Blog

As Azure Stack HCI becomes more common in datacenters and at the network edge, I would like to highlight some frequently asked questions I have encountered during the last few months about software and Azure Stack HCI antivirus. Does Microsoft support third-party software on Azure Stack HCI? In general, you can say “Microsoft does not…

Microsoft announced today that it will offer Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESUs) to both consumers and organizations. The company plans to end support for Windows 10 in October 2025 and will no longer release security updates and bug fixes beyond that date. Microsoft is reminding customers that Windows 10 version 22H2 will receive monthly…

PowerShell is considered secure by default due to various design principles and features that Microsoft incorporated into its architecture. These measures aim to ensure that PowerShell provides a robust, yet safe, scripting environment for system administration tasks. One feature of PowerShell that contributes to this are known as execution policies, which can be set using…

Microsoft has warned customers that a Russian state-sponsored hacking group (dubbed Forest Blizzard (STRONTIUM)) is actively exploiting an Outlook flaw to target Exchange Servers. The vulnerability could potentially unlock unauthorized access to emails and pave the way for the pilfering of sensitive information. In March, Microsoft disclosed a critical vulnerability in Outlook for Windows that…

Microsoft will soon introduce a new feature in the new Outlook for Windows client, which will allow users to choose a specific folder when saving attachments. The company announced in a message on the Microsoft 365 Admin Center that the upcoming update will begin rolling out to commercial customers in mid-January 2024. As of today,…

Microsoft Copilot, the AI-powered chat tool that launched in preview earlier this year, is now generally available for both consumers and commercial customers. Built upon OpenAI’s GPT-4 model, this AI assistant seamlessly searches the web and integrates the findings into its responses. Microsoft Copilot (previously known as Bing Chat and Bing Chat Enterprise) is available…

In this episode of First Ring Daily, Brad Sams and Paul Thurrott discuss Evernote significantly restricting its feature set for free users, Amazon launching a new AI chatbot for the enterprise, and more.

Microsoft rolled out a new optional update (KB5032278) for Windows 10 version 22H2 yesterday. The major highlight of this release is Windows Copilot, which has been available in preview for Insiders since last week. On Windows 10, the Copilot button appears on the right side of the taskbar, which lets users open the chatbot to…

Microsoft is discontinuing support for activity-based authentication timeout in Outlook on the Web. Starting in January 2024, the company will replace the feature with idle session timeout settings for Microsoft 365 commercial customers. Microsoft introduced the idle session timeout feature for Microsoft 365 Web apps in June 2022. This feature enables IT admins to create…

Microsoft has unveiled Azure Expert Assessment, a free one-to-one service enabling enterprises to strategize their cloud adoption journey collaboratively with a Certified Azure Expert. The Azure expert evaluates current IT infrastructure readiness, providing tailored recommendations for a smooth transition to the cloud. Microsoft has introduced Azure Expert Assessment as a new addition to its existing…

Microsoft has unveiled plans to postpone the rollout of new cumulative updates (CUs) for Exchange Server 2019, extending the release timeline to accommodate the upcoming Christmas holidays. The last two Exchange CU updates are expected to be rolled out to commercial customers after January 9, 2024. Last year, Microsoft announced that Exchange Server cumulative updates…

Microsoft is expanding its enhanced user analytics capabilities to support popular Microsoft 365 apps such as Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive. The enhanced user analytics feature, available in the Search & Intelligence admin portal, offers detailed insights to IT admins to help them understand how users across the organization are utilizing the search functionality. With this…