Microsoft windows 10 insider preview version 21h2

Commercial organizations can now explore and validate Windows 11 and Windows 10, version 21H2 that will be released later this year.

Today, we released Windows 11 and the Windows 10, version 21H2 feature update for commercial preview. Organizations enrolled in the Windows Insider Program for Business can access these builds through all standard channels, including Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Azure Marketplace, and the Windows Insider Program ISO download page. Along with commercial pre-release availability, we are also offering free support for commercial organizations running these builds. This means you can test these releases—and your preferred deployment methods—while remaining supported prior to general availability.

Commercial devices configured for the Windows Insider Program Release Preview Channel via the Windows Update Settings page or via Windows Update for Business policy will automatically be offered Windows 11 as an optional upgrade provided that the device(s) meet the hardware requirements and have taken the September 1, 2021 optional cumulative update (KB5005101). If you do not wish to upgrade a device to Windows 11, simply select “Stay on Windows 10 for now”, at which point Windows 10, version 21H2 will be offered instead. Commercial devices in the Release Preview Channel that do not meet the hardware requirements necessary to support Windows 11 will instead be offered Windows 10, version 21H2 automatically.

Both previews are completely optional. You can choose to remain on your current version of Windows and continue to receive preview builds of quality updates for that version.

The Windows Update view in Settings, showing as up to date

If you are using Microsoft Intune, simply set “Servicing channel” to “Windows Insider – Release Preview”, as shown here:

Setting Servicing channel to Windows Insider — Release Preview

Both Windows 11 and Windows 10, version 21H2 are now available in the “Windows Insider Pre-release” category in WSUS and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. If you do not see them offered, simply sync the category and you will see them.

Windows 11 and Windows 10, version 21H2 are now available

To access the Windows 11 preview build, devices must first take the September 1, 2021 optional cumulative update (KB 5005101). If a device is configured to send diagnostic data, but does not meet the hardware requirements, the Windows 11 upgrade will be marked as inapplicable in WSUS.

To access the Windows 10, version 21H2 preview build, devices running Windows 10, version 2004, version 20H2, or version 21H1 can leverage the enablement package path to update to version 21H2. Devices running versions prior to Windows 10, version 2004 will first need to do a full OS swap to receive Windows 10, version 21H2.

Simply go to the Windows Insider Program ISO Downloads site and select either the Windows 11 ISO (listed under Dev Channel and Beta Channel) or the Windows 10, version 21H2 ISO (listed under the Release Preview Channel).

On Azure Marketplace, we have added a new Windows 11 Preview offering with various images. For Windows 10, version 21H2, simply check out the Windows 10 Preview offering.

Windows 11 Preview

Regardless of how you choose to deploy the release previews of either Windows 11 or Windows 10, version 21H2, we will keep you supported! If you encounter an issue, please report it to feedback hub or reach out to us directly through our free support offering for commercial organizations.

Microsoft is committed to ensuring your applications work on the latest versions of our software. Windows 11 has been built with compatibility in mind. Our promise states that apps that worked on Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 will work on Windows 11. If you experience a compatibility issue when deploying Windows 11 or Windows 10, version 21H2, you can utilize App Assure with Microsoft FastTrack to help remediate your application issues. App Assure will help troubleshoot the issue, determine the root cause, and fix the application. It is available at no additional cost for eligible customers with 150+ seats.

With that, we encourage you to go explore these releases, and don’t forget to reach out to me, @ariaupdated, on Twitter or message me on Tech Community with any feedback on how we can improve the Windows Insider Program for Business and our pre-release commercial offerings!

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published


July 15, 2021

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are announcing Windows 10, version 21H2 as the next feature update to Windows 10. As part of today’s announcement, we’re also releasing 21H2 Build 19044.1147 (KB5004296) to the Release Preview Channel ONLY to Insiders who were moved from the Beta Channel to the Release Preview Channel because their PC did not meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11.

We are releasing this build to those Insiders via our “seeker” experience in Windows Update. This means these Insiders will need to go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and choose to download and install 21H2.

The features highlighted in John Cable’s blog post for Windows 10, version 21H2 are not yet in this build but will be included in a future update.

It also includes the following improvements:

• We fixed an issue with searchindexer. After you sign out, searchindexer continues to hold handles to the per user search database in the profile path, “C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\\”. As a result, searchindexer stops working and duplicate profile names are created.
• We fixed an issue that prevents gaming services from opening certain games for desktop users.
• We fixed an issue that prevents you from entering text using the Input Method Editor (IME). This might occur, for example, after startup if you have set the power options to shut down a laptop by closing its lid.
• We changed the functionality for uploading new activity into Timeline. If you sync your activity history across your devices using your Microsoft account (MSA), you cannot upload new activity into the Timeline. You can still use Timeline and see your activity history (information about recent apps, websites, and files) on your local device. This does not affect Azure Active Directory (AAD) accounts. To view web history, Microsoft Edge and other browsers provide the option to view recent web activities. You can also view recently used files using Microsoft OneDrive and Microsoft Office.
• We fixed an issue that might cause the File Explorer window to lose focus when you are mapping a network drive.
• We fixed an issue that causes File Explorer to stop working after reaching 99% completion when you are deleting many files on a mapped network drive.
• We fixed a timing issue in the Group Policy Registry Telemetry that causes Group Policy extension processing to fail.
• We fixed an issue that repeatedly rebuilds the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) filters. This issue occurs when a device is enrolled in a mobile device management (MDM) service and “MDMWinsOverGP” is set.
• We fixed an issue with an MDM service that fails to correctly apply certain junk mail rules.
• We fixed an issue that always reports the update build revision (UBR) as zero (0) on a device during enrollment to an MDM service.
• We fixed an issue that causes the enrollment of the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) certificate to fail with the error, “0x80090027 NTE_INVALID_PARAMETER”. This issue occurs when the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) provider (the Microsoft Software Key Storage Provider) stores the key.
• We fixed an issue with auditing events 4624 and 5142 that display the wrong event template when Dutch is the display language.
• We fixed an issue that causes System Integrity to leak memory.
• We fixed an issue that plays the sound for selecting something in a game loudly when you press the trigger button on a game controller.
• We fixed an issue that prevents power plans and Game Mode from working as expected. This results in lower frame rates and reduced performance while gaming.
• We fixed an issue in which “Network Internal Access” appears on the taskbar network icon on systems that access the internet from certain domains.
• We fixed an issue in which the Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) fails to detect internet connectivity after you connect to a virtual private network (VPN).
• We fixed an issue that causes printing to stop or prints the wrong output. This issue occurs when you print using a USB connection after updating to Windows 10, version 2004 or later.
• We fixed a rare issue that might degrade performance in applications that call Gdiplus.dll!GdipMeasureString in a tight loop with a new font on each call. This issue occurs after installing Windows updates released on and after February 2021.
• We fixed an issue that incorrectly routes some audio channels when streaming using certain fixed channel layouts.
• We fixed an issue that always displays devices that RemoteFX USB redirects as “Remote Desktop Generic USB Device” instead of the actual device name.
• We fixed an issue in which Set-RDSessionCollectionConfiguration does not set the camerastoredirect:s:value custom property.
• We fixed a Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) domain controller memory leak that is reported in Privileged Access Management (PAM) deployments.
• We fixed an issue that prevents you from accessing a network drive that maps to a Distributed File System (DFS) root after you sign out.
• We fixed an issue that prevents you from reconnecting to mapped network drives after you sign in and displays an access denied error. This issue occurs if you use the net use /deep option to create multiple drive mappings to different paths on the same encrypted file share.
• We fixed an issue that prevents access to files on a Server Message Block (SMB) share when you enable Access Enabled Enumeration (ABE).
• We fixed an issue that prevents the Windows Server service from starting if SrvComment is greater than 128 characters.
• We fixed an issue in the Windows Network File System (NFS) client that might prevent you from renaming a file after mounting an NFS share. This issue occurs if you rename the file using File Explorer but does not occur if you rename the file using command line.
• We fixed an issue with an unhandled Open File dialog critical exception. As a result, Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) applications might close unexpectedly.
• We fixed an issue in which the Storage Sense page in Settings might incorrectly report the size of some storage devices that use the GUID Partition Table (GPT). The affected devices will incorrectly report in Storage Sense that the size is twice as large as the size reported in File Explorer. Note: This issue does not affect storage devices that use a master boot record (MBR).

Once an Insider updates their PC to Windows 10, version 21H2, they will continue to automatically receive new 21H2 updates through Windows Update using our servicing technology (like the monthly update process).

To check and see if you’re running Windows 10, version 21H2, just type “winver” into the Windows search box on the Taskbar. It should show as “Version 21H2”.

For all the details on the 21H2 release – check out John Cable’s blog post.

Thanks,
The Windows Insider Program Team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Windows 10 November 2021 Update^[1] (codenamed «21H2»^[2]) is the twelfth major update to Windows 10 as the cumulative update to the May 2021 Update. It carries the build number 10.0.19044.

The first preview was released on July 15, 2021, to Insiders who opted in to Release Preview Channel that failed to meet minimum system requirements for Windows 11.^[3][4] The update began rolling out on November 16, 2021. Notable changes in the November 2021 Update include:^[2][5]

• GPU compute support in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows (EFLOW) deployments
• New simplified passwordless deployment models for Windows Hello for Business
• Support for WPA3 Hash-to-Element (H2E) standards
• Support for DirectStorage
• Support for NVMe 2.0
• Limited support for Alder Lake Thread Director
• New highlights feature for Search on the taskbar

The update has reached end of service on June 13, 2023 for Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations editions.^[6] The Enterprise, Enterprise multi-session, IoT Enterprise and Education editions have reached end of service on June 11, 2024.^[7] The Enterprise LTSC and IoT Enterprise LTSC editions will reach end of service on January 12, 2027 and January 13, 2032, respectively.^[8]

• Windows 10 version history

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Microsoft just released two new Windows 10 builds to the Release Preview Channel of the Windows Insider program.

There’s both a new Windows 10 21H2 build, as well as a Windows 10 21H1 build available, and fixes are the same between the two releases.

OOBE and VPN issues fixed in latest preview builds

Build 19043.1319 (KB5006738) is now available for Insiders that are running Windows 10 21H1  Meanwhile, users with Windows 10 21H2 received build 19044.1319 (KB5006738) 

The fixes in both these new builds cover a wide range of issues from the out of box experience, VPN connections, Bitlocker, and more, as follows:

• Fixed an issue that prevents you from accessing the pre-provisioning page during the out-of-box experience (OOBE). This issue occurs when the credentials page for signing in to Azure Active Directory appears, and you press the Windows key five times.
• Added a feature that facilitates certain cross-browser data transfers.
• Fixed an issue with Assigned Access kiosks that are configured with Microsoft Edge as a kiosk application. These kiosks might sometimes fail to restart Microsoft Edge if users close the browser window.
• Fixed an issue in which the use of App-V intermittently causes black screens to appear when signing in on the credentials page.
• Fixed an issue that might prevent subtitles from displaying for certain video apps and streaming video sites.
• Fixed an issue that prevents Windows 10 virtual private network (VPN) users from connecting to Windows Server 2019 Routing and Remote Access service (RRAS) servers.
• Fixed an issue that prevents Software-Defined Networking (SDN) virtual machines from working when you configure the Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) VPN bandwidth limitation.
• Fixed a Primary Refresh Token (PRT) update issue that occurs when VPN users sign in using Windows Hello for Business when the VPN connection is offline. Users receive unexpected authentication prompts for online resources that are configured for user sign-in frequency (SIF) in Azure Active Directory-Conditional Access.
• Fixed an issue that causes Windows to go into BitLocker recovery after a servicing update.
• Fixed an issue that might cause Kerberos.dll to stop working within the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). This occurs when LSASS processes simultaneous Service for User (S4U) user-to-user (U2U) requests for the same client user.
• Fixed an issue in Code Integrity that might cause a memory leak.
• Enhanced Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s ability to identify and intercept ransomware and advanced attacks.
• Fixed an issue in the OOBE that might cause Windows AutoPilot provisioning to fail.
• Fixed an issue that prevents Kana input mode users from inserting a question mark (?) using the Shift-0 key combination.
• Fixed an issue that sometimes causes the lock screen to appear black if you enable slideshow.
• Fixed a reliability issue with LogonUI.exe, which affects the rendering of the network status text on the credentials screen.
• Fixed an issue that causes Server Message Block (SMB) Query Directory Requests to fail when the buffer size is large.
• Fixed a memory leak issue in lsass.exe on domain controllers in the forest root domain that occurs when you have multiple forests and multiple domains in each forest. The SID-Name mapping functions leak memory when a request comes from another domain in the forest and crosses forest boundaries.
• Fixed an issue with the virtual machine (VM) Load Balancing feature, which ignores a site’s fault domain.

Remember that the versions we talked about in this article are only available for Windows Insiders. If you aren’t already part of the program, you can join by going to Microsoft’s dedicated page.

Are you testing one of the two new builds announced by the tech giant? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.

With an overpowering desire to always get to the bottom of things and uncover the truth, Alex spent most of his time working as a news reporter, anchor, as well as TV and radio entertainment show host.

A certified gadget freak, he always feels the need to surround himself with next-generation electronics.

When he is not working, he splits his free time between making music, gaming, playing football, basketball and taking his dogs on adventures.

Reorder and customize your Virtual Desktops

We’ve heard your feedback asking for more control over Virtual Desktops. Starting with Build 21337, we are bringing the ability to reorder and customize the backgrounds for each of your Virtual Desktops! You can access your Virtual Desktops via Task View (Win + Tab).

Картинка с сайта: wccftech.com

Virtual Desktops help you cognitively separate different tasks on your PC, including helping to create work-life separation. They can be swapped into view, letting you shift your work from one desktop to another. Instead of juggling multiple windows, you can switch between Virtual Desktops to multitask.

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Here are the steps you can take to try these new features out.

Change Virtual Desktop background:

1. Under Settings > Personalization > Background, left click a background to change the background for the active Virtual Desktop.
2. Right clicking a background on this Settings page has a new option to change the background for a specific Virtual Desktop.
3. Once you’ve made the change, you’ll see your new background when you switch to that Virtual Desktop, and in the preview thumbnail in Task View.

Reorder Virtual Desktops:

1. Enter Task View (via Win + Tab), create multiple new Virtual Desktops.
2. Drag and drop a Virtual Desktop to another position in the list in Task View.
3. Right click a Virtual Desktop thumbnail in task view and select “Move left” or “Move right” in the context menu to move the desktop to another position.
4. Use keyboard navigation to set focus to the desired Virtual Desktop in Task View, and then press ALT + Shift + Left / Right Arrow to move it in either direction in the list.

If you have any feedback about these changes, please file it under Desktop Environment > Virtual Desktops in the Feedback Hub.

Auto HDR Preview for PC

Today we’re excited to bring you a preview of Auto HDR for your PC gaming experience and we’re looking for your help to test it out. When enabled on your HDR capable gaming PC, you will automatically get awesome HDR visuals on an additional 1000+ DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games! Check out our DirectX blog post for more details!

File Explorer Layout Update

The default layout of File Explorer adds additional padding between elements. For users who prefer a more information-dense layout, there is a setting in View Options called “Use compact mode,” which will restore the classic layout of File Explorer. The UX for toggling this setting is not final. The level of padding is designed for better consistency with modern (XAML) experiences. This should also make it easier to work with File Explorer when using a touch screen.

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Updates to Captions Settings for Windows Insiders

Thanks to feedback from customers and Windows Insiders, we are making updates to the captions settings in the latest Insider Preview builds. To get started, go to Settings > Ease of Access > Hearing > Captions.

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To learn more about how to make your app accessible, go to Accessibility overview – UWP applications | Microsoft Docs.

Please note, the option to discard changes may not work as expected in this build – we’re working on a fix.

Inbox app updates

We are making some changes to existing inbox apps and adding some new ones.

Notepad is now updated via the Microsoft Store:

Notepad is now updateable via the Microsoft Store outside major OS updates. It also has a new icon and has been promoted out of the Windows Accessories folder to its own place in the Start menu.

Windows Terminal now included as an inbox app:

Windows Terminal is now an inbox app. Windows Terminal is a modern, fast, efficient, powerful, and productive terminal application for users of command line tools and shells like Command Prompt, PowerShell, and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). Its main features include multiple tabs, panes, Unicode and UTF-8 character support, a GPU accelerated text rendering engine, and custom themes, styles, and configurations. Updates for Windows Terminal will continue to come through the Microsoft Store.

Power Automate Desktop now included as an inbox app:

Power Automate Desktop is now an inbox app. Power Automate Desktop allows you to automate web and desktop applications on your Windows desktop by mimicking the user interface actions like clicks, and keyboard input. You can also combine these actions with predefined support for applications like Excel to help automate repetitive tasks. You can find Power Automate within the Windows Accessories folder from the Start menu. During Microsoft Ignite earlier this month, we announced Power Automate Desktop will be available to Windows 10 users at no additional cost. Check out this blog post from the Power Automate Team for more details!

NOTE: Power Automate Desktop isn’t yet available for ARM PCs.

Updating WordPad integrations: We’ve made some small changes to make Word or Notepad the text editor/viewer of choice in Windows when launching text file types, but if WordPad is your text editor of choice, it’s still available.