Windows News
Microsoft is ushering in a new era of computing, heavily infused with artificial intelligence and cloud integration. This evolution brings a host of new features to Windows 11, expands the capabilities of the Windows 365 cloud PC service, and marks the impending end of support for the decade-old Windows 10. For users, this means a significant shift in how they will interact with their PCs, with a strong emphasis on AI-driven assistance and the flexibility of cloud-based solutions.
Copilot and the AI-Powered Evolution of Windows 11
At the heart of Microsoft's strategy for Windows 11 is Copilot, an AI assistant that is becoming increasingly integrated into the operating system. This powerful tool, based on the same technology as Bing Chat, is designed to enhance productivity by understanding complex queries and commands within their context.
New and upcoming AI features are set to transform the user experience:
- AI Agent in Settings: A new AI agent will soon assist users within the Windows 11 Settings app, allowing them to use natural language to find and adjust settings or troubleshoot issues. This agent, powered by on-device AI, can even be granted permission to automate actions and make changes on the user's behalf.
- Enhanced "Click to Do" Actions: The "Ask Copilot" feature is expanding with more actions, enabling users to act on text or images, draft content in Microsoft Word, and even send table details directly to Excel.
- Copilot Vision: This feature allows users to share their screen or specific applications with Copilot for assistance with various tasks. For instance, you can ask for help with a particular action within an app, and Copilot will provide guidance. Recent updates in the Windows Insider Program have introduced "Highlights," which provides visual cues to guide users through tasks, and the ability to share two apps simultaneously with Copilot for analysis and insights.
- AI in Core Applications: Artificial intelligence is also being woven into core Windows applications. File Explorer will gain AI actions to summarize content or edit images with a right-click. The Photos app will feature "relight," allowing for dynamic lighting adjustments, while Paint will get an "object select" tool and the ability to create stickers from text prompts. The Snipping Tool is also getting smarter with a text extractor and a color picker.
- Advanced AI Capabilities: Microsoft is rolling out a wave of new capabilities for Copilot in 2025, including "Memory" to remember user preferences and interests, "Actions" to automate tasks, and "Deep Research" to analyze sources and provide detailed insights.
Windows 365: The Cloud PC for a Modern Workforce
Windows 365 provides a complete and secure Windows 11 experience streamed from the cloud to any device. This service is continually evolving with new features aimed at enhancing security, management, and user experience.
Recent and upcoming updates to Windows 365 include:
- Enhanced Security: New default security settings for new and reprovisioned Cloud PCs include disabling certain redirections like USB and clipboard to better protect data. Windows 365 also now supports Microsoft Purview Customer Key for encrypting Cloud PCs.
- Improved Disaster Recovery: Admins now have two disaster recovery options: the existing cross-region disaster recovery and the new "disaster recovery plus," which pre-allocates a second Cloud PC to improve recovery time.
- New Management and User Features: Recent updates have introduced support for Intune scope tags for better device management and a new concurrency buffer for Windows 365 Frontline to handle shift changes more effectively. The user portal at windows365.microsoft.com is being deprecated in favor of the Windows App.
- Expanded Access and Integrations: Windows 365 Frontline now has a shared mode, allowing one license to be shared by multiple users, expanding access to more employees. There is also now support for GPU-enabled Cloud PCs through HP Anyware for graphics-intensive workloads.
The End of an Era: Sunsetting Windows 10
After nearly a decade of service, support for Windows 10 is ending on October 14, 2025. After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, non-security updates, or technical support for Windows 10 PCs, which could leave them vulnerable to security risks like viruses and malware.
For those not ready to upgrade to a new PC, Microsoft is offering the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program:
- What it is: The ESU program is a paid service that provides critical and important security updates for enrolled Windows 10 PCs. It is intended as a temporary bridge and does not include new features or technical support.
- For Individuals: For the first time, individual users can purchase a one-year ESU subscription.
- For Organizations: Businesses can purchase ESU subscriptions for up to three years, with the price increasing each year. The cost for the first year is $61 per device.
- How to Enroll: An enrollment wizard will be available to Windows 10 users, with broad availability expected by mid-August 2025.
While the end of Windows 10 support marks a significant transition, Microsoft is heavily promoting the move to Windows 11, especially with the introduction of new Copilot+ PCs, which are designed to deliver enhanced performance and AI experiences. For users of Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10, security updates will continue until October 10, 2028, to help ease the transition.