Microsoft Technical Takeoff 2026: Windows + Intune
Mondays in March. Deep dives. AMAs. Windows, Intune, Windows 365, and Azure Virtual Desktop. Join us for Microsoft Technical Takeoff 2026 for Windows + Intune! This virtual technical skilling event takes you deep inside the latest features, capabilities, and scenarios for commercial organizations and the IT professionals that support them. Skill up and get answers to your questions from the engineering and product teams behind the features. How do I participate? Create your own agenda. Select “Add to Calendar” on a session page to save the date, then click the “Attend” button to save your spot, receive event reminders, and participate in the Q&A. If you can’t make the live session, don’t worry. You can post your questions in advance and catch up on the answers and insights later in the week. All sessions for Tech Takeoff will be recorded and available on demand immediately after airing. Don't see the "Attend" button or the ability to post Comments? Make sure to first sign in on the Tech Community! MONDAY MARCH 2 MONDAY MARCH 9 MONDAY MARCH 16 MONDAY MARCH 23 7:00 AM Let's talk Windows and Intune: 2026 edition 7:00 AM The latest in security for Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop 7:00 AM Why smarter Windows management starts with Intune 7:00 AM AMA: The latest in Windows hardware security 7:30 AM The latest in Windows 11 security 7:30 AM Secure Boot certificate updates explained 7:30 AM Reporting at scale with Windows Autopatch update readiness 7:30 AM Zero Trust DNS: Securing Windows one connection at a time 8:00 AM Uplevel business continuity with Windows 365 Reserve 8:00 AM Feedback wanted: App management in the enterprise 8:00 AM User experience updates: Windows 365 Boot and more 8:00 AM AMA: Secure and manage AI and agentic capabilities in Windows 8:30 AM Hotpatch updates demystified: answers to real-world questions 8:30 AM Ready day one: how to get Windows users up and running fast 8:30 AM AI roundup: Intune agents for outcome-oriented innovation 8:30 AM Deploy and manage Windows 365 with Microsoft Intune 9:00 AM Zero Trust in action: securing endpoints with Intune 9:00 AM Making the most of your Intune data 9:00 AM AMA: Getting the most from Security Copilot in Intune 9:00 AM Unpacking Endpoint Management: Live from Tech Takeoff 2026 9:30 AM AMA: Windows Autopilot 9:30 AM Windows 365 reporting and monitoring updates 9:30 AM Manage Apple devices at scale: Intune security best practices 9:30 AM Azure Virtual Desktop for hybrid environments 10:00 AM The AI‑powered admin: emerging trends in endpoint management 10:00 AM Least privilege on Windows with Endpoint Privilege Management 10:00 AM Click less, manage more: simplify app deployment with Intune 10:00 AM Protect users, stop attacks: Passkeys on Windows 10:30 AM Eliminating NTLM in Windows 10:30 AM Windows 365 Frontline expands with Cloud Apps and more 10:30 AM App Control for Business: same roots, new playbook 10:30 AM AMA: AI and agentic features for Windows 365 11:00 AM One platform, many industries: smart Android management with Intune 11:00 AM From panic to productive: point-in-time restore in Windows 11:00 AM Intune timing demystified: what really happens behind the scenes 11:00 AM Transitioning to post-quantum cryptography 11:30 AM Resiliency with Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop 11:30 AM The Intune playbook for iOS management at scale 11:30 AM Migrating from VDI to Windows 365 11:30 AM Resilience for the modern era: Windows quick machine recovery This event will feature AI-generated captions during the live broadcast. Human-generated captions will be available by the end of the week.
Internal RDP vs Self-Hosted RustDesk
Hi everyone, I am looking for some guidance and real-world experiences around choosing the best approach for remote access in a Windows environment. Right now, we are considering two main options: - Continue using Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), but strictly for internal use only (no direct exposure to the public internet). - Deploy a self-hosted instance of RustDesk as an alternative or complement to RDP for remote access and remote support. Our main concern is security. RDP has historically been a common attack vector, especially when exposed externally or misconfigured, and we want to avoid introducing unnecessary risk to our endpoints. Even if we restrict RDP to internal networks or VPN-only access, we are still cautious about potential vulnerabilities, credential theft, lateral movement, and abuse of remote access. What we are trying to understand better is: 1. In environments where RDP is used only inside the LAN or over VPN (no open RDP from the internet), what are the recommended hardening practices and controls you would consider mandatory today? Examples might include: Network Level Authentication (NLA), strong account policies, just-in-time access, firewall restrictions, RDP Gateway, MFA, monitoring/logging, etc. 2. From a security and operational perspective, is it generally considered acceptable to keep RDP enabled only for internal administrative tasks, while avoiding using RDP for end-user remote support scenarios? 3. For those who have deployed self-hosted RustDesk (or similar remote support tools) in a Windows/Active Directory environment, how has it compared to RDP in terms of: - Security model (encryption, authentication, access control, exposure to the internet) - Ease of deployment and maintenance - User experience and performance - Logging, auditing, and integration with existing security monitoring 4. Are there any best practices or architectural patterns you would recommend when combining these approaches? For example: - Keeping RDP only on jump servers / bastion hosts inside the network - Using RustDesk (self-hosted) for remote support and helpdesk use cases - Enforcing least privilege, MFA, and strong authentication for all remote access paths - Segmentation and limiting which machines are even allowed to receive RDP connections 5. Have you encountered any specific security pitfalls, misconfigurations, or "gotchas" when relying on RDP internally or when rolling out RustDesk self-hosted that we should be aware of before committing to a design? Our goal is to design a remote access strategy that: - Minimizes attack surface and reduces the likelihood of compromise via remote access. - Separates administrative access from end-user remote support where it makes sense. - Remains manageable for a small IT/security team in terms of configuration, patching, and monitoring. If you have any references to Microsoft documentation, hardening guides, or community best practices for RDP (especially internal-only scenarios), as well as any detailed write-ups or lessons learned from using RustDesk self-hosted in production, those would be extremely helpful. Thank you in advance for any guidance, recommendations, or examples you can share. Best regards, JuanSave 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.
Language persistence error (Greek) in Windows 11 Home Single Language - Dell G3 3590
The system automatically switched to Greek and blocked all interface change options. I am a user of the Single Language edition, and the base language pack seems corrupted. I have tried to force the change through PowerShell and registry edits without success. When attempting an 'In-place Upgrade' repair with a Portuguese/Spanish ISO, the system does not allow keeping applications because it does not recognize the current base language (Greek). I am currently in the post-defense phase of my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. This technical bug is critical for me because it's affecting my access to specialized advanced modeling tools (Python) and process optimization data. I cannot afford a clean install as I must preserve my research environment and configurations. freddyphdpuc de gmail
Windows 11 Random Restarts During Installation and OOBE. Stable in Linux and Windows Desktop
System Specs Motherboard: ASRock B450M Pro4-F (BIOS P10.43 Beta, AGESA ComboAM4v2 1.2.0.F) CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 RAM: 2x 16GB (tested and verified stable, no errors) Storage: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB NVMe OS: Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Problem This PC previously ran Windows without issues for 5-6 years. I recently decided to do a fresh Windows 11 install, and my system randomly restarts during Windows 11 (and Windows 10) installation at various stages. Sometimes at 15%, sometimes at 48%, sometimes during the OOBE setup when clicking "Next." There is no BSOD, no error message. The screen just goes black and the system reboots. The system is completely stable when idle at OOBE screens (it can sit for hours without issue), and it is fully stable once Windows is actually running on the desktop. Linux (Zorin OS) runs perfectly stable in every scenario: live USB, installation, and normal use. No crashes whatsoever. What I've Tested and Ruled Out Hardware RAM: Ran memory diagnostics, no errors found. Also tried using each stick individually (1 stick at a time), same issue with both. SSD: SMART health check shows no issues Multiple GPUs tested: Tried a different GPU, same random restarts during installation Multiple USB drives: Tried different USB drives for installation media, same result CMOS battery: Considered but system clock is accurate and BIOS settings persist BIOS Updated BIOS from P7.40 to P8.01 to P10.43 Beta (latest available with AGESA ComboAM4v2 1.2.0.F and updated fTPM) Disabled fTPM (Advanced > CPU Configuration > AMD fTPM Switch > Disabled), no change Tested multiple BIOS versions, restarts occur on all of them Software Tried both Windows 10 and Windows 11 installation, both experience the same random restarts Tried different Windows 11 ISOs, same behavior Linux is completely stable. Zorin OS runs without any issues, which rules out fundamental hardware failure Workaround That Got Windows Installed Since the Windows installer (Windows PE) kept crashing, I bypassed it entirely by applying the Windows image directly from Linux using wimlib: Booted Zorin OS live USB Partitioned the NVMe drive (GPT: 512MB EFI, 16MB MSR, 930GB NTFS) Used wimapply to apply install.wim (Index 6, Pro) directly to the NTFS partition Copied the EFI bootloader files manually Created BCD store from a Windows PE command prompt using bcdboot Windows booted successfully, but OOBE still caused random restarts when progressing through setup. I used Ctrl+Shift+F3 to enter Audit Mode, installed GPU and chipset drivers, and created a local user account manually via command line. Current State Windows 11 Pro is installed and the desktop is functional, but I'm stuck in Audit Mode with broken UWP/AppX app provisioning: Start Menu opens but taskbar icon clicks don't work Windows Search doesn't work Notification panel doesn't open Built-in apps like Notepad don't launch Creating a new user profile doesn't fix it (system-level issue) sfc /scannow finds no integrity violations DISM /RestoreHealth fails with error 0x800f0915 even with the ISO as source (version mismatch, Windows Update patched the system past the base ISO build) Re-registering AppX packages produces errors about missing paths Cannot run in-place repair upgrade because setup.exe refuses to run in Audit Mode Cannot fully exit Audit Mode. Registry values are set correctly but Windows keeps booting into Audit Mode (ImageState was IMAGE_STATE_SPECIALIZE_RESEAL_TO_AUDIT, changed to IMAGE_STATE_COMPLETE but Audit Mode persists) Sysprep /oobe /reboot triggers OOBE which crashes again with random restarts No unattend.xml files found on the system Key Observation The random restarts happen exclusively in: Windows PE (the installer environment) Windows OOBE (first-time setup screens, specifically when advancing through steps) The system is completely stable in: Linux (any distribution, any scenario) Windows desktop (Audit Mode, normal use) Windows OOBE when idle (sitting on a screen without clicking) This pattern suggests a driver or ACPI compatibility issue specific to the Windows pre-boot/setup environment on the B450 + Ryzen 5500 combination, not a hardware defect. Questions Has anyone experienced similar random restarts specifically during Windows installation/OOBE on B450 boards with Ryzen 5000 series CPUs? Is there a known incompatibility between Windows PE/OOBE and certain B450 + Zen 3 configurations? Is there a way to force Windows out of Audit Mode when all registry approaches have failed and OOBE causes crashes?
Audio muted on Lenovo Ideacentre 5 14IAB7
The audio does work on a newer Dell with an I3 processor instead of an I7. That machine, however, uses TRSS connections for its onboard audio so that headphones that work on one machine can't work on another. The audio even works form the speakers in the monitor. I have a Soundblaster Rx installed on the Lenovo. I can't get the audio to operate at volume after re-installing the soundcard drivers and after trying to Reset Windows from the control panel. This computer uses an LG Ultragear+ for the monitor. I was watching Tender Mercies on Amazon Prime.Copilot Pages & Notebooks, Microsoft Loop: IT Admin Update – December 2025
For background, check out last year's Nov 2024 IT Admin update. Here's this year's progress and summary: Many key governance, lifecycle, and compliance features for Loop workspaces and Copilot Pages & Notebooks are now available. Learn more here Key deliverables remaining: M365 Group enforcement for shared Loop workspaces Departed User workflows for Copilot Pages, Notebooks, and the My workspace in Loop Multi-Geo Create in user's PDL for shared Loop workspaces Read the rest for details What’s Delivered (since Nov 2024) Sensitivity Labels for Loop workspaces Learn more here Guest Sharing for Loop (Entra B2B: Jul 2024 | for orgs with Sensitivity Labels: Mar 2025) Learn more here Retention Labels for Loop pages and components Learn more here Admin Management: Membership, ownership, deletion, restoration, search, filter, in SharePoint Embedded Admin Center and PowerShell for containers Learn more here Promote Members to Owners for Loop workspaces Learn more here M365 Group owned workspaces: managed by M365 Groups for workspaces created within Teams channels Learn more here Also, check out the latest from Ignite 2025 on Unlocking Productivity with Copilot Pages. What’s In Progress / Coming Soon Feature / Scenario Status Target Date Notes Enforce Microsoft 365 group-owned Loop workspaces In development Q1 CY'26 - 422725 IT policy to require Microsoft 365 groups for lifecycle management of shared Loop workspaces Multi-Geo Create In development Q4 CY'25 - 421616 All new Loop workspaces saved in creator’s PDL geo Departed User Workflow In development Q1 CY’26 - 421612 Temporary or permanent reassignment of existing user-owned containers, copy capability for data URL to Open Containers in app In development Q1 CY'26 - 421612 Application Redirect URL that opens in app when clicked if user has permissions User-Accessible Recycle Bin In development H1 CY’26 - 421615 Restore deleted Copilot Pages, Notebooks from Microsoft 365 Copilot app, restore deleted workspaces from Loop app Groups as Members (tenant-owned) In development H1 CY’26 Invite Microsoft 365 groups as members to Notebooks and workspaces Graph APIs for management In development H1 CY'26 For organizations with dev teams and in house management tools Read-only members Paused Due to lower overall feedback volumes, this work is paused Target date disclaimer: dates and features are estimates and may change. For the latest status, see the Microsoft 365 Public Roadmap links. Instead of creating and repeating content directly in the post this year, our IT Admin documentation on learn.microsoft.com and the Microsoft 365 Public Roadmap has been updated based on the above. We recognize that lack of some of these capabilities may still block your rollout. Please drop questions in the comments or reach out to us through your account team. We're excited to be enabling the rollouts of Copilot Pages, Notebooks, and Loop workspaces in your organization.
