Starting in mid-April 2026, Microsoft allows you to upgrade Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022 directly to Windows Server 2025 through Windows Update — no installation media (ISO file or DVD) required. The process is called an in-place upgrade, meaning your installed applications, settings, and server roles remain unchanged while only the operating system version changes. This article covers the prerequisites, the exact registry change you need to make, the step-by-step procedure for both the graphical desktop and the text-only Server Core installation, and the important cases where you must not use this method.

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Microsoft released a new policy in April 2026 that lets you remove the Microsoft Copilot consumer app from managed Windows 11 devices using Group Policy or Microsoft Intune. The policy is called RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp and is part of the April 2026 Windows security update. Alternatively, you can uninstall Copilot with PowerShell or Intune.

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Microsoft is rolling out several long-requested changes to the Windows Update experience in Windows 11. You can now skip updates during initial device setup, pause them for up to 35 days with no limit on how many times you extend the pause, and restart or shut down your PC without being forced to install a pending update. Driver, .NET (Microsoft's application runtime framework), and firmware updates will be bundled into a single monthly restart cycle. These changes are currently rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Experimental channels.

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Rufus is a free, open-source tool that creates bootable USB drives for installing Windows. Version 4.14 Beta, released on April 21, 2026, adds a new option to disable or remove preinstalled Microsoft apps such as Copilot, Teams, and Outlook during a fresh Windows installation. It also introduces a fully silent, unattended installation mode and an option to deploy a Secure Boot policy file at install time. This article explains what these new features do, how to use them, and where to be careful.

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Microsoft announced the public preview of the Windows 365 connector for Microsoft Power Platform and Azure Logic Apps on April 2, 2026. The connector lets you build automated workflows around Windows 365 Cloud PCs — the cloud-hosted Windows virtual machines that Microsoft manages for individual users. Using prebuilt building blocks called actions and triggers, you can automate tasks such as notifying users when their Cloud PC is ready, bulk-managing provisioning policies, or reacting automatically to administrative events. The connector is currently in public preview and is classified as a premium connector, which has licensing implications described below.

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On April 1, Microsoft published a TechCommunity blog post explaining how Windows Update management in Intune differs from Configuration Manager (still widely known as SCCM). A Techzine author read the post as an announcement of upcoming changes and reported that "patch behavior is set to change significantly for Microsoft Intune." That framing is a human hallucination, as Microsoft's post does not announce any changes.

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Microsoft is making a decisive shift as Windows App is finally replacing Remote Desktop, introducing a unified way to access cloud PCs, virtual desktops, and local machines. Alongside this transition come key upgrades, including LAN support, built-in keylogging protection, more reliable connections with RDP Multipath, and flexible Mobile Application Management (MAM).

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Microsoft released the March 2026 updates for Intune, its cloud-based service for managing devices and apps across an organization. The most significant change is that hotpatch security updates—patches that apply without requiring a device restart—will become the default for eligible Windows 11 devices starting May 2026. On the Apple side, two notable additions arrive: a Recovery Lock for macOS and expanded support for Apple's modern device management framework. Improved push notifications and a managed installer change also streamline Windows device deployment.

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Microsoft released a new dedicated upgrade tool called Windows 11 Installation Assistant 25H2 that lets you perform an in-place upgrade from Windows 10 or older Windows 11 versions directly to Windows 11 25H2 (the 2025 Update). The assistant automates the hardware compatibility check, download, and installation, preserving your files, applications, and most settings. It is available from the Microsoft Download Center and works only on x64-based PCs. Understanding the requirements and process before you start helps you avoid common pitfalls.

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Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8068 (KB 5079464) to the Dev Channel and Build 26220.8062 (KB 5079458) to the Beta Channel. Both updates are based on Windows 11 version 25H2 and are delivered via an enablement package. The releases introduce a stricter kernel-level driver trust policy, expanded enterprise app-removal controls, improvements to point-in-time restore, and a renamed Drop Tray feature. Most changes are initially available to Insiders who enable the early-update toggle in Settings > Windows Update.

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Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) are now natively supported on Arm64-based Windows 11 PCs. Starting with the February 2026 non-security preview update (KB5077241), six RSAT components are available as optional components on Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, including Server Manager.

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Microsoft announced that Windows Autopatch will enable hotpatch security updates by default for all eligible devices starting with the May 2026 Windows security update. The change affects devices managed through Microsoft Intune and the Windows updates API in Microsoft Graph. Hotpatch updates install security fixes without requiring a device restart, accelerating compliance across organizations. Previously, this feature required manual activation by administrators.

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Windows Admin Center (WAC) vMode (Virtualization Mode) is a current in-preview management gateway for Hyper-V environments, deployable as a stateful appliance with an integrated PostgreSQL database. Unlike aMode (Administration Mode), vMode targets centralized virtualization management across multiple hosts and clusters, without requiring System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM). The only mandatory prerequisite is the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable. This article covers the system requirements, environment preparation, and installer walkthrough for vMode, and briefly explains how aMode installation differs.

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Windows 365 Reserve and Windows 365 Boot are two complementary Microsoft cloud services that, when combined, let employees resume work on a preconfigured Cloud PC from any Windows 11 device without additional setup. Windows 365 Reserve provides short-term Cloud PC access for users whose primary physical device is unavailable. Windows 365 Boot redirects the Windows 11 sign-in experience directly to a Cloud PC, though administrators can configure policies to allow users to access the physical device's local OS if needed.

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Microsoft Cloud PKI for Intune automates certificate management for enrolled devices, but you must manually handle the expiration of the certification authority (CA). When your Cloud PKI issuing CA approaches its expiration date, you need to create a new CA and update your SCEP certificate profiles to maintain uninterrupted service. This guide explains the expiration process, potential impacts, and the steps required to transition to a new issuing CA.

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Microsoft has published its planned team investments for PowerShell 7.7, Windows OpenSSH, and Desired State Configuration (DSC) v3.2. The roadmap for PowerShell 7.7 includes relocating PSUserContentPath, non-profile-based module loading, Bash-style aliases, and a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. For Windows OpenSSH, the primary addition under evaluation is support for Entra ID authentication. Desired State Configuration (DSC) v3.2 will include a new Python adapter to enable the creation of DSC resources on Linux.

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Microsoft released service update 2601 for Intune. The update introduces Endpoint Privilege Management support for Azure Virtual Desktop, brings admin tasks to general availability, and adds Lenovo Device Orchestration integration. Key configuration updates include new Windows settings catalog policies for Microsoft Edge version 143 and Google Chrome version 141, expanded Android Enterprise management mode filtering, and Zimperium Mobile Threat Defense certificate inventory integration for iOS devices.

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Microsoft's original Secure Boot certificates, issued in 2011, begin expiring in late June 2026, potentially affecting millions of Windows devices worldwide. While your device will continue to boot normally after expiration, it will enter a degraded security state where new boot-level protections cannot be applied. To maintain full protection against emerging threats, ensure your system receives the latest 2023 certificates before the deadline.

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Action1 is a cloud-based autonomous endpoint management platform focused on patch management, vulnerability assessment, and software deployment. The December release significantly expanded the platform by introducing native Linux agent support and an enterprise-wide management view, thereby strengthening Action1’s suitability for organizations managing heterogeneous, distributed environments.

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