Windows news you can use: February 2026

Welcome to the February 2026 edition of Windows news you can use. Today marks the start of Microsoft Technical Takeoff—four Mondays of demos, deep dives, and live Q&A for the IT pro community. If you're not tuning in live, all sessions will be recorded, so definitely bookmark any topics of interest and catch up on demand.

Speaking of events, we're hosting another Secure Boot AMA on March 12. Post your questions in advance or during the live event. New and updated resources and tools help you monitor the status of Secure Boot certificate updates across your estate. Look for more details on those below.

New in Windows update and device management

• [BACKUP] [RESTORE] – The first sign-in restore experience is now part of Windows Backup for Organizations. Empower people to restore their settings and Microsoft Store app list automatically at first sign-in, including those using Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices, Cloud PCs, and multi‑user devices. For the first time, users who sign in with a Microsoft Entra ID on eligible devices will be able to restore their environment if they missed the option during first sign-in.
• [START MENU] – The new Start menu will be available to organizations in the second quarter of this calendar year. Two policies allow IT admins to further customize the Start menu: HideCategoryView and ConfigureStartPins. For more details, see the Start Policy CSP and Start policy settings.
• [WINDOWS 365] – By pairing Windows 365 Reserve with Windows 365 Boot, you can keep Windows 11 devices preconfigured with Windows 365 Boot. When users need access, simply assign a Windows 365 Reserve license in Microsoft Intune and hand the device to a user. No additional setup required.
• [WINDOWS 365] – Windows 365 is now supported in New Zealand North. This supports organizations who need to keep data within national borders, meet industry or government compliance expectations, or simply provide your workforce with a faster, more consistent Cloud PC experience.
• [26H1] – Windows 11, version 26H1 is a targeted release designed to support the next generation of silicon. Find out what you need to know about version 26H1 and why Windows 11, versions 25H2 and 24H2 remain the recommended releases for enterprise deployment.
• [ADMIN] – Learn how to filter and focus Message center in the Microsoft 365 admin center to prioritize Windows information with a new step-by-step guide.
• [WINDOWS] [5G] – Windows enterprise managed cellular connectivity is in private preview. This native Windows capability provides organizations with centralized management and customization of 5G cellular connectivity on Windows 11 PCs. This solution is integrated with Intune and validated on Surface 5G-enabled devices (available now).

New in Windows security

[SECURE BOOT] – New tools and guidance are available to help you actively monitor and manage the update of Secure Boot certificates across your device fleet.

• Explore the latest OEM pages for Secure Boot.
• Find out what happens when Secure Boot certificates expire on Windows devices.
• Quickly get a device-level view of Secure Boot across your Windows Autopatch-managed devices with the Secure Boot status report.
• For devices not enrolled in Windows Autopatch, learn how to monitor Secure Boot certificate status with Microsoft Intune remediations.
• Access tailored guidance for managing Secure Boot certificate updates for Windows Server, Windows 365, and Azure Virtual Desktop.
• Review updated FAQs about the Secure Boot update process.
• Stay updated as new resources become available by bookmarking the new Updates and announcements section of https://aka.ms/GetSecureBoot.
• Tune in live—and post your questions in advance—for the March 12 Secure Boot Ask Microsoft Anything session on the Microsoft Tech Community. Want a primer before the AMA? Tune in March 9 to Secure Boot certificates explained at Tech Takeoff.

New in AI

• [MECHANICS] – For those seeking to better understand Microsoft 365 Copilot and AI experiences on Windows 11 PCs, check out the new episode of Microsoft Mechanics. See how to access Copilot and agents from the taskbar. Find answers across files, email, and meetings, and turn ideas into polished content using voice or text.

To learn about latest capabilities for Copilot+ PCs, visit the Windows Roadmap and filter Platform by “Copilot+ PC Exclusives.”

New in productivity and collaboration

Install the February 2026 security update for Windows 11, versions 25H2 and 24H2 to get these and other capabilities.

• [SECURITY] – You can now set how often Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) domain backup keys rotate automatically. This strengthens cryptographic security and reduces reliance on older encryption algorithms.
• [MOBILE] – Cross‑Device Resume now includes the ability to continue activities from your Android phone on your PC based on the apps and services you use. Resume Spotify playback, work in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, or continue a browsing session.
• [ACCESSIBILITY] – Narrator now gives you more control over how it announces on‑screen controls. You can choose which details are spoken and adjust their order to match how you navigate apps.

New features and improvements are coming in the March 2026 security update. You can preview them by installing the February 2026 optional non-security update for Windows 11, versions 25H2 and 24H2. This update includes the gradual rollout of: 

• [RECOVERY] – Quick Machine Recovery now turns on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain‑joined and not enrolled in enterprise endpoint management. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain‑joined or enterprise managed devices, Quick Machine Recovery stays off unless you enable it for your organization.
• [NETWORK] – A built‑in network speed test is now available from the taskbar. The speed test opens in the default browser and measures Ethernet, Wi‑Fi, and cellular connections.
• [CAMERA] – Control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.
• [SYSMON] – System Monitor (Sysmon) functionality is now natively available in Windows. Capture system events for threat detection and use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. Windows writes captured events to Windows Event Log, which allows security tools and other applications to use them.
• [SEARCH] – When using search on the taskbar, preview search results by hovering and quickly seeing when more results are available with group headers.
• [RSAT] – This update adds support for Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) on Windows 11 Arm64 devices.

New for developers

• [STORE] – Explore new features and updates for those developing for the Microsoft Store on Windows. Check out developer analytics, a web installer, and new developer tools.

New in Windows Server

For the latest features and improvements for Windows Server, see the Windows Server 2025 release notes and Windows Server, version 23H2 release notes.

• [SECURE BOOT] – The original Secure Boot certificates introduced in 2011 are approaching the end of their planned lifecycle, with expirations beginning in late June 2026. While many recent platforms include the supported 2023 certificates in firmware, you'll need to manage the process manually for any that require updating. Get started today with the Windows Server Secure Boot playbook for certificates expiring in 2026.
• [ReFS] – Resilient File System (ReFS) boot support is now available for Windows Server Insiders in Insider Preview builds.
• [DNS] – A public preview of DNS over HTTPS (DoH) for Windows DNS Server is now available. DoH support in Windows DNS Server complements broader Zero Trust DNS efforts already introduced on Windows clients to enable organizations to adopt encrypted, authenticated DNS across endpoints and on-premises infrastructure.
• [WS2025] – Looking for help with capacity planning of Remote Desktop Session Host servers running Windows Server 2025? Check out the new guide.

Lifecycle milestones

• Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2016 LTSB will reach end of support on October 13, 2026. Windows Server 2016 will reach end of support on January 12, 2027. If your organization cannot migrate to newer, supported releases in time, explore the options available to help you keep your devices protected with monthly security updates.

Check out our lifecycle documentation for the latest updates on Deprecated features in the Windows client and Features removed or no longer developed starting with Windows Server 2025.

Additional resources

Looking for the latest news and previews for Windows, Copilot, Copilot+ PCs, the Windows and Windows Server Insider Programs, and more? Check out these resources:

• Windows Roadmap for new Copilot+ PCs and Windows features – filter by platform, version, status, and channel or search by feature name
• Microsoft 365 Copilot release notes for latest features and improvements
• Windows Insider Blog for what's available in the Canary, Dev, Beta, or Release Preview Channels
• Windows Server Insider for feature preview opportunities
• Understanding update history for Windows Insider preview features, fixes, and changes to learn about the types of updates for Windows Insiders

Join the conversation

If you're an IT admin with questions about managing and updating Windows, add our monthly Windows Office Hours to your calendar. We assemble a crew of Windows, Windows 365, security, and Intune experts to help answer your questions and provide tips on tools, best practices, and troubleshooting.

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