Microsoft: PCs running Windows 11 21H2/22H2 will be forced to update to 23H2 next month
Windows 11 version 21H2 is one of the major original releases of Windows 11 that began rolling out globally on October 4, 2021.
The Windows team has returned from the holidays and has immediately shown its urgency by releasing two new test builds, one to the Dev Channel and one to the Canary Channel. Both of these builds include an interesting code change that allows the Copilot utility to appear in more areas of Windows, including the File Explorer context menu—one of the most-interacted locations in the operating system.
For now, Windows 11 users can access Copilot by clicking its icon on the taskbar. This icon may soon be moved by Microsoft to the lower-right corner of the screen, replacing the familiar "Show desktop" button. However, future Windows 11 builds may offer the ability to integrate Copilot for specific tasks or file-related activities on the system.
Of course, at this point, that's just speculation based on the code and feature ID found deep inside build 26016 by a tech blogger with the handle @PhantomOfEarth:
CopilotFEContextMenu: 45647150
You can try enabling this ID using the ViVeTool app, but it’s unlikely to yield any significant results at this point. So all we have to do is wait for Microsoft to release new previews and share more details about how it plans to improve Copilot integration in Windows 11. Overall, the current implementation of Copilot doesn’t do much to help you use your computer, far from what you might want an actual AI-powered assistant to do. But things will definitely improve over time.
The code changes found by @PhantomOfEarth align with recent reports that Microsoft will add more AI features to its next-generation Windows release, expected to launch in the second half of 2024.
2023 sees Microsoft betting big on artificial intelligence and its partnership with OpenAI to make Copilot a reality, so it’s no surprise that the company is ready to integrate and promote Copilot everywhere. In 2024, Microsoft is expected to push even further with the release of the next-generation version of Windows and upcoming new Surface devices, which also promise to focus heavily on AI-powered experiences.
Windows 11 version 21H2 is one of the major original releases of Windows 11 that began rolling out globally on October 4, 2021.
The year 2023 saw Microsoft betting heavily on artificial intelligence and its partnership with OpenAI to make Copilot a reality.
Microsoft introduced Bluetooth LE (low energy) Audio support with Windows 11 22H2 KB5026446 (build 22621.1778), also known as Moment 3, in May 2023.
After keeping things the same for years, the Sticky Note update in mid-2024 changed the game.
Today, Microsoft officially announced the general availability of Windows Server 2025 along with System Center 2025.
There's always something incredibly cool about the nostalgic user interface of 90s versions of Windows.
More than three years ago, when Microsoft announced Windows 11, the operating system immediately caused a lot of controversy.
The October 2024 report provides an overview of Windows 11's market share compared to other versions of Windows.
Microsoft is said to be getting closer to launching its first foldable smartphone when it was granted a patent for a foldable phone with the ability to fold 360 degrees but without creating wrinkles on the screen on October 1.
In a new post on its Tech Community website, Microsoft has announced plans to discontinue WSUS driver synchronization in favor of its latest cloud-based driver services.
Windows Photo Viewer was first released alongside Windows XP and has quickly become one of the most frequently used tools on Windows.
The latest previews of Windows 11 that Microsoft released this week include an improved About section in the Settings app, where users can get more information about the hardware inside their computer.
To address common issues faced by PC gamers, Microsoft has finally made the Windows operating system easier to navigate with an Xbox controller.
The April security updates for Windows 11 silently created a new empty folder on the C drive.
Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in OpenAI since 2019, although the Redmond-based software giant is by no means the primary investor in the innovative AI startup.
DISM (Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management) is an important tool along with SFC (System File Checker) to handle many system issues in Windows 11.
Inaccessible Boot Device is a blue screen of death (BSOD) error. This error usually occurs on Windows 10 after users use the Reset This PC feature to restore Windows 10 computer to default settings or to refresh (reinstall) Windows 10 without losing files or after upgrading the system to Windows 10.
While Windows 11 certainly comes pre-installed with a few useless apps, it also hides some incredibly powerful tools right under your nose.
Adding free space from one partition to another is the best way to make full use of hard drive capacity. The extra space in the large partition will not be wasted, and the problem of lack of memory in the smaller drive will also be solved.
A top-of-the-line gaming laptop will never match the performance of a similarly priced gaming desktop. But that doesn't mean you can't play the latest games on a laptop.
If you don't like Photos on Windows 10 and want to view photos using Windows Photo Viewer on Windows 10, follow this guide to bring Windows Photo Viewer to Windows 10, helping you view photos faster.
No matter where you are or what computer you're using, you have everything you need to work, troubleshoot, and stay productive.
Changing the name of a Windows network does not affect the configuration and makes it easier to identify the network. There are several ways to change the name of a network on Windows.
Changing your WiFi password to special, complex characters is one way to protect your family's WiFi from being used illegally, affecting your family's WiFi speed.
Currently, Windows 11 has been officially launched and we can download the official Windows 11 ISO file or Insider Preview version to install.
The mouse pointer has disappeared from your Windows device and you're wondering: How do I get the mouse pointer back? Or, the mouse pointer always decides to disappear when you type.
Windows File Explorer does the job, but only just. No quick previews, clunky cloud access, and tedious batch operations make day-to-day file management more difficult than it needs to be.
Windows 10 support is coming to an end, and if your computer can't run Windows 11, it's headed for the scrap yard. But there's a clever tool that can get Windows 11 running on your old computer, thanks to a simple hack.
Game Mode, Windows 10/11's performance booster, can do more than just squeeze a few extra frames per second out of your favorite FPS.
When you first bought your computer, it booted up in seconds and ran like a dream. But things have changed over time.