Today, AI assistants exist primarily as apps on top of existing OS platforms. If you want to use Copilot on Windows, or Gemini on Android, or Siri on Mac, these assistants exist on top of the OS as overlays or floating app windows. We're yet to see what an operating system can be like when it's built from the ground up with AI woven through it.

It sounds like this is what Microsoft is preparing to introduce on Windows in the next five years, potentially with a Windows 12. Many top level Microsoft executives have now teased that whatever is next for the platform and computing as a whole, it's going to be a big shift in the wake of AI.

I think a lot of people are going to struggle getting their head around the idea of voice being a reliable, primary input method when using a PC, but with agentic AI and the ability for the OS to understand user intent and natural language, it's going to feel a lot more natural than you might think.

It's not just Microsoft, either. Apple is also rumored to be working on a new feature for iOS 26 that places voice at the center of the experience. iPhone users will be able to navigate apps just by telling the iPhone what their intent is.

On Windows, it's likely that voice will be used in addition to a mouse and keyboard. Instead of there being two primary methods of input, there will be three. Type, touch/mouse, and voice. You likely won't have to use voice to get your work done, but your workflow will be made easier if you do.

Of course, there will be a huge concern around privacy. It will take lots of personal user data to make these experiences truly useful, and with the company already claiming that a balance between local compute and cloud compute will be required to make these experiences a reality, I suspect there will be some push back.
Source, Pic: Google, TechSupport

The official RTM ISO media is now online and can be downloaded straight from Microsoft. Microsoft is just about ready to announce the general availability of its next Windows 11 version update, known as version 25H2. We know this because the update had reached the final testing stages a handful of weeks ago, and now, the official final RTM build for version 25H2 has been uploaded to Microsoft's servers.

RTM, for those who may not know, is an old school Windows term that stands for Released To Manufacturing, which means it's the build that Microsoft will send to PC makers for pre-loading onto new hardware with version 25H2 preinstalled. Microsoft no longer uses the phrase RTM publicly, but it still exists.

Windows 11 build 26200.6584 appears to be the golden number that Microsoft is going to release to the public imminently. The ISOs for the build are now online, and can be downloaded directly from Microsoft's servers if you don't want to wait for an official general availability date.

The ISOs are available in 38 languages, and include Home, Pro, and Education editions. Each ISO varies slightly in size, but are an average of around 7GB for x64, and a few hundred megabytes smaller for Arm64.

Download Windows 11 version 25H2 for x64 and Arm64
Windows 11 version 25H2 RTM Build 26200.6584 is hosted directly on Microsoft's servers and are the official media for this release. Select your language below and the ISO will begin to download. The ISOs are available in both x64 (for Intel/AMD PCs) and Arm64 (for Snapdragon PCs,) so be sure to select the right architecture and language.

Microsoft has already confirmed that Windows 11 version 25H2 has no new features over version 24H2. Both share the same servicing and pipeline channels, and so features that are build for 25H2 will also end up on 24H2, and vice versa. That also means there should be no app or driver compatibility, device performance, or platform stability discrepancies between the two releases.

You should still upgrade to version 25H2 however, as it resets Microsoft's support lifecycle clock and will receive security updates and bug fixes for longer than version 24H2. Version 25H2 will have 24 months of support from its general availability date, whereas Windows 11 version 24H2 is already a year into its lifecycle.
Download en-US (7.2GB)
English UK
Download en-GB (7.2GB)

You can get it now before anyone else.

Currently, the feature update is available through the Release Preview Channel for devices already running version 24H2. If you have a device running version 23H2, you can still install the latest version, but you'll have to install version 24H2 before the option to access version 25H2 becomes available.
Pic, sources: Google, TechSupport, Microsoft

3 Ways to Upgrade to 11 for Free.  Whether or not your Windows 10 computer is eligible for a Windows 11 upgrade.

Since Microsoft is due to end formal support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14, now is a good time to consider upgrading to Windows 11.

If your Windows 10 computer meets all the necessary requirements for an upgrade, there are a number of ways you can get the newer operating system for free. If your PC doesn't officially support Windows 11, Microsoft would encourage you to buy a new PC. Before you rush to Best Buy, however, check out how to sneak past the update requirements with a third-party utility. You can also ad an extra year on Windows 10 with workarounds.

Check for Compatibility
Microsoft has strict Windows 11 upgrade requirements. To qualify, your computer needs Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 support, Secure Boot enabled in the BIOS, and a supported processor model. The TPM restriction is especially onerous since it puts many older Windows 10 PCs out of the running. Thankfully, Microsoft’s PC Health Check tool makes it easy to know if your PC is compatible.

Check for the Update
Windows 11 has been accessible for some time as an update on compatible Windows 10 systems, so your next step should be to see if it's already available on your PC. In Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click the Check for updates button. If Windows 11 is waiting, you can then install it directly as an update.

Download With the Installation Assistant
If Windows 11 isn't appearing as an update on your PC, you can still install it through Microsoft’s Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Browse to the Download Windows 11 page, click the Download now button under the Windows 11 Installation Assistant section, and run the Windows11InstallationAssistant.exe file.

Click the Accept and install button, and your Windows 10 PC will be upgraded to Windows 11. You should be able to use your PC during the download and installation. When the process is finished, restart your computer immediately or wait for the 30-minute timer to end so you can save changes to any open files or documents.

After your PC reboots, sign into Windows again. Once the final setup is complete, you’re deposited at your new Windows 11 desktop.

Use Microsoft's Media Creation Tool
Another option is to use Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool, a program that lets you create installation media for the new OS. This is a handy method, not just to update your current PC, but to also set up the necessary media to update other computers.

At the Download Windows 11 page, click Download now under the Create Windows 11 Installation Media section. Run the downloaded MediaCreationTool.exe file, accept the license terms, confirm your language, and select the edition of Windows you want to install. You can choose to copy the installation files to a USB drive or generate an ISO file and burn it to a disk.

If you take the USB route, make sure you have a flash drive with at least 8GB of storage plugged into the PC. The tool then downloads the necessary Windows 11 installation files and copies them to the USB drive. After this process is finished, open the drive and double-click the setup.exe file to kick off the upgrade. If you decide to generate an ISO file instead, choose a location for the download and double-click the ISO file in File Explorer. Double-click the setup.exe file inside the ISO file.

Click Next to prompt Windows 11 to check for any updates, then accept the license terms. The Ready to Install screen shows that Windows 11 will be installed, and that your personal files and apps will be kept. To modify those choices, click Change. You can then opt to keep your personal files and apps, retain just your personal files, or delete everything. In this case, you'll likely want to keep all your personal files and apps.

Click Next and then select Install to run the upgrade. After your PC reboots, sign in to finish the setup. Depending on what you chose to keep, Windows may prompt you to customize your privacy settings. You're then taken to your Windows 11 desktop.

Download Disk Image
You can also choose a direct download of the Windows 11 ISO file. At the [url:http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11]Download Windows 11[/url] page, go to the Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) section and select Windows 11 from the drop-down menu. Choose the product language, click Confirm, and then click the Download button to get the ISO file.

After the download is finished, double-click the ISO file and then double-click the setup.exe file. Click Next at the initial install screen to check for and download any updates to Windows 11. The Ready to Install screen tells you that Windows 11 will be installed and that your personal files and apps will be kept by default.

If you want to change these options, click Change and switch to Personal files only or Nothing. Click Next, then select Install to run the upgrade. After your PC restarts, sign into Windows 11 to view your new operating system.
(Source, Credit: PCMag, Microsoft, Google, Inetarchive)

Microsoft has announced that the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) tool will be removed after upgrading to Windows 11 25H2 and later.

WMIC is a legacy built-in Windows command-line tool that allows users to interact with the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) system using text commands.

In a Microsoft 365 message center update, Microsoft now advises IT administrators to switch to Windows PowerShell for WMI, scripts, and other tools because later Windows releases will no longer include WMIC by default.

"Microsoft recommends using PowerShell and other modern tools for any tasks previously done with WMIC. You can consider programmatic alternatives such as WMI's COM API, .NET libraries, or scripting languages. Once you decide on your way forward, please update your internal IT documentation and processes," the company said.

However, this change only applies to the outdated WMIC component, as the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) itself remains unaffected.

Further guidance for those who use WMIC for administrative tasks is available in this separate support document published by Microsoft on Friday.

Microsoft deprecated WMIC in Windows Server 2012 (in 2016) and in Windows 10 21H1 (2021). Redmond converted it into a Feature on Demand (FoD) starting with Windows 11 22H2 (in 2022) and announced in January 2024 that it would be removed altogether after first disabling it by default.

"We've been heavily investing in PowerShell in the past few years. The new tools provide a more efficient way of querying WMI. Removing a deprecated component helps reduce complexity while keeping you secure and productive," Microsoft said in January 2024.

​WMIC's removal will also boost overall security by thwarting a wide range of malware and attack tactics that will no longer function correctly.

The tool has long been considered a LOLBIN (living-off-the-land binary), a Microsoft-signed executable that threat actors exploit for a wide range of malicious activities during attacks.

For instance, ransomware encryptors commonly use the WMIC command to delete Shadow Volume Copies, ensuring that victims can't use them to recover encrypted data. Other threat actors have used WMIC to query for the list of installed antivirus software and uninstall it.

Malware has also been observed using WMIC to add exclusions to Microsoft Defender, evading detection when launched.

source

Every major operating system explained in just 8 minutes! From popular ones like Windows, macOS, and Linux to lesser-known systems like UNIX and BSD, this video breaks them all down quickly and simply.

Operating Systems Covered:

✅ Windows – The most widely used OS for PCs.
✅ macOS – Apple's sleek operating system for Mac devices.
✅ Linux – The open-source OS powering servers and enthusiasts.
✅ ChromeOS – Google's lightweight, web-based OS.
✅ Android – The most popular mobile operating system.
✅ iOS – Apple's exclusive mobile OS for iPhones and iPads.
✅ UNIX & BSD – The foundation of many modern OS.

source