Free tool fixes Windows 10 ESU registration issues and restores Microsoft security updates
Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10 last month, leaving most systems without regular updates. For users in the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland, the software giant offers free Windows 10 ESU (Extended Security Updates) patches to keep PCs protected. Unfortunately, for many who qualify, the ESU registration option doesn’t appear in Windows Update.
The missing registration prompt issue is typically the result of incomplete system updates, disabled Windows services, or files required for the registration process going AWOL. If your Windows 10 installation isn't fully up to date or certain services aren't running, the ESU registration won't automatically appear.
Microsoft makes its first references to Windows 11 26H1
It may not have been long since Microsoft finally released the Windows 11 25H2 update, but the company is already working away on the next big release. We know little about it, but Microsoft has – perhaps accidentally – released code that makes reference to Windows 11 26H1.
This is the first time that Microsoft has referred to this particular branch of Windows 11 development, lending some credibility to the rumors that this was the next feature update for the operating system. So, what do we know?
Microsoft says irritating update and shutdown bug has been wiped from Windows 11
Like many people, you’ve probably put off installing Windows 11 updates because you need to get on with something else. And if at the end of the day you have selected the “Update and Shut Down” option in the Start menu, you may well have questioned yourself when Windows chose to restart instead.
But this was not you; it was Microsoft’s fault. The company has just admitted to the long-standing issue while quietly fixing the bug that has irritated users for a surprisingly long time.
Microsoft makes shared audio Bluetooth feature available to more Windows 11 users
After a period of testing with a limited number of users, Microsoft is finally making a key component of Bluetooth LE Audio available to more people. What does this mean? That you can send audio from your Windows 11 computer to two audio devices at the same time.
This can be used to transmit music or other audio to two sets of speakers, or it could be used to allow to people to listen to the same thing on individual pairs of earphones. While the rollout of this feature remains a little limited in availability, it marks an important step towards general release.
Microsoft is changing the naming schema for Windows 11 updates
If you have ever been confused by updates for Windows 11, you are not alone. Microsoft is aware that the mish mash of unclear and inconsistent names used for different types of updates has left many people confused – so it is doing something about it.
The company has announced a change to the way in which it labels updates, making them simpler, more consistent, and easier to understand. Here is how things are changing.
Microsoft trials new Copy & Search feature in latest Windows 11 builds
In the most recent Windows Insider builds of Windows 11, Microsoft is testing a new feature that will make it quicker and easier to perform search based on text copied from other documents. The new Copy & Search feature is currently available in the new Dev and Beta channels, and it could be a real time-saver.
While it may not seem like much, Copy & Search reduced a three-step process to a two-step process. In the big scheme of things, it is not much, but it is something that feel significantly faster, even if the difference is quite small in reality. But this is not just a change that is about speed.
Microsoft celebrates 11 years of the Windows Insider Program with new wallpapers
Microsoft is a big fan of marking milestones and anniversaries by releasing wallpaper. Now the company is doing just that to celebrate the eleventh anniversary of the Windows Insider Program.
The program was designed with a dual purpose. Firstly it gives Microsoft a way to mass test changes to its operating system, and secondly it gives eager users the chance to test out and shape the future orf Windows.
Microsoft says Windows update may have caused login problems
Microsoft has made another admission that its updates for Windows may have caused problems for some people. The company says that updates released for Windows 11, version 24H2, Windows 11, version 25H2, and Windows Server 2025 in August and September could have resulted in login issues for some.
There are two offending update – namely the August 29, 2025—KB5064081 (OS Build 26100.5074) Preview and September 9, 2025—KB5065426 (OS Build 26100.6584) – which Microsoft says could lead to Kerberos and New Technology LAN Manager (NTLM) authentication failures.
Microsoft releases emergency update for Windows 11 after breaking the Windows Recovery Environment
Microsoft has released an out-of-band update for Windows 11 to address a problem caused b y the October security updates published for the operating system earlier this month.
Users who installed the KB5066835 update found that they were not able to use their USB mouse or keyboard within the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This made it impossible for some to navigate the recovery options, forcing Microsoft to investigate what was going on.
Microsoft is making every PC an AI PC with new Hey Copilot voice command
In what feels like something of a case of history repeating itself – Cortana, anyone? – Microsoft is furnishing Windows users with voice activated access to the operating system’s digital assistant.
While being able to call up the AI powers of Copilot by uttering Hey Copilot to your computer may not seem revolutionary, Microsoft has a different idea. The company says that it sees a “shift to conversational input [being] as transformative as the mouse and keyboard in terms of unlocking new capabilities on the PC for the broadest set of people.
Windows 10 support has ended, but Zorin OS 18 is here as the ultimate alternative to Windows 11
Want to know a secret? If you don’t like Windows 11, you don’t actually have to use it. With Windows 10 support officially ending today, millions of PCs are being left behind. For users who want to keep their existing desktop or laptop, Linux offers another way forward, and Zorin OS 18 arrives just in time as one of the best Windows replacements available.
Zorin OS 18 is one of the most user-friendly Linux distributions around and introduces a new design, updated features, and improved compatibility with more of the tools people rely on every day.
RIP Windows 10 -- Winux 'W10EOL' is the Windows 11 clone that runs on Linux and makes your old PC feel new again
Windows 10 meets its end of life tomorrow, and from then anyone still using the hugely popular OS will have to accept that -- unless they pay Microsoft for extended support -- they will no longer receive security updates, putting their computers and data at risk.
Microsoft would like Windows 10 users to switch to Windows 11, but for many older laptops and desktops, Windows 11 is simply not an option. This is where Winux comes in. Winux 11.25.10 “W10EOL” is the latest version of the Windows-style Linux distribution that offers a familiar environment and runs much faster on aging machines.
Apple, predictably, thinks Windows 10 users should move to macOS – here’s why
The day on which Windows 10 is no longer supported is finally upon us, and there is no shortage of advice about what the best course of action is. Microsoft wants Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11, Windows 10 users want Microsoft to provide updates for longer.
Fans of Linux are using the death of Windows 10 to push for more people to adopt their favorite distros, but we’ve not heard a great deal from Apple. When asked, though, the company is happy to suggest that Windows 10 users being abandoned by Microsoft should consider switching allegiances and embracing macOS. And Apple has reasons.
Oops! Microsoft confirms Windows 11 media creation tool is broken for Windows 10 users
Tomorrow, October 14, is the day on which Microsoft ends mainstream support for Windows 10. As such, there is a lot of interest – perhaps not quite as much as Microsoft might like – in switching to Windows 11 and potentially using the Windows 11 media creation tool.
So, the news from the company that the “Windows 11 media creation tool might not work as expected on Windows 10” could not really have come at a worse time. Microsoft has some advice and help for anyone affected by the malfunction, however.
Oreon 10 gets a timely update as Windows 10 reaches its end of life -- download the alternative operating system now!
Windows 10 reaches its end of life in a couple of days, on October 14, 2025. Users who haven’t yet upgraded to Windows 11, perhaps due to compatibility issues with older hardware or a general dislike of Microsoft’s new OS, now face a choice between running an unsupported system without ongoing security updates or moving to a new operating system.
Alternatives include Linux distributions like the recently updated Ubuntu and Linux Mint, both of which are popular choices and for good reason. We’re big fans of Oreon 10, a Linux distribution designed for Windows users, and it has just rolled out a new feature update, Build 2510, in time for Windows 10’s end of life.
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