Skip to main content

More details leak about a modernized, modular Windows 12

Microsoft hasn’t shared public details about the next major version of Windows, but more information is starting to leak out. This next version of Windows, which will presumably be called “Windows 12, is being developed as a more modular and modern operating system.

That report comes from Windows Central, which claims a source indicated that a new project is being worked on under the code name CorePC. This is intended to be the next generation of Windows Core OS, a long-developed concept that has never come to fruition as a finished product.

Microsoft / Microsoft

Microsoft has long worked to create a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) that does not rely on compatibility with legacy features and applications, and can have a light OS that favors updates that are faster to install and have greater security. The brand has attempted such projects with systems including Windows 10X, however, that operating system was canceled in 2021, along with the Surface Neo device it was supposed to run on. Elements of the UI were carried over to Windows 11, but the larger concept seems to have been abandoned.

Recommended Videos

However, Windows Central has now learned that Microsoft is ready to try again with a fresh project, CorePC, which will shift away from trying to develop a product that will ship “on top of Windows Core OS for traditional PCs.” Instead, the company will focus on bringing “native compatibility for legacy Win32 applications on devices.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The CorePC project is expecting to make a version of Windows that is “modular and customizable,” which will allow PCs to host different “editions” of Windows that feature their own tiers of support. That means different capabilities for different form factors and PCs. Microsoft has tried and failed at this many times over the years.

This report comes on the heels of rumors of preliminary specs for the consumer OS, Windows 12, which is code-named “Next Valley.” The system is expected to be compatible with Intel’s 14th Gen Meteor Lake-S desktop, the Pluton coprocessor, TPM 2.0, and at least 8GB of RAM. Details suggest Microsoft has been working on the software since February 2022 and that a final version might roll out to the general public in the second half of 2024.

Surface Neo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Notably, Microsoft also ended the waitlist program for Win32 apps in the Microsoft Store in late May 2022. It allows applications compatibility with the Microsoft Store, in particular those that run on C++, WinForms, WPF, MAUI, React, Rust, Flutter, and Java, — as long as they run on Windows.

CorePC will also reportedly have aspects similar to iPadOS or Android, where the read-only partitions are inaccessible to the user and third-party apps, allowing for greater security, according to the publication.

The new project also represents Microsoft’s effort to refashion Windows in accordance with its new artificial intelligence initiatives. This is a common theme from the brand recently in its introduction to AI. Applications such as Microsoft Teams and Bing Search (in the form of Bing Chat) have similarly been revamped from the ground up. Some of the AI features to be included in CorePC are on-display analysis, starting projects from prompts, identifying images, and AI cut-and-paste.

With a prospective launch date as the next major version of the Windows client of 2024, CorePC has a lot of competitors, including Chromebooks and Windows via Project Latte, Windows Central also claims Microsoft is working on a version of the OS that is “silicon-optimized … in a way similar to that of Apple Silicon.”

Fionna Agomuoh
Fionna Agomuoh is a Computing Writer at Digital Trends. She covers a range of topics in the computing space, including…
Windows Notepad is about to get way more useful
Windows 11 logo on a laptop.

Microsoft is bringing AI capabilities to its simplistic Notepad app, which is known for its plain text functions, such as saving in .txt files.

The new feature, called Rewrite will allow you to generate alternative text to fit your specific needs. You’ll be able to modify the text to be longer, shorter, or to be written in a certain tone or format. The feature will generate three variations for you to select, and you will also have the option to retry if none of the results meet your standards.

Read more
Another annoying bug is spoiling the fun in Windows 11 24H2
The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

The latest big update to Windows 11 has already caused its fair share of headaches. This time the trouble is with File Explorer. A new bug makes it difficult to open the File Explorer app as it makes the menu appear outside the screen, Windows Latest reports.

The latest bug impacts the "See more" menu, making it practically impossible to access when you select the ellipses. Instead, it only shows you a few of the available options. This error usually appears when you use File Explorer in full screen. When you're able to see all the options in the "See more" menu, you'll see options such as:

Read more
Microsoft is forced to halt the Windows 11 24H2 update on some PCs
The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

Microsoft’s recent Windows 11 24H2 update is off to a bumpy start. According to a report by Bleeping Computer, users are facing compatibility issues across various hardware and software configurations, prompting the company to temporarily block the update for some devices.

The affected systems include specific Asus laptop models and configurations involving software like Voicemeeter, Safe Exam Browser, and older versions of Easy Anti-Cheat, commonly used in gaming.

Read more