Save the date: Windows Office Hours - February 19, 2026
Join us for our upcoming Windows Office Hours on February 19, from 8:00–9:00 AM PT! A wide range of product experts, servicing specialists, and engineers from across Windows, Microsoft Intune, Configuration Manager, Windows 365, Windows Autopilot, security, public sector, FastTrack, and more will be online and ready to help. They’ll be in the chat to offer guidance, explore best practices, and answer any questions you bring. Want to learn more about how Windows Office Hours works? Visit the Windows IT Pro Blog for a full overview. If you’re unable to join live at 8:00 AM PT, you can still participate—just post your questions on the Windows Office Hours: February 19th event page up to two days beforehand.
Windows 11 24H2/25H2 System Freeze After January 2026 Updates – Lenovo ThinkPad G2
Dear Microsoft Support Team, We would like to raise a high-priority technical support case regarding a stability issue observed after installing the January 2026 cumulative updates on our Windows 11 devices. Environment Details: Device Model: Lenovo ThinkPad G2 (multiple units) OS Versions: Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 Update Installed: January 2026 Patch Tuesday cumulative update (KB number can be provided) Deployment Method: WSUS / Intune / Windows Update (specify accordingly) BIOS Version: (Installed Latest available from Lenovo) Issue Description: After installing the January 2026 cumulative updates, devices intermittently experience a complete system freeze. The system becomes fully unresponsive: Mouse and keyboard input stop responding No BSOD is displayed Task Manager cannot be opened System recovery is only possible via hard reboot (power button) Frequency: The issue occurs randomly, both during active use and idle state. Multiple users across our environment are impacted. Troubleshooting Performed: Reinstalled OEM-certified Lenovo display drivers Disabled Fast Startup Ran SFC and DISM health checks (no integrity violations) Updated BIOS to latest version Setting power idle mode, then work normally Request: - Please confirm whether this is a known global issue under investigation. - Advise if any hotfix, Known Issue Rollback (KIR), or registry-based mitigation is available. - Provide guidance on additional diagnostic logging required at kernel or driver level. - Confirm whether crash dump analysis is recommended for this scenario. We are prepared to provide additional diagnostic logs, memory dumps, or reproduction steps upon request. Kindly treat this as a priority case due to multi-user impact in a production environment. Thank you for your support. #Windows11, #Windows 11 24H2, Windows Update, Cumulative Update, System Freeze, Lenovo ThinkPad, Display Driver, EnterpriseDesperate for Help: Access Issues with Draft Site on SharePoint
Hello, community! I really need your help. I have been working hard on a site in SharePoint, using Microsoft 365 for Business, which is currently in draft mode, and to my frustration, I can no longer access it. After months of dedication and effort, I feel completely powerless in this situation. When I try to click on the site link, I am redirected to a different page, and to make matters worse, an irrelevant file starts downloading automatically. This is extremely frustrating for me, as the site was almost ready to be launched, and now it feels like all my work is at stake. Here are the details of the situation: - Site Link: Accessing the link I used previously simply doesn’t work anymore. - Redirection: When I click, I’m taken to a completely different page. - Automatic Download: A file unrelated to the site is being downloaded to my computer. - Site Status: Everything was finalized and ready for publication, but now I feel out of options. If anyone has experienced something similar or has any idea how I can resolve this issue, I would be eternally grateful. I’m desperate for a solution, and any help would be very much appreciated! Thank you so much for your attention!Windows Should Become the Universal AI Layer. Free, Baseline, and Built Into the OS.
Windows Should Become the Universal AI Layer. Free, Baseline, and Built Into the OS. I use AI in a way for prosperity. First timer. Proposal: Make Windows the Universal AI Layer Free, Baseline, and Built Into the OS Thesis: Windows can re‑establish itself as the center of the digital world by making all baseline AI capabilities free at the OS level — permanently, for every user, across every model. No paywalls. No tiers. No fragmentation. This single move reorganizes the entire AI industry around Windows. The Proposal Make AI a constitutional feature of Windows: All core AI tools included by default Free for every Windows user Model‑agnostic No “Pro” tier for basic functionality No gating or fragmentation This positions Windows as the universal AI environment. Strategic Impact This move flips the current power dynamic. Today, AI companies behave as if they are the platform. With this shift, Windows becomes the platform again, and AI models become guests. Immediate effects: Windows becomes the default AI workspace for the world Every major AI company must integrate to stay relevant The OS becomes the primary distribution channel for AI The model layer becomes interchangeable and competitive within Windows This mirrors the same pattern that built the web, the app store, and the cloud. Ecosystem Realignment AI companies will ask to be part of the Windows ecosystem not because of contracts, but because of gravity: Windows has the users Windows has the workplace Windows has the hardware Windows has the global footprint Microsoft sets the constitutional rule: “Inside Windows, the basics stay free. You can build premium layers on top.” This is the open‑platform model that scales. Economic Engine Users don’t pay. Windows doesn’t lose money. Instead, the ecosystem funds itself through: Integration Distribution Compute Marketplace presence Enterprise hooks Cloud usage API access Windows becomes the economic engine of AI without charging end users. Competitive Shockwave This move forces the entire industry to adjust: Google must rethink Android’s AI strategy Apple must rethink iOS/macOS paywalls OpenAI must rethink subscriptions Anthropic must rethink distribution Startups must rethink their go‑to‑market Because the OS becomes the constitutional layer of the AI era. Why This Works This strategy is not speculative it follows a proven pattern: Distribution beats model quality Free beats paid when the free tier is universal The OS is the only layer with global reach and trust Windows already has: the user base the workplace the hardware the ecosystem the global footprint Opening the gates re‑centers Windows as the platform everything else depends on. Conclusion This is the move that positions Windows at the center of the AI era not through force, but through openness. It is the only strategy that wins the long game and aligns with how every major platform shift in history has unfolded. My ideas, your Copilot.
Exchange Hybrid Migration Endpoint cannot be created
We cannot create an Exchange hybrid migration endpoint using remote server and the error when we create bypass verification is Error: CommunicationErrorTransientException: The call to 'https://mail.foxvalleyfire.com/EWS/mrsproxy.svc' failed. Error details: The HTTP request was forbidden with client authentication scheme 'Negotiate'.. --> The HTTP request was forbidden with client authentication scheme 'Negotiate'. We have check on Exchange on prem server and found that the MRSproxy has turned on. What do we need to check from on premise? Please refer to below for the error
Windows Explorer doesn't show video thumbnails anymore [Win11Pro]
For several days now, Windows Explorer has not been displaying video thumbnails; instead, the program icon is displayed. This only affects video files (mp4, avi, mov, gif, etc.)—other icons, such as those for images and PDFs, are displayed correctly. It affects all folders on the system. No changes or updates have been made to the video player. Videos play correctly in the player. The problem with video thumbnails also exists in WhatsApp Desktop (installed via Microsoft Store). Version: Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (Build 26200.7171) Update status: latest (without beta) Attempted fixes: • Deleted thumbnail/icon cache • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth • sfc /scannow all unsuccessful regarding the thumbnails
Windows Chat support,Microsoft Store & Windows activation Issues.
The Microsoft Store app on my freshly installed Windows 11 Pro 23H2, is not opening since I could not activate my Windows 11 using my digital signature which was connected to my previous version of Windows 10 that subsequently updated to Windows 11 Pro 23 H2. Neither online chat support is accessible nor their phone callback is working though I have placed three callbacks out of which one was cancelled after 3 days! In the meantime, I am unable to activate Windows 11 though I have tried several methods including buying a new activation key! The new activation key also failed to connect to my digital account. Different types of Errors are coming. Although I have purchased a new product key, an error saying the product key was used on another device. Searching for any such device left me blank as no such devices could be traced! Hence, I am unable to activate Windows 11 for which I wanted to contact support, but that also failed! What is going on and what is the solution to my problems? I have also tried to activate with my old product key which I used for my Windows 10 PC for the first time. I have made no hardware changes while upgrading to Windows 11 Pro 23H2. Then what is the problem I cannot understand!Windows 11 UX Regression vs Linux Mint: Hardware Safety, Privacy, and Accessibility
As a power user, I require real-time monitoring of system parameters—specifically drives' temperatures and network speeds—directly in my workspace. In Windows 10, I relied on a combination of industry-standard S.M.A.R.T. monitoring utilities and network throughput monitors. However, attempting to replicate this workflow in Windows 11 is a technical nightmare due to the forced redesign and the 'afterthought' implementation of the taskbar. The Linux Mint 22 (Cinnamon) Advantage: I have developed custom panel applets that far exceed what Windows 10 offers, Windows 11 is only worse: Native S.M.A.R.T. Integration: My custom Python scripts fetch disks data automatically. It detects drives even when they are unmounted (physically connected, e.g., via USB, but not active in the file system). This is critical because a drive can still overheat while connected, and my system monitors it regardless of its mount status. Active Alerting: I’ve implemented a blinking feature for temperature icons; if a disk exceeds safe thresholds, the visual cue is immediate. Neithe Crystal Disk Info, nor the Hard Disk Sentinel had these blinking feature. UI Flexibility & Open Access: Accessing system data like disk temperatures is seamless in Linux. I can process this data using simple, standard languages like Python and display it on the panel using JavaScript. In Windows 11, Microsoft has walled off these systems, making custom, lightweight UI integration nearly impossible. Multi-Panel Support: I can arrange monitoring icons in multiple rows or even use 4 different panels on each side of the screen. Windows 11 feels like a toy in comparison. The Privacy & Advertising Dealbreaker: Beyond the UI failures, Windows 11 has transformed from a professional desktop OS into a corporate surveillance tool. It functions like a personalized spy, whose primary goal is harvesting user behavior to serve individualized advertisements throughout the UI. I refuse to use a system that treats my private data as a corporate asset and my desktop as a digital billboard. The Verdict: I will not trade hardware safety and privacy for "candy-shop" aesthetics. Disks are too expensive to lose due to overheating, and my privacy is not for sale. Until Windows provides the API transparency and privacy standards of Linux Mint, Windows 11 is a total regression for any serious professional. PS Superior Accessibility & UX Predictability: Additionally, as shown in my Linux Mint panel, the Accessibility options are placed in a fixed, corner location. This provides a predictable and consistent anchor point. When operating with limited visibility—for example, viewing the screen from a distance—I don't have to struggle to "hunt" for the icon. In contrast, the Windows 11 taskbar's fluid alignment and lack of corner-pinning for specific system tools make it significantly less accessible for users who rely on muscle memory and fixed spatial locations.
Allow muting a person only for me
Sometimes I am in a meeting where one of the persons in the meeting is actually near me in the world outside the screen. In this case the sound is a bit maddening since there is a small delay between the sound from the person and the sound through the teams interface. In these cases, I would like to mute the person only for me since I am sitting near and can hear the person fine without headphones. Right now I need to takeoff headphones when the person is talking and putting it back as the person finishes talking.
