Microsoft recently changed how they release updates. They used to release 2 major annual updates, one in the spring and one in the fall. However, starting last year, they changed their usual schedule and are only releasing 1 major update per year. That does not mean you have to wait for updates, changes, or new functionality. Microsoft decided to be more nimble in their releases of new features with smaller releases called Moments. Minor releases take less time to create, test, release, and troubleshoot. Moment 1 was the release in 2022 that introduced tabs to the Explorer window. Microsoft is currently working on Moment 2, which was supposed to have been released in January, but is now slated for late February or March. Features expected to be a part of Moment 2 include a new version of the Taskbar optimized for tablets, drag-and-drop support for the System Tray, and live search for File Explorer.
While Microsoft has not tipped its hand on what may be included in Moment 3, it was leaked that Moment 3 is expected to be released in May.
Besides these Moments, Microsoft is already well underway in developing its next major update, 23H2. According to leaks, 23H2, slated for September or October, is also called Sun Valley 3 Copper Edition.
While Microsoft is referring to their occasional minor releases as Moments, as we discussed, it appears that 23H2 is also being referred to as Moment 4. It wouldn’t be the first time that Microsoft wasn’t consistent with their naming conventions, causing confusion, but it can also be a matter of someone getting their stories wrong since most of the information people are getting about future releases are through leaks or unofficial channels.
Regardless of what it is called, when it comes to any Microsoft releases, we will keep tabs on what is happening with the releases, and we will test any releases to ensure they don’t cause any issues before we release them to our clients for who we monitor and manage patches and updates.
For those of you that were never on board with Windows 11, and that happens to be a lot of people, Microsoft is working on Windows 12, which is set to be released sometime in 2024. Meanwhile, Windows 10 is still fully supported by Microsoft, and for those who do not wish to upgrade to Windows 11 or those whose computers will not support Windows 11, there is no reason to be concerned. At least not yet.
As things change, we will let you know.