Skip to main content

Microsoft will finalize Windows 10 this week, according to multiple reports

With less than a month to go before Windows 10’s official release, Microsoft appears to be closing in on the finish line. WinBeta has spotted a build of the in-development operating system — version 10176 — with the moniker RTM (release to manufacturing), an end-of-development milestone which indicates completion. It’s a status corroborated by sources at both Neowin and The Verge, who say Microsoft expects to finalize Windows 10 sometime this week.

“Completion” is the operant term, but Microsoft plans to continue issuing major Windows updates at a fast and frequent clip. Windows 10, which marks the platform’s transition to “software as a service,” implies not only regular fixes and security updates but feature additions far into the future (vice president of operating systems Terry Myerson has called the “final version of Window”). Microsoft’s already promised extension support for Edge, its new Internet browser, and improvements to its built-in apps for Windows 10.

Recommended Videos

That accelerated pace of development recently manifested ahead of Windows 10’s release. Microsoft pushed three new versions of the operating system (build 10158, 10159, and 10162), each bearing hundreds of improvements and of bug fixes, in rapid succession to Windows Insiders last week.

The newest Windows 10 distribution isn’t without problems, but the company’s focusing solely on rectifying any showstopping issues ahead of the impending July 29 deadline. To that point, leaked release notes of build 10163 show fixes related to networking, security, and enterprise app deployment.

As Microsoft laid out last week, OEMs and retailers will be among the first to receive the finalized version of Windows 10. The public rollout will begin soon after, starting with Windows Insiders, business, and volume license customers. In a blog post, Meyerson wrote the goal is to ensure the update goes smoothly for the vast majority of users. “Each day of the roll-out, we will listen, learn and update the experience,” he said.

This year’s Windows release will effectively be Microsoft’s largest ever. The company’s offering Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 users the chance to upgrade for free within a one-year window, a part of the company’s twofold effort to realign revenue around services rather than software. Microsoft’s hoping to spur adoption of the Windows Store (transactions from which it receives a cut) and drive users towards its cloud-based subscription services like OneNote, OneDrive, and Office 365. Whether Windows 10 will help the company to achieve those goals is unclear, but it’s undoubtedly the company’s largest and most progressive stride yet.

Kyle Wiggers
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
Microsoft is working on something new, but it’s probably not Windows 12
The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

Microsoft appears to be working on a new major update, but if you're hoping for Windows 12, I wouldn't hold my breath. The company has confirmed that it's testing new content via the Insider program in the Dev Channel, and those changes might lead to a patch that's set to be released later this year. However, we're most likely looking at the successor to the current 24H2 build -- namely Windows 11 25H2 -- and not a whole new operating system.

This was first spotted by Windows Central. The publication cites its own sources as it claims that Microsoft is backporting some platform changes to offer better support for Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X2 chip. Those changes will allow devices that house that chip to run Germanium-based Windows 11. Germanium refers to the platform release that the current Windows 11 build is built on, and it looks like the upcoming 25H2 build might also be based on Germanium -- but nothing is fully clear at this point.

Read more
5 OneNote for Windows 10 replacements worth using in 2025
Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating system logos are displayed on laptop screens.

In an update to its support document, Microsoft plans to reduce the performance of its legacy OneNote app in an attempt to encourage users to use the Windows 11 OneNote app. Windows Latest first spotted the support document, which mentions how Microsoft is transferring features from the legacy (OneNote for Windows 10) app to the latest version.

Microsoft has removed the older version of OneNote from the Microsoft Store, but the software giant promised that the legacy app would not be replaced. You will still have complete control over the app, and Microsoft will not force you to switch. However, the Windows 10 end-of-support date is approaching, and as a result, the OneNote syncing will get slower.

Read more
Microsoft warns users Windows 10 support ends soon, these are your options
Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating system logos are displayed on laptop screens.

Many were hoping that Windows 10 might still get another lease on life, but alas -- that doesn't seem to be the case. Microsoft has just started sending out emails to users who are still running Windows 10, and those emails make it quite clear that the end-of-life (EOL) period of the beloved operating system is coming to an end. Microsoft's advice? Upgrade to Windows 11 ASAP.

Windows Latest received an email from Microsoft, titled: "End of support for Windows -- what you need to know." This message was likely sent out to many more users, and may keep popping into people's mailboxes as Microsoft keeps rolling out the alert.

Read more