Microsoft known for Office 365 email today revealed that Windows 10 November 2021, also known as version 21H2, will be available to the general public. It will bring new security, administration, and virtualization capabilities. 

Microsoft confirmed that Windows 10 will be supported until October 2025 and that the Windows 10 release cycle will be reduced to only one feature upgrade per year from now on, similar to Windows 11. 

The business has published an online feature comparison between the current version of Windows 10 21H2 and Windows 11. 

The successor to Windows 10, Windows 11, which was released on October 5, was the spark for the switch to Windows 10. Windows 11 will replace the older Windows 10 as the repository of the new, with its own adjusted maintenance plan — one feature upgrade per year with 36 months of support for those using the Enterprise or Education SKUs. 

To begin with, updates to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) VPN APIs in Windows 10 21H2 include the ability to use standard web-based authentication techniques and reuse existing protocols. 

Wi-Fi 6 with Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 Hash-to-Element protocol (WPA3 H2E) is also supported in version 21H2, which provides enhanced security against Wi-Fi side-channel attacks that might steal Wi-Fi passwords and other sensitive information. 

“When connecting to open networks or home networks in a hybrid work circumstance, users will now be able to keep their cheap web hosting traffic encrypted,” Alan Meeus, a product manager for Windows 10, said in a blog post. 

Early in 2022, the cloud storage platform will stop supporting earlier versions of Windows. Some Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 users now have another reason to update to a newer version of the operating system, thanks to Microsoft. In early 2022, the business stated that support for earlier versions of Windows will be phased off of its OneDrive cloud storage platform.

“Beginning January 1, 2022, updates for the OneDrive desktop application on your personal Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 devices will no longer be provided in order to focus resources on new technologies and operating systems, and to provide users with the most up-to-date and secure experience,” Microsoft said in a blog post about the change. “On March 1, 2022, personal OneDrive desktop programs running on these operating systems will no longer sync to the cloud.” 

Microsoft recommends that users of older versions of Windows update to Windows 10 or 11. For many people, however, this is easier said than done, whether because their gear doesn’t satisfy the increased system requirements or because they don’t want to upgrade. However, given the impending end of support for Windows 7 and 8.1—both of which Microsoft expects to cease upgrading on January 10, 2023—those hurdles will have to be surmounted sooner rather than later. 

Users of Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, on the other hand, will have another option. Files may still be uploaded and downloaded using Office 365 OneDrive’s online app, but they won’t immediately sync with the platform’s native apps, according to Microsoft. It also mentions that these changes apply to OneDrive for Consumers. The firm claims that support for the business edition “will be aligned with the Windows support lifecycle,” implying that Windows 7 and 8.1 would be supported until 2023. 

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