Microsoft is apparently changing the way it updates Windows 11 again, after saying the platform will only get one major servicing update per year in the fall, according to multiple reports.
The company is also expected to announce the first major feature update to Windows 11 later this month, likely on September 20. Microsoft has not confirmed the date.
"Microsoft does not comment on the future roadmap," a spokesperson said.
More importantly for IT managers, it appears that Microsoft will change the rate at which it releases new versions of Windows to once every three years, similar to the schedule it was based on before Windows 10. This would mean that if this pace continues, the equivalent of Windows 12 would be released in the fall of 2024.
Since support for Windows 10 isn't expected to end until 2025, a "Windows 12" released in 2024 would mean IT administrators have to deal with three versions of the operating system at the same time: Windows 10, 11, and 12.
When an operating system reaches the end of its useful life, Microsoft sometimes extends that support, which it did with Windows 10 due to the pandemic. However, Windows releases eventually reach end of support, meaning customers no longer receive security updates. And while the operating system can still work with programs and hardware, it increases the chance that new programs and hardware won't work as expected.
"This often happens because manufacturers of new hardware and software make product design decisions that take advantage of the enhanced features and functionality of new operating systems," Microsoft explains in its Windows support document. "These manufacturers may choose to discontinue support for their products on older operating systems, as appropriate."
Released in October 2021, Windows 11 will soon start receiving small, quarterly feature updates called "Moments," similar to the company's "Feature Experience Packs."
The first updates to "Moment" will add tabs and a new sidebar to File Explorer and enable a feature called "Suggested Actions" that will prompt users to take next steps based on selected text in apps, according to WindowsCentral.
Although Microsoft has yet to confirm the release date of Windows 11 (22H2 or RTM build 22621), there has been a lot of buzz around September 20. The update is expected to introduce new user interface features, a new taskbar manager, the ability to drag and drop taskbar items, and more customization options for your Start menu.
Beta channel users have already tested the Windows 11 22H2 updates.
Windows 22 version 2H11 will be a free update for current users and should add productivity enhancements and enhancements for tablet users. Among more than a dozen expected improvements, the operating system will include adjustments to the task manager. Instead of tabs across the top for processes, performance, and startup applications, tasks will be presented as icons running vertically in the left column. The icons should also be larger and have space between the lists.
Also, new tasks, such as opening a folder or running a program, can be performed directly from Task Manager.
Microsoft is also adding several features to the Start menu that were part of Windows 10 but were removed with the initial release of Windows 11; these features include the ability to create app folders and adjust the size of the pinned app area.
Dragging and dropping to the taskbar also makes a comeback: the ability to drag a file onto an app icon on the taskbar. This allows the file to open in the app, just like in Windows 10.
And "Suggested Actions" will offer users a menu of suggested options when copying a date or phone number into the calendar or contacts feature.
Microsoft announced last year that it would be moving from a semi-annual to an annual release cycle for its feature updates, meaning once a year instead of spring and fall. The move aligns more closely with other platform providers, including Apple and Google, which typically only update their feature sets once a year.
"New versions of Windows 11 will be released once a year and will receive monthly quality updates that include security and other updates," Microsoft explained in a support document.
Annual updates will also be 40% smaller, so it will take less time to install, according to Microsoft.
Windows 11 version 22H2, codenamed Sun Valley 2, is expected to get its first "Moment" update in October.
Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates, said the reported change in update cadence and the arrival of incremental "Moment" updates represent more of a "retagging" than an actual change.
"It's more in line with what Apple is doing, and maybe Microsoft wants to be perceived as more computer-friendly, as Apple has been recently," Gold said. “But it will still require unexpected periodic updates as security issues arise in the operating system and require immediate attention. And currently, major feature updates rarely happen anyway, so how is that going to save anything? »
Gold doesn't think companies should worry about managing multiple versions of Windows. “Enterprises typically don't make major operating system transitions until the end of the machine's life. Given that the typical lifespan of a business PC is three to four years, businesses are likely to only migrate the operating system back when they buy a new machine,” Gold said.
Since companies don't typically change all PCs at once, IT will always have to support different operating systems, Gold said. Full fleet migrations are expensive and time-consuming, so they generally only happen if Microsoft can show "a compelling lead."
"And then companies still have to make sure that all of their apps work, so there's a lot of testing going on," Gold said. "It's a little different for consumers who often keep their machines longer and may want to upgrade to the operating system if their machine is compatible and they don't have to worry about cost."
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