CybserSecurity News

Tag: 25H2

  • The Performance Lockdown: Microsoft Blocks the Registry Hack for Faster Windows 11 SSDs

    Microsoft has definitively shuttered a straightforward avenue for awakening a clandestine feature within Windows 11 that substantially accelerated solid-state drive performance. The subject in question is the native NVMe driver—an architectural component already woven into the operating system’s fabric, yet officially relegated to a dormant state. Historically, astute users possessed the capability to circumvent this embargo via manipulations of the system registry; alas, the most recent iterative test builds have unceremoniously rescinded this privilege.

    These transfigurations were initially observed by the vigilant denizens of the My Digital Life forum. Within the nascent iterations of the Windows 11 Insider program, the antecedent registry keys have entirely ceased their function. It was through these very conduits that aficionados formerly ignited the native nvmedisk.sys driver, an architecture appropriated directly from Windows Server 2025. Upon its awakening, the system deftly bypassed the antiquated SCSI stratum, engaging with the NVMe protocol with absolute directness.

    The resulting disparity in computational prowess proved profoundly palpable. Across a multitude of forensic benchmarks, the velocity of randomized write operations surged by nearly eighty-five percent. Telemetry harvested from server-grade environments illuminated a profound acceleration in input/output operations, seamlessly coupled with a precipitous decline in processor encumbrance. Curiously, this driver presently resides within the architecture of Windows 11, yet languishes in a state of default paralysis.

    The registry-based methodology, however, was not bereft of its own tribulations. Select proprietary utilities engineered for SSD stewardship, prominently encompassing offerings from Samsung and Western Digital, exhibited a profound incompatibility with this nascent driver. Furthermore, the BitLocker cryptographic architecture would occasionally instigate its restorative protocols in the wake of this systemic transfiguration.

    Nevertheless, Microsoft’s endeavor to entirely sever access to this functionality remains unconsummated. The awakening of the native NVMe architecture remains viable through the deployment of ViVeTool, an exogenous instrument specifically designed to unleash the system’s obfuscated potential. This maneuver demands execution imbued with elevated administrative sovereignty, culminating in a systemic reboot. The inherent perils endure unaltered—the specter of compatibility friction and cryptographic disk tribulation looms ever-present.

    The precise epoch when Microsoft shall formally bestow unhindered access to this novel driver within the stable echelons of Windows 11 remains shrouded in ambiguity. Extrapolating from the contemporary architectural shifts, it is unequivocally evident that the corporation persists in its rigorous evaluations whilst systematically asphyxiating all unsanctioned avenues of activation.

  • Windows 11’s 25H2 Update Is Ready for Prime Time

    Microsoft is preparing to release the next major update to Windows 11. Today, the Windows Insider team announced that Windows 11 version 25H2 has entered the Release Preview channel—the final stage before the system becomes available to all users. The first 25H2 builds began appearing in other testing channels roughly two months ago.

    Placing the update in Release Preview is comparable to the old RTM (release to manufacturing) milestone, back when Windows was still distributed on physical media. The build number for this new release begins with 26200, whereas last year’s 24H2 update began with 26100.

    The 25H2 update itself does not introduce sweeping changes; its primary purpose is to extend the system’s support lifecycle, as each annual version receives two years of security updates. According to Microsoft, 24H2 and 25H2 are based on the same development branch, meaning there are no significant architectural differences. Installing the new version may, however, activate features that were already present in 24H2 but disabled by default.

    Among the notable changes are the permanent removal of PowerShell 2.0 and the Windows Management Instrumentation console tool, both long considered obsolete. Administrators will now also have the option to automatically remove certain preinstalled Microsoft Store applications through Group Policy. However, the company has not announced any new features aimed directly at end users—a situation reminiscent of the 23H2 update two years ago.

    For those who prefer a clean installation, Microsoft has promised to release ISO images of Windows 11 25H2 next week. Even if you are not part of the Windows Insider program, these builds will continue to receive regular updates and will eventually merge with the final version that ships to the general public.

    Traditionally, such updates begin rolling out in the autumn, most often in October. They are first deployed to a limited number of systems, and then—barring major issues—become available to all users through Windows Update.

    In parallel, Microsoft has also released new builds in the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels. Here, too, there are no groundbreaking innovations. Changes include the “Click to Do” feature, which can now suggest creating Excel tables from website and document data, new capabilities for Braille users, and an updated Windows sharing dialog that allows searching for apps to send files. In addition, several bugs have been fixed—though, as always, a few new ones have appeared.

  • Windows 11 25H2 Confirmed: New Annual Update Arriving H2 2025, Debunks Windows 12 Rumors

    Rumors of an imminent Windows 12 release have proven premature. Instead, Microsoft has officially confirmed that this year will bring a new version of Windows 11, designated 25H2. The update is already available to members of the Windows Insider Program as a preview build and is scheduled for general release in the second half of 2025.

    According to Microsoft representative Jason Leznek, the forthcoming version of Windows 11 will employ the same update infrastructure as its predecessor, 24H2. This means that the upgrade process will be swift and seamless, resembling the installation of a regular cumulative update—requiring only a few minutes and a system reboot.

    At present, the 25H2 preview build contains no significant new features. In fact, its changelog mirrors that of the 24H2 Beta Channel build. Nevertheless, new functionalities are already under development for 25H2 and will be gradually introduced. Interestingly, these features will first appear in version 24H2 but will remain disabled until their official rollout.

    The final release of 25H2 is expected to coincide with the end of support for Windows 10, which is scheduled for October 14, 2025. Microsoft clearly hopes this update will encourage holdouts to finally make the transition to Windows 11.

    Leznek also confirmed that the 25H2 release will extend the support lifecycle for Windows 11. Education and enterprise editions will receive 35 months of support from the release date, while consumer and professional editions will be supported for 24 months.

    The announcement of a new Windows 11 version this year effectively puts to rest any expectations of Windows 12—at least until 2026. Although speculation about Windows 12 has circulated since 2023, with some sources anticipating a 2024 launch, Microsoft is already grappling with the challenge of persuading users to migrate from Windows 10 to Windows 11. The debut of an entirely new system is evidently not among its immediate priorities.

    Meanwhile, it has emerged that Windows has lost approximately 400 million users over the past three years. A growing number of individuals are shifting to mobile platforms, macOS, and Linux. Furthermore, Microsoft’s claim that Windows 11 is “twice as fast” as Windows 10 has drawn criticism, particularly because the performance tests relied on outdated hardware configurations.