Microsoft today announced the general availability of Windows 10 November 2021, also known as version 21H2, which includes new security, management and virtualization features.
Microsoft reiterated that Windows 10 will continue to receive support until October 2025 and said that the Windows 10 release cadence will join Windows 11 by reverting to a single feature update per year from now on.
The company also published an online feature comparison between the latest version of Windows 10 21H2 and Windows 11.
The catalizador del cambio a Windows 10 es sucesor, Windows 11, que debutó el 5 de octubre. Windows 11, which will have its own fine-tuned service model - one feature upgrade per year with 36 months of support due to those running the enterprise or education SKU - will replace the older Windows 10 as the baseline. algo nuevo.
For IT professionals
Starting with security, Windows 10 21H2 makes changes to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) VPN APIs, including the ability to implement common web authentication schemes and reuse existing protocols.
Version 21H2 also supports Wi-Fi 6 with the Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 Hash-to-Element (WPA3 H2E) protocol to provide better protection against Wi-Fi side channel attacks that could steal passwords. Wi-Fi and other confidential information.
"In a hybrid work scenario, users will now be able to keep their web traffic encrypted when connected to open networks or home networks," Alan Meeus, Product Manager for Windows 10, wrote in a blog post.
Windows 10 21H2 also provides security updates for the following products and features: Windows AI platform, Windows application platform and frameworks, Windows applications, Windows cryptography, Windows fundamentals, Windows input and composition, Windows kernel, Windows Media, Windows Office Media, and Windows Virtualization.
Microsoft has also updated Windows 10 to allow application provisioning from Azure Virtual Desktop. This allows these applications to run as local applications, including the ability to copy and paste between remote and local applications. (The feature is also available in Windows 11.)
In terms of new management features, Microsoft said it has worked to bridge the gap between group policy and mobile device management (MDM) settings. The Device Configuration Parameters Catalog has been updated to list over 1.400 parameters that were previously unavailable for configuration through MDM. The new MDM policies include Administrative Model Policies (ADMX), such as App Compat, Event Forwarding, Servicing, and Task Scheduler.
(The same changes were made for Windows 11 to allow for a consistent policy management experience between the two platforms.)
10 Windows Enterprise
An upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise includes Universal Printing, which now supports print jobs up to 1GB or a series of individual user print jobs totaling up to 1GB over a 15-minute period.
Additionally, Universal Print integrates with OneDrive for the web and Excel for the web. This allows users of any Internet-connected browser or device to print documents hosted on OneDrive for the web on a printer in your organization without installing printer drivers on their devices. Universal Print will also be updated in late 2021 to support printing from Microsoft Excel for the web.
For organizations with special-purpose devices and environments, such as manufacturing or healthcare systems, or for those with other long-term device update stability needs, Microsoft has released a new version of the Long-Term Maintenance Channel: Channel Long-term maintenance: Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021.
Windows 10 21H2 is now available through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Windows Update for Business. It can be downloaded from Visual Studio subscriptions, Software Download Center (via Upgrade Wizard or Media Creation Tool) and Volume Licensing Service Center).
Tool updates
To support the new version, Microsoft has implemented updated versions of the following tools:
- Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows 10 21H2 - Native
Accessible through the C: Windows PolicyDefinitions folder on Windows, the administrative template files can be downloaded separately and used to complete policy settings in the Group Policy Tools user interface, allowing you to manage registry-based policy settings. - Group Policy Settings Reference Worksheet for Windows 10 21H2 - List of policy settings for computer and user settings included in the ADMX files provided for Windows 10, version 21H2.
- Windows 10 Enterprise Trial: For IT professionals who want to test Windows 10 Enterprise on behalf of their organization, Microsoft offers a free 90-day trial of Windows 10 21H2 and Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021.
Microsoft also maintains resources for managing and deploying updates in an organization, including:
- Windows Release Health Center - The fastest way to stay up-to-date on updates, news, announcements, and best practices; important lifecycle reminders and status of known issues and backups. Windows 10 Enterprise customers can access more details from the Health menu in the Microsoft 365 admin center (see "Windows version status") and receive important notifications and updates in the Message center.
- Windows 10 version information: A list of current versions of Windows 10 by maintenance options, along with release dates, version numbers, service end dates, and version history.
- Windows 10 21H2 Update History - A list of all updates (monthly and out-of-band) released for Windows 10 21H2, arranged in reverse chronological order. These updates will be available with the first maintenance release.
Additional updates
- X64 emulation for Windows on Arm.
Microsoft said it has received questions about the status of x64 emulation in Windows 10. At this time, the x64 emulation update for Windows is generally only available in Windows 11. For those who want to use x64 emulation, a Windows PC 11 in Arm is required.
The new Microsoft Store began rolling out to Windows 10 PCs on November 10. Microsoft said it has rebuilt the store to offer a more modern design and "an intuitive search experience to create a more open and profitable environment for developers."
The November 2021 update is initially available for users of devices running Windows 10, version 2004 or later. All editions of Windows 10 2004 will end service on December 14, 2021, while Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 10 1909 will end service on May 10, 2022. After these dates, devices running versions 1909 and 2004 will no longer receive monthly security and quality updates that contain protections against the latest security threats.
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