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Microsoft confirmed that its September 8 Patch Tuesday update broke File History backups on Windows 11 (23H2 through 26H1) and Windows 10 ESU devices, causing errors like false 'reconnect drive' prompts and missing previous file versions. The company has released an optional preview update to fix the issue, though it currently does not apply to Windows 11 23H2 or Windows 10.
Microsoft has told IT administrators that the September 2026 security updates for Windows 11 versions 26H1, 25H2 and 24H2 can cause Always On VPN connections to fail when automatic protocol selection between IKEv2 and SSTP is enabled. Affected connections may get stuck in a 'Connecting' state or throw a 'port already in use' error on retry. Microsoft has not yet issued a permanent fix but recommends administrators manually set the VPN profile to use only SSTP or only IKEv2 as a workaround.
Google offers ChromeOS Flex, a free operating system that can replace Windows on older machines meeting modest specs: an Intel or AMD CPU, 4GB RAM and 16GB storage, though chips from 2012 or earlier aren't supported. Installation involves using Chrome's Chromebook Recovery Utility to create bootable media on an 8GB-plus USB drive, then booting the target PC into its boot menu to install or trial the OS.
Microsoft announced it is retiring its Microsoft 365 companion apps—Calendar, People, and Files—effective December 16, 2026, after which they will stop functioning and lose support. The company is telling IT administrators to uninstall the apps from managed devices before that date. The move comes roughly a year after Microsoft began automatically pushing these taskbar-integrated apps to Windows 11 enterprise devices running Microsoft 365 desktop clients.
Windows 11 includes an Xbox mode feature that replaces the desktop with a full-screen, console-like gaming interface, though it isn't enabled by default. Users can turn it on and access it through Settings, keyboard shortcuts like Win + F11, the Game Bar, or the Xbox app, and can exit back to the desktop just as easily.
Windows 11 includes Microsoft Defender, a free antivirus tool within Windows Security that automatically scans for threats and logs its findings under Virus & threat protection. Users can review allowed threats and protection history, run a deeper Full scan, or use an offline scan via Windows Recovery Environment to catch malware that hides from standard scans. The Firewall & network protection settings should also be checked to ensure all three connection types are protected.
Microsoft has fixed a glitch that made the Windows Security app falsely warn users that Defender Antivirus was disabled, even though it was running normally. The fix arrived in Defender Antivirus update version 4.18.26080.4, released September 17, after the problem had persisted since at least June in Windows Insider builds.
Microsoft confirmed that Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro editions, along with Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016, will stop receiving security and non-security updates on October 13, 2026. Enterprise and Education editions of 24H2 will continue receiving updates until October 2027. Microsoft is urging affected users to move to Windows 11 25H2, which will install automatically on unmanaged devices.
Microsoft confirmed that its September security updates (KB5124008 and KB5124012) for Windows 11 are causing domain authentication failures on enterprise systems that use the Machine Identity Isolation feature. Affected devices show domain trust and credential errors even when login details are correct, because the updates cause Windows to enforce existing Machine Identity Isolation settings that are only meant for environments running Windows Server 2025 domain controllers. The company has released a temporary workaround while it develops a permanent fix.
Microsoft confirmed it is investigating reports that the Windows 11 KB5124008 security update is severing secure channel connections between domain-joined PCs and Active Directory after a reboot, locking out users with valid credentials. Administrators on Reddit and Microsoft's Q&A forums say the problem appears tied to the Windows Machine Identity Isolation feature when running in audit or enforcement mode, and that uninstalling the patch and repairing the domain trust restores access.
Microsoft released an out-of-band update this week for Windows 11 versions 26H2, 25H2, and 24H2 to fix an audio bug that broke sound on older USB devices using the legacy Audio Class 1.0 driver. The flaw, introduced by the September 8 security update, left affected headsets and speakers silent, with unresponsive volume controls or a Device Manager error. The new patch also resolves several other recent issues alongside a couple of security flaws.
Microsoft released an out-of-band patch to address problems introduced by its September 2026 Windows 11 update, which had shipped with new taskbar and Start menu customization features alongside nearly 1,000 security fixes. The rollout caused crashes on AMD Radeon GPUs, audio input/output failures, Remote Desktop instability, and Explorer black-screen issues after login. The emergency update addresses several of these regressions, though the AMD GPU crashes were not explicitly called out as fixed.