Microsoft officially released Windows 11 26H2 for all users. Windows 11 26H2 brings many new features, along with security improvements and performance enhancements. While Microsoft delivers Windows 11 26H2 to all eligible devices through Windows Update, some features remain dormant until you install the 26H2 Enablement package. This article highlights the new key features and […]
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Windows 11 26H2 brings a fast enablement-package upgrade to 24H2 and 25H2 PCs, while 26H1 devices remain on a separate path.
The post Windows 11 26H2 Update: Which PCs Get the Enablement Package appeared first on TechRepublic.
Microsoft will hold a Windows and Surface event on October 7, 2026. We've known about the event for weeks, but Microsoft has now shared details about how to watch it live.
Microsoft posted a YouTube event titled "Something new is coming from Windows | October 7" recently. That means you can click the "Notify me" button to get pinged when the event starts.
The Surface Laptop Ultra and the NVIDIA RTX Spark are expected to be the focus of the event. The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box may also make an appearance.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Surface Chief Pavan Davuluri, and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will all be in attendance.
Microsoft has been tight-lipped about the event. We weren't even sure if it would be live-streamed until recently. The description of the live stream is similarly scarce on details:
"Join us live October 7th at 10:00 am PT for a look at what's next from Windows, Surface, and NVIDIA. See the latest, including RTX Spark and new experiences designed to unlock more possibilities for developers and builders."
Microsoft already announced the Surface Laptop Ultra and discussed RTX Spark, so seeing those on stage would hardly be shocking. Windows 11 just received an update, so there are few surprises about what's shipping to PCs this year. But Microsoft's description talks about "what's next," so the tech giant could tease future updates or discuss changes to how it makes its flagship software or hardware.
Based on our recent poll, Windows Central readers are excited about the Surface Laptop Ultra. So even if the device has already been announced, many people will appreciate details about the laptop.
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Microsoft is yet to confirm plans for Windows 11 version 27H2, but that doesn't mean we don't yet know anything about it. Thanks to information supplied by Microsoft about Windows 11 version 26H1 and 26H2, we can read the tea leaves and begin to decipher what Microsoft's plans are for its OS in 2027.
First up, we must set the stage for Windows 11 currently. For the first time ever, Microsoft has split the Windows userbase in two. Most Windows 11 users will continue to receive OS updates that are based on the Germanium platform release, which powers version 24H2, version 25H2, and the new version 26H2.
Germanium has been in the market since 2024, and is what the majority of Windows 11 users are running today. That will no longer be the case with version 26H1, which is the first version of Windows 11 since 2024 to ship on a new version of the Windows platform. This new version is codenamed Bromine, and exists exclusively for Snapdragon X2 and RTX Spark devices.
That means version 26H1 and the newer Bromine platform release will not be made available to the existing Windows 11 userbase this year. Microsoft doesn't say why, but my sources tell me this is because Bromine only really exists because of timing convenience. These new Arm chips required extra kernel level work, and it was easier for Microsoft to build those into a new platform release than it was to retroactively fit the Germanium platform release with these additions.
Because of this, Microsoft hasn't made any optimizations to the Bromine platform release for existing PCs. While you can run Bromine on existing hardware if you want, there is no benefit in doing so. As a result, Microsoft chose to keep the majority of Windows users in the platform release that has been shipping since 2024, and split off the new Snapdragon X2 and RTX Spark PCs with their own platform release.
That does mean there's going to be some awkward fragmentation between version 26H1 and version 26H2 throughout 2026 and into 2027, however. Microsoft has confirmed that because version 26H1 is based on a newer platform release than version 26H2, those running 26H1 are not eligible for the version 26H2 release.
The company does say that this won't be the case forever, and that Windows 11 users running version 26H1 will be updated to something newer in the future. According to my sources, that will be version 27H2 in 2027, which will be the first platform release since 25H2 to be offered to the entire Windows 11 userbase.
As is almost always the case, Microsoft tends to ship new versions of Windows in the second half of the year. I anticipate this will remain the case for version 27H2, which will likely target a September or October release window.
Because version 27H2 is likely to introduce a new platform release, Microsoft will use a measured and phased rollout approach to its general availability. That means not all users will see the update right away once it's made available, as Microsoft will choose to roll it out in waves to ensure the update is installing as intended.
It will also be a full blown OS upgrade release, and not just an enablement package. That means it will replace the entire OS with a new version, while maintaining all your apps, files and settings. This takes a little longer than an enablement package release, which only updates a few OS files to enable the new version.
Windows 11 version 22H2 was a fill blown OS upgrade release over 21H2, as was version 24H2 over 23H2. So this wouldn't be the first time this has happened.
We know that the version 27H2 release will need to be based on a newer platform release than Germanium to support upgrading both 26H2 and 26H1 users. What we don't yet know is what platform release this will be. It's possible that Microsoft could use the Bromine platform release for 27H2, though I think this is unlikely.
I think Microsoft will issue a platform release that's newer than Bromine. Given the timing, I suspect it may be the Windows Strontium platform release, which is expected to be finalized sometime in the first half of 2027. This would align with Microsoft's previous development schedules.
For example, Germanium was finalized in the first half of 2024, and ended up shipping as version 24H2 in the second half of that year. With Strontium expected to be finalized in the first half of 2027, I would wager the same will happen then for version 27H2.
Microsoft has announced that the next version of Windows will drop support for the Snapdragon 850 SoC. While not confirmation on its own, it's a strong hint that version 27H2 will be powered by a newer platform release than Bromine, given the Snapdragon 850 can still run Bromine-based builds.
Because of Microsoft's "Continuous Innovation" effort, the company no longer ties new features to version updates. These days, Windows 11 receives new features whenever the company deems them ready to ship, meaning there's no features in active development that are expected to be exclusive to version 27H2 currently, though that could change in the future.
In fact, most mainline feature development still takes places on the Germanium codebase, then is forward integrated into newer codebases when ready. This is why new features often arrive on version 25H2 and 26H2 first, and then come to 26H1 later, as 26H1 is built on a newer Windows platform.
Of course, the age old question is whether or not the next version of Windows will be dubbed Windows 12. The answer is we don't know, and likely won't know until much closer to the time.
Even if Microsoft does debut Windows 12 next year, that doesn't mean Windows 11 version 27H2 wouldn't also exist. When Windows 11 version 21H2 debuted, Windows 10 still received its own 21H2 version that same year.
With all that in mind, I don't think we're going to see Windows 12 in 2026. Given the current versions of Windows 11 are split between two platform releases, it would be irresponsible and complex from a support perspective to leave the userbase in that state.
It would make the upgrade path from Windows 11 to Windows 12 more complex, and Microsoft would need to account for multiple in-market platform releases and versions. I would think it's better to get everyone back onto the same platform version under Windows 11 first, before trying to push forward with Windows 12.
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Microsoft has announced that the just released Windows 11 version 26H2 will be the last version to support Qualcomm's second-generation Windows 10 on Arm SoC, the Snapdragon 850 from 2018.
The news was published on the Windows 11 Lifecycle Policy page, where a notice now says "Windows 11, version 26H2 is the last version that will support devices with Snapdragon 850 processors."
The Snapdragon 850 is notable as being the first "built-for-Windows" chip from Qualcomm. The Snapdragon 835 that powered Windows PCs first was a recycled smartphone chip.
Windows 11 had already dropped support for the Snapdragon 835 a while ago, and now it seems the Snapdragon 850 is next on the chopping block. Windows PCs with the Snapdragon 850 under the hood are eligible to install the latest version update, but will not get version 27H2 next year.
Windows 11 version 26H2 will be supported for 24 months, meaning devices with the Snapdragon 850 inside have two years of security updates remaining before they'll be left behind in an insecure state.
It's unclear why Microsoft is dropping support for this SoC. This likely implies that the 27H2 release next fall will be based on a new version of the Windows platform, and not an enablement-package like 26H2 is.
It's also unclear whether or not this limitation will be artificial in nature. Just because an SoC is no longer supported doesn't mean it can't run newer versions by bypassing system requirements. Many people have enjoyed running Windows 11 on unsupported chips for many years.
Either way, we know that officially, the Snapdragon 850 will no longer be supported on future versions of Windows. Windows 11 version 26H2 is the last version that is officially supported.
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Developers can now jump into their workflows faster on Windows 11. Microsoft has made WSL Containers generally available, reducing the setup and management required to run Linux containers through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
Containers are packages that include an application and the dependencies required to run it. Developers use them to ensure software behaves consistently across different systems.
WSL Containers brings built-in Linux container support to Windows through WSL. Until now, developers typically relied on third-party tools such as Docker Desktop to run Linux containers on Windows. With WSL Containers, Microsoft is providing a built-in alternative through WSL.
Microsoft announced WSL Containers at Build 2026 and has tested the feature since then. The platform is now generally available.
Microsoft has also added new features to WSL containers since testing began, including support for container health checks, real-time event streaming, expanded networking controls, configurable storage locations, and several new container management commands.
Microsoft is also adding more enterprise controls to WSL Containers, including Intune policies and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint support.
Tools such as Docker Desktop continue to be an option for developers, but WSL Containers requires less software to install and manage.
Microsoft's new wslc command-line tool uses commands that will feel familiar to developers who already work with containers, making the transition relatively seamless.
WSL Containers won't replace tools such as Docker Desktop for everyone, but they do give developers one less app to install. For many Windows 11 users, running Linux containers just became a built-in feature rather than something that requires extra software.
Most Windows 11 users will never run a container, so this update won't change their day-to-day experience. But making container support a built-in part of Windows removes a barrier for developers, which can speed up app development and testing.
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Right on schedule, Microsoft has announced the general availability of the Windows 11 2026 Update, also known as Windows 11 version 26H2. The company consistently releases a new version of the OS in the second half of the year, resetting the support clock and delivering new features and improvements.
The Windows 11 version 26H2 release builds upon the same platform release that powers Windows 11 version 25H2 and version 24H2. This means the update includes no new features on the surface that aren't also rolling out to those older releases, but it does act as a checkpoint that enables all the new features rolled out over the last 12 months.
So if you are still missing new features like the new Start menu or File Explorer improvements, updating to version 26H2 should enable them. "Windows 11, version 26H2 brings together all the Windows innovations, security improvements, and enhancements delivered over the past year to version 25H2," Microsoft says.
Additionally, Microsoft explains that version 26H2 is an enablement package update, which "is a lightweight update that activates new features already included in the operating system through previous monthly servicing updates. Because versions 26H2, 25H2, and 24H2 share a common servicing branch and underlying codebase, many of the components required for version 26H2 are already present on devices before the feature update becomes available."
That means the update will only take a few minutes to download and install, and is low-disruption and safe with no compatibility concerns or bugs to be aware of.
The 26H2 update also resets the support lifecycle clock, meaning users that install it will enjoy 24 months of security and feature updates on Home and Pro edition from today. Commercial editions will receive 36 months of support.
Microsoft is rolling Windows 11 version 26H2 out in waves, but users can get it sooner by ensuring the "Get the latest Windows updates when they're available" option is toggled in Windows Settings.
If you're running Windows 11 version 26H1, you will not be eligible to install Windows 11 version 26H2. Version 26H1 is based on a newer version of the Windows platform compared to version 26H2, and so there's no direct upgrade path currently.
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ASUS, Apple, Samsung, and Lenovo offer five credible Surface Pro alternatives with different strengths in performance, portability, software, and price.
The post 5 Best Surface Pro Alternatives for 2026: ASUS, iPad, Galaxy and More appeared first on TechRepublic.
Dell’s $999 XPS Googlebook undercuts Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 8 by about $400, but Windows compatibility may justify the premium.
The post Dell XPS Googlebook vs Surface Laptop 8: Save $400 or Stick With Windows? appeared first on TechRepublic.
It's been a busy week for Microsoft. Despite having a Windows and Surface event scheduled two weeks from now, the company announced two new Surface PCs and revived the Surface Mouse. Microsoft also effectively cut the legs out from under the Copilot+ PC brand by confirming the new Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch are not Copilot+ PCs.
Microsoft confirmed that its new Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch will not be called Copilot+ PCs. Not because they fail to meet the requirements — both PCs have the specs to otherwise qualify — but because Microsoft is going in a different direction.
I think we may hear more about Microsoft’s plans and rebranding at the Windows and Surface event next month, but for now we just have confirmation the new Surface devices are not called Copilot+ PCs.
The Copilot+ PC brand was doomed to fail. Microsoft failed to make it clear to customers what made Copilot+ PCs special, and the flagship Recall was a disaster.
Many people were confused about the difference between a Copilot+ PC and an AI PC. And several major manufacturers made it clear that labeling a device as a Copilot+ PC was not a priority.
Microsoft put too many eggs in the same basket with Copilot. The company has dozens of products with Copilot in their names. Even the Microsoft 365 app had Copilot forced into its name.
By bundling so many different products and services under the Copilot name, Microsoft tied the success (or failure) of a large part of its portfolio together.
Look online for reactions to the Copilot+ PC brand being phased out and you’ll see people discussing the Copilot app, the Copilot key, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and other Copilot-branded products. And who can blame them? It’s natural to assume the end of Copilot+ PCs means the end of at least some parts of Copilot.
But the opposite is true. In the same week it confirmed its Surface PCs are not Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft announced a massive overhaul of the Copilot platform. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called it a new OS, though I’m not sure what that really means in this case.
Ultimately, Microsoft fell in love with the term Copilot and tried to attach it to too many products and services. We’ve seen similar mistakes, such as Facebook going all in on the Metaverse.
Copilot+ PCs are gone or being phased out, but Copilot as an “OS” is just beginning. Microsoft will need to do some damage control and get a marketing message out to make it clear those facts aren’t in opposition.
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In 2024, Microsoft and Qualcomm kicked off a new category of Windows hardware it called "Copilot+ PCs" that set the baseline for a new wave of AI-first computers, and launched with exclusive features that would not be made available on PCs that didn't meet a new set of system requirements.
The launch didn't go smoothly. Copilot+ PCs were met with immediate backlash from security researchers after discovering that Copilot+ PCs blockbuster feature, Recall, was woefully insecure. This forced the company to delay Recall and ship this new category of devices without its leading AI experience.
This pretty much tarnished the Copilot+ PC brand, and over the last two years more and more OEMs have dropped the moniker from marketing materials and product names. In fact, even Microsoft has seemingly stopped mentioning it.
I've noticed that none of the Surface PCs launched in 2026 include the Copilot+ PC moniker in their product names, unlike the Surface PCs that launched in 2025 and before. Now, you have to go digging to find any mention of Copilot+ compatibility in specification sheets.
At this year's Snapdragon Summit, I had the chance to ask Surface CVP Brett Ostrum about the lack of Copilot+ PC branding on its recent Surface PCs, and he confirmed that "these are not called Copilot+ PCs. They do meet all the requirements of our previous bar for what Copilot+ devices are. We still lean into the narrative around AI on the edge and being able to have a hybrid solution out there."
I've also asked Qualcomm's SVP of compute, Kedar Kondap, about his thoughts on the usage of the Copilot+ PC branding. He told me that "the purpose for Copilot+ PCs was to be able to deliver [NPU] experiences. So it was to define a certain category of devices with a certain bar and metric, like for example, a 45 TOPS NPU ... So from that perspective, it's more offering the same experiences, probably without just using [Copilot+ PC] terminology now."
It's also worth mentioning that NVIDIA hasn't gone anywhere near the Copilot+ PC brand for its upcoming RTX Spark platform, even though all RTX Spark PCs meet the Copilot+ PC specification bar. I suspect that's a deliberate decision.
It seems pretty obvious that the Copilot+ PC brand hasn't resonated with the market, and OEMs and Microsoft itself are now quietly pulling back on that branding. The specification baseline for Copilot+ PC experiences still exists, it just no longer has a pretty marketing name tied to it.
The rough launch of Copilot+ PCs, paired with the fact that Microsoft Copilot itself doesn't have a very strong reputation these days, likely contributed to the decision to slowly retire the Copilot+ PC branding. The brand never made sense to me anyway... these PCs have nothing to do with Copilot.
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Microsoft vient de prévenir le monde entier que File History, sa sauvegarde intégrée à Windows depuis Windows 8 , peut ne plus créer ni mettre à jour la moindre sauvegarde sur certaines machines et cela depuis l'installation des mises à jour de sécurité de septembre 2026 !!
Mise à jour du 25 septembre 2026 : bonne nouvelle, Microsoft a corrigé le bug ! Sur Windows 11, le correctif est dans les mises à jour optionnelles du 22 septembre, KB5124010 pour les versions 24H2 et 25H2 et KB5124006 pour la 26H1. Et si vous ne voulez pas des mises à jour optionnelles, il arrivera avec le Patch Tuesday du 13 octobre. Par contre, pour Windows 10 et les éditions LTSC, Microsoft n'a encore rien annoncé...
Et par défaut, c'est le profil utilisateur au complet qui y passe avec le Bureau, les Documents, les Images, la Musique et les Vidéos, recopiés sur un disque branché en USB ou sur un partage réseau. Autant dire l'essentiel !
Microsoft l'a pourtant remplacée depuis par Windows Backup (qui sauvegarde vos données sur OneDrive, quelle surprise...), mais File History était quand même toujours là, accessible via le Panneau de configuration.
Le symptôme ressemble à une panne de matériel puisque Windows vous réclame de reconnecter votre disque alors qu'il est branché et qu'il fonctionne parfaitement. De son côté, la date de dernière sauvegarde reste figée, et les fichiers déjà archivés répondent qu'aucune version précédente n'est disponible quand vous en cherchez une...
Et quand on y regarde de plus près dans l'Observateur d'événements, ce sont des plantages de FileHistory.exe et de KERNELBASE.dll. Surtout que le périmètre est large avec en versions impactées, Windows 11 depuis la 23H2, Windows 10 depuis la 21H2 + les éditions Enterprise LTSC 2016 et 2019.
Maintenant comment est-ce qu'on remédie à ça ? Hé bien ce n'est pas marrant parce que la seule solution que j'ai pu voir sur le fil de support Microsoft consacré au problème , c'est un utilisateur qui raconte que la seule chose qui a marché chez lui, c'est de désinstaller la mise à jour et de couper Windows Update en attendant. Sauf que KB5124008 corrige quand même un grand nombre de vulnérabilités, dont des zero-days activement exploités, et la retirer réduira sérieusement votre niveau de sécurité.... Je ne vous conseille donc pas de faire ça.
Gardez vos correctifs Windows et sauvegardez avec autre chose. Par exemple FreeFileSync qui est très bien. En tout cas, le temps que Microsoft trouve une solution.
Côté libre, y'a aussi Kopia qui fait le boulot proprement. Ça crée des snapshots chiffrés de vos fichiers et dossiers vers un disque local, un stockage réseau ou du cloud, avec compression et déduplication au passage. Et surtout c'est dispo en ligne de commande comme en GUI (interface graphique).
Et si la console ne vous fait pas peur, restic fera la même chose sans souci. Par contre avec ces solutions alternatives, je ne vais pas vous vendre du rêve hein... Le clic droit et l'onglet des versions précédentes dans l'explorateur, c'était le gros confort de File History, et aucun de ces outils ne vous le permet. Vous devrez restaurer depuis un snapshot, c'est un peu plus lourd quoi...
Windows 11 has some big changes on the way to one of its best accessibility features. Magnifier will soon have a contrast theme that improves visibility by reducing glare. At first glance, the feature appears similar to color inversion, but it works differently in several key ways.
Color inversion changes everything on your screen, including photos, videos, and other forms of media. In contrast (pun intended), contrast themes change the colors of an interface without adjusting media.
Four different contrast themes are in testing currently: Aquatic, Desert, Dusk, and Night sky. I think Microsoft could make these themes more accessible by picking more straightforward names. My prediction is that many will be surprised to see "Aquatic" is quite similar to dark mode and is not blue.
The new contrast themes are available for testing to Windows Insiders in the Experimental Channel. Build 26340.9502 is the first to include the themes.
The contrast themes are entirely separate from color inversion. You can still invert all the colors on your PC if you'd prefer.
That same update also brings improvements to Live Captions, Cloud Rebuild, and Mouse indicator. Here's everything that's rolling out, as shared by Microsoft.
Some of the same changes shipped to Insiders in the Beta Channel recently as well, including the improvements to Live Captions and Hyper-V. The Windows Recovery improvements related to Cloud rebuild are also live in the Experimental (26H1) Channel.
Microsoft revamped how its Insider channels work earlier this year, so we often have several builds roll out at once. We'll highlight the biggest changes here at Windows Central. You can always browse through the full documentation on Microsoft's website to see complete change logs for every single build.
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Microsoft just announced a Windows and Surface event that will be held on October 7, 2026. Based on the invite, the event will focus on "how local AI will shape the next chapter of the PC." That's not exactly a topic that will move the needle for general users.
Microsoft is all-in on AI, billions of dollars down the drain be damned. The tech giant created what may be the "best laptop ever made" to run AI locally. Considering the focus of Microsoft's event, it's safe to assume the Surface Laptop Ultra will be center stage.
Maybe I'm just part of the old guard yearning for the days of unique form factors and hardware innovation, but I just don't think a Surface running NVIDIA's new RTX Spark superchip is enough to lead an event.
The biggest news of the week was the announcement of the event, but I'm not sure that's a good thing. Our readers' reception to the announcement has been largely negative.
"Nothing about this matters. The Laptop has always been my least-favorite computer in the Surface family. The RTX version is just AI-focused internals at a comical price," said Lil Frier. "There's nothing about Surface to be interested in anymore, and Windows 11 is still nothing more than a reason I have stuck with Windows 10."
Another user, aruntopez10, said, "Honestly, I have zero faith in this event. Their events have become so boring and unwatchable ever since Panos left (including even his last event). It's sad how they went from having the BEST and interesting fall tech events to the worst."
Microsoft hasn't given our readers — or anyone else — good reason to expect much from this event. Earlier this year I outlined how Microsoft can save the Surface brand. The company has done very little of what I suggested. And it's not like I have wild ideas that are mine alone. People want Surface to be exciting and to push boundaries, not be iterative updates and boxes for AI.
Disappointment is nothing new to Surface fans. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden called the 2023 Surface and AI event "a massive blunder and missed opportunity."
Microsoft has genuinely changed course when it comes to Windows 11. The company's Windows K2 initiative is changing some of the most complained about parts of Windows 11. As we saw this week, that process is having some hiccups, but it is a major step in the right direction.
Surface? Not so much. I'd argue things are getting worse, not better. Microsoft just doesn't understand what made Surface special and isn't willing to embrace the family's roots.
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