The “big” Windows 11 update for the year 2026, aka Windows 11 26H2, is arriving this fall as a mere 174KB enablement package for anyone already running Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2. For context, upgrading from 23H2 to 26H2 requires close to 6.5GB (not a typo).
Windows 11 update, depending on which version you are on, can weigh either 174 kilobytes or roughly 6.5 gigabytes. The reason is the shared servicing branch model. With Microsoft now force-installing Windows 11 25H2 on all eligible Home and Pro PCs ahead of the 26H2 launch, we’ll tell you…
The Hot Take: I guess OK? Is it going to be a google authenticated Microsoft account though?
Microsoft is quietly loosening its grip on the Microsoft account (MSA) requirement. Edge is getting a new option to sign in with a Google account, and we already know that internal teams in the company are working to bring back local account in Windows 11. This may be the first time in 10 years that Microsoft is getting a change of heart when it comes to forcing us to sign in with MSA.
For years, Microsoft pushed MSA hard. You needed one to set up Windows 11, to get the most out of Bing, to claim Rewards points, and to sync anything in Edge.…
The Hot Take: Snapdragon gets it's own windows. Makes me think they haven't converged code like Apple has with iOS/iPadOS/Mac OS.
Microsoft has finally confirmed what we reported in February 2026: Windows 11 26H2 is shipping this year, and it’s not a major release, as the company is trying to make Windows updates more predictable. It means this year’s feature update will be similar to Windows 11 25H2 and install via an enablement package (eKB).
Windows 11 hasn’t received a major feature update since 2024. Windows 11 24H2 was the last major update, and it was released on October 1, 2024. In 2025, Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 25H2, but it was based on the same…
The Hot Take: Now we know why M$ is trying to squeeze out every ounce of performance in Windows 11.....
Microsoft says you’ll be able to run Windows 11’s local Language Model APIs on non-Copilot+ PCs as long as you meet the new hardware requirement: an RTX 30+ GPU with 6GB of VRAM. It’s a major change, as it means Copilot+ PCs’ advantages are getting “thin,” and I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft drops the NPU requirement entirely in the future.
Copilot+ PCs officially debuted on June 18, 2024, and they’ve been driving sales for PC makers. However, it’s not because of the “Copilot” or “NPU” factor. It’s largely because newer PCs are now sold…
The Hot Take: Well look at that, it's very interesting that Microsoft is suddenly knocking out all these windows 11 issues. Kinda like they're afraid Linux will take their user base.
The Windows 11 June 2026 Patch Tuesday update, KB5094126 brings Low Latency Profile, Shared Audio, Multi-App Camera, and a handful of other noteworthy changes. Buried deeper in the changelog, without much fanfare, are two improvements to the Microsoft Store, one addressing a long-standing download speed problem and another fixing a frustrating gap in error reporting for managed devices.
Neither of these fixes will generate hype the way the CPU boost feature does. But for anyone who has watched a 500MB app update crawl through the Store for…
The Hot Take: What about that small file handling, any better on that yet?
Microsoft admitted that File Explorer on Windows 11 is slower than the previous version and is taking steps to make it faster, but the performance improvements extend beyond just UI surfaces. I’m told that Microsoft is internally testing a major performance boost for file operations, starting with batch deleting files.
When you select dozens or hundreds of smaller files, or a few large files, and delete them all in one go, the speed depends on both the SSD/HDD and Windows.
Windows file system overhead matters as well because the OS has…
The Hot Take: OH look at that, suddenly we're getting more performance out of windows. Like they were handy capping it or something to push lets say something like mid-range hardware of the ARM variety....
Microsoft recently released Windows 11 KB5089573 (Build 26200.8524) optional update, and buried inside the lengthy release notes is a major performance upgrade. While the company simply calls it a “[General Performance]” improvement, we know this is the highly anticipated CPU boost feature internally codenamed “Low Latency Profile.”
According to the official changelog released on May 26, 2026, Microsoft notes: “[General Performance] This update accelerates app launch and core shell experiences such as Start menu, Search, and Action Center.”…
The Hot Take: Been saying it for years, Microsoft is pulling Linux into windows on bite at a time. This probably I would assume only accelerates.
Microsoft is turning Azure Linux into a general-purpose, Fedora-based cloud distribution available to all Azure customers, while also productizing Flatcar as Azure Container Linux for immutable container hosts. "When Microsoft joined the Linux Foundation, there was this big conspiracy theory that somehow the Linux Foundation was undermining open source in partnership with Microsoft, and now you announce that you're shipping a Linux distribution," Jim Zemlin, the Linux Foundation's CEO, said in response to Microsoft's surprise announcement.…
The Hot Take: SMS/TXT is going to cause some pain for sure.
For years, typing in a six-digit code sent to your phone has been the universal standard for verifying your identity online. But that era is officially coming to an end in the Windows ecosystem.
In a statement to Windows Latest, Microsoft independently confirmed that it’ll stop sending SMS codes for personal accounts.
Now, first spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft has officially announced that it is pulling the plug on SMS codes for personal accounts. According to a support document quietly published earlier this year, the company is…