Windows Latest had spotted references to “Windows 11 24H2” in support documents, and Microsoft has now officially confirmed the update. In a new blog post announcing Sudo for Windows, Microsoft noted that testers in the Dev/Canary channels will notice “Windows 11 version 24H2” in Settings, Winver and other places.

This confirms the big update of the year is called “Windows 11 24H2”, and not “Windows 12”. Windows 11 24H2 is supposed to be the biggest “AI upgrade” for the OS and will carry a Build number in the 26xxx range. You’ll notice the updated version and numbers in Settings > System > About after installing Build 26052 or newer.

“This denotes that Windows 11, version 24H2 will be this year’s annual feature update, Microsoft noted.

“Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence that releases in the second half of the calendar year,” the company clarified, adding that it will continue to focus on the annual feature update approach.

Even though companies like Qualcomm suggested Microsoft might release something like Windows 12, Microsoft has decided to stick with Windows 11 for now.

So does that mean bigger changes are not expected? Well, not really. It is important to understand that the branding of Windows releases isn’t important.

Even though the next version of Windows isn’t named Windows 12, but rather “Windows 11 2024 Update,” it doesn’t mean there won’t be significant updates or changes. The names and branding of the operating system are chosen by the marketing team, which means they can decide on any name that fits their strategy.

Windows has a new leadership headed by the Microsoft Bing team, which wants more people to try Windows Copilot and other AI features. To achieve this, Microsoft plans to focus on releasing new updates for Windows 11 instead of creating another Windows release like Windows 12.

It is worth noting that Windows 12 has not been cancelled, and it may still happen in 2025 or later. According to sources familiar with the development, Microsoft is also believed to be working on a ChromeOS-like variant of the OS to take on the Chromebooks in the education market.

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This change is possible due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Economic Area (EEA). Microsoft will roll out updates by March 6, 2024, for Windows 11 (23H2) and 10 (22H2), conforming to the DMA. So, users will have much more control over system apps, default apps, and their data stored with Microsoft.

So, European Economic Area Windows users can uninstall Edge like any other system app. They can also remove Web Search from Microsoft Bing (EEA exclusive), Photos, Cortana, and Camera. It sounds like a win for them, but if you mapped your Windows device to a reason other than Europe, you must bear with Microsoft Edge, as you have until now.

You can change your device region to an EEA country to get access to the Uninstall button. But that would require you to reset your PC or clean install Windows, and select EEA as the default region.

Some “untraditional” methods to remove Edge still exist, but they are not feasible for basic users. But is Edge that bad?

Microsoft Edge Is a Decent Browser

Edge deserves some hate from users because of not having any control over its presence, but don’t mistake it for a lackluster browser. Recently, it surpassed Safari to gain a 13 percent market share in the Desktop browser segment. It is behind Chrome, but gaining the second spot indicates that many users like it.

Currently, the biggest USP of Microsoft Edge is Copilot. The AI-focused search engine is inseparable from the browser. Microsoft didn’t limit its reach and extended its availability to other popular browsers, Windows, and even mobile (Android and iOS).

Moreover, the mobile version of Edge will soon offer extension support, which gives you one more reason to switch. All these quirks, paired with regular support and feature integrations like the Sidebar, Workspaces, and more, make it difficult to ignore.

However, if you are too determined to uninstall Edge, that option may arrive in the Moment 5 update. But whether Microsoft will allow users outside EEA to get rid of their browser so easily is a debatable topic for another time.

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Windows CVP Shilpa Ranganathan shared the news about the new resize feature of Copilot on Twitter. You can now drag the Copilot window to expand it further left. We kept dragging but couldn’t reach the extreme of the screen. It means that Copilot is reliable but cannot cover your full screen.

We also noticed a dedicated button to make Copilot appear side by side with another open window. Once you click on it, Copilot will cover half the screen alongside any open app. Copilot will return to the overlay mode if you click on the button again.

A user suggested that Microsoft offer full-screen support for Copilot, and Shilpa Ranganathan clarified that Microsoft is pondering upon this idea.

Although Copilot is a web-view implementation of the service and co-exits with the Edge browser, making it full-screen shouldn’t be a problem. If you don’t see the resize support on your PC, update Microsoft Edge to the latest version.

Microsoft Copilot is One Year Old Already

Copilot was announced on February 7, 2023. In a recent blog post, Microsoft announced its integration with the Superbowl event. You will see a carousel of suggested ideas you can implement with Copilot. According to Microsoft, Copilot witnessed over 5 billion chats and 5 billion image creations last year and wants to improve heavily in this area.

You can use Designer GPT inside Copilot to make finer adjustments to the generated image to tweak its final look. We tried it in the Edge browser, and the experience was good. You can tweak the design of the generated image to a few styles like Steampunk, Watercolor, etc. Moreover, you can continue your editing spree in Microsoft Designer.

But when we tried doing it with Copilot in Windows, it returned a “This content is blocked. Contact the site owner to fix the issue.” error. Even after repeated tries, we couldn’t get past it. Copilot also supports inline chat, so you can keep asking it to fine-tune the previously generated image.

However, it is only available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, and New Zealand. Copilot Pro users can now resize and regenerate images in both square and landscape orientation.

Microsoft’s Copilot is ubiquitous because it is available on most platforms, including Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, all of which are available for Windows and Mac. In addition, you can use its dedicated app on Android and iOS.

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In a now-deleted blog post, which was first spotted and cached by Windows Latest, Microsoft confirmed Sudo for Windows is a new way to “elevated commands directly from an unelevated console session”, and it has plans to make the feature open-source on GitHub.

Microsoft describes Sudo for Windows as “an ergonomic and familiar solution for users who want to elevate a command without having to first open a new elevated console”. Sudo for Windows is in the early stages of development, and it was recently spotted in a leaked Windows Server 2025 build.

In a deleted blog post, Microsoft notes that Sudo can be enabled from Settings > For Developers page, and toggle on the “Enable Sudo” option.

You can also enable Sudo for Windows by running the following command in an elevated console session:

sudo config --enable <configuration_option>

As we previously reported, Sudo for Windows currently supports three different configuration options:

• In a new window (newWindow): In this configuration, Sudo for Windows will open a new elevated console window and run the command in that window. This is the default configuration option when sudo is enabled. For example, if you run:
  sudo netstat -abA new window will open and the command will be run in that window
• Input closed (disableInput): In this configuration, Sudo for Windows will run the elevated process in the current window, but the new process will be spawned with its stdinput closed. This means that the new process will not accept any user input, so this configuration will not work for processes that require further user input after elevation.
• Inline (normal): This configuration is most similar to the behavior of sudo on other operating systems. In this configuration, Sudo for Windows will run the elevated process with its stdinput, stdoutput, and stderror all connected to the current window. This means the new elevated process can take in input and route output to the current window.

Microsoft explains how Sudo for Windows works

When you run a process from the command-line with sudo, a UAC dialog will appear, asking the user to confirm the elevation. And you’ll be able to use sudo in the terminal like you do on Linux or macOS.

In a New Window

In this configuration, sudo.exe will launch a new elevated console window and run the command in that window. The new window will be launched with the same working directory as the current window.

The new window will also be launched with the same environment variables as the current window. This configuration has a similar flow to the runas command.

Input Closed and Inline

In these configurations, sudo.exe will launch a new elevated process, an elevated sudo.exe process, and the original unelevated sudo.exe will establish an RPC connection with the new elevated process.

In other words, information is passed from the unelevated sudo instance to the elevated one. Specifically, the console handles from the unelevated process are passed to the elevated process which allows the elevated process to read input from the unelevated process and write output to the unelevated process.

However, when sudo is configured in the “Input Closed” configuration, the elevated process will essentially not be passed the console’s input handle, so it will not be able to read input from the user.

It is important when running sudo in the “Inline” or “Input Closed” configurations to be aware of the security implications. It is possible that a medium integrity process can drive the elevated process. This risk is mitigated in the “Input Closed” configuration because the elevated process will not be able to read input from the user.

Microsoft noted that it will also be publishing documentation for Sudo for Windows and will be sharing more details about the security implications of running sudo in the “Inline” configuration.

“Our team is working on open-sourcing Sudo for Windows, and we’re excited to share more details about our plans in the coming months,” the company noted in a now-deleted blog post.

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Microsoft announced the deprecation of nineteen features in 2023, which is very high compared to the only two announcements in 2022. Some of these features are a surprise because even if you don’t use them daily, they come in handy occasionally. We do stand by some decisions but are utterly baffled by others.

You will notice that some of them still exist on your Windows PC but display a warning about the deprecation. Future Windows updates will handle the removal of all these features.

A list of everything that will soon vanish from Windows 11 and 10

WordPad

This basic text editor, which supports Rich-text format (RTF), will no longer be a part of Windows. You must migrate to another text editor, and Microsoft suggests Word (no surprises there).

But it would be nice to have a replacement for Wordpad that doesn’t force you to download a text editor when you install a fresh copy of Windows.

Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool

The legacy troubleshooting tools also get the axe. Most troubleshooting tools have been retired, and even if you launch them using the Command Prompt, you get a warning that they will be soon removed.

The Get Help is useful sometimes, but it will take a while to get accustomed to.

Cortana

This one’s a bit tricky because Microsoft only announced the deprecation of the Cortona app from Windows 11 and 10. You won’t be able to use Cortana if you’ve updated the app from the Microsoft Store.

However, it will still be available in Microsoft 365 as a productivity-boosting solution.

Steps Recorder

It is also a troubleshooting-focused app that lets you record images and text and combine them into a slideshow. You can share it with support technicians to help them understand your problem better.

But soon, you must rely on the updated Snipping tool and other apps that support screen recording (Xbox Game Bar and ClipChamp).

Windows Mixed Reality

Microsoft’s VR dream didn’t take off as expected. The result is the deprecation announcement of Windows Mixed Reality, Mixed Reality Portal app, and Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and Steam VR Beta. It will withdraw all support after November 1, 2026.

Here are a few more tools going away:

• Tips app that explains new OS features and guides will be removed in the upcoming Windows releases.
• The new Voice Access app will replace Windows speech recognition.
• Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Edge and Office will no longer receive support.
• VBScript, an old scripting language, also gets the boot.

Most of these features do not blend in with the modern Windows design and look outdated or have better alternatives in Windows. We will surely miss Wordpad and MSDT tools, but we can’t say the same for others.

The post Microsoft is killing off several legacy features in Windows 11 and Windows 10 appeared first on Windows Latest

You will now see a GIF when using the Mail and Calendar app, prompting you to switch to the new Outlook. Click the Continue button to make the transition, or politely decline the offer by clicking the Not Now button. Even if you automatically migrate to the new Outlook app, you can revert to the old app.

The old Mail and Calendar app will remain on the Microsoft Store until December 31, 2024. After that, you have no choice but to accept the new Outlook app with open arms. If you are adamant, you can download the package installer and keep using the Mail and Calendar app after 2024, but it won’t receive updates or support.

What’s Good and Bad About the New Outlook?

Apart from the slightly revamped user interface and support for Windows 11 and 10, you can now pin emails or snooze them for later. Adding categories and scheduling emails is also possible.

The new Outlook is a web app that lacks some features supported by the existing Outlook and Mail apps.

You will find the Calendar and To-do list in the My Day section. It supports connecting Microsoft 365, Outlook, and third-party email accounts like Gmail and Yahoo. We faced no issues while logging in with a personal Microsoft account.

The new Outlook doesn’t support PST files, but Microsoft assures that it will do so in the future. You cannot use COM add-ins; offline support is missing from the picture. It also lacks POP3 support without indicating whether it will fix the flaw.

A connection error occurs if you launch the new Outlook app without an internet connection. So, not everything is possible with the new Outlook, and it won’t overshadow the desktop Outlook app.

Users are divided on the idea of the new Outlook app.

Some love the new UI and features, while others despise the idea of removing the Mail and Calendar app in favor of a web app that needs the internet, even to check existing emails. However, the decision is final, and you must migrate to the new app, whether you like it or not.

The post Windows 11 really wants you to ditch Mail & Calendar, and get the new Outlook appeared first on Windows Latest

In the latest version of WhatsApp, rolling out via the Microsoft Store to select people, you can finally choose your audio output/input device and camera. By default, WhatsApp uses your default system audio or camera device. For example, if your PC’s default audio device is your speaker, WhatsApp will use your speakers.

This experience is not necessarily what you want all the time. Sometimes, you might want to use your wireless headphones or speaker for output and a wired mic for input. To help you quickly change your settings, Facebook is adding a new “Voice & Video” setting to WhatsApp for Windows.

As you can see in the above screenshot, you can finally manually specify what audio output device you want in WhatsApp. You can also select your preferred camera and test the setup by clicking the new “Record from your mic” button.

These features are particularly useful when playing something through your speakers or another audio device while also connected to a WhatsApp call using your wireless earphones.

WhatsApp is testing Sticker Maker on Windows 11

Another new feature on WhatsApp for Windows 11 is a built-in Sticker Marker. WhatsApp Stickers have been around for a while now, but it’s difficult to add a custom sticker to the desktop app.

At the moment, if you want to try a new custom Sticker on WhatsApp for desktop, you need to use it on your phone or add it to your favourites using another device.

This is somewhat different to when you’re on the phone, where you can quickly create stickers using images or third-party apps. But with the latest WhatsApp for Windows 11 update, there is a new option that lets you use your images as stickers.

To turn your images into stickers, all you need to do is open the WhatsApp Stickers section, click on the “+” icon, and select the .jpg or .png image from File Explorer.

This is a quick and easy way to add custom stickers that enable you to compose messages with more emotions than ever.

It is worth noting that Meta is testing the Sticker Maker with select people, and it’s one of the new features rolling out in the stable version along with WhatsApp’s built-in screen share tool.

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Microsoft PC Manager app is the brainchild of the Microsoft China division, which was not a surprise because the first version was available in Mandarin, and the website was also in the same language. But now, it is available in the US and other regions via the Microsoft Store, and you can use it in both Windows 10 and 11.

Third-party PC cleaner tools have yet to get any appreciation from Microsoft. It even labeled them as harmful because they could accidentally delete crucial registry files in the name of cleaning up junk. It even branded CCleaner as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) in 2020. Ironically, CCleaner is still available on the Microsoft Store.

Hand-on With Microsoft PC Manager

Microsoft PC Manager combines the power of built-in Windows tools and introduces a few more to make it a complete package. The latest version packs a floating toolbar, which you can access instantly to boost your PC or launch other tools. Here are a few tools and what they do:

• PC Boost: It closes unnecessary processes and deletes the temporary file on your PC. There’s also a Smart Boost option, which becomes active when RAM usage shoots up or the temporary files grow bigger than 1 GB.
• Deep Cleanup: It detects old Windows updates files, recycle bin contents, web cache, and application cache. You can select what to remove or keep.
• Process: An in-app view of all the running processes on your PC. You can end any process within the app instead of opening Task Manager.
• Startup: You can manage all the apps that launch on startup. Similar to the Process feature, it reduced the effort of using Task Manager to do so.
• Large Files: Easily find all the large files on any drive without manually scouring the File Explorer.

Similarly, there are a few other tools like Taskabr Repair to restore it to its original state and Restore default apps to revert all the default app preferences. However, the suggestions compel you to use Microsoft apps like Edge.

Microsoft PC Manager is free to use, can blend in with the system theme, and has a lot of useful tools that won’t delete your system files. We don’t see any harm in using it, especially when CCleaner has earned a bad reputation in the past, and its free version doesn’t have all its features.

If you still cannot find it in your region, you can download the app from our Discord server.

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What exactly are “Instant Games”? In short, easy-to-play casual games that don’t require too much effort. You will find these Instant Games inside the Collection section in the  Store. Microsoft calls it “Instant Games,” but no such category exists in the Microsoft Store. Instead, the Collection section organizes all the games that support this feature.

All Instant Games have an orange lighting logo, making them easy to identify. Also, an Arcade option in the left-hand vertical menu in the Microsoft Store version 22312.1401.4.0 gave you direct access to these games. But in version 22312.1401.5.0, Microsoft removed the option.

Microsoft partnered with multiple game developers to bring this concept to fruition. Presently, there are 69 games that you can play without installation.

Microsoft intends to expand this collection and onboard more developers in the future. Giving a hands-on preview of what the games offer will help the users make more conscious decisions.

How to play Instant Games in Windows 11

First, upgrade the Microsoft Store app to the latest version from the library, and then try these steps:

1. Launch Microsoft Store. Click on the Gaming > Collections option.
2. Hover over a game and click on the Play Now button.
3. The game will launch in a separate Microsoft Store window.
4. To install a game, click on the View in Microsoft Store button.
5. Click on the Get button.

The games run fine and do not consume a lot of system resources. Don’t expect them to look or play like “Asphalt 8” or other graphically enticing titles, but still, they look and work fine for the most part. As expected, all games contain ads, which doesn’t paint a pretty picture.

Imagine watching a 30-second ad to retry a level when you can do so by simply exiting to the main menu. There is no close button to end a game session, but it does save you game progress.

So, you don’t have to start from square one when you relaunch the Microsoft Store. Even the Edge browser’s Sidebar offers a similar feature where you can play mini-games like these.

While the games are nostalgic and keep you hooked for some time, they can get extremely repetitive after a short while. Moreover, some games aren’t optimized for the big screen, open in portrait mode, and look bad.

Windows PC users won’t dive deep into the Microsoft Store to find and play these games because they can do so on their mobile phones, irrespective of the platform. There’s no alluring factor here that would compel a user to regularly play them.

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In 2023, Microsoft announced that Windows 11 will get its own Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) version sometime in 2024. And the leaked build confirms that the LTSC version is definitely on its way. But when will it become available to the general public? As per Microsoft, you can expect LTSC in the second half of 2024.

“We realize that a clear Windows client roadmap update helps consumers and organizations with planning their Windows release activities,” Microsoft said in a blog post published in 2023. Windows 11 2024 LTSC would be the first LTSC release of Windows 11, and it will be based on “version 24H2“.

It’s worth noting that this is an unreleased LTSC edition of Build 25941, which was released to testers in August 2023. So, the leaked build is based on a much older version, 23H2, and it doesn’t confirm what’s coming with Windows 11 2024 LTSC.

Closer look at Windows 11 LTSC (2024)

In fact, the leaked ISO is dated August 2023, so it wouldn’t be correct to draw conclusions from it. But here are some early observations from the leak, which are subject to change:

• Microsoft is working on an IoT Enterprise Subscription version of Windows 11 for business customers. We are unsure how it differs from the non-subscription version but do not assume the company is making Windows a subscription-based OS.
  
• The new Outlook, based on the web version of Outlook.com, is pre-installed and replaces Mail & Calendar.
  

This early build of the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) version of Windows 11 has been circulating on the Chinese forums for a week, but you are strongly advised not to install it on any real hardware.

Windows 11 LTSC 2024 is expected in the second half

As you probably know, Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education on October 14, 2025. However, Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) versions of Windows 10 will be supported by Microsoft until January 1, 2027.

Windows 11 LTSC, which will debut later this year, will be supported for at least 10 years, depending on the servicing model you choose.

There is no other information, but Microsoft said the company would share more details in 2024 or when we get closer to the launch.

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