117-520: Microsoft family features (includes family safety features formerly known as Microsoft Family Safety, formerly Parental Controls in Windows 7 and Vista) is a free set of features available on Windows 10 PC and Mobile that is bundled with the Windows 10 , Home edition operating system. On July 17, 2020, Microsoft released Microsoft Family Safety on Google Play and App Store (iOS) as well. Starting in Windows 10,
234-482: A Windows service for transferring files in the background without user interaction. As a system component, it is capable of monitoring the user's Internet usage, and throttling its own bandwidth usage in order to prioritize user-initiated activities. The Automatic Updates client for these operating systems was updated to use this system service. Automatic Updates in Windows XP gained notoriety for repeatedly interrupting
351-524: A hypervisor so that its operation remains separated from the operating system itself. The console windows based on Windows Console (for any console app, not just PowerShell and Windows Command Prompt ) can now be resized without any restrictions, can be made to cover the full screen by pressing Alt + ↵ Enter , and can use standard keyboard shortcuts, such as those for cut, copy, and paste . Other features such as word wrap and transparency were also added. These functions can be disabled to revert to
468-456: A more traditional Start menu in place of the Start screen seen in Windows 8. The new Start menu takes after Windows 7 's design by using only a portion of the screen and including an application listing in the left column. The right column displays Windows 8-style app tiles. Myerson said that these changes would occur in a future update, but did not elaborate. Microsoft also unveiled the concept of
585-408: A server computer on which it is running and redistributes them to the computers within the organization over a local area network (LAN). One of the benefits of this method is a reduction in the consumption of Internet bandwidth, equal to (N-1)×S , where N is the number of computers in the organization and S is the size made by the updates. Additionally, WSUS permits administrators to test updates on
702-438: A "universal Windows app", allowing Windows Store apps created for Windows 8.1 to be ported to Windows Phone 8.1 and Xbox One while sharing a common codebase, with an interface designed for different device form factors, and allowing user data and licenses for an app to be shared between multiple platforms. Windows Phone 8.1 would share nearly 90% of the common Windows Runtime APIs with Windows 8.1 on PCs. Screenshots of
819-466: A Microsoft Account is required to use the Microsoft family features. A parent can manage settings for a child if both of their Microsoft Accounts are in the same family. When parents turn on settings for their child, these settings are applied to every device that the child logs into with that Microsoft Account. Other changes to family safety features in Windows 10 include Windows Store purchase controls and
936-453: A PIN is not a simpler password . While passwords are transmitted to domain controllers , PINs are not. They are tied to one device, and if compromised, only one device is affected. Backed by a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, Windows uses PINs to create strong asymmetric key pairs. As such, the authentication token transmitted to the server is harder to crack. In addition, whereas weak passwords may be broken via rainbow tables , TPM causes
1053-563: A Windows build purported to be Threshold were leaked in July 2014, showing the previously presented Start menu and windowed Windows Store apps, followed by a further screenshot of a build identifying itself as "Windows Technical Preview", numbered 9834, in September 2014, showing a new virtual desktop system, a notification center, and a new File Explorer icon. On September 30, 2014, Microsoft officially announced that Threshold would be unveiled during
1170-423: A Windows installation. In case of the former, Windows Update Agent ( wusa.exe ) can install these files. In case of the latter, Microsoft deployment utilities such as DISM , WADK and MDT can consume these packages. Microsoft offers System Center Configuration Manager for very complex deployment and servicing scenarios. The product integrates with all of the aforesaid tools (WSUS, DISM, WADK, MDT) to automate
1287-516: A color printout of a person's picture taken with an IR camera. In 2021, researchers were again able to bypass the Windows Hello functionalities by using custom hardware disguised as a camera, which presented an IR photo of the owner's face. In addition to biometric authentication, Windows Hello supports authentication with a PIN . By default, Windows requires a PIN to consist of four digits, but can be configured to permit more complex PINs. However,
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#17330931071151404-462: A computer's CPU capacity for extended periods of time (between ten minutes to two hours), making affected computers unusable. According to Woody Leonhart of InfoWorld , early reports of this issue could be seen in Microsoft TechNet forums in late May 2013, although Microsoft first received large number of complaints about this issue in September 2013. The cause was an exponential algorithm in
1521-867: A decade, the primary client component of the service was the Windows Update web app that could only be run on Internet Explorer . Starting with Windows Vista , the primary client component became Windows Update Agent, an integral component of the operating system. The service provides several kinds of updates. Security updates or critical updates mitigate vulnerabilities and security exploits in Microsoft Windows. Cumulative updates are updates that bundle multiple updates, both new and previously released updates. Cumulative updates were introduced with Windows 10 and only some been backported to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 . Windows 11 24H2 also introduced checkpoint cumulative updates and updates with Hotpatch capable in
1638-624: A departure from what had been dubbed "Windows as a service". On July 20, 2015, Microsoft began "Upgrade Your World", an advertising campaign centering on Windows 10, with the premiere of television commercials in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The commercials focused on the tagline "A more human way to do", emphasizing new features and technologies supported by Windows 10 that sought to provide
1755-477: A designated family, and monitor and restrict the actions of users designated as children, such as access to websites, enforcing age ratings on Microsoft Store purchases, and other restrictions. The service can also send weekly e-mail reports to parents detailing a child's computer usage. Unlike previous versions of Windows, child accounts in a family must be associated with a Microsoft account—which allows these settings to apply across all Windows 10 devices that
1872-402: A free method of upgrading from the now-unsupported Windows 7. This free upgrade method was officially closed by Microsoft on September 20, 2023. However, as of 2024, there are some reports that it still works, under certain conditions. During upgrades, Windows 10 licenses are not tied directly to a product key. Instead, the license status of the system's current installation of Windows
1989-579: A handful of command line tools to install windows updates. A very common tool which already works under Windows 7 and has no external dependencies is for example: wuinstall.exe. It can push windows updates to a computer (wuinstall.exe /install). Office Update is a free online service that allows users to detect and install updates for certain Microsoft Office products. The original update service supported Office 2000 , Office XP , Office 2003 and Office 2007 . On 1 August 2009 Microsoft decommissioned
2106-457: A longer turnover between the release to manufacturing (RTM) and general release to allow for testing by vendors (and in some cases, the development of "upgrade kits" to prepare systems for installation of the new version), an HP executive explained that because it knew Microsoft targeted the operating system for a 2015 release, the company was able to optimize its then-current and upcoming products for Windows 10 in advance of its release, negating
2223-458: A loophole to fraudulently obtain a free Windows 10 upgrade. Microsoft said that the offer is not intended to be used in this manner. In November 2017, Microsoft announced that this program would end on December 31, 2017. However, another method was found that allowed Windows 7 and 8/8.1 users to upgrade to Windows 10 using existing licenses, even though the free upgrade offers officially ended in 2017. Some outlets have continued to promote it as
2340-541: A media event as Windows 10. Myerson said that Windows 10 would be Microsoft's "most comprehensive platform ever", providing a single, unified platform for desktop and laptop computers, tablets , smartphones, and all-in-one devices. He emphasized that Windows 10 would take steps towards restoring user interface mechanics from Windows 7 to improve the experience for users on non-touch devices, noting criticism of Windows 8's touch-oriented interface by keyboard and mouse users. Despite these concessions, Myerson noted that
2457-435: A more "personal" experience to users. The campaign culminated with launch events in thirteen cities on July 29, 2015, which celebrated "the unprecedented role our biggest fans played in the development of Windows 10". On July 29, 2015, Microsoft officially announced that Windows 10 would be released for retail purchase as a free upgrade from earlier versions of Windows. In comparison to previous Windows releases, which had
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#17330931071152574-437: A new standards -compliant rendering engine derived from Trident , and also includes annotation tools and integration with other Microsoft platforms present within Windows 10. Internet Explorer 11 is maintained on Windows 10 for compatibility purposes, but is deprecated in favor of Edge and, since mid-June 2022, is no longer supported on editions which follow Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle Policy. The initial version of Edge
2691-409: A non-genuine version were possible, they result in a non-genuine copy of 10. On the general availability build of Windows 10 (the original release ), to activate and generate the "digital entitlement" for Windows 10, the operating system must have first been installed as an in-place upgrade. During the free upgrade, a genuineticket.xml file is created in the background and
2808-431: A parent account to locate their child's Windows 10 phone. Windows 10 Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft 's Windows NT operating system. The successor to Windows 8.1 , it was released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and later to retail on July 29, 2015. Windows 10 was made available for download via MSDN and TechNet , as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users via
2925-555: A particular child is using. Windows 10 also offers the Wi-Fi Sense feature originating from Windows Phone 8.1; users can optionally have their device automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, and share their home network's password with contacts (either via Skype , People , or Facebook ) so they may automatically connect to the network on a Windows 10 device without needing to manually enter its password. Credentials are stored in an encrypted form on Microsoft servers and sent to
3042-470: A phased rollout process. The operating system could alternatively be downloaded at any time using a separate "Media Creation Tool" setup program, that allows for the creation of DVD or USB installation media. In May 2016, Microsoft announced that the free upgrade offer would be extended to users of assistive technologies ; however, Microsoft did not implement any means of certifying eligibility for this offer, which some outlets thereby promoted as being
3159-524: A similar brand, such as OneDrive , OneNote , and the Xbox One ) because Windows 1.0 already existed. At a San Francisco conference in October 2014, Tony Prophet, Microsoft's Vice President of Windows Marketing, said that Windows 9 "came and went", and that Windows 10 would not be "an incremental step from Windows 8.1", but "a material step. We're trying to create one platform, one eco-system that unites as many of
3276-492: A single button. Previous versions featured Microsoft's intelligent personal assistant Cortana, which was first introduced with Windows Phone 8.1 in 2014, and supports both text and voice input. Many of its features are a direct carryover from Windows Phone, including integration with Bing , setting reminders, a Notebook feature for managing personal information, as well as searching for files, playing music, launching applications and setting reminders or sending emails. Since
3393-514: A slow or unreliable network connection, or the same updates may be needed for more than one machine. AutoPatcher , WSUS Offline Update, PortableUpdate, and Windows Updates Downloader are examples of such tools. Third-party services exist for obtaining updates from Windows Update for older Windows versions. These include Legacy Update, which is a community-driven third party replacement for the Windows Update servers for unsupported versions of Windows from Windows 2000 onward. Windows Update Restored
3510-618: A small group of test computers before deploying them to all systems, in order to ensure that business continuity is not disrupted because of the changes of the updates. For very large organizations, multiple WSUS servers can be chained together hierarchically. Only one server in this hierarchy downloads from the Internet. Update packages distributed via the Windows Update service can be individually downloaded from Microsoft Update Catalog . These updates can be installed on computers without internet access (e.g. via USB flash drive) or slipstreamed with
3627-454: A third-party web browser that supports the ActiveX technology. The earliest version of the web app, version 3, does not send any personally-identifiable information to Microsoft. Instead, the app downloads a full list of every available update and chooses which one to download and install. But the list grew so large that the performance impact of processing became a concern. Arie Slob, writing for
Microsoft family features - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-408: A timely manner. An analysis done by security researcher H. D. Moore in early 1999 was critical of this approach, describing it as "horribly inefficient" and susceptible to attacks. In a posting to BugTraq , he explained that, "every single Windows 98 computer that wishes to get an update has to rely on a single host for the security. If that one server got compromised one day, or an attacker cracks
3861-418: A user interface optimized for mouse and keyboard, and a "Tablet mode" designed for touchscreens. Users can toggle between these two modes at any time, and Windows can prompt or automatically switch when certain events occur, such as disabling Tablet mode on a tablet if a keyboard or mouse is plugged in, or when a 2-in-1 PC is switched to its laptop state. In Tablet mode, programs default to a maximized view, and
3978-612: A window and desktop management feature called Task View , support for fingerprint and face recognition login, new security features for enterprise environments, and DirectX 12 . The Windows Runtime app ecosystem was revised into the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). These universal apps are made to run across multiple platforms and device classes, including smartphones, tablets, Xbox One consoles, and other devices compatible with Windows 10. Windows apps share code across platforms, have responsive designs that adapt to
4095-438: A window is snapped to one side of the screen, Task View appears and the user is prompted to choose a second window to fill the unused side of the screen (called "Snap Assist"). The Windows system icons were also changed. Charms have been removed; their functionality in universal apps is accessed from an App commands menu on their title bar. In its place is Action Center, which displays notifications and settings toggles. It
4212-562: Is a Microsoft service for the Windows 9x and Windows NT families of the Microsoft Windows operating system, which automates downloading and installing Microsoft Windows software updates over the Internet . The service delivers software updates for Windows, as well as the various Microsoft antivirus products , including Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials . Since its inception, Microsoft has introduced two extensions of
4329-410: Is a background process that checks the Windows Update web site on a regular schedule for new updates that have been marked as "Critical". It was released shortly after Windows 98. By default, this check occurs every five minutes, plus when Internet Explorer starts; however, the user could configure the next check to occur only at certain times of the day or on certain days of the week. The tool queries
4446-485: Is a term for a set of features in the Pro, Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 10 , intended to ease the administration of Windows across organizations. It enables IT pros to: These features were added in Windows 10 version 1511. They are intended for large organizations with many computers, so they can logically group their computers for gradual deployment. Microsoft recommends a small set of pilot computers to receive
4563-470: Is accessed by clicking an icon in the notification area, or dragging from the right of the screen. Notifications can be synced between multiple devices. The Settings app (formerly PC Settings) was refreshed and now includes more options that were previously exclusive to the desktop Control Panel . Windows 10 is designed to adapt its user interface based on the type of device being used and available input methods. It offers two separate user interface modes:
4680-778: Is also available using a keyboard shortcut , allowing users to save the last 30 seconds of gameplay as a video that can be shared to Xbox Live, OneDrive, or elsewhere. Windows 10 also allows users to control and play games from an Xbox One console over a local network. The Xbox Live SDK allows application developers to incorporate Xbox Live functionality into their apps, and future wireless Xbox One accessories, such as controllers, are supported on Windows with an adapter. Microsoft also intends to allow cross-purchases and save synchronization between Xbox One and Windows 10 versions of games; Microsoft Studios games such as ReCore and Quantum Break are intended as being exclusive to Windows 10 and Xbox One. Windows Update Windows Update
4797-484: Is also the most-used traditional PC operating system. Windows 10 was succeeded by Windows 11 , which was released on October 5, 2021. Windows 10 is the last version of Microsoft Windows that supports 32-bit processors ( IA-32 and ARMv7-based ). Furthermore, it's the last non- IoT edition to officially support BIOS firmware . It's also the last to officially support systems with TPM 1.2 or without any TPM at all. Support for Windows 10 editions which are not in
Microsoft family features - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-626: Is another community-driven third-party replacement for Windows Update on older versions of Windows designed to replicate the functionality of older Windows Update versions, which also includes the old updates for all Windows 9x releases and Windows NT 4.0. At the beginning of 2005, Windows Update was being accessed by about 150 million people, with about 112 million of those using Automatic Updates. As of 2008 , Windows Update had about 500 million clients, processed about 350 million unique scans per day, and maintained an average of 1.5 million simultaneous connections to client machines. On Patch Tuesday ,
5031-511: Is in charge of downloading and installing software update from Windows Update, as well as the on-premises servers of Windows Server Updates Services or System Center Configuration Manager . Windows Update Agent can be managed through a Control Panel applet, as well as Group Policy , Microsoft Intune and Windows PowerShell . It can also be set to automatically download and install both important and recommended updates. In prior versions of Windows, such updates were only available through
5148-515: Is ineligible for the upgrade offer; although, if it was not installed with a license carried over from an in-place upgrade to 10 Insider Preview from Windows 7 or 8.1, the Insider Preview does remain activated as long as the user does not exit the Windows Insider program. The offer was promoted and delivered via the "Get Windows 10" application (also known as GWX), which
5265-426: Is migrated, and a "Digital license" (known as "Digital entitlement" in version 1511 or earlier) is generated during the activation process, which is bound to the hardware information collected during the process. If Windows 10 is reinstalled cleanly and there have not been any significant hardware changes since installation (such as a motherboard change), the online activation process will automatically recognize
5382-757: Is not supported; a clean installation is required. In-place upgrades may be rolled back to the device's previous version of Windows, provided that 30 days have not passed since installation, and backup files were not removed using Disk Cleanup . Windows 10 was available in 190 countries and 111 languages upon its launch, and as part of efforts to "re-engage" with users in China, Microsoft also announced that it would partner with Qihoo and Tencent to help promote and distribute Windows 10 in China, and that Chinese PC maker Lenovo would provide assistance at its service centers and retail outlets for helping users upgrade to Windows 10. At retail, Windows 10
5499-411: Is priced similarly to editions of Windows 8.1, with U.S. prices set at $ 119 and $ 199 for Windows 10 Home and Pro respectively. A Windows 10 Pro Pack license allows upgrades from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro. Retail copies only ship on USB flash drive media; however, system builder copies still ship as DVD-ROM media. New devices shipping with Windows 10 were also released during
5616-495: Is the successor of the Critical Update Notification Utility. It was released in 2000, along with Windows Me . It supports Windows 2000 SP3 as well. Unlike its predecessor, Automatic Updates can download and install updates. Instead of the five-minute schedule used by its predecessor, Automatic Updates checks the Windows Update servers once a day. After Windows Me is installed, a notification balloon prompts
5733-681: The Bash shell and 64-bit command-line programs (WSL 2 also supports 32-bit Linux programs and graphics, assuming supporting software installed, and GPUs support for other uses ). Windows applications cannot be executed from the Linux environment, and vice versa. Linux distributions for Windows Subsystem for Linux are obtained through Microsoft Store. The feature initially supported an Ubuntu -based environment; Microsoft announced in May 2017 that it would add Fedora and OpenSUSE environment options as well. To reduce
5850-662: The Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) is set to end on October 14, 2025. At the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in 2011, Andrew Lees, the chief of Microsoft's mobile technologies, said that the company intended to have a single software ecosystem for PCs , smartphones , tablets , and other devices: "We won't have an ecosystem for PCs, and one for phones, and one for tablets—they'll all come together." In December 2013, technology writer Mary Jo Foley reported that Microsoft
5967-506: The Microsoft Store , and to Windows 7 users via Windows Update . Unlike previous Windows NT releases, Windows 10 receives new builds on an ongoing basis, which are available at no additional cost to users; devices in enterprise environments can alternatively use long-term support milestones that only receive critical updates, such as security patches . In contrast to the tablet -oriented approach of Windows 8, Microsoft provided
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#17330931071156084-441: The desktop-oriented interface in line with previous versions of Windows in Windows 10. Other features added include Xbox Live integration, Cortana virtual assistant, virtual desktops and the improved Settings component. Windows 10 also replaced Internet Explorer with Microsoft Edge . As with previous versions, Windows 10 has been developed primarily for x86 processors; in 2018, a version of Windows 10 for ARM processors
6201-426: The " Universal Windows Platform " concept were revealed and discussed during Microsoft's Build developers' conference. Among them were the unveiling of "Islandwood", which provides a middleware toolchain for compiling Objective-C -based software (particularly iOS ) to run as universal apps on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. A port of Candy Crush Saga made using the toolkit, which shared much of its code with
6318-410: The "Fast ring" first), it no longer carried pre-release branding and desktop watermark text, and its build number had mathematical connections to the number 10 in reference to the operating system's naming. The Enterprise edition was released to volume licensing on August 1, 2015. Windows 10 is distributed digitally through the "Media Creation Tool", which is functionally identical to
6435-610: The Microsoft Store. Desktop software distributed through Windows Store is packaged using the App-V system to allow sandboxing . A new iteration of the Start menu is used on the Windows 10 desktop, with a list of places and other options on the left side, and tiles representing applications on the right. The menu can be resized, and expanded into a full-screen display, which is the default option in Tablet mode. A new virtual desktop system
6552-461: The Microsoft server for a file called " cucif.cab ", which contained a list of all the critical updates released for the operating system. The tool then compares this list with the list of installed updates on its machine and displays an update availability notification. Once the check is executed, any custom schedule defined by the user is reverted to the default. Microsoft stated that this ensures that users received notification of critical updates in
6669-619: The November 2015 update: Messaging, Skype Video, and Phone. These offer built-in alternatives to the Skype download and sync with Windows 10 Mobile. Windows 10 provides greater integration with the Xbox ecosystem. Xbox SmartGlass is succeeded by the Xbox Console Companion (formerly the Xbox app), which allows users to browse their game library (including both PC and Xbox console games), and Game DVR
6786-407: The November 2019 update, Microsoft has begun to downplay Cortana as part of a repositioning of the product towards enterprise use, with the May 2020 update removing its Windows shell integration and consumer-oriented features. Microsoft Family Safety is replaced by Microsoft Family, a parental controls system that applies across Windows platforms and Microsoft online services. Users can create
6903-538: The November Update ( version 1511 ) included additional activation mechanisms. This build treated Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 product keys as Windows 10 product keys, meaning they could be entered during installation to activate the free license, without the need to upgrade first to "activate" the hardware with Microsoft's activation servers. For major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10 OEM product keys are embedded in
7020-566: The Refresh and Reset functions use runtime system files instead, making a separate recovery partition redundant, allowing patches and updates to remain installed following the operation, and further reducing the amount of space required for Windows 10 by up to 12 GB. These functions replace the WIMBoot mode introduced on Windows 8.1 Update, which allowed OEMs to configure low-capacity devices with flash-based storage to use Windows system files out of
7137-422: The Windows 8 online installer, and can also be used to generate an ISO image or USB install media. In-place upgrades are supported from most editions of Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 and Windows 8.1 with Update 1 , while users with Windows 8 must first upgrade to Windows 8.1. Changing between architectures (e.g., upgrading from 32-bit edition to a 64-bit editions) via in-place upgrades
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#17330931071157254-636: The Windows Hello platform. Devices with supported cameras (requiring infrared illumination, such as Intel RealSense ) allow users to log in with iris or face recognition , similarly to Kinect . Devices with supported readers allow users to log in through fingerprint recognition . Support was also added for palm-vein scanning through a partnership with Fujitsu in February 2018. Credentials are stored locally and protected using asymmetric encryption . In 2017, researchers demonstrated that Windows Hello could be bypassed on fully-updated Windows 10 version 1703 with
7371-638: The Windows Update service was also affected, however Microsoft has provided SHA-2 patches that allowed Windows 7 and Server 2008 to continue receiving updates. At the February 2005 RSA Conference , Microsoft announced the first beta of Microsoft Update , an optional replacement for Windows Update that provides security patches, service packs and other updates for both Windows and other Microsoft software. The initial release in June 2005 provided support for Microsoft Office 2003 , Exchange 2003 , and SQL Server 2000 , running on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003. Over time,
7488-484: The Windows Update web site. Additionally, Windows Update in Windows Vista supports downloading Windows Ultimate Extras , optional software for Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. Unlike Automatic Updates in Windows XP, Windows Update Agent in Windows Vista and Windows 7 allows the user to postpone the mandatory restart (required for the update process to complete) for up to four hours. The revised dialog box that prompts for
7605-634: The Windows-help.net newsletter in March 2003, noted that the size of the update list had exceeded 400 KB , which caused delays of more than a minute for dial-up users. Windows Update v4, released in 2001 in conjunction with Windows XP , changed this. This version of the app makes an inventory of the system's hardware and Microsoft software and sends them to the service, thus offloading the processing burden to Microsoft servers . Critical Update Notification Utility (initially Critical Update Notification Tool )
7722-419: The [Microsoft] DNS server again, there could be millions of users installing trojans every hour. The scope of this attack is big enough to attract crackers who actually know what they are doing..." Microsoft continued to promote the tool through 1999 and the first half of 2000. Initial releases of Windows 2000 shipped with the tool. The tool did not support Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. Automatic Updates
7839-463: The ability to find a child's Windows 10 Mobile device on a map. Microsoft has offered family safety features since March 2006 when a preview of Windows Live OneCare Family Safety was first offered to 3000 beta testers. After over a year and a half of testing, the final version was released on November 6, 2007. On December 15, 2008, Microsoft released an updated version 2009 of the software, and rebranded it as Windows Live Family Safety, removing it from
7956-399: The automatic encryption of sensitive data, selectively block applications from accessing encrypted data, and enable Device Guard —a system which allows administrators to enforce a high-security environment by blocking the execution of software that is not digitally signed by a trusted vendor or Microsoft. Device Guard is designed to protect against zero-day exploits , and runs inside
8073-449: The compressed WIM image typically used for installation and recovery. Windows 10 also includes a function in its Settings app that allows users to view a breakdown of how their device's storage capacity is being used by different types of files, and determine whether certain types of files are saved to internal storage or an SD card by default. Windows 10 introduces Microsoft Edge , a new default web browser . It initially featured
8190-404: The computer has an Internet connection. In Windows 10 and Windows 11 , the use of Windows Update is mandatory, however, the software agreement states that users may stop receiving updates on their device by disconnecting their device from the Internet. There also exist C and D updates, that users enroll in when they click the update button. Windows Update was introduced as a web app with
8307-528: The course of years for a certain product. Starting with Windows 10, however, all patches are delivered in cumulative packages. On 15 August 2016, Microsoft announced that effective October 2016, all future patches to Windows 7 and 8.1 would become cumulative as with Windows 10. The ability to download and install individual updates would be removed as existing updates are transitioned to this model. This has resulted in increasing download sizes of each monthly update. An analysis done by Computerworld determined that
8424-534: The day Microsoft typically releases new software updates, outbound traffic could exceed 500 gigabits per second. Approximately 90% of all clients used automatic updates to initiate software updates, with the remaining 10% using the Windows Update web site. The website is built using ASP.NET , and processes an average of 90,000 page requests per second. Traditionally, the service provided each patch in its own proprietary archive file. Occasionally, Microsoft released service packs which bundled all updates released over
8541-806: The devices from the small embedded Internet of Things, through tablets, through phones, through PCs and, ultimately, into the Xbox." Further details surrounding Windows 10's consumer-oriented features were presented during another media event held on January 21, 2015, titled "Windows 10: The Next Chapter". The keynote featured the unveiling of Cortana integration within the operating system, new Xbox -oriented features, Windows 10 Mobile, an updated Office Mobile suite, Surface Hub —a large-screened Windows 10 device for enterprise collaboration based upon Perceptive Pixel technology, along with HoloLens ‑ augmented reality eyewear and an associated platform for building apps that can render holograms through HoloLens. Additional developer-oriented details surrounding
8658-466: The devices of the selected contacts. Passwords are not viewable by the guest user, and the guest user is not allowed to access other computers or devices on the network. Wi-Fi Sense is not usable on 802.1X -encrypted networks. Adding "_optout" at the end of the SSID will also block the corresponding network from being used for this feature. Universal calling and messaging apps for Windows 10 are built in as of
8775-662: The discontinued Windows Live OneCare family of products. Web Filtering and Activity Reporting were previously features in Windows Vista Parental Controls. They were removed from the Windows 7 release when they were moved to Windows Live . On September 30, 2010, Windows Live Family Safety 2011 (Wave 4) was released as part of Windows Live Essentials 2011 . On May 14, 2012, Microsoft announced that Windows Live Family Safety will be renamed to Microsoft Family Safety and will be built-in as part of its Windows 8 operating system. In August 2015, Microsoft Family Safety
8892-411: The download size for Windows 7 x64 has increased from 119.4MB in October 2016 to 203MB in October 2017. Initially, Microsoft was very vague about specific changes within each cumulative update package. However, since early 2016, Microsoft has begun releasing more detailed information on the specific changes. In 2011, the Windows Update service was decommissioned for Windows 98, 98 SE, Me and NT 4.0 and
9009-477: The evaluation of superseded updates which had grown large over the decade following the release of Windows XP. Microsoft's attempts to fix the issue in October, November and December proved futile, causing the issue to be escalated to the top priority. Starting with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 , Windows Update Agent replaces both the Windows Update web app and the Automatic Updates client. It
9126-462: The firmware of the motherboard and if the correct edition of Windows 10 is present on the installation media, they are automatically inputted during installation. Since the release of the Fall Creators Update ( version 1709 ), Microsoft decided to release multi-edition installation media, to alleviate installation and product activation issues users experienced because of accidentally installing
9243-551: The full ramifications of the dual scan mode. As organizations continued to use more computers, the per-machine Windows Update clients started to become unwieldy and insufficient. In response to the need of organizations for deploying updates to many machines, Microsoft introduced Software Update Services (SUS), which was later renamed Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). A component of the Windows Server family of operating systems, WSUS downloads updates for Microsoft products to
9360-507: The goals for Threshold was to create a unified application platform and development toolkit for Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox One (which all use a similar kernel based on Windows NT ). At the Build Conference in April 2014, Microsoft's Terry Myerson unveiled an updated version of Windows 8.1 (build 9697) that added the ability to run Microsoft Store apps inside desktop windows and
9477-676: The iOS version, was demonstrated, alongside the announcement that the King -developed game would be bundled with Windows 10 at launch. At the 2015 Ignite conference , Microsoft employee Jerry Nixon stated that Windows 10 would be the "last version of Windows", a statement reflecting the company's intent to apply the software as a service business model to Windows, with new versions and updates to be released over an indefinite period. In 2021, however, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would be succeeded on compatible hardware by Windows 11 –and that Windows 10 support will end on October 14, 2025, marking
9594-403: The launch of Windows 98 and offered additional desktop themes , games , device driver updates, and optional components such as NetMeeting . Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 were retroactively given the ability to access the Windows Update website and download updates designed for those operating systems, starting with the release of Internet Explorer 4 . The initial focus of Windows Update
9711-486: The legacy console if needed. The Anniversary Update added Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which allows the installation of a user space environment from a supported Linux distribution that runs natively on Windows. The subsystem translates Linux system calls to those of the Windows NT kernel (only claims full system call compatibility as of WSL 2, included in a later Windows update). The environment can execute
9828-423: The list has expanded to include other Microsoft products, such as Windows Live , Windows Defender , Visual Studio , runtimes and redistributables, Zune Software , Virtual PC and Virtual Server , CAPICOM , Microsoft Lync , Microsoft Expression Studio , and other server products. It also offers Silverlight and Windows Media Player as optional downloads if applicable to the operating system. There are only
9945-482: The login screen notifies them of the restart requirements. Windows Update Agent makes use of the Transactional NTFS feature introduced with Windows Vista to apply updates to Windows system files. This feature helps Windows recover cleanly in the event of an unexpected failure, as file changes are committed atomically . Windows 10 contains major changes to Windows Update Agent operations; it no longer allows
10062-548: The manual, selective installation of updates. All updates, regardless of type (this includes hardware drivers), are downloaded and installed automatically, and users are only given the option to choose whether their system would reboot automatically to install updates when the system is inactive, or be notified to schedule a reboot. Microsoft offers a diagnostic tool that can be used to hide troublesome device drivers and prevent them from being reinstalled, but only after they had been already installed, then uninstalled without rebooting
10179-473: The much-simpler Windows PINs to be resilient to brute-force attacks . When Windows 10 was first introduced, multi-factor authentication was provided by two components: Windows Hello and Passport (not to be confused with the Passport platform of 1998 ). Later, Passport was merged into Windows Hello. The enterprise edition of Windows 10 offers additional security features; administrators can set up policies for
10296-510: The name, where some of the updates no longer require reboot. Microsoft routinely releases updates on the second Tuesday of each month (known as the Patch Tuesday B updates), but can provide them whenever a new update is urgently required to prevent a newly discovered or prevalent exploit, so called out-of-band updates. System administrators can configure Windows Update to install critical updates for Microsoft Windows automatically, so long as
10413-465: The need for multiple restarts and reducing the number of downloads needed. KB00004 may also include other fixes with their own KB-number that were not separately released. A disadvantage of cumulative updates is that downloading and installing updates that fix individual problems is no longer possible. KB stands for knowledge base as in Microsoft Knowledge Base . Windows Update for Business
10530-450: The need for such a milestone. The general availability build of Windows 10, numbered 10240, was first released to Windows Insider channels for pre-launch testing on July 15, 2015, prior to its formal release. Although a Microsoft official said there would be no specific RTM build of Windows 10, 10240 was described as an RTM build by media outlets because it was released to all Windows Insider members at once (rather than to users on
10647-423: The needs of the device and available inputs, can synchronize data between Windows 10 devices (including notifications, credentials, and allowing cross-platform multiplayer for games), and are distributed through the Microsoft Store (rebranded from Windows Store since September 2017). Developers can allow "cross-buys", where purchased licenses for an app apply to all of the user's compatible devices, rather than only
10764-528: The old updates for those systems were removed from its servers. On August 3, 2020, the update service was decommissioned for Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 and Vista due to Microsoft discontinuing SHA-1 updates. As of 2021 , the old updates for 2000 through Vista are still available on the Microsoft Update Catalog . On the same day SHA-1 updates were discontinued for older Windows versions prior to 7 and Server 2008, updating Windows 7 and Server 2008 via
10881-490: The one they purchased on (e.g., a user purchasing an app on PC is also entitled to use the smartphone version at no extra cost). The ARM version of Windows 10 allows running applications for x86 processors through 32-bit software emulation. On Windows 10, the Microsoft Store serves as a unified storefront for apps, video content, and eBooks. Windows 10 also allows web apps and desktop software (using either Win32 or .NET Framework ) to be packaged for distribution on
10998-400: The operating system on its release. Microsoft initially aimed to have Windows 10 installed on over one billion devices within three years of its release; that goal was ultimately reached almost five years after release on March 16, 2020, and it had surpassed Windows 7 as the most popular version of Windows worldwide by January 2018, which remains to be the case in 2024, and with a 46% share
11115-710: The operating system's launch window. Windows RT devices cannot be upgraded to Windows 10. During its first year of availability, upgrade licenses for Windows 10 could be obtained at no charge for devices with a genuine license for an eligible edition of Windows 7 or 8.1. This offer did not apply to Enterprise editions, as customers under an active Software Assurance (SA) contract with upgrade rights are entitled to obtain Windows 10 Enterprise under their existing terms. All users running non-genuine copies of Windows, and those without an existing Windows 7 or 8/8.1 license, were ineligible for this promotion; although upgrades from
11232-452: The process. A number of tools have been created by independent software vendors which provide the ability for Windows updates to be automatically downloaded for, or added to, an online or offline system. One common use for offline updates is to ensure a system is fully patched against security vulnerabilities before being connected to the Internet or another network. A second use is that downloads can be very large, but may be dependent on
11349-428: The restart appears under other windows, instead of on top of them. However, standard user accounts only have 15 minutes to respond to this dialog box. This was changed with Windows 8 : Users have 3 days (72 hours) before the computer reboots automatically after installing automatic updates that require a reboot. Windows 8 also consolidates the restart requests for non-critical updates into just one per month. Additionally,
11466-440: The service: Microsoft Update and Windows Update for Business . The former expands the core service to include other Microsoft products, such as Microsoft Office and Microsoft Expression Studio . The latter is available to business editions of Windows 10 and permits postponing updates or receiving updates only after they have undergone rigorous testing. As the service has evolved over the years, so has its client software. For
11583-465: The storage footprint of the operating system, Windows 10 automatically compresses system files. The system can reduce the storage footprint of Windows by approximately 1.5 GB for 32-bit systems and 2.6 GB for 64-bit systems. The level of compression used is dependent on a performance assessment performed during installations or by OEMs , which tests how much compression can be used without harming operating system performance. Furthermore,
11700-492: The system's digital entitlement if no product key is entered during installations. However, unique product keys are still distributed within retail copies of Windows 10. As with previous non-volume-licensed variants of Windows, significant hardware changes will invalidate the digital entitlement, and require Windows to be re-activated. Windows 10 makes its user experience and functionality more consistent between different classes of device, and addresses many shortcomings of
11817-581: The system's motherboard details are registered with a Microsoft Product Activation server. Once installed, the operating system can be reinstalled on that particular system via normal means without a product key , and the system's license will automatically be detected via online activation – in essence, the Microsoft Product Activation Server will remember the system's motherboard and give it the green light for product re-activation. Because of installation issues with Upgrade Only installs,
11934-738: The system. Windows Update Agent on Windows 10 supports peer-to-peer distribution of updates; by default, systems' bandwidth is used to distribute previously downloaded updates to other users, in combination with Microsoft servers. Users may optionally change Windows Update to only perform peer-to-peer updates within their local area network . Windows 10 also introduced cumulative updates. For example, if Microsoft released updates KB00001 in July, KB00002 in August, and KB00003 in September, Microsoft would release cumulative update KB00004 which packs KB00001, KB00002, and KB00003 together. Installing KB00004 will also install KB00001, KB00002 and KB00003, mitigating
12051-537: The taskbar contains a back button and hides buttons for opened or pinned programs by default; Task View is used instead to switch between programs. The full screen Start menu is used in this mode, similarly to Windows 8, but scrolls vertically instead of horizontally. Windows 10 incorporates multi-factor authentication technology based upon standards developed by the FIDO Alliance . The operating system includes improved support for biometric authentication through
12168-425: The touch-optimized interface would evolve as well on Windows 10. In regards to Microsoft naming the new operating system Windows 10 instead of Windows 9, Terry Myerson said that "based on the product that's coming, and just how different our approach will be overall, it wouldn't be right to call it Windows 9." He also joked that they could not call it "Windows One" (referring to several recent Microsoft products with
12285-459: The updates almost immediately, while the set of most critical computers to receive them after every other group has done so, and has experienced their effects. Other Microsoft update management solutions, such as Windows Server Update Services or System Center Configuration Manager , do not override Windows Update for Business. Rather, they force Windows 10 into the "dual scan mode". This can cause confusion for administrators who do not comprehend
12402-589: The user interface introduced in Windows 8 . Windows 10 Mobile , the successor to Windows Phone 8.1 , shared some user interface elements and apps with its PC counterpart. Windows 10 supports universal apps , an expansion of the Metro-style first introduced in Windows 8. Universal apps can be designed to run across multiple Microsoft product families with nearly identical code—including PCs , tablets , smartphones , embedded systems , Xbox One , Surface Hub and Mixed Reality . The Windows user interface
12519-515: The user to configure the Automatic Updates client. The user can choose from three notification schemes: Being notified before downloading the update, being notified before installing the update, or both. If new updates are ready to be installed, the user may install them before turning off the computer. A shield icon will be displayed on the Shutdown button during this time. Windows XP and Windows 2000 SP3 include Background Intelligent Transfer Service ,
12636-523: The user while working on their computer. Every time an update requiring a reboot was installed, Automatic Updates would prompt the user with a dialog box that allowed the user to restart immediately or dismiss the dialog box, which would reappear in ten minutes; a behavior that Jeff Atwood described as "perhaps the naggiest dialog box ever." In 2013, it was observed that shortly after the startup process , Automatic Updates ( wuauclt.exe ) and Service Host ( svchost.exe ) in Windows XP would claim 100% of
12753-407: The wrong edition of Windows 10. The Windows Insider Preview version of Windows 10 automatically updated itself to the generally released version as part of the version progression and continues to be updated to new beta builds, as it had throughout the testing process. Microsoft explicitly stated that Windows Insider was not a valid upgrade path for those running a version of Windows that
12870-401: Was added by a feature known as Task View, which displays all open windows and allows users to switch between them, or switch between multiple workspaces. Universal apps, which previously could be used only in full screen mode, can now be used in self-contained windows similarly to other programs. Program windows can now be snapped to quadrants of the screen by dragging them to the corner. When
12987-622: Was automatically installed via Windows Update ahead of Windows 10's release, and activated on systems deemed eligible for the upgrade offer. Via a notification area icon, users could access an application that advertised Windows 10 and the free upgrade offer, check device compatibility, and "reserve" an automatic download of the operating system upon its release. On July 28, a pre-download process began in which Windows 10 installation files were downloaded to some computers that had reserved it. Microsoft said that those who reserved Windows 10 would be able to install it through GWX in
13104-590: Was free add-ons and new technologies for Windows. Security fixes for Outlook Express , Internet Explorer and other programs appeared later, as did access to beta versions of upcoming Microsoft software, e.g. Internet Explorer 5 . Fixes to Windows 98 to resolve the Year 2000 problem were distributed using Windows Update in December 1998. Microsoft attributed the sales success of Windows 98 in part to Windows Update. The Windows Update web app requires either Internet Explorer or
13221-554: Was later succeeded by a new iteration derived from the Chromium Project and Blink layout engine , which replaced the previous EdgeHTML -based version of Edge (renamed "Microsoft Edge Legacy"), and is bundled with the OS by default from build 20H2 onwards. Windows 10 incorporates a universal search box located alongside the Start and Task View buttons, which can be hidden or condensed into
13338-420: Was released. Windows 10 received generally positive reviews upon its original release, with praise given to the return of the desktop interface, improved bundled software compared to Windows 8.1, and other capabilities. However, media outlets had been critical to behavioral changes of the system like mandatory update installation, privacy concerns over data collection and adware -like tactics used to promote
13455-510: Was renamed Microsoft Family Features and the family features offering was expanded beyond that of just family safety to include Windows Store funding. On December 16, 2015, Microsoft added new features to Windows 10 which included screen time extensions and the ability to manage settings for both Windows 10 PC and Mobile in one place. In addition, Microsoft added a unified management center for recent activity, browsing history, app and game purchasing and downloading history and made it possible for
13572-475: Was revised to handle transitions between a mouse -oriented interface and a touchscreen -optimized interface based on available input devices —particularly on 2-in-1 PCs . Both interfaces include an updated Start menu which incorporates elements of Windows 7 's traditional Start menu with the tiles of Windows 8. Windows 10 also introduced the Microsoft Edge web browser , a virtual desktop system,
13689-401: Was working on an update to Windows 8 codenamed "Threshold", after a planet in its Halo franchise. Similarly to "Blue" (which became Windows 8.1 ), Foley described Threshold, not as a single operating system, but as a "wave of operating systems" across multiple Microsoft platforms and services, quoting Microsoft sources, scheduled for the second quarter of 2015. She also stated that one of
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