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Microsoft is killing 15 products in 2026, including Windows 11 24H2 and Office 2021
Winsage
July 12, 2026

Microsoft is killing 15 products in 2026, including Windows 11 24H2 and Office 2021

Microsoft will discontinue support for several products in 2026, including: 1. Windows 11 24H2 (Home and Pro) - End of servicing on October 13, 2026. 2. Office 2021 and Office LTSC 2021 - End of support on October 13, 2026. 3. Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 - Final ESU year ending on October 13, 2026. 4. SQL Server 2016 - Extended end of support on July 14, 2026. 5. SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019, Project Server 2016 and 2019 - Support ends on July 14, 2026. 6. Microsoft Publisher - Retired after October 2026. 7. Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, Skype for Business Server - Final ESU cutoff on October 31, 2026. 8. Windows 11 Enterprise and Education 23H2, .NET 8, .NET 9, PowerShell 7.4 - End of servicing on November 10, 2026. 9. Windows 10 2016 LTSB and IoT Enterprise LTSB 2016 - Extended support ends on October 13, 2026. 10. Windows 11 SE - Support ends on October 1, 2026. 11. Dynamics CRM 2016 and older versions - Lost support earlier in January 2026. 12. Microsoft Configuration Manager, version 2409 - End of support on June 6, 2026. 13. Visual Studio 2022 LTSC channels, versions 17.10 and 17.12 - End of support in January and July 2026, respectively. 14. InfoPath 2013, SharePoint Designer 2013 - End of support on July 14, 2026. 15. Azure service retirements - Occurring in late 2026. Organizations are advised to review their software landscape and plan for transitions to avoid disruptions.
Users baffled by odd official Microsoft design that remixes Windows 11 with 10
Winsage
July 11, 2026

Users baffled by odd official Microsoft design that remixes Windows 11 with 10

Microsoft has implemented a solution for issues affecting the shell components on Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, which were causing user interaction difficulties. A user on Reddit highlighted a design inconsistency where elements of Windows 11 were integrated into the Windows 10 framework, specifically on the "About" page in the Settings app. This observation resonated with many users, leading to confusion and frustration. Microsoft is modernizing various OS components but is unlikely to prioritize fixing design issues in Windows 10 due to its limited support status. The company's focus is shifting towards artificial intelligence and the development of a web-based Windows AI operating system.
StatCounter can't identify 1 in 5 visits (and it's skewing everything)
Winsage
July 10, 2026

StatCounter can’t identify 1 in 5 visits (and it’s skewing everything)

Windows' market share has dropped to 56.61% as of June 2026, falling below the 60% threshold. The "Unknown" category accounts for 21.45% of the market share, while Windows' adjusted market share, excluding unidentified visitors, is 72%. In June 2025, Windows held a 70.13% share, with "Unknown" at 9.17%. Over the past year, Windows' market share decreased from 77.22% to 72%, Linux rose from 4.50% to 5.59%, and Apple increased from 16.90% to 20.87%. As of early July 2026, the "Unknown" segment has surged to 23.67%. StatCounter's data collection has faced inaccuracies, with revisions possible for 45 days. The rise of Linux is noted as a significant trend, influenced by compatibility with Windows games and changes in Windows support.
Windows 11 on the Steam Machine: Valve opens the door and then leaves you out in the rain
Winsage
July 10, 2026

Windows 11 on the Steam Machine: Valve opens the door and then leaves you out in the rain

Valve has introduced an official Windows driver package for the Steam Machine, allowing users to replace SteamOS with Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). The package includes drivers for the graphics unit, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth modules, and SD card reader. The graphics driver is custom-designed for the Steam Machine’s AMD chip and is not compatible with standard Adrenalin drivers. Installing Windows will erase SteamOS and all stored data, and there is currently no dual-boot option available. Users must connect to an Ethernet network during setup, as Wi-Fi drivers can only be installed afterward. The drivers are provided "as-is," without official support from Valve. Performance benchmarks show that SteamOS outperforms Windows by 10 to 15 percent, but some users may prefer Windows for compatibility with certain online games and services.
Windows 10 is still getting Windows 11 features, but it's only for developers
Winsage
July 10, 2026

Windows 10 is still getting Windows 11 features, but it’s only for developers

Microsoft has confirmed that WSL Containers, which allows users to create and manage Linux containers directly from Windows, is now available on Windows 10. Users must have Windows 10 version 2004 (Build 19041) or later to utilize WSL Containers. The installation process involves checking the Windows build, installing WSL, updating to the container build, confirming the version, and running a test command. WSL Containers support GPU passthrough, enabling CUDA capabilities directly from Windows 10. A text-based UI dashboard for managing WSL Containers, named lazywslc, has also been introduced.
Patch for Windows Defender 0-day could allow attackers to fill hard disk
Winsage
July 10, 2026

Patch for Windows Defender 0-day could allow attackers to fill hard disk

A recent Microsoft patch addressing the RoguePlanet vulnerability (CVE-2026-50656) in its Defender security engine has raised concerns about disk space issues for Windows users. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to gain administrative control over Windows 10 and 11 systems. The patch, which updates the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine, is automatically installed without user action. However, it may enable attackers to fill a hard drive by writing excessive data due to changes in the mpengine.dll driver. These changes can cause a data leak of 8 bytes when opening a file and involve new functionalities in SpyNet, which could lead to mass file-writing behavior. Typically, Defender limits file sizes during scanning, but the spynet functions may maintain a local copy of the Zone.Identifier Alternate Data Stream file, potentially exhausting disk space.
Microsoft shares new Windows 11 Update install strategy every admin and user must know
Winsage
July 9, 2026

Microsoft shares new Windows 11 Update install strategy every admin and user must know

Windows 10 and 11 updates can cause significant issues for users, including high disk space consumption, disruptions to desktop UI functionalities, and potential lockouts via BitLocker recovery. These problems often lead to delays in installing new patches by IT administrators and users, which can expose systems to vulnerabilities. Microsoft has raised concerns about this cautious approach, emphasizing that AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape by enabling faster identification and exploitation of vulnerabilities. To address this, Microsoft recommends moving away from broad deployment delays and adopting staged rollout strategies, using deployment rings to validate patches on a limited number of devices before wider distribution. Additionally, Microsoft has introduced technologies like Windows Autopatch and Hotpatching to automate and streamline the update process while maintaining security. The company advocates for expediting update validation to better protect systems in an evolving threat environment.
This 3KB notepad app shows exactly why modern Windows is so bloated
Winsage
July 8, 2026

This 3KB notepad app shows exactly why modern Windows is so bloated

Dave Plummer, known for creating the Windows Task Manager, discusses software bloat in a recent video, highlighting his compact notepad application, Tiny Retro Pad, which is only 2,686 bytes. He notes that while modern applications require higher specifications due to increased complexity, the lack of optimization in code has led to performance degradation. For example, Windows 10 required 1GB of RAM for its 32-bit version, while Windows 11 requires a minimum of 4GB. Plummer emphasizes the importance of efficient coding practices and critiques the tendency of modern software to include unnecessary components, suggesting that prioritizing efficiency could improve user experience on platforms like Windows 11.
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