administrators

Winsage
June 22, 2026
Microsoft has recommenced the automatic installation of the Microsoft 365 Copilot application on eligible commercial Windows devices as of June 2026. The rollout targets devices running Windows 10 (22H2 or later) and Windows 11 with existing Microsoft 365 desktop applications, focusing initially on tenants with Copilot add-on licenses, expected to conclude by late July 2026. Enterprise administrators can manage this installation through a policy titled 'Disable Microsoft 365 Copilot auto-install,' introduced in May 2026. Users can manually uninstall the app, which will not be reinstalled for 90 days if removed. The rollout will not affect the European Economic Area due to exemptions under the Digital Markets Act. This resumption follows a previous halt in March 2026 due to a configuration error and backlash from users regarding the original rollout plan set for October 2025.
Winsage
June 21, 2026
The expiration of Microsoft's Secure Boot 2011 certificates on June 24 will not prevent older Windows PCs from booting, as confirmed by Microsoft. Devices will continue to operate normally, but they will miss future boot-level security updates, including updates to the Windows Boot Manager and mitigations for newly identified vulnerabilities. The ability to receive the Secure Boot 2023 update depends on the device firmware's compatibility, with many manufacturers, including Dell, HP, Lenovo, and ASUS, having cutoffs for BIOS updates based on the device's End of Service Life. Older PCs using Legacy BIOS or Compatibility Support Module (CSM) mode do not utilize UEFI Secure Boot, making the update irrelevant. Users running Windows 11 on unsupported hardware may have Secure Boot disabled or improperly configured. Without the 2023 certificates, devices cannot receive future revocation updates to the Secure Boot DBX, which lists compromised bootloaders. Users on Windows 10 with supported OEMs may receive the update if a compatible BIOS is available, while those on older PCs without updates can continue using their devices but will lack future security updates. The Secure Boot status can be checked through the Windows Security app, with color-coded badges indicating the status of the certificates.
Winsage
June 21, 2026
Microsoft has confirmed the rollout of Windows 11 version 26H2, with build 26300.8697 now available for testing in the experimental Insider channel. This version will be delivered through an enablement package over the existing Windows 11 25H2. A key feature is the enhancement to the Search functionality, prioritizing local file search over web results, with the option to disable web suggestions in settings. Users can enable the new Search experience using feature IDs: 61267302, 61344081, 61482515, 61532758, 61760679, and ensuring ID 48433719 is enabled. Steps to enable the new Search functionality include downloading ViveTool, using Command Prompt to enable the relevant IDs, and restarting the computer. Users have reported improved responsiveness in the Search feature after disabling web search.
Winsage
June 21, 2026
Microsoft has introduced a "26H1" version of Windows 11, which is a scoped build for select new silicon PCs and not accessible to users on the 24H2 and 25H2 builds. The company is preparing for the release of version 26H2, which will be delivered as a small enablement package (eKB) to activate features already in the operating system's code. Users of Windows 11 26H1 will not be able to upgrade to 26H2 as they operate on different branches. Windows 11 26H2 will have a support cycle of 24 months for Home, Pro, Pro EDU, and Pro for Workstations editions, and 36 months for Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise, and Enterprise Multi-session editions. A specific release date for Windows 11 26H2 has not been announced, but it is expected to roll out soon, potentially in early October 2026. IT administrators are advised to validate Windows Insider releases and prepare rollout strategies.
Winsage
June 20, 2026
Microsoft has shifted its focus towards generative AI, beginning with its investment in OpenAI in 2019. CEO Satya Nadella has indicated a departure from the company's traditional software-centric vision, emphasizing the need for transformation in light of the AI revolution. The adoption of Windows 11 has been slow, with a survey showing that 30% of HP PCs still run Windows 10, which will reach the end of support on October 14, 2025. Organizations like The Restart Project are helping users transition to Windows 11, while critics argue that Microsoft's upgrade requirements lead to premature obsolescence of functional PCs. Microsoft has launched the Windows K2 program to address user feedback and is exploring an agentic AI operating system. In response to potential EU antitrust fines, Microsoft has unbundled Teams from Office 365, offering a lower-cost option without the collaboration tool. This move has led to a lawsuit from Salesforce, alleging anticompetitive practices. Alternatives like LibreOffice and Euro-Office are emerging, but experts believe they pose limited immediate threats. Additionally, the French government plans to shift from Windows to Linux and replace Microsoft Teams with a domestic platform by 2027. Microsoft's AI initiatives have faced challenges, including backlash over the automatic installation of the Copilot AI app, which was temporarily suspended due to user complaints. Shareholders have filed a class action lawsuit, claiming the company overstated Copilot's success and failed to disclose a revenue decline in Azure. Analysts warn that continued investment in AI without meeting expectations may lead to significant challenges for Microsoft. Reports suggest that Azure was rushed to market, resulting in talent loss and performance issues.
Tech Optimizer
June 20, 2026
PostgreSQL 18 addresses common performance challenges for users, including managing query performance across composite indexes, diagnosing memory spills in materialized Common Table Expressions (CTEs), and upgrading major versions without plan regressions. Key enhancements include skip scan optimization for multicolumn indexes, improved EXPLAIN functionality, and optimizer statistics that persist through major version upgrades. Skip scan optimization allows PostgreSQL to efficiently utilize multicolumn B-tree indexes even when leading columns are not specified in the WHERE clause, significantly improving query performance. The EXPLAIN command has been enhanced to include buffer statistics by default, providing deeper insights into query execution and resource usage. PostgreSQL 18 also introduces visibility into the storage of materialized nodes in query plans, indicating whether intermediate results were stored in memory or spilled to disk. A new metric, Index Searches, has been added to EXPLAIN ANALYZE output, indicating how many times the database traversed the index tree during query execution. Additionally, Self-Join Elimination (SJE) automatically detects and removes unnecessary inner joins of a table to itself, optimizing query performance. The autovacuum mechanism has been improved with the introduction of autovacuum_vacuum_max_threshold, which caps the number of dead tuples that can accumulate before autovacuum triggers a VACUUM, addressing issues with large tables. The vacuum_truncate parameter provides a server-wide control point to disable VACUUM’s file truncation behavior, reducing locking issues on busy systems. PostgreSQL 18 also separates the allocation of autovacuum worker slots from their usage, allowing for dynamic adjustments to autovacuum_max_workers without requiring a server restart. Finally, new columns in pg_stat_all_tables track cumulative time spent on maintenance operations, providing better insights into maintenance overhead for each table.
Winsage
June 19, 2026
Microsoft released Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 11, specifically KB5094126 and KB5093998, along with dynamic updates KB5094149, KB5095971, and KB5094156. Two issues have been acknowledged: malfunctioning Office applications and complications with the Recycle Bin. In July 2025, Microsoft changed the default settings of Windows 11 to JScript9Legacy in versions 24H2 and later, continuing with version 25H2 in October 2025. This change aimed to enhance security by addressing vulnerabilities related to legacy scripting, particularly cross-site scripting (XSS). A support article details a compatibility issue arising from the transition from jscript9.dll to jscript9legacy.dll, which affects how JScript manages execution context. Functions and definitions established by one script are no longer accessible to subsequent scripts, leading to failures in legacy applications. To address this, Microsoft released the KB5077241 update, which requires manual activation of persistent JScript execution context through a Registry setting. The steps to implement this solution involve creating a feature control registry key and configuring a DWORD value for specific processes or all processes.
Winsage
June 18, 2026
Microsoft resolved an installation issue affecting the June 2026 security updates (KB5094122) on Windows Server 2016 systems that had not previously installed the KB5087537 update, which was a prerequisite. Users had encountered 0x80070002 or FILENOTFOUND errors. Microsoft acknowledged the problem and confirmed that affected devices should no longer experience installation failures for the June 2026 update. Additionally, Microsoft fixed a similar issue with the May 2026 Windows 11 security update (KB5089549) that resulted in 0x800f0922 errors due to insufficient space on the EFI System Partition. They also warned users about potential installation issues with error codes 0x80073712 or 0x800f0993 on devices upgraded to Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2. Furthermore, Microsoft addressed a boot issue for Windows Server 2025 devices after the April 2026 update and a bug affecting installation failures for updates since May 2025 using the Windows Update Standalone Installer (WUSA). Lastly, they are investigating a separate issue preventing third-party applications from launching essential Office programs after the June 2026 updates.
Winsage
June 16, 2026
The interaction between Unix/Linux and Windows has historically been marked by significant differences in their architectures and philosophies. Unix uses a fork() function for process management, while Windows employs CreateProcess(), complicating the implementation of Unix-like tools on Windows. Early solutions to bridge this gap included the MKS Toolkit, which provided Unix-like commands for Windows, and UWIN from AT&T Bell Labs, which aimed to create a Unix interface layer on Windows. Cygwin offered a compatibility DLL to run Unix software on Windows, but required rebuilding from source. Microsoft's initiatives included POSIX, Interix, and later Services for UNIX. The introduction of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) allowed users to run a Linux userland directly on Windows, with WSL 2 incorporating a real Linux kernel. Recently, Microsoft released Coreutils for Windows, providing native builds of Unix-style tools to enhance cross-platform consistency.
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