Microsoft accidentally publishes document confirming Windows 11 name

The operating system Microsoft will reveal this week being called anything other than Windows 11 is about as likely as Apple allowing Android to run on iPhones. We've had the rumors, we've had the leaks, we've had legal action confirming the name, and now we've got further confirmation.

In a support document seemingly published to GitHub by accident, Microsoft confirmed the Windows 11 name. This should quash the rumors about the leaked build of the operating system not being genuine, and the belief that Windows 11 could not possibly exist because of Microsoft's previous proclamation that Windows 10 was the "last version of Windows".

See also:

• Microsoft fights back against Windows 11 leak
• When will Windows 11 be released, and will it be free?
• Microsoft releases KB5003690 update to boost game performance and fix blurry text in Windows 10

As Mark Hachman pointed out on PC World just the other day, Microsoft never actually said anything about Windows 10 being the last version of Windows. Rather than being a quote from the company itself, it was in fact something uttered by a developer way back in 2015. While Microsoft did not confirm what the developer said, it also failed to deny that he was speaking the truth -- and so it stuck.

When the time came for Windows 10's successor to be announced, speculation started as to just what it could be called. Would it still be Windows 10? How about Windows 365? Lots of names were bandied around, but it soon became clear that Windows 11 was a near-certainty.

Microsoft's recent takedown notices against sites hosting leaked versions of an unreleased version of its operating system make numerous references to Windows 11, and this has been enough for most of us to conclude beyond all reasonable doubt that this really will be the name. But there are still those with suspicions that Microsoft will surprise us.

To disappoint anyone hoping for a change in naming convention, Microsoft accidentally published a support document to GitHub last week again confirming the Windows 11 title. Although now removed for GitHub, Windows Latest managed to screengrab the documentation for Azure that clearly references Windows 11.

So between the leaks and the confirmations, there may not be very many surprises at Microsoft's event later this week.

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