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The clock is ticking on Windows 10 as the decade old operating system will lose official Microsoft support in October. A decade is a long time, and in the last 10 years Microsoft has garnered a huge install base that will shortly need to move over to the successor; Windows 11.
With that in mind, here’s need to know about moving over to Windows 11 and what the end of Windows 10 means for your computer.
When does Windows 10 support end?
Windows 10 has been offered in several editions — Education, Enterprise, Home, Pro and Workstation — and all of those will stop getting official Microsoft support on October 14, 2025.
Starting on that date, PCs running Windows 10 will not receive security fixes via Windows Update. To extend that you’ll need to pay Microsoft for an Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription. Without it, future security flaws will not be patched, making them potentially vulnerable to attacks.
That ESU purchase will only get you a year of support though. Businesses and education systems get to add three years of support, as corporations likely don’t want the hassle of transitioning after investing in the Windows 10 ecosystem.
One version of Windows 10 gets an exception to all of this, though. Anyone running Windows 10 Enterprise Long Term Servicing. There have been four editions since 2015 with the 2015 one ending support on October 14.
The 2016 version ends in 2026 and the 2019 edition, redubbed Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) will stop on January 9, 2029. Strangely, the LTSC 2021 edition only has a five-year cycle meaning it stops getting support on January 12, 2027.
Beyond that, if you insist on Windows 10, your PC will continue to run as normal, just a little more vulnerable.
Unlike Windows XP, which received support until well after it ended support in 2014 or Windows 7 which still got some security updates up to 2021, Windows 10 may not got that kind of support.
Of course, the Microsoft End of Support page highly recommends an upgrade:
“Once a product reaches the end of support, or a service retires, there will be no new security updates, non-security updates, or assisted support. Customers are encouraged to migrate to the latest version of the product or service. Paid programs may be available for applicable products.”
The difference between Windows 10 and its predecessors is that users of older version had the option to upgrade.
However, transitioning from 10 to 11 may be more difficult.
Windows 11 has a more restrictive hardware requirement as even more recent PCs might not have the required Trusted Platform Module that Windows 11 claims is necessary.
You canrun Windows 11 on unsupported PCs, and Microsoft even has official instructions on how to do so via some technical loopholes and ominous warnings that updates aren’t guaranteed.
Based on Microsoft messaging, it does not appear that Windows 10 will get the same post-life support that XP and Windows 7 received.
We’ll help you decide which Surface Laptop 7 to pick up
The first Copilot+ PC was theMicrosoft SurfaceLaptop 7, alongside the Surface Pro 11. Equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chipset, the Surface Laptop 7 was the first Windows laptop in a while to have a battery life worth bragging aboutandimpressively zippy performance.
Unfortunately, the Qualcomm-based Copilot+ PC wasn’t without issues. In ourSurface Laptop 7 review, we noted the display wasn’t as colorful as we’d like and a shallow keyboard that didn’t lend well to a positive typing experience.
Many Surface Laptop 7 users also noted issues with native app compatibility for Windows on Arm. Although this has improved since launch, it’s still an issue for Snapdragon-powered PCs today. It’s also a major reason some users are considering buying one ofMicrosoft’s new Intel-based Surface Laptop 7machines instead.
This new Surface Laptop 7 model, powered by Intel’s Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake) chipset, will be available to purchase starting February 18, 2025. For those with specific Windows apps that are only natively compatible with x86, it may be worth waiting for the Intel-based Surface Laptop 7.
To help you decide on a laptop that will help you with everyday tasks for years, we’ll compare Intel—and Qualcomm-based Surface Laptop 7 devices side by side, scrutinizing promised performance, battery life, and more.
Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Price and availability
There’s quite a significant price difference between Intel and Qualcomm variants of the Surface Laptop 7.
The Qualcomm-based, 13.8-inch model starts at $999, while its larger 15-inch sibling starts at $1,299. Meanwhile, the Intel-based, 13.8-inch model starts at $1,499—a staggering $500 more than its Qualcomm-based opponent. Although Microsoft didn’t give a starting price for the larger 15-inch model, we’re assuming it’ll start at $1,799.
You can now buy aQualcomm Surface Laptop 7through Microsoft or other retailers. However, if you want anIntel Surface Laptop 7, you’ll have to wait until February 18 to receive it.
Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Display and design
By looking at them, it’ll be difficult — if not nearly impossible — to tell the difference between an Intel-based Surface Laptop 7 and a Qualcomm-based one.
Both Surface Laptop 7 models feature a sleek, MacBook-inspired look with the Microsoft logo centered on the top cover and a thin, lightweight chassis. They even come equipped with the same amount of ports, though the Intel-based Surface Laptop 7 is gaining a USB-A 3.2 port instead of the Qualcomm model’s USB-A 3.1 port.
Nothing new was said about the keyboard, so we expect the typing experience to be identical between Intel- and Qualcomm-powered Surface Laptop 7 iterations.
The top cover of Microsoft’s Qualcomm-based Surface Laptop 7.
Another identical component between both laptops are the display options. You’ll have a choice between a 13.8-inch (2304 x 1536) 120Hz touchscreen display and a 15-inch (2496 x 1664) 120Hz touchscreen display, whether you go with a processor from Qualcomm or Intel.
Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Performance
Performance is one of the biggest categories in which these two laptops will differ, with one powered by Intel’s Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake) chip and the other powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite or X Plus chip.
Laptop‘sSurface Laptop 7 reviewunit featured a Snapdragon X Elite X1E80100 processor backed up by 32GB of RAM. When we ran the Geekbench 6 overall performance test, the laptop scored an impressive multi-core score of 14,426.
We haven’t been able to test one of Microsoft’s new Intel-based, 7th-gen Surface Laptops yet, so we don’t have our own Geekbench 6 scores to compare. However, We tested an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor in a Dell XPS 13 and an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V processor in an Asus Zenbook S 14 and received multi-core scores of 11,033 and 11,125, respectively.
It’s not clear whether these laptops were equipped with 16GB or 32GB of RAM, which could make a difference in multi-core scores. That said, based on our limited knowledge so far, it looks like Qualcomm has a leg up over Intel regarding raw performance power.
Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Battery life
According to Microsoft, the 15-inch, Snapdragon X Elite-powered Surface Laptop 7 features up to 22 hours of battery life for video playback. The smaller 13.8-inch model can last up to 20 hours.Specs for Intel-powered Surface Laptop 7models suggest similar video playback estimates.
According to battery life estimates directly from Microsoft based on “active web usage,” theIntel-powered Surface Laptop 7can last up to 12 hours on the 13.8-inch model and up to 14 hours on the 15-inch model. Alternatively, theQualcomm-powered Surface Laptop 7can last up to 13 hours on the smaller model and up to 15 hours on the larger model.
In ourSurface Laptop 7 review, the laptop lasted 15 hours and 44 minutes on theLaptop Magbattery test, which involves continuous surfing through web pages over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness.
For comparison, We ran a battery test on the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V chip in a Dell XPS 13, which lasted 17 hours and 29 minutes. These aren’t identical laptops, and processors behave differently within unique configurations. However, this helps us know what battery life with Intel’s new Lunar Lake chips could be like before we get our hands on one to test.
Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: App compatibility
We’ve come a long way since the first Copilot+ PC launched in July 2024 when it comes to app compatibility on devices running Windows on Arm.
According toresearch from Microsoft, 90% of the time people spend on Copilot+ PCs — which at the time were solely powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips — is spent in “native experiences including popular apps likeChrome, Zoom, Brave, Photoshop, Opera, Slack, Spotify, Private Internet Access, Surfshark, Windscribe, OpenVPN, and many others.”
TechRadarhas a massive list of apps supported natively through Windows on Arm, butSteamis the only one absent. So far, Valve hasn’t created a native Steam app for Windows on Arm, and there’s no telling when it’ll be available or if it’s even in the works. Currently, there are emulation workaround solutions, but gaming on a laptop running Windows on Arm is more complicated than on an x86-based laptop.
With growing native app compatibility, there’s a good chance this won’t be a deciding factor for much longer when buying an x86-based, Intel-powered laptop vs. a Windows on Arm, Qualcomm-based laptop.
But for now, I’d suggest listing all the apps you typically use regularly and confirming whether they have native app support for Windows on Arm before you buy.
Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Outlook
Ultimately, the battle between an Intel-powered and a Qualcomm-powered Surface Laptop 7 is an extremely close one. Both processors are powerful enough to qualify the laptop as a Copilot+ PC under Microsoft’s guidelines, and they’ll both feature better battery life than we’ve seen in years from Windows laptops.
Until we get our hands on a Surface Laptop 7 with a new Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor, we can’t definitively declare a winner or say whether one laptop will be better for most people. However, based on battery life and performance estimates we’ve seen thus far, the Snapdragon X Elite-powered variants seem to have a slight leg up over Intel models.
The only area where Intel wins out over Qualcomm right now is in regards to native app compatibility, and Qualcomm is quickly catching up. And a year or two from now, nearly all the apps people use on a regular basis could have native Windows on Arm versions.
Windows 11 Start menu tweaks give users in Europe more search control
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Microsoft is modifying Windows 11 search in the EEA to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act
Start Menu search now separates local on-device results from web results, which remain powered by Bing
Other DMA-driven changes include uninstalling Edge and disabling Bing search, but only for EEA users
Microsoftis tweakingWindows 11’s search feature in the Start menu for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) to comply with new EU rules (specifically the Digital Markets Act, or DMA). Normally, when you search in the Start menu,Windows 11shows results from both your computer and the internet (usingMicrosoft’s search engine,Bing). But now, it looks like Microsoft will make those search results more obviously separate.
MSPowerUser reportsthat the change can be seen in a new Windows 11 Insider Preview Build, build number 27764. One Windows Insider and X poster @alex290292shared a screenshotshowing this new Start menu user interface (UI) with two sections in the search window; one labelled “Windows” and the other “Web search fromBing” (note that their Windows 11 language is set to German).
Windows 11’s search shake-up after a nudge from the EU
This change follows several other updates that give users more control over how they use Windows 11, including the introduction of custom web search providers’ results into Windows Search, and the ability to uninstall Microsoft Edge (the default web browser that comes preinstalled in Windows 11) from their device and disable Bing web search. These changes were also brought in to comply with the DMA, so while the EU isn’t letting up on its regulatory stance, Microsoft is playing ball for now.
The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a set of rules designed to keep big tech companies from using their dominance to box out competition. Since Windows is hugely popular, Microsoft has to play fair and not use it as a way to force people into using its other services, like pushing Bing and Edge instead of letting users choose their own search engine or browser. That’s where the DMA steps in: to make sure companies like Microsoft don’t unfairly steer users toward their own products when they should be offering real choices.
Another intriguing change that we can expect to Windows 11’s Start menu soon is when you right-click on an app pinned there, you’ll see new ‘jump lists’ that pop up. As explained by MSPowerUser, a jump list is a flyout menu that provides quick access to recent files, folders, or tasks associated with an app by right-clicking its icon on the taskbar or Start menu.
Microsoft’s decision to separate Windows 11’s local and web search results might seem like a straightforward tweak, but it also highlights the company’s reluctance to make a simple change like this without being given a reason to by an external influence (in this case the EU). Integrating Bing tightly into Windows 11’s search features seems motivated by Microsoft’s business ambitions, namely wanting to direct more user traffic to Bing in the hopes of increasing user engagement with Microsoft services and getting higher ad revenues. Closing the gap with market leaderGoogleis also likely an ambition of Microsoft.
Separating Windows 11’s search results may be effectively disrupting these aims a little, but it’s in the interest of supporting greater user choice.
The fact that this update only applies to the EEA suggests that Microsoft isn’t keen on rolling it out more widely, likely because it would reduce the passive traffic Bing receives from Windows 11 users worldwide. From a user perspective, this change is a welcome improvement, particularly for those frustrated with how cluttered and inconsistent the Start menu search can feel.
The primary concern with the current setup is that it combines local and web results in a way that might not always serve users’ best interests.
Searching for a file or app on your PC, only to be met with a mix of content that’s actuallyonyour device and web suggestions (which often feel irrelevant) can be more distracting than helpful. By giving users a clearer distinction between on-device and online results, this change ensures that Windows Search serves its intended purpose, in particular finding what you need on your PC first, rather than acting as a disguised gateway to Microsoft’s services.
Microsoft previously offered details on installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC
That workaround has been removed from the support document that hosted it
This could be to do with the release of the 24H2 update, which is now widely rolling out
Microsofthas just quietly removed information in its support documentation regarding installingWindows 11via a (not recommended) workaround, one that allowed the OS to be hosted on a PC that doesn’t meet the hardware requirements.
Specifically, this was a workaround for machines that aren’t up to speed for thesystem requirements of Windows 11in terms of having TPM 2.0, or not having a modern enough CPU. It involved tweaking the Registry of the OS in order to facilitate the installation.
TechSpotnoticed that Microsoft had made the change, linking to the new,altered support document, and also providing a link to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine’s captured version of theold document.
As you can see if you compare the two, the instructions for ducking around the TPM 2.0 or CPU requirements are provided with the old doc in the box labeled ‘warning’ which makes it clear that there are risks involved with both installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC and modifying the Registry.
It appears that warnings aren’t enough, and Microsoft doesn’t want anyone at all using this fudge now, even at their own risk, given the change to the doc here.
Why has Microsoft made this change now, after leaving these workaround details in place for so long? Because as far as we are aware, this method still works.
One theory is that the recent release of Windows 11 24H2 may have changed the terrain that this workaround is built on, meaning that trying to dodge said system requirements could now be more problematic.
Remember, the platform that underpins Windows 11 was changed to an all-new affair with the 24H2 update, as Microsoft introduced Germanium. In short, that meant a lot of tweaks for the inner workings of theoperating systemthat can’t be seen, but are most definitely there (and needed forCopilot+ PCs). The changes may cause more potential problems with the above installation workaround (particularly given that one of Germanium’s main pillars is to bolster security, as well as performance).
So, perhaps the workaround is simply more likely to run into issues now, though we’ve not seen reports of this from Windows users to back up this idea (not yet, anyway). As already noted, we aren’t seeing any evidence that this method doesn’t actually work anymore.
Obviously, you can still view the instructions (via the Wayback Machine as noted), so if you want to make the move to Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, that can still be done (in theory). Indeed, we have a much morein-depth look at this process in a guide here, so if you’re serious about installing Windows 11 in this way, check that out.
In that guide, we still don’t recommend taking this course of action, due to the potential risks involved – which, if the above theorizing is correct, may be even more perilous now that Windows 11 24H2 is in town with Germanium in tow.
AsWindows 10’s End of Lifecomes ever closer, if you are still on the older OS due to not having a PC that supports Windows 11, then you need to start carefully examining your options. Clearly enough, Microsoft doesn’t think one of those choices should be to fudge Windows 11 on a PC with an old unsupported processor (or no TPM 2.0, or perhaps both).
Whatever the case, it appears that the looming deadline forWindows 10support ending is making some people think about upgrading, andWindows 11 is suddenly becoming more popular. Expect more of that migration to come as 2025 rolls onwards.
One theory is that it’s due to the Windows 11 24H2 update
Microsoft previously offered details on installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC
That workaround has been removed from the support document that hosted it
This could be to do with the release of the 24H2 update, which is now widely rolling out
Microsofthas just quietly removed information in its support documentation regarding installingWindows 11via a (not recommended) workaround, one that allowed the OS to be hosted on a PC that doesn’t meet the hardware requirements.
Specifically, this was a workaround for machines that aren’t up to speed for thesystem requirements of Windows 11in terms of having TPM 2.0, or not having a modern enough CPU. It involved tweaking the Registry of the OS in order to facilitate the installation.
TechSpotnoticed that Microsoft had made the change, linking to the new,altered support document, and also providing a link to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine’s captured version of theold document.
As you can see if you compare the two, the instructions for ducking around the TPM 2.0 or CPU requirements are provided with the old doc in the box labeled ‘warning’ which makes it clear that there are risks involved with both installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC and modifying the Registry.
It appears that warnings aren’t enough, and Microsoft doesn’t want anyone at all using this fudge now, even at their own risk, given the change to the doc here.
Why has Microsoft made this change now, after leaving these workaround details in place for so long? Because as far as we are aware, this method still works.
One theory is that the recent release of Windows 11 24H2 may have changed the terrain that this workaround is built on, meaning that trying to dodge said system requirements could now be more problematic.
Remember, the platform that underpins Windows 11 was changed to an all-new affair with the 24H2 update, as Microsoft introduced Germanium. In short, that meant a lot of tweaks for the inner workings of theoperating systemthat can’t be seen, but are most definitely there (and needed forCopilot+ PCs). The changes may cause more potential problems with the above installation workaround (particularly given that one of Germanium’s main pillars is to bolster security, as well as performance).
So, perhaps the workaround is simply more likely to run into issues now, though we’ve not seen reports of this from Windows users to back up this idea (not yet, anyway). As already noted, we aren’t seeing any evidence that this method doesn’t actually work anymore.
Obviously, you can still view the instructions (via the Wayback Machine as noted), so if you want to make the move to Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, that can still be done (in theory). Indeed, we have a much morein-depth look at this process in a guide here, so if you’re serious about installing Windows 11 in this way, check that out.
In that guide, we still don’t recommend taking this course of action, due to the potential risks involved – which, if the above theorizing is correct, may be even more perilous now that Windows 11 24H2 is in town with Germanium in tow.
AsWindows 10’s End of Lifecomes ever closer, if you are still on the older OS due to not having a PC that supports Windows 11, then you need to start carefully examining your options. Clearly enough, Microsoft doesn’t think one of those choices should be to fudge Windows 11 on a PC with an old unsupported processor (or no TPM 2.0, or perhaps both).
Whatever the case, it appears that the looming deadline forWindows 10support ending is making some people think about upgrading, andWindows 11 is suddenly becoming more popular. Expect more of that migration to come as 2025 rolls onwards.
Microsoft has announced plans to remove the free VPN feature from its Microsoft Defender app.
The VPN, and Defender app, is currently included in all Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans at no additional cost, but will be removed on 28 February 2025.
The VPN certainly wasn’t challenging any of thebest VPNs, but it was a handy additional feature and better than no VPN protection at all.
Short lived
Microsoft’s VPN hasn’t been around for long, having only beenintroduced in August 2024, but the tech giant has seemingly decided it isn’t worth continuing and are diverting resources elsewhere – Copilot AI by the looks of it.
On one of itssupport pages, Microsoft said: “Our goal is to ensure you, and your family remain safer online. We routinely evaluate the usage and effectiveness of our features. As such, we are removing the privacy protection feature and will invest in new areas that will better align to customer needs.”
It says no action is required by Windows, iOS, or macOS users to remove the VPN, but Android users will have to manually remove the feature if they no longer wish to see it. Not removing the feature won’t affect your device, or the remaining app protections, but the VPN will not be usable.
(Image credit: SOPA Images / Getty Images)
Other Microsoft 365 protection features will remain unaffected. These include personal information and credit monitoring, 24/7 identity theft support, and up to $1 million identity insurance coverage – services very similar toExpressVPN’sIdentity DefenderandCredit ScannerandNordVPN’sNordProtect.
The VPN’s removal comes asMicrosoft increases the price of 365 plans in the US by 45%. The prices of personal and family plans will increase by $3 a month or $30 for annual subscriptions.
It appears as though the price hike is down to the inclusion of Copilot AI in the Microsoft 365 suite of apps. However users who don’t wish to access Copilot AI can opt to switch to the “basic plan” and won’t have to pay the increased subscription rate.
This weekMicrosoft announceda Windows 11 update that finally lets you access your iPhone from the Start Menu, similar to the already existing Android phone access from last year.
The update lets you view your iPhone’s battery status, cellular connectivity and recent activities within Windows 11. It also allows you to access calls and messages.
Additionally, the update allows users to share files between Android and iPhone devices. You can select ‘Send Files’ when accessing your phone to begin transferring content.
The setup process is pretty straightforward.
Open up the Start menu and then select ‘iPhone’ which is found in the right side panel. Instructions will pop and you just follow those to create a connection between your iPhone and computer.
As of this writing, the feature is rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta channels. To use it, you must have one of the Windows 11 Insider Preview builds: Build 4805 or higher for Beta Insiders and Build 26120.300 or higher for Devs.
You must also have Phone Link version 1.24121.30.0 or higher, and your PC needsBluetoothLE capabilities.
It doesn’t appear that everyone will be available to access this feature. If you are running Windows 11 Pro Education or Education SKUs, you will not be able to access the update.
Microsoft Copilot 365 marks the end of an iconic brand.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
It’s often a sign of a misguided rebrand when people continue to use a brand’s old name months or even years afterwards (Elon Muskmight want to take note forX). Microsoft’s suite of office apps is a prime example. For many, it will always have the utilitarian, easily comprehensible name of Microsoft Office, despite the tech giant’s strange insistence on trying to change that.
In 2022,Microsoft Office became Microsoft 365in a rebranding that did little more than confuse users. In recognition of the power of the name it was trying to kill, evenMicrosoftcontinued to call the package ‘Microsoft 365 (Office)’ in theAppleApp Store and Android Play Store until a couple of days ago. But now the iconic ‘Office’ name has been dropped completely as Microsoft 365 becomes Microsoft Copilot 365. And to make things even more confusing, the office suite now has the same logo as Microsoft’s AI chatbot.
The Copilot logo (left), and the new logo for Microsoft Copilot 365 (formerly the Microsoft 365 (Office) app)(Image credit: Microsoft)
Ostensibly, the rebrand is intended to highlight the addition of Copilot AI integration into well-known Microsoft Office apps like Word and Excel. But said integration isn’t exactly anything to shout about yet. So far, much of the feedback from users involves complaints about the price hike and people wanting to know how to turn off an AI assistant they see as a glorified resurrection of Clippy (perhaps we underestimated the AI potential of Microsoft’s anthropomorphic paperclip).
As for the logo, the icon for Microsoft Copilot 356 (formerly the Microsoft 365 (Office) app) is differentiated from the existing Copilot icon only by the addition of a ‘M365’ label. That makes it easy to open the AI bot by mistake when you want to use an Office app. Microsoft could have learned from the reaction to the array of similar-looking Google logos that users like icons to be distinguishable from each other to help them find the app they’re looking for.
“You made a nice logo for Microsoft 365 and got everything looking nice only to confuse people with another pointless rebrand that uses the same name for every product,” one user complained onTwitter– I mean X – on Friday.
The move follows the rebranding of Microsoft’s Surface line of tablets and laptops asCopilot+ PCslast year. That was a bizarre decision in itself, akin to releasing a computer in 1983 and calling it a ‘Microsoft Word PC’. Only that Microsoft Word was a fully functioning product when it was released on the world; Copilot is very much a work in progress.
I don’t believe that Microsoft can truly think that its AI chatbot is so appealing that people will run out to buy a new PC or download a software package on the back of its name. It seems more likely that the company is thinking the other way around, adding the Copilot name to everything in an attempt to get people to notice and care about a product that so far doesn’t do much that Chat GPT can’t do.
There’s a risk to this. As Jez Cordon points out over atWindows Centralthere’s a danger that the entire Microsoft ecosystem, including the more solid products, could become tarnished if people deem Copilot to be a useless gimmick.
The new name for Microsoft Office follows a string of strange and confusing naming decisions from Microsoft. After the tongue-twistingXbox Series X, the company more recently renamed Microsoft Remote Desktop as Windows App. Meanwhile, its web portal has reverted toMSNafter the spectacular failure of the rebrand to Microsoft Start. Perhaps it should start asking its AI Copilot for ideas.
In a newblog post,Microsoftreports that it has reached a new phase in the gradual rollout ofWindows 1124H2. Compatible systems will be automatically updated to the latest release. Launched in October, Windows 11 24H2 has been plagued by a handful of jarring problems, includinggame-breaking bugs,persistent caches, and broken HDR. Recent patches have addressed most of these issues, and Microsoft is now confident enough to initiate automatic 24H2 updates for mainstream consumers. Note that this does not apply to managed systems.
The initial rollout began for Copilot+ PCs in June of last year. If you don’t own an “AI PC,” 24H2 launched as early as October but was marred by bugs and glitches, most of which have been fixed per Microsoft’s blog. So, if your PC wasn’t on the latest release, it will automatically be updated to 24H2. Note that this only applies to eligible devices running Windows 11 Pro/Home on the 23H2/22H2 builds, which no organization can manage.
After checking Microsoft’s bug log, we found that many problems had been resolved. However, the potential for newer bugs still exists. Users can defer the update by up to five weeks using the “Pause Updates” feature in the “Windows Update” tab in “Settings.” If you’re eager to update, select the “Check for updates” option in the same tab to see if the update is available for your device.
Microsoft is aware of issues that have not been resolved, such as the Failure to install 24H2 on specific Asus devices, the camera’s unresponsiveness on a handful of systems, unexpected behavior with wallpaper applications, etc. Note that affected devices will be put on a “safeguard hold” until these issues have been resolved.
Copilot PCs will get the most out of this update with the infamous Recall feature and other AI goodies. Sadly, these features will continue rolling out in phases for select devices under the Windows Insider Program. The good news is that Windows 11 24H2 promises faster update times and better performance for AMD’s Ryzen CPUs. Intel mandates the installation of specific Windows 11 24H2 patches for optimal performance with Arrow Lake processors, even though our testing shows little to no improvements.
Searching “Google” in Microsoft Edge still shows a search bar many consider deceptive.
Microsoft has been accused of attempting to deceive users who search for “Google” through the Bing search engine.
Microsoft has dialed back its apparent attempts to trick people into using Bing. The tech giant rolled out a change to its search engine recently that showed an interface similar to that of Google if you searched the term “Google.”Many, including Google, considered the move deceptive, since Bing presented what was essentially a clone of the Google interface and moved other results lower on the page.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Microsoft spoofing the Google homepage is another tactic in its long history of tricks to confuse users & limit choice. New year; new low,” said Google’s Chrome lead Parisa Tabriz.
Now, it appears that Microsoft is shifting away from its controversial strategy. If you search for “Google” through Bing, you’re less likely to see the clone of Google’s interface.
Now, it appears that Microsoft is shifting away from its controversial strategy. If you search for “Google” through Bing, you’re less likely to see the clone of Google’s interface.
In my testing, I was only able to see the Google-esque version of Bing when searching for “Google” within an InPrivate browser tab in Microsoft Edge. Any other combination of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and being logged in or using a private tab showed the normal Bing interface.
There’s a chance that Microsoft is just testing the interface and that results may vary from person to person. As far as I can tell, Microsoft has not commented on the clone of Google’s UI publicly.
Microsoft and Google have a rocky relationship that dates back decades, which is hardly surprising considering the size of the companies and how much their services overlap. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that “Google makes more money on Windows than all of Microsoft” due to the dominance of Google’s search platform. The Microsoft CEO also argued thatGoogle doesn’t play fair with Bing,
Microsoft has tried several tactics to convert users to Bing over the years, including theBing Wallpaper app prompting people to switch their search engine. Microsoft has used similarly aggressive tactics topush its Edge browser, which has Bing set as the default search engine.
Microsoft hasannouncedthat support for Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 will end this year on October 14, as reported byThe Verge. This is also the end-of-support date for Windows 10 as a whole, but the move is still a little surprising considering that Microsoft is now offering theWindows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) Program.
Anyone who joins this program for $30 can continue to safely use Windows 10 for a whole extra year — so you might think that Microsoft would let them continue to use the Office apps too. That said, it’s not like the apps will disappear, they just won’t receive any more updates.According to Microsoft, this could cause “performance and reliability issues over time” but whether these issues will pop up within the ESU program’s duration or not is anyone’s guess.
Theswitch from Windows 10 to Windows 11has been long and painful for Microsoft — even after three years, there’s still a substantial chunk of people who are still using the older operating system. There are plenty of reasons why — lots of people still use machines that don’t meetWindows 11 hardware requirements, and others have been permanently scared off by years of scathing public opinion that Windows 11 is nowhere near as good as Windows 10. It’s also taken a long time for gamers to come around to Windows 11, though itrecently overtook Windows 10for the first time in October 2024’s Steam hardware survey.
Whatever the reasons, this reluctance to upgrade has clearly been driving Microsoft insane. The company is trying everything from full-screen upgrade prompts to awkward marketing tactics declaring 2025 as “the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.”
Unfortunately for Microsoft, however, there is a huge number of people who only own PCs out of necessity and won’t even think about replacing them until they literally stop working. There are also plenty of businesses reluctant to upgrade since their current company PCs still work perfectly well in every other way.
In a lot of ways, it feels like the world just didn’t need another iteration of Windows yet. Perhaps the company really should consider supporting a basic no-new-stuff version of its OS for all the people who just don’t care. It might be expensive, but surely all of this drama, failure, and marketing around upgrades is expensive too.
