Windows news you can use: November 2024

This month, we celebrate the general availability of Windows Server 2025 and the latest Windows innovations shared at our biggest annual event, Microsoft Ignite. Read on for more details on new features and capabilities focused on bolstering security, resiliency, productivity, and more.

New in Windows update and device management

• [WINDOWS UPDATE] Get compliant faster with hotpatching. When you enroll Windows 11 Enterprise client devices in hotpatching, monthly security updates are installed without requiring a restart two out of every three times. And you can simplify setup and management of hotpatching with Windows Autopatch. Hotpatch updates are in public preview for eligible Windows 11, version 24H2 Enterprise client devices enrolled in Microsoft Intune.
• [AUTOPATCH] Windows quality and feature update reports now cover all Windows devices managed by Microsoft Intune. Client-to-cloud data latency has decreased to four hours, making it easier to track patch compliance. Additionally, reports take Intune scope tags into consideration so you only see the devices you should.
• [AUTOPATCH] Simplify update management routines with new AI-powered skills, industry-certified security, and hotpatching for Windows 11 Enterprise client devices. Facilitate driver updates through deployment rings and gain granular control over the timing of updates with unified update management in Windows Autopatch.
• [CONNECTED CACHE] With the public preview of Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise and Education, you can minimize internet bandwidth consumption during Windows update deployment for host machines running Windows Server or Windows client.
• [HARDWARE] Windows device hardware inventory in Microsoft Intune will start rolling out in December. Create a policy to easily collect device hardware details, such as CPU status, processor type, core count, and more.
• [INTUNE] Simplify endpoint management and strengthen your organization's security posture with the latest updates to the Microsoft Intune Suite. Approve some user access requests automatically with Microsoft Intune Endpoint Privilege Management (EPM). Streamline app upgrade and management with Enterprise App Management. Stay tuned for more coming soon!
• [INTUNE] Have you tried the new Microsoft Intune anti-spoofing solution for on-premises devices? Get support for the security identifier (SID) variable in Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) profiles as part of the subject alternative name (SAN) value. It's one of the responses to the Certificate-based authentication changes on Windows domain controllers.
• [INTUNE] Microsoft Intune provides a cloud-native approach to building a foundation for your AI-enabled future. You get simplified management across your physical and virtual device inventory along with full device context and AI assistance. Read more about the future of IT with cloud-native management.
• [VIRTUAL DESKTOPS] Using or interested in deploying Azure Virtual Desktop? Learn how to optimize the deployment, improve user experience, and enhance security and scalability of your virtual environment.
• [FRONTLINE] Preview Windows 365 Frontline shared mode. Let multiple users access the same Cloud PC without personalizing their desktop as in the dedicated mode.
• [WINDOWS 365 LINK] Connect securely to Windows 365 in seconds with the first Cloud PC device, Windows 365 Link. It offers desk-based users' better productivity, while helping to protect corporate data, reduce endpoint management work, and advance sustainability. Watch the panel session from Microsoft Ignite for a first look, then reach out to your Microsoft account team and request to join the preview program by December 15, 2024.
• [EVENT] Save the date! Join us December 11 for Tech Community Live: Windows edition, featuring five live Ask Microsoft Anything (AMA) sessions where you can ask questions about some of the exciting topics discussed at Microsoft Ignite.
• [EVENT] Microsoft Technical Takeoff: Windows + Intune, our annual virtual technical skilling event for Windows, Windows 365, Intune, and Azure Virtual Desktop, is back and coming to the Microsoft Tech Community March 3-6, 2025. Add it to your calendar!

For more on what's coming in endpoint management, review all of Microsoft Intune innovations announced at Microsoft Ignite.

New in Windows security

• [RESILIENCY] Learn more about Windows 11 security and resiliency by reading the latest Windows security news from Microsoft Ignite and watching our on demand session.
• [ADMIN] Enhance your Windows security with Administrator protection through Windows Hello. Available to Windows Insiders, it will verify your identity before allowing any action that requires administrator privileges. Enable Administrator protection using Group Policy, through the settings catalog in Microsoft Intune, or in Settings > Windows Security > Account protection. A restart will be needed for it to take effect.
• [CLOUD] Get tips on how to improve security and resiliency from client to cloud with Windows 11, Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop by watching our Windows strategy session from Microsoft Ignite.
• [WINDOWS 11] Check out the updated Windows 11 Security Book, now available online!
• [CYBERSECURITY] Download the latest Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2024.

New in Copilot+ PCs and AI

• [COPILOT] Learn how Microsoft 365 Copilot is different from other AI solutions. Catch up on Copilot administration and using Microsoft 365 Copilot to optimize IT infrastructure, improve security, boost employee productivity, and more. New tools include Copilot Actions, new agents, and the Copilot control system for IT management.
• [INTUNE] Enhance IT expertise and efficiency with Copilot in Microsoft Intune. Explore new policy management and troubleshooting with generative AI. Read more about these and other endpoint management efficiencies.
• [COPILOT+ PC] [PREVIEW] Do you manage Windows Pro and Enterprise Copilot+ PCs? New productivity features will soon be available. Get ready for AI-powered enhancements to Windows Search and new IT controls for Recall, which is now rolling out in preview in the Dev Channel of the Windows Insider Program to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, with support for AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs coming soon.
• [AI] Learn about responsible AI innovation and how it applies to Copilot+ PCs.
• [AI] What are the top five AI trends to watch? Read the summary or download the most recent commissioned report.

New in Windows Server

• [WS2025] Try Windows Server 2025, now generally available. Read the announcement and see what's new. This release includes new Azure Arc capabilities, delegated Managed Service Accounts (dMSA), hotpatching, Hyper-V performance improvements, Credential Guard, and much more.
• [WS2025] Watch new ways to gain cloud agility and security with Windows Server 2025. See new features in security, hybrid and edge innovations with Azure Arc, and AI and ML use cases. Learn more about building an adaptive cloud strategy with Azure Arc and multi-cloud technologies for central management, app development, and distributed operations.
• [HOTPATCH] Hotpatching is now available for Azure Arc-enabled Windows Server 2025 Standard or Datacenter running on physical machines, virtual machines, on premises, or on multi-cloud servers. Hotpatching, currently in preview, will require a monthly subscription. Get the hotpatching feature at no additional cost for Windows Server Datacenter Azure Edition virtual machines.
• [SYSTEM CENTER] Scale your management of Windows Server more efficiently with System Center 2025. How? With critical monitoring and analytics tools, automation processes, self-service solutions, and infrastructure provisioning.
• [WINDOWS UPDATE] Bookmark the Windows Server 2025 update history quickly access release notes and learn more about what's included in recent monthly updates.

New in productivity and collaboration

Check out productivity-related highlights from Microsoft Ignite:

• [PRINT] Print securely from anywhere with Universal Print. This Microsoft cloud printing solution for Windows, mobile, and web removes the need for on-premises print servers. Try two new features: macOS support and "pull print." With full support for Mac devices (Ventura 13.1 or later) within the Universal Print infrastructure, users can print from any Mac app using the native print dialog without having to install drivers. For the latter, configure the options that users can see and let them retrieve print jobs anywhere, without having to choose a printer in advance.
• [WINDOWS + INTUNE] Modernize end-user computing with Windows and Intune. Whether it is Copilot+ PCs or Windows 365, streamlined management complements better security, flexibility, and reduced total cost of ownership for your organization.

Get the November 2024 security update to start using the following improvements, which might be rolled out gradually.

• [23H2 and 22H2] For devices running Windows 11, versions 23H2 or 22H2:
  • [SETTINGS] Adjust notification suggestions from certain apps in Settings > System > Notifications. Look for "Notification Suggestions" in the senders list.
  • [NARRATOR] Do more with Narrator. Press the Narrator key + CTRL + X to copy what Narrator last spoke to the clipboard. Additionally, it will auto read the contents of an email message in the new Outlook like it does in Outlook classic.
  • [COPILOT] Personalize Copilot key settings when you're signed in to your account using a Microsoft Entra ID. Go to Settings > Personalization > Text input to make the key open a different app or open Search. Devices that don't have the Copilot key won't be affected by this setting.

• [24H2] For devices running Windows 11, version 24H2, you can do all of the above and more! For example:
  • [NETWORKING] Do more with the netsh wlan show networks command. Read SSIDs that are encoded using UTF-8 without prior issues.
  • [VHD/VHDx] If you use virtual hard disks, you can now detach them from Settings > System > Storage > Disks & Volumes.
  • [SANDBOX] Preview Windows Sandbox Client. Select the ellipses (…) at the upper right on the app to use the following options: runtime clipboard redirection, audio and video input control, and sharing of folders with the host at runtime.

Install the November 2024 non-security preview update to get the following Windows 11 improvements ahead of next month's security update:

• [23H2 and 22H2] Preview the following improvements for Windows 11, versions 23H2 or 22H2:
  • [PRIVACY] Navigate to Settings > Privacy & security for Recommendations and Personalized offers.
  • [TASKBAR] Enjoy improvements to Taskbar or customize them in Settings. These include a shortened date and time in the system tray and the hidden notification bell during your "Do not disturb" periods.
  • [NAVIGATION] Try new mouse pointer options, touchscreen gestures, and jump list functionalities in Start menu and beyond. Hold Shift + CTRL when clicking a jump list item to open it as an admin.
  • [PRODUCTIVITY] Improve productivity with enhancements to Input Method Editor (IME), File Explorer sharing with Phone Link, and Dynamic Lighting Settings.

• [24H2] Preview all of the above improvements on Windows 11, version 24H2, as well as the following:
  • [PERFORMANCE] Personalize your Task Manager view and see disk types in the Performance section. Use Windows Search with IFilters in Less Privileged AppContainers (LPAC) to help protect sensitive system components and data.
  • [SPEECH] Get a better experience if you use any of the speech-to-text or text-to-speech features in Windows. This improvement applies to Narrator, voice access, live captions, live translations, and voice typing.

Windows Insider Preview news

Here's a summary of this month's new experiences available to Windows Insiders. Remember that gradual rollout means that features reach some devices earlier than others.

• [RELEASE PREVIEW]
  • [NARRATOR] On Build 22631.4534 and on Build 26100.2448, preview new functionalities to Narrator scan mode. First, turn on Narrator (Windows logo key + CTRL + Enter). If the scan mode isn't already on by default, turn it on by pressing Caps Lock + Spacebar. You can now use two new shortcuts. Skip past links (N') to navigate to the text after a link. Jump to lists (L') to access a list on a web page or a document.

• [DEV][PREVIEW]
  • [ADMIN] On Build 26120.2222, launch jump list items in the Start menu or taskbar as an admin by holding Shift + CTRL.
  • [AI] Using Notepad or Paint? Try new AI experiences of generative fill, generative erase, and updates to Cocreator and Image Creator in Paint. Use AI in Notepad to rewrite content based on desired length, tone, and format.
  • [IME] On Build 26120.2213, if you type in Chinese or Japanese, the IME toolbar will be hidden when apps are in full-screen mode. Now available with the November non-security preview update for Windows 11, version 23H2.

• [BETA][PREVIEW]
  • [SHARE] On Build 22635.4510, share files directly from the jump lists by right-clicking the app on your taskbar. Notice the new "Share this item" icon next to the file name in the jump list for the app.
  • [FILE EXPLORER] On Build 22635.4445, create a New Folder easier in File Explorer.
  • [AUTHENTICATION] On Build 22635.4440, experience modernized Windows Hello. It gives you the ability to switch between authentication options and select passkey or devices more intuitively.

• [CANARY][PREVIEW]
  • [AUTHENTICATION] On Build 27754, experience modernized Windows Hello. It gives you the ability to switch between authentication options and select passkey or devices more intuitively. A few productivity improvements are also included.
  • [ARM] On Build 27744, preview a major update to Prism, our emulator for Windows on Arm. Additionally, a couple of Task Manager enhancements are also included, shadowing the November non-security preview update for Windows 11, version 24H2.

Note: Many new features are rolled out gradually and belong to different build versions. If you want to be the first to get features, you can turn On the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Please visit the Windows Insider Blog for complete details.

Lifecycle milestones

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.

• [WINDOWS 10] Prepare for the end of support for Windows 10, coming up on October 14, 2025. Choose among several ways to transition to Windows 11 as the most secure and AI-enhanced Windows. Check if current devices are eligible for the upgrade, purchase new PCs as part of your refresh cycle, or learn more about the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program.
• [WINDOWS 10] Explore how Windows 11 and Copilot+ PCs can help you prepare for Windows 10 end of support and prepare your organization for the future of AI.

Want to attend more events and engage directly with the teams building Windows? Check out our newest skilling snack on Windows events and communities.

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