its image generation service on ChatGPT.

Microsoft abandons data center projects as OpenAI considers its own, hinting at a market shift

March 26, 2025: OpenAI has privately discussed building and operating its first data center to house storage, which is essential for developing sophisticated AI models. Microsoft, on the other hand, has pulled back on its buildouts, canceling data center projects in the US and Europe.

OpenAI calls for US to centralize AI regulation

March 13, 2025: OpenAI executives think the federal government should regulate artificial intelligence in the US, taking precedence over often more restrictive state regulations.

New tools from OpenAI help companies create their own AI agents

March 12, 2025: OpenAI launched Responses, a new api intended to eventually replace Assistants. The big draw? Responses provides a number of new tools that companies and organizations can use to create their own AI agents.

Microsoft is developing its own AI models to compete with OpenAI

March 10, 2025: Reports suggest Microsoft has decided to seriously challenge Deepseek and OpenAI by developing its own set of reasoning AI models called Microsoft AI (MAI). If successful, Microsoft would eventually not have to use its partner OpenAI’s o1 models in Copilot

Microsoft-OpenAI investigation closed by UK regulators

March 5, 2025: The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) spent a great deal of time deciding whether it should investigate Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI as a potential merger situation, but in the end, decided to open and close the investigation within 24 hours.

OpenAI revamps AI roadmap, merging models for a leaner future

February 13, 2025: OpenAI will integrate “o3” into GPT-5 instead of releasing it separately, streamlining adoption while signaling a shift toward fewer, more controlled AI models amid rising competition and cost pressures.

Musk’s $97B offer to buy OpenAI rejected as leadership stands firm

February 11, 2025: In a message to staff, Altman said the board has no intention of considering Musk’s offer, stating that the proposal does not align with OpenAI’s mission

OpenAI launches deep research agent for multi-step research tasks

February 3, 2025: Hot on the heels of its launch of the o3-mini model, OpenAI announced another component for ChatGPT that allows the generative AI tool to do more in-depth research. “Deep research is built for people who do intensive knowledge work in areas like finance, science, policy, and engineering and need thorough, precise, and reliable research,” OpenAI said in a blog post announcing the new capability.

OpenAI unleashes o3-mini reasoning model

January 31, 2025: OpenAI released the latest model in its reasoning series, o3-mini, both in ChatGPT and its application programming interface (API). It had been in preview since December 2024.

Indian media houses rally against OpenAI over copyright dispute

January 27, 2025: The legal heat on OpenAI in India intensified as digital news outlets owned by billionaires Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani joined an ongoing lawsuit against the ChatGPT creator. They were joined by some of the largest news publishers in India including the Indian Express, and Hindustan Times, and members of the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), which includes major players like Zee News, India Today, and The Hindu.

Altman now says OpenAI has not yet developed AGI

January 20, 2025: Confusion over whether OpenAI’s o3-mini has reached the major milestone of artificial general intelligence (AGI) or not deepened following a post on X by CEO Sam Altman that completely contradicts what he said two weeks earlier in an interview with Bloomberg.

Microsoft sues overseas threat actor group over abuse of OpenAI service

January 13, 2025: Microsoft has filed suit against 10 unnamed people (“Does”), who are apparently operating overseas, for misuse of its Azure OpenAI platform, asking the Eastern District of Virginia federal court for damages and injunctive relief.

With o3 having reached AGI, OpenAI turns its sights toward superintelligence

January 6, 2025: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reinvigorated discussion of artificial general intelligence (AGI), boldly claiming that his company’s newest model has reached that milestone.

Now US government agencies can use OpenAI’s ChatGPT too

January 28, 2025: OpenAI has rolled out ChatGPT Gov, a version of its flagship frontier model specifically tailored to US government agencies. The platform has many of the same capabilities as OpenAI’s other enterprise products, including access to GPT-4o and the ability to build custom GPTs — and it also features a much higher level of security than ChatGPT Enterprise.

OpenAI debuts AI agent Operator to transform web task automation

January 24, 2025: OpenAI has unveiled “Operator,” a new AI agent designed to perform web-based tasks, offering potential productivity enhancements for enterprises. The tool enables interaction with on-screen elements, positioning it as a solution for automating routine processes in business workflows amid growing competition in the generative AI space.

OpenAI opposes data deletion demand in India citing US legal constraints

January 23, 2025: OpenAI has informed the Delhi High Court that any directive requiring it to delete training data used for ChatGPT would conflict with its legal obligations under US law. The statement came in response to a copyright lawsuit filed by the Reuters-backed Indian news agency ANI, marking a pivotal development in one of the first major AI-related legal battles in India.

OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle lead $500B Project Stargate to ramp up AI infra in the US

January 22, 2025: Several large technology firms including OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, Nvidia, and MGX have partnered to set up a new company in the US to ramp up AI infrastructure in the country.

OpenAI is losing money on its pricey ChatGPT Pro subscription

January 7, 2025: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, in a post on X, says the AI ​​company is currently losing money on its ChatGPT Pro subscription. “People are using it much more than we expected,” he wrote.

Fine-tuning Azure OpenAI models in Azure AI Foundry

January 2, 2025: Microsoft Azure’s new AI toolkit makes it easy to customize OpenAI large language models for your applications.

OpenAI still hasn’t released tools to deny data collection

January 2, 2025: OpenAI has failed to release the tool to opt-out or customize data collection the company promised to make available by 2025, according to Techcrunch.

A new technique dubbed "Zombie ZIP" helps conceal payloads in compressed files specially created to avoid detection from security solutions such as antivirus and endpoint detection and response (EDR) products. [...]

Anthropic, in collaboration with Mozilla, identified 22 security flaws in the Firefox browser during a two-week test, with 14 of the vulnerabilities classified as serious.

The discoveries were made using the AI model Claude Opus 4.6. It began by analyzing the Firefox JavaScript engine and then moved on to other parts of the code base. In total, the model examined nearly 6,000 C files and generated 112 error reports.

Most of the vulnerabilities had already been fixed in Firefox 148, which was released in February. However, some of the fixes are not expected until the next version of the browser is released.

The test also showed that Claude is significantly better at finding security flaws than at writing code to exploit them. Despite spending around $4,000 in API credits, the team only managed to exploit two of the bugs.

A new study warns of the dangers of “brain fry” — a form of mental exhaustion linked to intensive AI use. The condition is described as mental fatigue that can occur when people use AI tools to an extent that exceeds their cognitive capacity. Symptoms can include mental fog, difficulty concentrating, slower decision-making, and sometimes headaches.

The concept is discussed in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), according to Axios. The study was conducted by researchers at Boston Consulting Group and the University of California, Riverside.

In a survey of 1,488 full-time employees in the US, 14% of participants who use AI at work said they had experienced this type of mental exhaustion. The phenomenon appears to be particularly common among early AI users and people who work with multiple AI tools simultaneously.

The researchers warn that the problem can have consequences in the workplace, including more mistakes, decision fatigue, and an increased desire to leave a job. At the same time, they emphasize that “brain fry” is not the same thing as burnout. The researchers noted that AI can be positive when the technology is used to automate routine tasks, though employers should be cautious about requiring excessive use of AI at work.

Microsoft has released the Windows 10 KB5078885 extended security update to fix the March 2026 Patch Tuesday vulnerabilities, including 2 zero-days and an issue that prevent some devices from shutting down. [...]

Today is Microsoft's March 2026 Patch Tuesday with security updates for 79 flaws, including 2 publicly disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities. [...]

Microsoft has released Windows 11 KB5079473 and KB5078883 cumulative updates for versions 25H2/24H2 and 23H2 to fix security vulnerabilities, bugs, and add new features. [...]

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has patched multiple security vulnerabilities in the Aruba Networking AOS-CX operating system, including several authentication and code execution issues. [...]

Cybersecurity researchers are calling attention to a new campaign where threat actors are abusing FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) appliances as entry points to breach victim networks.  The activity involves the exploitation of recently disclosed security vulnerabilities or weak credentials to extract configuration files containing service account credentials and network topology Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a tool we talk to; it is a tool that does things for us. These are called AI Agents. They can send emails, move data, and even manage software on their own. But there is a problem. While these agents make work faster, they also open a new "back door" for hackers. The Problem: "The Invisible Employee" Think of an AI Agent like a new employee who has [email protected]

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new malware called KadNap that's primarily targeting Asus routers to enlist them into a botnet for proxying malicious traffic. The malware, first detected in the wild in August 2025, has expanded to over 14,000 infected devices, with more than 60% of victims located in the U.S., according to the Black Lotus Labs team at Lumen. A lesser number of Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

As the introductory dust settles on the recent launch of Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo, product reviewers and the analyst community all seem to agree Apple has hit a home run. The new systems should drive big gains for Apple, gnawing big chunks out of Chromebook and mid-range Windows laptop sales and resetting expectations across that part of the PC segment.

“We’ve been wanting to do a much more affordable MacBook, but it was only until recently where all the stars aligned to allow us to do it,” Thomas Boger, vice president of Mac product marketing, said when the system was introduced last week.

What does this mean to the maket? “The MacBook Neo is one of the most important announcements for Apple in the Mac product line and represents a shift in the history of the Mac,” said Franciso Jeronimo, IDC vice president for data and analytics. “Apple is aggressively aiming to grow market share while expanding the ecosystem.”

What do the early reviews say?

The embargo on MacBook Neo reviews has clearly broken, and the first takes seem extremely positive.

• In an extensive review, Ars Technica stressed that the Neo is not the Mac you get for high performance work, but the low-cost system you get for more routine daily tasks. “It could be a good first Mac for people who have only owned an iPhone and/or iPad; it could be a first laptop for any kid or cash-strapped college student, especially with the $100 educational discount; and it could be a reasonably good upgrade for all the beat-up, rickety, out-of-support 2010-to-2019-vintage non-Retina Intel MacBook Airs that I still see with some regularity in coffee shops and on trains,” Ars wrote.
• “The MacBook Neo looks and feels like it’s expensive. That’s the magic,” said Toms Hardware. “Spectacular budget laptop that should shock the PC industry. It never makes you feel like you’re getting a lesser machine in exchange for affordability, but it would be nice if Apple could backlight the keyboard and make the ports work in a more seamless fashion.”
• “The best budget laptop you can buy,” said TechRadar. “Overall, the performance of the MacBook Neo is very impressive for the price and excels at day-to-day tasks…. [It] is flexible enough for you to run most Mac apps without an issue, but if you want a productivity power house, look elsewhere.”
• “The MacBook Neo is basically the M1 MacBook Air all over again. That laptop changed the game in 2020, and became the default option for just about anyone who wanted a great all-around thin-and-light laptop and could spend $1,000,” said The Verge.
• “A great laptop with surprisingly few compromises. Finally, Apple nailed the affordable assignment. The Neo deserves to be a Mac, no doubt about it,” wrote GQ.

Even ZDNet weighed in: “I’m a Windows user, but Apple nails the value” with the MacBook Neo.

What the analysts say

Futurum Research Director Olivier Blanchard describes the introduction as a “Declaration of war on the overall value PC segment.”

He notes the wider strategic reality faced by vendors in the space: “With emerging supply chain and tariff challenges inflating memory prices — which, by some estimates, could raise PC prices up as much as 30% as early as this year — Apple’s incredibly aggressive price-point for the MacBook Nano makes its release feel all the more like a gut punch to one of the PC market’s most valuable price tiers.”

“The refreshed MacBook portfolio is positioning Apple to go on the offensive in the PC market,” wrote Evercore’s Amit Daryanani.

Gene Munster estimates the device could add $2 billion to Apple’s annual revenue. “The MacBook Neo should add 0.5% to overall revenue for the next year,” he said, arguing the new laptop will generate huge numbers of new customers. (The company’s Mac business generated $34 billion in 2025.)

Big Mac shipment increase predicted

Researchers at TrendForce think the new systems will boost Mac notebook shipments by 7.7%, even as the wider market faces a 9.2% decline. They argue that the Neo could “reshape the pricing structure and competitive landscape of the global notebook market.”

Supporting this claim they note that the accelerating cost of RAM and processors is prompting PC makers to reduce the size of their product ranges and increase prices while Apple extends its own. The reality of shrinking PC sales and Mac momentum is that Apple could achieve 13.2% Mac market share in the year, they said, predicting sales of 4 million to 5 million units. Though they do warn that the fact you cannot upgrade the pre-installed 8GB RAM could slow wider adoption, particularly if early user experiences fall short.

“With the MacBook Neo, Apple is positioning itself to dominate the entry-level market and secure a new generation of loyal macOS users by combining iPhone-level efficiency with a sub-$600 price tag,” counters Counterpoint.

Horace Deiu from Asymco, called the system, “a watershed event. First Mac with a mobile processor and the end of the disruptive arc of mobile computing. From Motorola to Intel to Apple silicon M, now personal computing is an accessory to mobile computing. A sharp punctuation point.”

Shreyasee Majumder, social media analyst at GlobalData, notes: “Influencers largely see the MacBook Neo as a strategic masterstroke, predicting it will be a runaway success that will dismantle the budget laptop market by offering a premium macOS experience at an unprecedented price point.”

Apple What challenges does Apple face?

There are some potential concerns. For example, if somehow Apple taps the zeitgeist and demand for MacBook Neo systems goes through the roof, will the company be able to meet that demand? Can it really make enough of these fast enough to exploit the market disruption analysts expect? While it is typical, the estimated delivery dates for these products are already beginning to increase.

To some extent, we’ll learn how closely Apple will fly to the PC sales sun once the Neo lands in consumers’ hands and in the experience of early reviewers, who will set expectations for the product. Some first glance takes had criticized the keyboard as well as the 8GB memory limitation. Others praised it, celebrating that the lower cost Mac still somehow matched the user experience of MacBook Air.

It “disrupts the laptop landscape with a machine that has no right to exist in the budget market,” wrote Macworld, a sister publication of Computerworld. “It meets Apple’s high standards, and then some,” the publication said in its review.

What users want

Most consumers will likely judge these systems on how well they perform. Are they good to use? Is web browsing fast? Do they perform well with document creation? They should, given what we know from performance benchmarks, but what will users think? They might also notice the low cost of Apple Care for MacBook Neo.

It might also be important to distinguish the experience felt between those who have used other higher-spec Macs before, and those moving away from a Chromebook or PC. That’s because an experience that feels compromised to someone used to using a Mac Studio will still feel very much like water in the desert to someone used to a low-end Windows PC. 

“By using a chip that has only been used on the iPhone and the iPad, the real question is not whether Apple can sell a MacBook at this price (because it will be one of the most sold Macs ever, if they can deliver), but how it balances cost, performance, and brand positioning while maintaining the premium experience that defines the Mac,” said IDC’s Jeronimo.

The story so far suggests it has achieved a good balance of all of the above.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe. Also, now on Mastodon.

Microsoft is rolling out passkey support for Microsoft Entra on Windows devices, adding phishing-resistant passwordless authentication via Windows Hello. [...]

A newly discovered botnet malware called KadNap is targeting ASUS routers and other edge networking devices to turn them into proxies for malicious traffic. [...]

A Windows launch isn’t the end a process — it’s really just the beginning. Microsoft continually works on improving Windows 11 by fixing bugs, releasing security patches, and occasionally adding new features.

In this story we summarize what you need to know about each update released to the public for the most recent version of Windows 11 — currently version 25H2 — over the past year. For each build, we’ve included the date of its release and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it. The most recent updates appear first.

The easiest way to install updates is via Windows Update. Not sure how? See “How to handle Windows 10 and 11 updates” for full instructions. Note that Windows 11 version 25H2 is being released as a phased rollout and may not be available to you in Windows Update yet.

If you’re still using Windows 10, see “Windows 10: A guide to the updates.” And if you’re looking for information about Insider Program previews for upcoming feature releases of Windows 11, see “Windows 11 Insider Previews: What’s in the latest build?”

Updates for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2 KB5079473 (OS Builds 26200.8037 and 26100.8037)

Release date: March 10, 2026

This build improves how Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) handles COM objects allowlisting policies. COM objects were blocked when the endpoint security policy was set higher than the allowlisting policy. With this update, COM objects are allowed as expected.​ The build also introduces additional high confidence device targeting data to Windows quality updates, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates.

It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and March 2026 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5079473.)

KB5077241 (OS Builds 26200.7922 and 26100.7922) Preview

Release date: February 24, 2026

This update includes a variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) turns on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain‑joined and not enrolled in enterprise endpoint management. For domain‑joined or enterprise managed devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization.

It also includes several features available immediately, including one in which Windows quality updates include additional high-confidence device-targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.

(Get more info about KB5077241 Preview.)

KB5077181 (OS Builds 26200.7840 and 26100.7840)

Release date: February 10, 2025

This Patch Tuesday build fixes several bugs, including one that prevented some devices from connecting to certain WPA3‑Personal Wi‑Fi networks. It also includes a broad set of targeting data that identifies devices and their ability to receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices will receive the new certificates only after they show sufficient successful update signals, which helps ensure a safe and phased rollout.

It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and February 2026 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5077181.)

KB5074105 (OS Builds 26200.7705 and 26100.7705) Preview

Release date: January 29, 2025

In this build, several new features are immediately available, including one for Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) domain backup key management. Administrators can now set how often keys rotate automatically. This strengthens cryptographic security and reduces reliance on older encryption algorithms.

One new feature is being gradually rolled out: The Settings Agent now supports more languages, with expanded support for German, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Italian, and Chinese (Simplified).

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one that caused some systems to stop responding during startup when Windows Boot Manager debugging was enabled.

Get more info about KB5074105 Preview.)

KB5078127 (OS Builds 26200.7628 and 26100.7628) Out-of-band

Release date: January 24, 2026

This update fixes a bug in which some applications were unresponsive or encountered unexpected errors when opening files from or saving files to cloud-based storage, such as OneDrive or Dropbox. In certain Outlook configurations that store PST files on OneDrive, Outlook sometimes hung and failed to reopen unless the process was terminated or the system was restarted. Users may have also experienced missing sent items or previously downloaded emails.

(Get more info about KB5078127 Out-of-band.)

KB5077744 (OS Builds 26200.7627 and 26100.7627) Out-of-band

Release date: January 17, 2026

This update fixes a bug in which some users experienced sign-in failures during Remote Desktop connections. This issue affected authentication steps for different Remote Desktop applications on Windows such as the Windows App.

There is one known issue in this build, in which the password icon might be missing or invisible in the lock screen sign-in options.

Get more info about KB5077744 Out-of-band.)

KB5074109 (OS Builds 26200.7623 and 26100.7623)

Release date: January 13, 2026

This build fixes several bugs, including one in which you might experience RemoteApp ​​​​​​​connection failures in Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments. This might occur after installing KB5070311. It also updates the Windows core component, WinSqlite3.dll. Previously, some security software might have detected this component as vulnerable. 

It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and January 2026 Security Updates.

It has one known issue, in which you might notice that the password icon is not visible in the sign-in options on the lock screen. If you hover over the space where the icon should appear, you’ll see that the password button is still available. Select this placeholder to open the password text box and enter your password. After entering your password, you can sign in normally. People using Windows Home or Pro editions on personal devices are very unlikely to experience this issue. This issue primarily affects enterprise or managed IT environments.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5074109.)

KB5072033 (OS Builds 26200.7462 and 26100.7462)

Release date: December 9, 2025

This build fixes several bugs, including one in which File Explorer briefly flashed white when you navigated between pages.

It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and December 2025 Security Updates.

It has one known issue, in which the password icon might not be visible in the sign-in options on the lock screen. If you hover over the space where the icon should appear, you’ll see that the password button is still available. Select this placeholder to open the password text box and enter your password. After entering your password, you can sign in normally. People using Windows Home or Pro editions on personal devices are very unlikely to experience this issue — it primarily affects enterprise or managed IT environments.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5072033.)

KB5070311 (OS Builds 26200.7309 and 26100.7309) Preview

Release date: December 1, 2025

A variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including several for Copilot+ PCs. The Click to Do context menu in Copilot+ PCs now has a streamlined design that makes it easier to access frequently used actions such as Copy, Save, Share, and Open. In Copilot+ PCs you can now also use Windows Studio Effects, which provide AI-powered camera enhancements, on an additional camera such as a USB webcam or your laptop’s built-in rear camera.

New features being rolled out gradually to all Windows 11 PCs include a simplified File Explorer context menu for easier navigation. Common actions like Share, Copy, and Move now appear in a single organized menu.

A variety of bugs have been fixed for all PCs, including one in which the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) could become unstable due to an access violation.

There are two known issues in this build, one in which when opening File Explorer in dark mode, the window might briefly display a blank white screen before loading files and folders. In addition, the password icon is missing or invisible in the lockscreen sign-in options on some PCs. (Here’s a workaround for the latter bug.)

Get more info about KB5070311 Preview.)

KB5068861 (OS Builds 26200.7171 and 26100.7171)

Release date: November 11, 2025

This Patch Tuesday build fixes several bugs, including one in which closing Task Manager with the Close button didn’t fully end the process, leaving background instances that could slow performance over time.

It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and November 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5068861.)

KB5067036 (OS Builds 26200.7019 and 26100.7019) Preview

Release date: October 28, 2025

A variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including several for Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs — notably a streamlined interaction between Click to Do and Copilot. You can now type a custom prompt directly into the text box, which sends your prompt and selected on-screen content to Copilot. Suggested prompts appear below the text box and are available for text selections in English, Spanish, and French. 

New features are being gradually rolled out for all Windows 11 PCs as well, including a redesigned Start menu, which includes scrollable “All” section and category and grid views. The menu now adapts to your screen size.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which text sometimes didn’t render correctly when editing content within a multiline text box in certain apps.

Get more info about KB5067036 Preview.)

KB5070773 (OS Builds 26200.6901 and 26100.6901) Out-of-band

Release date: October 20, 2025

This build fixes one bug, in which USB devices, such as keyboards and mice, did not function in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This issue prevented navigation of any of the recovery options within WinRE.

This build has one known issue: some digital TV and Blu-ray/DVD apps might not play protected content as expected after installing the August 29, 2025, Windows non-security preview update (KB5064081) or later updates. Apps that use Enhanced Video Renderer with HDCP enforcement or Digital Rights Management (DRM) for digital audio might show copyright protection errors, frequent playback interruptions, unexpected stops, or black screens. Streaming services are not affected. 

(Get more info about KB5070773 Out-of-band.)

KB5066791 (OS Builds 19044.6456 and 19045.6456)

Release date: October 14, 2025

This build fixes several bugs, including one that caused the print preview screen to stop responding in Chromium-based browsers.

It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and October 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5066791.)

KB5065789 (OS Builds 26200.6725 and 26100.6725) Preview

Release date: September 29, 2025

This build gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one in which you can use AI actions in File Explorer to edit images or summarize documents. To do it, right-click (or press Shift + F10 on the keyboard) on the file and select AI actions. 

Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which you might not have been able to connect to shared files and folders if you were using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP NetBIOS (NetBT).

(Get more info about KB5065789 Preview.)

Windows 11 25H2

At the end of September, Microsoft upgraded Windows 11 from version 24H2 to 25H2, in a slow rollout that could take months to complete. Typically in the past, Microsoft would introduce new features in a once-a-year update like this. That’s not the case with 25H2, though.

Microsoft has been introducing new features in smaller updates all year round, so 25H2 doesn’t include any major new features. Rather, it includes all the new features that have accumulated in all those smaller updates.

As the company explains, “While this update doesn’t introduce major new features, it activates enhancements that have been gradually rolled out over the past year ensuring your device is up to date with the latest refinements.”

Here are some of the most important features in 25H2 that have been introduced for end users and IT pros since 24H2 was released last fall:

New features for users:

• File Explorer has several useful new features, notably AI actions, which can edit images or summarize documents. AI options such as Blur background, Erase objects, and Remove background are all now displayed in the context menu.
• Task Manager gets a number of minor tweaks, including performance improvements when changing the sort order of processes.
• You can now display the apps that have recently used on-device generative AI models provided by Windows. You can also choose which apps are permitted to use the generative AI technologies. To do that and more, go to Settings > Privacy & security > Text and Image Generation.

New features for IT:

• IT admins can use policy-based tools to easily remove preinstalled Microsoft Store apps from Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 11, version 25H2 and later. This can streamline device provisioning and prevent removed apps such as Microsoft Clipchamp, Media Player, and Microsoft Teams from being reinstalled. For more information, see Policy-based removal of preinstalled Microsoft Store apps and RemoveDefaultMicrosoftStorePackages in the ApplicationManagement Policy CSP.
• Enterprise access points now support Wi-Fi 7, which enables increased speeds, greater throughput, improved reliability, and enhanced security. For details, see https://aka.ms/WiFi7forEnterprise.
• Windows Backup for Organizations is now generally available.
• A new feature called Quick Machine Recovery can recover Windows devices when they encounter critical errors that prevent them from booting. Quick machine recovery searches for remediations in the cloud and recovers from widespread boot failures, reducing the burden on IT admins on cases when multiple devices are affected. For more information, see Computerworld’s Quick Machine Recovery explainer.

Updates for Windows 11 24H2 KB5068221 (OS Build 26100.6588) Out-of-band

Release date: September 22, 2025

This update fixes a bug that affected Microsoft Office applications running in Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) environments. The failure occurred due to a double handle closure in the AppVEntSubsystems32 or AppVEntSubsystems64 system component.

There is one issue in this build: you might fail to connect to shared files and folders using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT). This issue can occur if either the SMB client or the SMB server has the September 2025 security update installed.

(Get more info about KB5068221 (OS Build 26100.6588) Out-of-band).

KB5065426 (OS Build 26100.6584)

Release date: September 9, 2025

This build fixes several bugs, including one that caused non-admin users to receive unexpected User Account Control (UAC) prompts when MSI installers performed certain custom actions, such as configuration or repair operations in the foreground or background during the initial installation of an application.

The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and September 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5065426.)

KB5064081 (OS Build 26100.5074) Preview

Release date: August 29, 2025

A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new personalized homepage in Windows Recall that displays your recent activity and top-used apps and websites (available only in Copilot+ PCs). Among the changes rolling out to all users is a new grid view for Search from the Windows taskbar that helps you more quickly and accurately identify the desired image within your search.

Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which some system recovery features did not work properly due to a temporary file sharing conflict. This affected certain device management tools and disrupted key functions on some devices.

(Get more info about KB5064081 Preview.)

KB5063878 (OS Build 26100.4946)

Release date: August 12, 2025

This build fixes a bug that caused delays during sign-in on new devices. The delay was due to certain preinstalled packages. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and August 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5063878.)

KB5062660 (OS Build 26100.4770) Preview

Release date: July 22, 2025

A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new agent in Copilot+ PCs that is designed to help you find and change settings on your PC. You can describe what you need help with, such as “how to control my PC by voice” or “my mouse pointer is too small,” and the agent will suggest steps to resolve the issue. The agent uses AI on your PC to understand your request and, with your permission, can automate and complete tasks for you. It is rolling out to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs now, with support for AMD and Intel PCs coming soon. 

Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which If you have an app pinned to your desktop and it updates, the app icon might not display correctly and instead show a white page.

(Get more info about KB5062660 Preview.)

KB5064489 (OS Build 26100.4656) Out-of-band

Release date: July 13, 2025

This update fixes a bug that prevented some virtual machines (VMs) from starting when Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) was enabled. It affected VMs using version 8.0 (a non-default version) where VBS was offered by the host. In Azure, this applies to standard (non–Trusted Launch) General Enterprise (GE) VMs running on older VM SKUs. The problem was caused by a secure kernel initialization issue.

(Get more info about KB5064489 Out-of-band.)

KB5062553 (OS Build 26100.4652)

Release date: July 8, 2025

The build fixes several bugs, including one in which notification sounds didn’t play. Affected sounds included those for on-screen alerts, volume adjustments, and sign-in. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and July 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5062553.)

KB5060829 (OS Build 26100.4484) Preview

Release date: June 26, 2025

A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new Settings home page that includes enterprise-specific device info cards for commercial customers on PCs managed by an IT administrator. The taskbar also now resizes icons to fit more apps when space runs low.

Users in the European Economic Area will see several small changes related to default browsers, such as mapping additional file and link types to the default browser and pinning it to the taskbar and Start menu.

A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one that prevented the automatic renewal of expiring certificates in Windows Hello for Business.

There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. 

(Get more info about KB5060829 Preview.)

KB5063060 (OS Build 26100.4351) Out-of-band

Release date: June 11, 2025

This out-of-band update replaces the KB5060842 Patch Tuesday release, fixing a bug in which Windows sometimes restarted unexpectedly when users opened games that use the Easy Anti-Cheat service. Easy Anti-Cheat automatically installs with certain games to enhance security and prevent cheating in multiplayer online PC games. 

Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering.

(Get more info about KB5063060 Out-of-band.)

KB5060842 (OS Build 26100.4349)

Release date: June 10, 2025

After installing this update, Windows will retain system restore points for 60 days only. Restore points older than 60 days are not available. This 60-day limit will also apply to future versions of Windows 11, version 24H2.

The build fixes a bug that prevented users from signing in with self-signed certificates when using Windows Hello for Business with the Key Trust model.​​​​​​​ It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and June 2025 Security Updates.

Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5060842.)

KB5058499 (OS Build 26100.4202) Preview

Release date: May 27, 2025

A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including one in which Click to Do gets the new Ask Copilot action. When you highlight text or an image, Click to Do offers the Ask Copilot option. Selecting it opens Microsoft Copilot with your content in the prompt box. You can send the selected text or image directly to the Copilot app to complete your prompt.

A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which devices with BitLocker on removable drives could encounter a blue screen error after resuming from sleep or hybrid-booting.

(Get more info about KB5058499 Preview.)

KB5061977 (OS Build 26100.4066) 

Release date: May 27, 2025

This out-of-band update fixes a bug in the direct send path for a guest physical address (GPA). This issue caused confidential virtual machines running on Hyper-V with Windows Server 2022 to intermittently stop responding or restart unexpectedly. As a result, service availability was affected, and manual intervention was required. This problem primarily impacted Azure confidential VMs.

(Get more info about KB5061977.)

KB5058411 (OS Build 26100.4061)

Release date: May 13, 2025

This update fixes two bugs, one in which your microphone might have muted unexpectedly, and the other in which the eye controller app didn’t launch. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and May 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5058411.)

KB5055627 (OS Build 26100.3915) Preview

Release date: April 25, 2025

This build gradually rolls out several new features for Copilot+ PCs, including a preview of Windows Recall. When you opt in, Recall takes snapshots of your activity so you can quickly find and go back to what you have seen before on your PC. With it, you can use a timeline to find the content you remember seeing.

Copilot+ PCs also get a new natural-language Windows search in which you can search for anything on your PC without having to remember specific file names, exact words in file content, or settings names. Just describe what you’re looking for. On Copilot+ PCs, you can also more easily find photos stored and saved in the cloud by typing your own words (like “summer picnics”) in the search box at the upper-right corner of File Explorer. 

All PCs get a number of new features, including speech recap, in which you can keep track of what Narrator has spoken and access it for quick reference. With speech recap, you can quickly access spoken content, follow along with live transcription, and copy what Narrator last said using keyboard shortcuts.

A variety of bugs are being fixed, including one in which some devices experienced intermittent internet connections when resuming from sleep mode. Several AI components have also been updated.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox from the Microsoft Store on Windows.

(Get more info about KB5055627 Preview.)

KB5055523 (OS Build 26100.3775)

Release date: April 8, 2025

This update includes a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and April 2025 Security Updates. 

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. 

(Get more info about KB5055523.)

KB5053656 (OS Build 26100.3624) Preview

Release date: March 27, 2025

This build gradually rolls out several new features for Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, including one in which you can search for anything on your PC without having to remember specific file names, exact words in file content, or settings names. Just describe what you’re looking for.

On Copilot+ PCs you can also more easily find photos stored and saved in the cloud by typing your own words (like “summer picnics”) in the search box at the upper-right corner of File Explorer. In addition to photos stored locally on your Copilot+ PC, photos from the cloud will now show up in the search results together. 

Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs also will allow you to use natural-language processing in voice access, by using your own words rather than using rigid, predefined commands.

In addition, the build includes a variety of bugs being immediately fixed, including one in which some third-party apps rendered the graphics settings page unresponsive.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox from the Microsoft Store on Windows.

(Get more info about KB5053656 Preview.)

KB5053598 (OS Build 26100.3476)

Release date: March 11, 2025

This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and March 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows.

(Get more info about KB5053598.)

KB5052093 (OS Build 26100.3323) Preview

Release date: February 25, 2025

In this build, a variety of new features are being rolled out gradually, including one that lets you snooze or turn off the “Start backup” reminder in the File Explorer address bar. This only applies if you are not already backing up your files and folder. To view this new option, right-click Start backup.

A number of bug fixes are being rolled out gradually, including one for a bug in which the address bar overlapped files in File Explorer when you used the F11 full-screen mode. A variety of bug fixes take immediate effect, including for a bug in which there were display rendering issues when you tried to connect to certain PCs.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. In addition, devices that have certain Citrix components installed might be unable to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update. This issue was observed on devices with Citrix Session Recording Agent (SRA) version 2411.

(Get more info about KB5052093 Preview.)

KB5051987 (OS Build 26100.3194)

Release date: February 11, 2025

This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and February 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows.

(Get more info about KB5051987.)

KB5050094 (OS Build 26100.3037) Preview

Release date: January 28, 2025

In this build, a variety of new features are being rolled out gradually, including one in which an icon will appear in the system tray when you use an app that supports Windows Studio Effects. This only occurs on a device that has a neural processing unit (NPU). Select the icon to open the Studio Effects page in Quick Settings. To view the app that is using the camera, hover over the icon for a tooltip.

A number of bug fixes are being rolled out gradually, including one for a bug in which a search would sometimes repeat when you didn’t want it to. Other bug fixes are immediately available, including one in which the display of some games appears oversaturated when you use Auto HDR.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. In addition, following the installation of the October 2024 security update, some customers report that the OpenSSH (Open Secure Shell) service fails to start, preventing SSH connections. And devices that have certain Citrix components installed might be unable to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update

(Get more info about KB5050094 Preview.)

KB5050009 (OS Build 26100.2894)

Release date: January 14, 2025

This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and January 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows.

(Get more info about KB5050009.)

KB5048667 (OS Build 26100.2605)

Release date: December 10, 2024

This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and December 2024 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

There is one known issue in this build, in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows.

(Get more info about KB5048667.)

KB5046740 (OS Build 26100.2454) Preview

Release date: November 21, 2024

This build adds a number of interface features are being rolled out gradually. The system tray shows a shortened date and time, and there’s a new section for touchscreen edge gestures in Settings. When you right-click an app on the Start menu, a jump list will appear (if the app has a jump list). And if you hold Ctrl + Shift down when you click a jump list item, you open the item as an admin.

A variety of bugs have been fixed in this build, including one in which the users page might have caused Task Manager to stop responding when you use the keyboard.

There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows.

(Get more info about KB5046740 Preview.)

KB5046617 (OS Build 26100.2314)

Release date: November 12, 2024

This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and November 2024 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5046617.)

KB5044384 (OS Build 26100.2161) Preview

Release date: October 24, 2024

In this build, you can now configure the Copilot key on the keyboard. On new devices, the key opens the Copilot app. If you sign in to your account using a Microsoft Entra ID, the key opens the M365 app. You can make the key open a different app or open Search. To do this, go to Settings > Personalization > Text input. 

In addition, a variety of features are being rolled out gradually, including one in which you can stop the suggestions to turn off notifications from certain apps. Select the ellipsis (…) in the notification and turn it off. You can also go to Settings > System > Notifications and turn it off from there. 

A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which you were unable to view some parts of the UI when you run certain apps.

There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows.

(Get more info about KB5044384 Preview.)

Windows 11 24H2 KB5044284 (OS Build 26100.2033)

Release date: October 8, 2024

This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and October 2024 Security Updates.

This build also fixes one bug in which the Remote Desktop Gateway Service stopped responding when a service used remote procedure calls (RPC) over HTTP.

There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5044284.)

Windows 11, version 24H2

Release date: October 1, 2024

The Windows 11 24H2 update (also called Windows 11 2024 Update) is now being gradually rolled out. It may take some months before it reaches everyone, so you may not have it yet. As with previous annual Windows updates, it’s not a major upgrade, but does include a variety of minor new features.

Following are the highlights for end users:

• File Explorer gets several new features, including support for TAR and 7z compression and the ability to add metadata to PNG files, so you can add information to your images.
• New privacy settings for Wi-Fi networks give more control over which applications can access the list of nearby Wi-Fi networks. Limiting the applications that can access that list can make it more difficult for others to pinpoint your location.
• You can now join Wi-Fi networks by scanning QR codes, and create a QR code to allow others to share your mobile hotspot with others.
• A new Energy Saver mode reduces electric consumption on desktop PCs as well as laptops, helping you reduce your carbon footprint and improving laptop battery life. It reduces energy consumption from background tasks as well as those running in the foreground.
• Copilot now runs as a separate app, and is movable and resizable like any other app, rather than running in a sidebar panel.
• Copilot+ PCs get several new features, including Cocreator in Paint, which uses AI to generate images; enhancing video calls with AI-powered noise cancellation and improved lighting; and what Microsoft calls Auto Super Resolution, which gives games higher resolution and offers smoother gameplay.

For IT admins, highlights include:

• Policy improvements and automatic account management for Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS)
• Personal Data Encryption (PDE) for users’ Documents, Desktop, and Pictures folders
• App Control for Business
• Windows protected print mode
• Local Security Authority (LSA) protection
• Support for Wi-Fi 7
• SHA-3 support

See this blog post from Microsoft’s Harjit Dhaliwal for more information.

Malware is evolving to evade sandboxes by pretending to be a real human behind the keyboard. The Picus Red Report 2026 shows 80% of top attacker techniques now focus on evasion and persistence, including geometry-based cursor tests and CPU timing checks. [...]

Windows 10 has reached the end of mainstream support, which means most users will no longer receive new features, bug fixes, or security updates. Microsoft encourages businesses and individuals to upgrade to Windows 11.

Another option is to purchase extended security updates for Windows 10. Those enrolled in the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program will receive monthly security updates, but no new feature releases.

In this story we summarize what you need to know about each update released for the most recent versions of Windows 10 — versions 22H2 and 21H2. (Microsoft releases updates for those two versions together.) For each build, we’ve included the date of its initial release and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it. The most recent updates appear first.

For details about how to install and manage Windows updates, see “How to handle Windows 10 and 11 updates.”

Updates to Windows 10 versions 21H2 and 22H2

As of November 2025, only computers enrolled in the Windows 10 ESU program (or those with a Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 or 2024 license) will receive Windows 10 updates.

KB5078885 (OS Builds 19045.7058 and 19044.7058)

Release date: March 10, 2026

With this update, Windows quality updates include additional high confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. This targeting is based primarily on client device diagnostic data; due to limited data, servers are unlikely to qualify, though not explicitly excluded. Devices receive new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.

The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and March 2026 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5078885.)

KB5075912 (OS Builds 19045.6937 and 19044.6937)

Release date: February 10, 2025

This Patch Tuesday update fixes a variety of bugs, including one that affected folder renaming with desktop.ini files in File Explorer. The LocalizedResourceName setting was ignored, so custom folder names did not show. Now, custom folder names appear as expected.

It also includes a broad set of targeting data that identifies devices and their ability to receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices will receive the new certificates only after they show sufficient successful update signals, which helps ensure a safe and phased rollout.

The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and February 2026 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5075912.)

KB5078129 (OS Builds 19045.6812 and 19044.6812) Out-of-band

Release date: January 24, 2026

This update fixes a bug in which some applications were unresponsive or encountered unexpected errors when opening files from or saving files to cloud-based storage, such as OneDrive or Dropbox. In certain Outlook configurations that store PST files on OneDrive, Outlook sometimes hung and failed to reopen unless the process was terminated or the system was restarted. Users may have also experienced missing sent items or previously downloaded emails.

Get more info about KB5078129 Out-of-band.)

KB5077796 (OS Builds 19045.6811 and 19044.6811) Out-of-band

Release date: January 17, 2026

This update fixes a bug in which some users experienced sign-in failures during Remote Desktop connections. This issue affected authentication steps for different Remote Desktop applications on Windows such as the Windows App.

(Get more info about KB5077796 Out-of-band.)

KB5073724 (OS Builds 19045.6809 and 19044.6809)

Release date: January 13, 2026

Applies to: Windows 10 ESU

This Patch Tuesday update includes a subset of high-confidence device targeting data that identifies devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices will receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, ensuring a safe and phased deployment.

It also fixes one bug, in which some security software might have detected the Windows core component, WinSqlite3.dll as being as vulnerable. 

The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and January 2026 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5073724.)

KB5074976 (OS Builds 19044.6693 and 19045.6693) Out-of-band

Release date: December 18, 2025

Applies to: Windows 10 ESU

This update fixes a bug in the Message Queuing (MSMQ) functionality. This bug also affected a clustered MSMQ environment under load. This issue could have led to message queues becoming inactive, messages about insufficient resources, applications unable to write to message queues, error messages about the message cannot be created, or messages about insufficient disk space or memory. This issue primarily affected enterprise or managed IT environments.

(Get more info about KB5074976 Out-of-band.)

KB5071546 (OS Builds 19045.6691 and 19044.6691)

Release date: December 9, 2025

Applies to: Windows 10 ESU

In this update, PowerShell’s Invoke-WebRequest command now includes a confirmation prompt with a security warning of a script execution risk. You can choose to continue or cancel the request. For additional details, see CVE-2025-54100 and KB5074596: PowerShell 5.1: Preventing script execution from web content.

The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and December 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5071546.)

KB5068781 (OS Builds 19044.6575 and 19045.6575)

Release date: November 11, 2025

Applies to: Windows 10 ESU

This update fixes a bug in which after installing the October 14, 2025 Windows update (KB5066791), the message “Your version of Windows has reached the end of support” might incorrectly display in the Windows Update Settings page. To view the page, click Start > Settings > Windows Update.

The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and November 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5068781.)

KB5071959 (OS Build 19045.6466) Out-of-band

Release date: November 11, 2025

This build fixes a bug in the Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Update (ESU) enrollment process, where the enrollment wizard may fail during enrollment.

(Get more info about KB5071959 Out-of-band.)

KB5066791 (OS Builds 19044.6456 and 19045.6456)

Release date: October 14, 2025

This update fixes several bugs, including one in which command time in PowerShell Remoting and WinRMntime out after 600 seconds.

The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and October 2025 Security Updates.

Note that today marks the official end of support for Windows 10 Home, Pro, and Enterprise, except for organizations and individuals enrolled in Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates program.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5066791.)

KB5063842 (OS Build 19045.6396) Preview

Release date: September 25, 2025

This build fixes two bugs, one in which you might not be able to connect to shared files and folders if you’re using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP NetBIOS (NetBT), and another in which those using Windows Autopilot to deploy Windows 10, version 22H2 to devices with the Enrollment Status Page (ESP) configured might find that the ESP doesn’t load during the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE).

(Get more info about KB5063842 (OS Build 19045.6396) Preview.)

KB5065429 (OS Builds 19044.6332 and 19045. 6332)

Release date: September 9, 2025

This update fixes several bugs, including one that caused non-admin users to receive unexpected User Account Control (UAC) prompts when MSI installers performed certain custom actions, such as configuration or repair operations in the foreground or background during the initial installation of an application.

The build also enables auditing SMB client compatibility for SMB Server signing as well as SMB Server EPA. This allows customers to assess their environment and identify any potential device or software incompatibility issues before deploying the hardening measures that are already supported by SMB Server. For detailed guidance, see CVE-2025-55234 | Windows SMB Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.

The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and September 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5065429.)

KB5063842 (OS Build 19045.6282) Preview

Release date: August 26, 2025

In this build, Windows Backup for Organizations is now generally available. It lets your organization back up Windows 10 settings and restore them on a Microsoft Entra joined device. You can also enable backup of the list of installed Microsoft Store apps, with the ability to restore them to the user’s Start menu as well.

A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which mf.dll failed to enumerate redirected web camera devices on Remote Desktop Services (RDS) environments.

(Get more info about KB5063842 Preview.)

KB5066188 (OS Builds 19044.6218 and 19045.6218) Out-of-band

Release date: August 19, 2025

This build fixes a bug introduced by the August 2025 security update (KB5063709) in which attempts to reset and recover the device fail. This issue happens when users perform one or more of the following processes: 

• System > Recovery > Reset my PC
• System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update
• RemoteWipe CSP

For more information on the issue, see Windows release health. Microsoft recommends you install this optional update if you have encountered this issue. The company also says that if your system isn’t affected or you don’t plan using the methods described above, you can choose not to install it.

(Get more info about KB5066188 Out-of-band.)

KB5063709 (OS Builds 19044.6216 and 19045.6216)

Release date: August 12, 2025

The update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and August 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5063709.)

KB5062649 (OS Build 19045.6159) Preview

Release date: July 22, 2025

This build adds the ability to deploy SKUSiPolicy VBS Anti-rollback protections through the Secure Boot AvailableUpdates registry key.

It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that affected the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) enrollment wizard. Some users experienced a problem where clicking “Enroll now” caused the wizard window to open, begin loading, and then close unexpectedly. 

(Get more info about KB5062649 Preview.

KB5062554 (OS Builds 19044.6093 and 19045.6093)

Release date: July 8, 2025

The update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and July 2025 Security Updates.

Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5062554.)

KB5061087 (OS Build 19045.6036) Preview

Release date: June 24, 2025

This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused jump lists to disappear from the Start menu.           

There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. 

(Get more info about KB5061087 Preview.)

KB5060533 (OS Builds 19044.5965 and 19045.5065)

Release date: June 10, 2025

The update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and June 2025 Security Updates.

Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5060533.)

KB5058481 (OS Build 19045.5917) Preview

Release date: May 28, 2025

This build offers several new features, including one that brings back the clock view that displays seconds on the calendar. It also fixes several bugs, including one in which in GDI/GDI+, some GB18030-2022 characters in plane 2 were not rendered.

There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. 

(Get more info about KB5058481 Preview.)

KB5061979 (OS Builds 19044.5859 and 19045.5859)

Release date: May 27, 2025

This out-of-band update fixes a bug in the direct send path for a guest physical address (GPA). This issue caused confidential virtual machines running on Hyper-V with Windows Server 2022 to intermittently stop responding or restart unexpectedly. As a result, service availability was affected, and manual intervention was required. This problem primarily impacted Azure confidential VMs.

There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. 

(Get more info about KB5061979.)

KB5061768 (OS Builds 19044.5856 and 19045.5856)

Release date: May 19, 2025

This out-of-band build fixes a bug in the recent May 13 Patch Tuesday build (KB5058379) that caused the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process to terminate unexpectedly, triggering an Automatic Repair prompting for the BitLocker recovery key.

There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. 

(Get more info about KB5061768.)

KB5058379 (OS Builds 19044.5854 and 19045.5854)

Release date: May 13, 2025

The update improves Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) and Linux Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) for the detection of Linux systems. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and May 2025 Security Updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about KB5058379.)

KB5055612 (OS Build 19045.5796) Preview

Release date: April 22, 2025

This build fixes two bugs, including one in which the check for GPU paravirtualization was case-sensitive in Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2). This issue might have potentially caused GPU paravirtualization support to fail.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which certain Citrix components installed might be unable to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update. This issue was observed on devices with Citrix Session Recording Agent (SRA) version 2411.

(Get more info about KB5055612 Preview.)

KB5055518 (OS Builds 19044.5737 and 19045.5737)

Release date: April 8, 2025

The update has a broad variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and April 2025 Security Updates. 

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

There are two known issues in this build including one in which devices that have certain Citrix components installed might be unable to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update.

(Get more info about KB5055518.)

Windows 10 2022 Update (version 22H2)

Release date: October 18, 2022

The Windows 10 2022 Update is, in Microsoft’s words, “a scoped release focused on quality improvements to the overall Windows experience in existing feature areas such as quality, productivity and security.” In other words, there’s not much new here, although Computerworld blogger Susan Bradley did uncover a handful of new group policies in the release.

Home and Pro editions of the 2022 Update will receive 18 months of servicing, and Enterprise and Education editions will have 30 months of servicing.

To install the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Check for updates. If the update appears, select Download to install it.

(Get more info about the Windows 10 2022 Update.)

Windows 10 November 2021 Update (version 21H2)

Release date: November 16, 2021

Version 21H2, called the Windows 10 November 2021 Update, is the second feature update to Windows 10 released in 2021. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new:

• Wi-Fi security has been enhanced with WPA3 H2E standards support.
• GPU compute support has been added in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows (EFLOW) deployments for machine learning and other compute-intensive workflows.

There are also a number of features designed for IT and business:

• Windows Hello for Business has a new deployment method called cloud trust that simplifies passwordless deployments.
• For increased security, there have been changes to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) VPN APIs, which includes the ability to implement common web-based authentication schemes and to reuse existing protocols.
• Apps can now be provisioned from Azure Virtual Desktop. This allows those apps to run just like local apps, including the ability to copy and paste between remote and local apps.
• The release closes the gap between Group Policy and mobile device management (MDM) settings. The device configuration settings catalog has been updated to list more than 1,400 settings previously not available for configuration via MDM. The new MDM policies include administrative template (ADMX) policies, such as App Compat, Event Forwarding, Servicing, and Task Scheduler.
• An upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise includes Universal Print, which now supports print jobs of up to 1GB or a series of print jobs from an individual user that add up to 1GB within any 15-minute period.
• Universal Print integrates with OneDrive for web and Excel for web. This allows users of any browser or device connected to the internet to print documents hosted in OneDrive for web to a printer in their organization without installing printer drivers on their devices.

Microsoft has also announced that starting with this release, Windows 10 will get feature updates only once a year.

Windows 10 May 2021 Update (version 21H1)

Release date: May 18, 2021

Version 21H1, called the Windows 10 May 2021 Update, is the most recent update to Windows 10. This is a relatively minor update, but it does have a few new features.

Here’s a quick summary of what’s new in 21H1:

• Windows Hello multicamera support: If you have an external Windows Hello camera for your PC, you can set the external camera as your default camera. (Windows Hello is used for signing into PCs.) Why should this change matter to you? If you have an external camera, you probably bought it because it’s superior to the built-in, internal one on your computer. So with this change, you’ll be able to use the more accurate camera for logging into your PC.
• Improved Windows Defender Application Guard performance: Windows Defender Application Guard lets administrators configure applications to run in an isolated, virtualized container for improved security. With this change, documents will open more quickly. It can currently take up to a minute to open an Office document in it.
• Better Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Group Policy Service support: Microsoft has made it easier for administrators to change settings to support remote work.

Windows 10 October 2020 Update (version 20H2)

Release date: October 20, 2020

Version 20H2, called the Windows 10 October 2020 Update, is the most recent update to Windows 10. This is a relatively minor update but does have a few new features.

Here’s a quick summary of what’s new in 20H2:

• The new Chromium-based version of the Microsoft Edge browser is now built directly into Windows 10.
• The System page of Control Panel has been removed. Those settings have been moved to the Settings app.
• The Start menu’s tiled background will match your choice of Windows themes. So the tiled background will be light if you’re using the Windows 10 light theme and dark if you’re using the Windows 10 dark theme.
• When you use Alt-Tab, Edge will now display each tab in your browser in a different Alt-Tab window. Previously, when you used Alt-Tab, Edge would get only a single window. You can change this new behavior by going to Settings > System > Multitasking.
• When you pin a site to the taskbar in Edge, you can click or mouse over its icon to see all your browser tabs that are open for that website.
• When you detach a keyboard on a 2-in-1 device, the device will automatically switch to the tablet-based interface. Previously, you were asked whether you wanted to switch. You can change that setting by going to Settings > System > Tablet.
• The Your Phone app gets a variety of new features for some Samsung devices. When using one of the devices, you can interact with the Android apps on your phone from the Your Phone app on Windows 10.

What IT needs to know: Windows 10 version 20H2 also has a variety of small changes of note for sysadmins and those in IT.

• IT professionals who administer multiple mobile devices get a new Modern Device Management (MDM) “Local Users and Groups” settings policy that mirrors options available for devices that are managed through Group Policy.
• Windows Autopilot, used to set up and configure devices in enterprises, has gained a variety of small enhancement, including better deployment of HoloLens devices, the addition of co-management policies, enhancements to Autopilot deployment reporting, and the ability to reuse Configuration Manager task sequences to configure devices.
• Microsoft Defender Application Guard now supports Office. This allows untrusted Office documents from outside an enterprise to launch in an isolated container to stop potentially malicious content from compromising computers or exploiting personal information found on them.
• Latest Cumulative Updates (LCUs) and Servicing Stack Updates (SSUs) have been combined into a single cumulative monthly update, available via Microsoft Catalog or Windows Server Update Services.
• Biometric sign-on has been made more secure. Windows Hello now has support for virtualization-based security for certain fingerprint and face sensors, which protects, isolates, and secures a user’s biometric authentication data.

For more details, see Microsoft’s “What’s new for IT pros in Windows 10, version 20H2.”

Windows 10 May 2020 Update (version 2004)

Release date: May 27, 2020

Version 2004, called the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, is the most recent update to Windows 10. This is a relatively minor update but does have a variety of new features for both users and system administrators. For more details, see: “Review: Windows 10 May 2020 Update delivers little tweaks that add up to… well, not a lot.”

Here’s a quick summary of what’s new in 2004:

• Cortana now runs as a standalone app in a resizable window. It also loses a variety of capabilities, such as playing music, controlling home devices, and working on the lock screen.
• Task Manager now displays new information, including the temperature of your GPU and your disk type.
• Settings gets many small tweaks, including adding a header with account information, and a redone network status page that combines information that used to be found on multiple pages, such as your IP address, current connection properties and data usage.
• The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) gets more features. It now uses a real Linux kernel, and is faster than previously.
• IT can now take advantage of Windows Hello biometrics logins rather than passwords, by setting that up as the default on enterprise devices.
• Installing and setting up Windows for others has been made easier thanks to new controls added to Dynamic Update, which can lead to less downtime during installation for users.
• A variety of new commands have been given to PowerShell for Delivery Optimization, a Windows networking service that reduces bandwidth consumption by sharing the work of downloading update and upgrade packages among multiple devices in business deployments.
• The security of the Chromium version of Edge has been improved, thanks to porting Application Guard to it.

Windows 10 November 2019 Update (version 1909)

Release date: Nov. 12, 2019

Version 1909, called the Windows 10 November 2019 Update, is the most recent update to Windows 10. There are very few new features in this update, making it more like a service pack of old than a feature update. At this point it’s not clear whether in the future there will be one full-featured update and one service-pack-like update per year or whether Microsoft will go back to its two-feature-updates-a-year schedule. For more details, see “What we know so far about the unusual Windows 10 1909” and “5 unanswered questions about Windows 10 1909.”

Here’s a quick summary of what’s new for users in 1909.

• It lets you create calendar events straight from the taskbar. To do it, click the time on the taskbar and you’ll open the Calendar view. Now click a date and time, then type the event’s name into the text box. You’ll also be able to choose the date, time and location.
• When you type a search into the search box, it will now search through files in your OneDrive account as well as on your PC. Also, as you type, a drop-down menu with suggested files appears. Click a file to open it.
• Voice assistants in addition to Cortana, including Amazon’s Alexa, will be able to run on Windows 10’s lock screen.
• Under-the-hood improvements should speed up the performance of some PCs, as well as increase the battery life in some laptops.
• The Start Menu has gotten minor tweaks. When you hover over items in the navigation pane on the left side of the menu, the items clearly show what you’re about to click.

What IT needs to know: The following features in 1909 are of note for IT staff.

• Windows containers no longer need to have their host and container versions match. That requirement restricted Windows from supporting mixed-version container pod scenarios. Previously, containers from older versions of Windows 10 couldn’t be run on newer versions of Windows 10. In this update, it’s possible, so that a container made using 1903, for example, can be run on 1909.
• Windows Defender Credential Guard, which protects enterprise users’ logins and credentials against theft, is now available for ARM64 devices. Some Windows 10 convertible PCs use ARM64.
• Enterprises can now use Microsoft’s Intune enterprise mobility management (EMM) service to allow devices running Windows 10 in S mode to install and run Win32 (desktop) apps. Before this, S Mode only allowed devices to run apps from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft Store apps don’t run on the desktop.
• The security of BitLocker encryption has been improved. Whenever BitLocker is used to encrypt a device, a recovery key is created, but before this security improvement, it was possible for an unauthorized user to get access to the recovery key and decrypt the device. Now, PCs have additional security if a key is exposed. Here’s how Microsoft explains the change: “Key-rolling or Key-rotation feature enables secure rolling of Recovery passwords on MDM managed AAD devices upon on demand request from Microsoft Intune/MDM tools or upon every time recovery password is used to unlock the BitLocker protected drive.”

There are two known issues in this update: one in which some users cannot set Win32 program defaults for certain app and file type combinations using the Open with… command or Settings > Apps > Default apps, and another in which Microsoft Notepad and other Win32 programs cannot be set as default applications.

(Get more info about KB4464455.)

Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809)

Release date: October 2, 2018; paused October 5; re-released November 13, 2018

Version 1809, called the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, is the feature update that preceded the May 2019 Update. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new for users in it. (For more details, see our full review.)

• A new, powered-up Windows Clipboard can hold multiple clips, store clips permanently, let you preview clips and choose which one you’d like to paste into a document, and share clips across Windows 10 devices.
• A new screenshot and annotation tool called Snip & Sketch lets you capture and annotate the entire screen, a rectangular portion of the screen or a freehand-drawn portion of it. After you take a screen capture, you can annotate it and then save it to a file, copy it to the Clipboard, open it in another program or share it via email, social media and other methods.
• Storage Sense, which helps save storage space, now works with OneDrive Files On-Demand to clean out files you’ve downloaded from OneDrive cloud storage to your PC but that you don’t use any longer. You can choose how long you would like the cloud files to stay on your PC unused before you want them deleted, from never to 60 days.
• The Microsoft Edge browser lets you set autoplay permissions for sound and video on websites on a site-by-site basis. It also lets you look up word definitions in its built-in eReader for books and PDFs, and mark up PDFs and books using a highlighter and by adding notes.
• The new Your Phone app links Windows 10 devices to iOS and Android phones. It allows you to start web browsing on an iOS or Android device and then continue where you left off on your PC. It also lets you view photos on your Android phone from your Windows 10 PC.
• Search Previews have been powered up slightly. You no longer need to click to display the preview panel; it opens automatically. It also now shows files found on your PC.
• Smaller changes include a new dark theme for File Explorer; the addition of the SwiftKey swipe keyboard, which lets you enter text by swiping a finger across an onscreen keyboard; updates that are less intrusive; and faster sign-ins on shared PCs.

What IT needs to know: There are few significant changes that affect IT in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, other than New Microsoft Edge Group Policies that let admins enable and disable full-screen mode, printing, the favorites bar, and browser history saves. IT can also allow or ban Edge extensions (not that there are many available) and configure the Home button and new tab page and startup options.

Windows 10 April 2018 Update (version 1803)

Release date: April 30, 2018

Version 1803, called the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, is the major update to Windows 10 that preceded the October 2018 Update. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new for users in it. (For more details, see our full review.)

• The most important new feature is Timeline, which lets you review and resume activities and open files you’ve started on your PC, or any other Windows PCs you have. It also tracks what you’ve done on iOS and Android devices if you install Microsoft’s digital assistant Cortana on them and are logged in. It shows a list of activities day by day for up to 30 days. Each activity shows up as a large tile, with the file name and document title or URL and website name across it, and the name of the application or app that created it across the top. Click any activity to reopen it. (Note that at present, Timeline only tracks activities in certain Microsoft programs such as the Edge browser and Office applications.)
• The new Diagnostic Data Viewer is supported, which Microsoft is designed to let you see the “diagnostic data collected from your Windows devices, how it is used, and to provide you with increased control over that data.” However, the information is presented in such a complex, technical way that even programmers will likely have a difficult time understanding it. The viewer isn’t built directly into the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. Instead, you have to download it from the Microsoft Store.
• The My People feature now lets you pin up to 10 contacts on the Windows taskbar. Previously, you could only pin up to three.
• Microsoft Edge gets several minor tweaks, including a revamped Hub, the ability to mute auto-playing audio in tabs, and a forms-filler for web-based forms.
• The Notebook feature of Cortana gets a new, cleaner interface for its Notebook. It now has two tabs, Organizer and Manage Skills. The Organizer makes it easier to create lists and set reminders. The Manage Skills tab lets you add “skills” to Cortana, such as controlling your home and its appliances, connecting Cortana to music services such as Spotify, tracking your fitness and more.
• You get more control over app permissions, such as whether they can access your camera, location and contacts.

What IT needs to know: IT staff should be aware of these features that are new in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update:

• Windows 10 Professional now gets the Windows Defender Application Guard, which protects Microsoft Edge. There’s also a new feature in the application guard that lets users download files inside Edge instead of directly to the operating system, as a way to increase security.
• There are new policies for Group Policy and Mobile Device Management (MDM) that can better control how Delivery Optimization is used for Windows Update and Windows Store app updates. You can also now monitor Delivery Optimization using Windows Analytics.
• Windows AutoPilot also gets a tweak that lets IT make sure policies, settings and apps are provisioned on devices before users begin using them.
• Windows gets the Linux curl and tar utilities for downloading files and extracting .tar archives built directly into Windows. Windows also now natively supports Unix sockets (AF_UNIX) with a new afunix.sys kernel driver. That will make it easier to port software to Windows from Linux as well as from other Unix-like operating systems.
• There are a host of improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux, which lets you run a variety of Linux distributions on Windows 10. Linux applications can run in the background, some launch settings for Linux distributions can be customized, and Linux applications have been given access to serial devices. The new Unix sockets report is available for the Windows Subsystem for Linux as well as Windows itself.
• The Windows 10 Pro for Workstations version of Windows 10 gets a new power scheme called Ultimate Performance it’s only for desktop PCs, not those that can be powered by batteries. In addition, Windows 10 Pro for Workstations no longer ships with games like Candy Crush or other similar consumer-focused apps. Instead, it features enterprise- and business-related apps.
• Administrators have been given the power to configure an enterprise’s PCs to run custom scripts during feature updates, which will make configuration and deployment easier.

For  more details, see the Microsoft blog post “Making IT simpler with a modern workplace.”

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709)

Release date: October 17, 2017

Version 1709, called the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, is the major update to Windows 10 that preceded the April 2018 Update. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new for users in it. (For more details, see our full review.)

• OneDrive gets a new feature called Files On-Demand that gives you access to all of your OneDrive files on every device, without having to download them first. You’ll be able to see all the files you have in OneDrive, even if they’re only in the cloud and not on your PC. Icons tell you which are local and which are in the cloud. Just open the file, and if it’s not on your PC, it gets downloaded.
• The new My People feature lets you pin three contacts to the Windows taskbar and then communicate with them instantly without having to open a separate app such as Skype or Mail. You can also click to see a list of all communications between them and you at a glance.
• You can now send web links from your iOS or Android device to your PC and have them open in Microsoft Edge.
• Cortana gets several new features, including displaying results in a scrollable flyout panel, so you don’t have to launch a web browser.
• Microsoft Edge gets some minor improvements, including better Favorites handling and the ability to mark up PDFs and e-books.
• Security has been beefed up, including the addition of Windows Defender Exploit Guard, which includes intrusion rules and policies to protect against a variety of threats, notably zero-day exploits. A new anti-ransomware feature called Controlled Folder Access has also been added; it lets only approved apps have access to Windows system files and folders.
• New privacy features include the ability to review the kinds of devices and services apps from the Microsoft Store want access to before you download them.
• The update incorporates Microsoft’s new design system and guidelines, called Fluent Design. Overall, transitions are smoother, and there are subtle changes to the transparency effect.

What IT needs to know: IT staff should be aware of these features that are new in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update:

• The notoriously insecure SMBv1 networking protocol, exploited in recent ransomware attacks including WannaCry and Petya, won’t be included on clean installs of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, but SMBv1 components will remain if you do in-place upgrades on PCs that already have the component installed.
• Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP), a suite of tools introduced in Windows 10 that helps enterprise customers protect their users and networks against threats and respond to attacks, is being beefed up. Among other things, it will run on the Windows Server OS.
• ATP is also part of Windows Defender Application Guard for Microsoft Edge, available only for Windows 10 Enterprise Edition. It protects against malware attacks by confining visits to unknown or untrusted websites to a virtual machine, so that attacks can’t spread to a PC or the network.
• Windows AutoPilot, which improves self-service deployments of Windows 10 PCs, gets a variety of tweaks, including better mobile device management (MDM) services.
• Windows Analytics’ new Device Health tool gathers information on how PCs perform in an enterprise, and based on that, identifies potential issues and outlines steps to resolve them.
• Enterprises get more control over what kind of information Windows Analytics gathers for the IT staff. In order to improve users’ privacy, IT staff can limit the information collected by Windows Analytics to only diagnostic data.

For more details about new features for IT, see “What’s new in Windows 10, version 1709 IT Pro content,”  “Announcing end-to-end security features in Windows 10” and “Delivering the Modern IT promise with Windows 10” from Microsoft.

Windows 10 Creators Update (version 1703)

Release date: April 5, 2017

Version 1703, dubbed the Creators Update, is the major update to Windows 10 that preceded the Fall Creators Update. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new for users in the Creators Update. (For more details, see our full review.)

• It helps you better organize the Start menu by letting you put multiple tiles for apps into a single folder — for example, you can group all social media apps into one folder.
• Users are given a bit more control over the update process: They can delay an update for three days and keep delaying it in three-day increments, or choose specific times for updates to install.
• The Edge browser has gotten some improvements, including having Flash disabled by default for security reasons and supporting the ePub and PDF formats for reading books and other content.
• Microsoft added some 3D and virtual reality features, including running HoloLens virtual reality and mixed reality apps for the first time, and introducing a Paint 3D app for creating 3D objects.
• System settings that previously were in multiple locations have been consolidated into the Settings app.
• There’s a new all-in-one security dashboard called Windows Defender Security Center that consolidates many security and computer health settings and information.
• New gaming features include streaming gaming sessions over the internet; a Game Mode to improve gaming performance; and a Game bar to let you record your gameplay, take screenshots and perform games-related tasks.
• The Cortana personal assistant gets a few modest additions, including scheduling monthly reminders and helping you set up devices.

What IT needs to know: IT staff should be aware of these features that are new in the Windows 10 Creators Update:

• Security has been improved in a number of ways, including adding new features and insights into Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) to better investigate and respond to network threats. Among the new features are sensors in memory, better intelligence and improved remediation capabilities.
• Several new configuration service providers (CSPs) available in the Creators Update let administrators manage Windows 10 devices through Mobile Device Management (MDM) or provisioning packages. The DynamicManagement CSP, for instance, can enable or disable certain device features depending on location, network presence or time.
• New mobile application management capabilities can protect data on personal mobile devices without requiring each device to be part of the corporate MDM.
• The Windows Configuration Designer (previously called Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer) includes new wizards to make it easier to create provisioning packages, including for desktop devices, Windows mobile devices, Surface Hub devices, HoloLens devices and kiosk devices.
• Enterprise security administrators get a more comprehensive documentation library for Windows Defender Antivirus.
• If an enterprise-wide update policy hasn’t been configured, users with Windows Pro, Windows Enterprise or Windows Education editions have much more control over how Windows updates. With the Creators Update, users can now automatically delay cumulative monthly updates for up to 30 days, and can delay feature updates by up to 365 days.

For more details about new features for IT, see the Microsoft blog posts “Windows 10 Creators Update advances security and best-in-class modern IT tools” and “What’s new in Windows 10, version 1703 IT pro content.”