Microsoft hits go on Windows 11 24H2

Microsoft has made Windows 11 24H2 generally available, dishing out several new features – some that are even useful and interesting – as well as a generous dollop of known issues.

This week’s release – already available on Copilot+ PCs, although there are some new additions headed their way too – is targeting the rest of the Windows 11 users able to install the latest update.

For consumers, it will be rolled out gradually in waves. Enterprise users will find it in places such as Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Windows Update for Business.

The release can be divided into three parts: functionality aimed at Microsoft’s enterprise heartland; end user and consumer-pleasing features; and weird stuff that will only work on a Copilot+ device.

It includes all the tweaks made to the operating system since 23H2. For IT pros, this consists of a large number of Server Message Block (SMB) protocol changes, Local Security Authority (LSA) protection enablement, and tweaks to the management of local accounts.

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The SMB alterations have been trickling out over the year, and so will not surprise administrators. With Windows 11 24H2 these include firewall rule changes, support for blocking NT Lan Manager (NTLM), running SMB over the QUIC transport protocol rather than TCP, and changes to SMB signing and encryption.

Other updates that are now enabled by default include Personal Data Encryption (PDE) to apply user-authenticated encryption to known Windows folders (such as Documents) and App Control for Business, which is intended to better protect digital property from malicious code (formerly known as Windows Defender Application Control).

And of course there is Rust in the Windows kernel, support for SHA-3, and Sudo for Windows.

While Wi-Fi 7 support will interest end users and administrators alike, adjustments to File Explorer, including dragging files between breadcrumbs and new support for 7-zip and TAR archives, improve the quality of life for users.

Other additions include support for direct pairing and audio streaming for Bluetooth Low Energy Audio (LE Audio) supported assistive hearing devices on compatible PCs, animations in the system tray and taskbar to make it clearer when a network connection is in progress, and quick settings are now more configurable and easier to access.

Live captions on audio and more

Unsurprisingly, it is in generative AI that Microsoft has made the most announcements, almost drowning out the launch of the latest version of its flagship operating system. In a nod to gamers, Copilot+ PCs will get Auto Super Resolution, which purports to make games play better with higher-resolution details. Copilot+ PCs haven’t been received well by gamers amid criticism of poor performance in comparison to traditional rigs.

Other Windows 11 24H2 features already on Copilot+ PCs include Live Captions – translating audio and visual content into English subtitles – and Windows Studio Effects, which deal with lighting and noise cancellation during video calls.

New features for Copilot+ PCs include the ability to search for files with some simple text, and another that resembles Google’s Circle to Search function, with extra knobs on. Called Click to Do, the feature spots images or text on a user’s screen and suggests actions. This might be a visual search using Bing or summarizing text.

Paint, which Microsoft seems unable to leave alone these days, already introduced Cocreator – a feature allowing image generation from text cues – earlier this year. Copilot+ PCs will receive Generative Fill and Generative Erase in Paint, usually associated with tools such as Adobe Photoshop. It’s an odd thing to do – Microsoft Paint has always been a simple pixel tool. The relentless piling of additional AI features feels more like complicating Paint for the sake of forcing generative AI into the product, particularly since free tools, such as GIMP, do far more than the non-AI version of Paint.

Generative fill and erase in Paint – warning: this is a screenshot from pre release build from Microsoft’s post – so it might not look the same when it lands

Despite its relative youth, Microsoft Copilot is refreshed with a slew of new features that don’t require the AI hardware of a Copilot+ PC.

Mustafa Suleyman, executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft AI, described Copilot as “an AI companion for everyone” in an open letter. “With your permission,” Suleyman said, “Copilot will ultimately be able to act on your behalf.”

New features rolling out in Copilot include voice interaction, a summary of news and weather in the form of Copilot Daily (which only pulls from “authorized content sources” such as Reuters or the Financial Times), a way of searching with visual cues called Copilot Vision (“a profoundly new way of interacting with a computer,” according to Microsoft), and Think Deeper, which extends response time in the hope of making responses more meaningful.

Some updates carry a distinct scent of “me too” about them. OpenAI’s chatbot has long had voice interaction, for example. Copilot Vision is interesting and will “understand” a web page being viewed by a user and answer questions about it. It is, however, an experimental feature that will only work with “a limited list of popular websites” as Microsoft works on the technology.

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Perhaps mindful of the Windows Recall fiasco, described as a privacy “nightmare” due to it capturing screens for analysis, Microsoft insists that “Copilot Vision sessions are entirely opt-in and ephemeral. None of the content Copilot Vision engages with is stored or used for training — the moment you end your session, data is permanently discarded.” It also won’t work on paywalled or sensitive content.

Microsoft announced the Personalized Discover feature for Copilot too, which will give users a starting point for interaction and be personalized over time based on a user’s conversation history. Dealing with user data has long been a challenge for Microsoft and Copilot, and the company admitted: “We’re still finalizing options for offering personalization to users in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom.”

Not everything will be generally available in Copilot simultaneously. Copilot Vision and Think Deeper are heading to Copilot Labs, where users can try out experimental features.

This being Microsoft, the release of Windows 11 24H2 is accompanied by several issues. Some fingerprint sensors might not work properly (Microsoft hasn’t said which, and has applied a compatibility hold), there are glitches with Intel Smart Sound Technology drivers and wallpaper customization applications, and, as a special treat for gamers, “some devices using Easy Anti-Cheat stop responding and receive a blue screen.”

Barring any unforeseen problems, Windows 11 24H2 is rolling out in a staged fashion. Many of its features will improve user experience, but there is no “make it work like Windows 10” for elements like the Start Menu. It also contains plenty to please administrators.

However, like all updates from Microsoft, caution should be exercised before it is rolled out across an organization. The list of known issues will likely give admins pause for thought, despite Microsoft’s claims that this is “the most compatible Windows operating system ever.” ®