administrators Archives

Winsage

June 21, 2026

Microsoft confirms Windows 11 26H2, urges IT admins to prepare for release

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’s AI strategy feels like a beta test — at the expense of Windows and Office

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.

Winsage

June 20, 2026

Microsoft is killing the Microsoft account lock-in across products, Windows 11 may be next

Microsoft is introducing a feature in Microsoft Edge that allows users to sign in with a Google account, expected to roll out in July 2026 for Windows and macOS. This change signifies a shift from the previous requirement of a Microsoft account for various services. Users will see their Gmail address on the Edge profile card after signing in, and synchronization will be enabled. Microsoft has also allowed users to create a Microsoft account using a Gmail address, although this option was not widely known. Additionally, Microsoft is considering removing the mandatory Microsoft account sign-in during the Windows 11 setup process, responding to user feedback. The introduction of Google account sign-in aims to attract Chrome users and ease their transition to Edge.

Tech Optimizer

June 20, 2026

PostgreSQL 18 on Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS: Performance enhancements

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 finally admits its default Windows 11 25H2, 24H2 action broke key legacy component

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 fixes Windows Server 2016 security update failures

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

A Brief History Of Unix Commands On Windows: CoreUtils (Again)

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.

Winsage

June 16, 2026

Microsoft Teams will auto-detect when you’re at the office via Wi-Fi, roll out confirmed, but you can opt-out

Microsoft is rolling out a feature called "Workplace check-in" that allows organizations to track employee presence in the office through Wi-Fi connectivity, integrated with Microsoft Teams and configured via Microsoft Places. This feature, first noted in September 2025, will not be enabled by default. It logs an employee's location when they connect to the company’s Wi-Fi, such as when they arrive at the office. The rollout was delayed due to privacy concerns, but Microsoft is moving forward, ensuring users can control their participation. The feature does not provide real-time tracking like mapping services but indicates presence based on Wi-Fi connection. Users must grant location access through their operating system, and if they decline, IT policies cannot override this choice. Teams’ Workplace check-in is disabled by default and can be activated by IT administrators with two options: Inform mode, which notifies users of the feature and allows opting out, and Ask mode, which requests permission to share location data. Microsoft clarifies that the feature is not intended for surveillance and does not track movements over time. Employees can choose whether their presence is visible to others while on-site. The initial rollout is tied to organizations using the Microsoft Places directory, and as organizations set up the feature, more users will likely be affected. Additionally, Microsoft is enhancing Teams with improvements for speed and a new user interface for meetings.

Winsage

June 15, 2026

New Windows Zero‑Day Flaws Target Defender and BitLocker

A cybersecurity researcher known as “Nightmare Eclipse” has revealed two zero-day exploits threatening Windows systems: RoguePlanet and GreatXML. RoguePlanet targets Microsoft Defender, allowing attackers to execute privileged actions and gain SYSTEM-level access on Windows machines. It is a local privilege escalation vulnerability that remains effective on fully updated systems. GreatXML claims to bypass BitLocker disk encryption by manipulating the Windows Recovery Environment, potentially granting access to protected files. However, its effectiveness may be overstated, as it might require administrator-level access. Microsoft advises organizations to implement security updates, treat lost or accessible devices as high-risk, enforce stricter policies, and monitor threat intelligence to mitigate exposure to these vulnerabilities.

Winsage

June 15, 2026

Microsoft released the Windows 11 Secure Boot update for all PCs, how to verify yours

Microsoft has expanded the rollout of the Secure Boot 2023 certificate update to more Windows 11 and Windows 10 devices with the June 2026 Patch Tuesday update (KB5094126). This update aims to ensure that most supported consumer PCs are classified as high confidence, meaning necessary certificates are either installed or will be applied automatically. Secure Boot is a firmware security feature that verifies the software attempting to load during the startup process, blocking unauthorized software. The certificates supporting Secure Boot, issued in 2011, are expiring in stages starting June 24, 2026, prompting Microsoft to deploy replacement certificates. Most home users do not need to take manual action as the updates will occur automatically via Windows Update. Users can check their Secure Boot certificate status in the Windows Security app. A yellow warning indicates pending compatibility data, while a red alert suggests a firmware incompatibility requiring a BIOS update. Multiple reboots during the update process are normal, and a new SecureBoot folder in Windows is for staging cryptographic files. Older PCs may experience longer update times, and some may not receive updates due to firmware issues. HP users should check for BIOS updates if encountering BitLocker recovery loops. IT administrators should monitor device classifications and manually initiate updates for devices not in the high confidence category. Devices with Secure Boot disabled cannot receive updates, leaving them vulnerable. The expiration of the Microsoft Corporation KEK CA 2011 certificate on June 24 does not immediately affect device functionality, but it limits Microsoft's ability to sign new bootkit blacklist updates.