SQL Server Express users can now move small applications to Azure SQL Database Free Tier with a short workflow that combines SSMS or Visual Studio Code, Azure provisioning, and GitHub Copilot-assisted migration. The option removes Express’s local hardware and maintenance burden, while Microsoft’s preview Azure SQL Developer container provides the same database engine for developers who want to stay local.
Canonical expects Ubuntu running through Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to overtake native Ubuntu desktop installations within the next few months. The prediction reflects faster growth among Ubuntu users on Windows 11, where developers and AI engineers can access Linux tools without replacing Windows or configuring dual boot.
Source : 4sysops
Windows Server 2016 reaches the end of extended support on January 12, 2027. If you cannot retire or upgrade every server by then, Extended Security Updates (ESUs) provide Critical and Important security updates through January 2030, but not new features or non-security fixes. Microsoft now makes the Azure Arc option generally available: it connects on-premises and other cloud servers to Azure so that you can license and enroll them centrally. This is a temporary security measure while you complete an upgrade or migration plan, not a replacement for it.Source : 4sysops
While debugging PowerShell code outside of Visual Studio Code, it’s always difficult to keep drilling down into all the Properties with nested objects inside of them, etc. With DumPS, this is a lot easier. In this blog post, I will show you how it works.
Microsoft is introducing a new security feature called KMS Hardware-Secured to protect Key Management Service (KMS) activation. This feature uses Trusted Platform Module (TPM) attestation to verify the hardware integrity of your activation servers. Starting with Windows Server 2025, you can assess your infrastructure's readiness for this change. In a future Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release, this hardware-based verification will become mandatory. This article explains the technical requirements and how you can prepare your environment.
Windows 11 version 25H2 introduces a new Group Policy setting, Configure maintenance windows for automatic updates, that lets you define precise time windows for downloading, installing, and restarting after updates. The policy ships with version 3.0 of the ADMX administrative templates and is currently available only in Windows 11 Insider Preview builds. It takes priority over several existing update-related policies, but the interaction rules are only partially documented.
Microsoft 365 Backup now lets you recover individual files and folders from SharePoint and OneDrive backups without rolling back an entire site or account. This granular restore feature became generally available in late April 2026. You need the SharePoint Backup Administrator role to use it, and the service charges $0.15 per GB per month for protected data. This article explains how the feature works, its limitations, and how to perform a restore.
Today, we’re announcing a public preview of file‑level archiving in Microsoft 365 Archive. This new capability enables you to archive individual files moving them into a lower-cost, cold-storage tier in SharePoint. This means you can archive outdated and redundant files while keeping the rest of the site active, improving both your Copilot relevancy and your search results in the process.
The Defender deployment tool for Windows now ships as a single .exe with the onboarding package baked in, with configurable expiry dates, a required portal key to activate it, and onboarding event logs visible in the device timeline — replacing the old script/blob approach. The previous tool gave no clear status feedback, leaving admins unable to tell if onboarding was in progress or had failed.Source : 4sysops
Microsoft has started automatically updating Secure Boot certificates on eligible Windows 11 systems with the January 2026 security update. The update replaces certificates that are set to expire in June and October 2026, ensuring devices maintain boot security and continue receiving critical updates. Learn what admins need to know.
In my home network, I run a Graylog Syslog instance in Docker for logging network and Linux events. But you can also log events from PowerShell scripts to Syslog for easy filtering or correlation. In this blog post, I will show you how that works.
When running scripts that connect to remote systems using Invoke-Command, you can use your local variables in the remote session which makes things a lot easier. In this blog post, I will show you how 🙂
We’re thrilled to announce the public preview of the Microsoft Entra PowerShell module, a new high-quality and scenario-focused PowerShell module designed to streamline management and automation for the Microsoft Entra product family. In 2021, we announced that all our future PowerShell investments would be in the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK. Today, we’re launching the next major step on this journey. The Microsoft Entra PowerShell module (Microsoft.Graph.Entra) is a part of our ongoing commitment and increased investment in Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK to improve your experience and empower automation with Microsoft Entra.
Each version of Windows client adds new features and functionality. Occasionally, new versions also remove features and functionality, often because they added a newer option. This article provides details about the features and functionalities that are no longer being developed in Windows client. For more information about features that were removed, see Windows features removed.
For more information about features in Windows 11, see Feature deprecations and removals.
To understand the distinction between deprecation and removal, see Windows client features lifecycle.
The features in this article are no longer being actively developed, and might be removed in a future update. Some features were replaced with other features or functionality and some are now available from other sources.
We’re heading into a new era, where AI is an integral part of the workday. The tools you’re using for work management should be intelligent and help keep you focused and productive. However, even the most innovative solutions for getting work done can slow you down when they don’t work together.
I've been looking at the new Outlook. While it has some improvements, it is missing many features that have existed for years. It reminds me of the Windows 11 Start Menu - pretty and new, but far less functional than the old version.
My list does not consider GUI changes (because they are subjective) and ignores bugs/crashes/slowness of the new Outlook.
Here's what I found so far...
Source : reddit
After installing the most recent Updates on their Domain Controllers, some readers have reported in the comments that they experienced that the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process on their Domain Controllers continually increases memory usage making their Domain Controllers become unresponsive and even automatically restart…
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS, which builds on the now deprecated SSL protocol) allow you to encrypt Microsoft SQL Server network communication, which is essential for your security. In this post, you'll learn how to enable TLS on your SQL Server.
