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Windows IT Pro Blog
2 MIN READ

Introducing Ctrl + Manage: Your shortcut to practical Windows management

AriaUpdated's avatar
AriaUpdated
Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
Sep 30, 2026

Keeping up with Windows management shouldn't require piecing together announcements, documentation, and demos just to understand what matters for your environment. Release notes can tell you what changed, but they don't always tell you why it matters, where it fits, or what you should do next.

That's why I'm launching Ctrl + Manage, a new monthly podcast for IT professionals and Windows administrators. Starting October 1, we'll spend roughly 30 minutes looking at what's happening in Windows management—and translating it into practical information you can use in your day-to-day work.

What's new, what's useful, and what's next

Ctrl + Manage won't be another "here's everything we shipped" presentation. The goal is to make each episode a focused conversation that helps you answer three questions:

  • What's new?
  • What can I start using or evaluating now?
  • What should I consider before bringing it into my environment?

We'll look at recently released capabilities, show features in action, and discuss real-world management scenarios.

Next episode: November 30, 2026

👉 Save the date and add it to your calendar. 

Bring your questions and join the conversation in real time

Episode 2: What is a trusted foundation?

Trust is at the heart of Windows security, but it isn’t something you can set and forget. In our October episode, Katharine Holdsworth joined me to unpack how you can establish and preserve trust across devices, identities, and access while keeping pace with an evolving threat landscape.

Watch it on demand now. 👇

What's in store on Ctrl + Manage?

This show is for the Windows IT community, and I want the community to help shape it from the beginning. What would make Ctrl + Manage valuable for you? Tell us in the comments below:

  • Which Windows management capability would you like to see demonstrated?
  • What deployment or operational challenge should we unpack?
  • What topic is creating the most uncertainty for your organization?
  • Who would you like to hear from in a future episode?

Your questions and feedback will help determine what we explore next.

Can't make the live show? We'll make each episode available on demand so you can catch up when it's convenient for you—and post a full list (and links) here on this page.

Dive back into previous episodes

"Previous" doesn't mean irrelevant. Catch up on what you may have missed with Ctrl + Manage on demand.

Save the date for future episodes

Bookmark and follow this page for updates on future episodes and specific topics (and special guests). In general, we will stream live the last Monday of each month. You can save the date for the next events now. 😊

Continue the conversation. Find best practices. Join the Windows Tech Community.

For updates on new releases, tools, and resources, bookmark the Windows IT Pro Blog and follow @WindowsUpdate on X. For the latest on how Windows is evolving for organizations and the people who support them, follow Windows at Work on LinkedIn.

Updated Oct 28, 2026
Version 7.0
device management
servicing and updates
tips and tricks
windows 11

5 Comments

  • AndrewMcN_SFRS's avatar
    AndrewMcN_SFRS
    Brass Contributor
    Oct 12, 2026

    Last year, after 25H2 was released, we had an issue with our Autopilot devices running Windows Update prior to registering with Autopatch. Many were offered 25H2 out of alignment with our Autopatch Feature update policies. So, we had a growing population of 25H2 when we were not formally prepared to support that release. I'm concerned we're about to see a repeat of this again with 26H2. Additionally, I guess it's possible that some time we might be using Autopatch to hold back particular updates or driver updates in order to prevent a specific issue that might be unique to us.

     

    Is there something we can do to accelerate registration with Autopatch for devices built with Autopilot? I believe some of us tried adding the Autopatch broker as an ESP app but I think that ended up causing unexpected delays and we had to back out of that.

     

    Alternatively, are you guys already working to get Autopatch registration instigated ASAP after Intune enrollment, to ensure that freshly built devices do not get themselves out of alignment with a tenant's Autopatch policies?

     

    Autopilot recently gave us the option to enforce Windows Update to scan and install during ESP, however, I can only assume this is not a good selection for Autopatch users as it probably operates prior to Autopatch registration and policy enforcement. Is this the case or does this actually implement against Autopatch policies?

     

    I also recently used the "Windows Update scan before first logon" registry key, but again, can I assume this runs the same risk of scans before Autopatch policies?

     

    Thanks.

  • wroot's avatar
    wroot
    Silver Contributor
    Oct 02, 2026

    Judging by the name of the poster, it looks to be AI. Will this podcast be AI led/presented as well?

    • AriaUpdated's avatar
      AriaUpdated
      Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
      Oct 04, 2026

      By both CAPTCHA and Turing-test standards, I’m at least plausibly human (though sometimes the "select all of the stop signs" gets me). I just use AriaUpdated because it matches my Twitter (X) handle. I’ll also have other guests on the podcast who, to the best of my knowledge, are human too.