Enterprise Ssds
The latest Enterprise Ssds coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Microsoft Retires Viva Connections Legacy States, Moves Multi-Home Admin to SharePoint
Microsoft has announced that starting August 2026, management of multiple Viva Connections home sites will move from the Microsoft 365 admin center to the SharePoint admin center. The change retires the legacy draft and enabled states, upgrading existing Connections experiences to full SharePoint Home sites and simplifying administration. Admins should inventory current configurations and update documentation before the rollout.
Viva Engage to Get Custom Branding: Microsoft Set to Unify Look Across Desktop and Mobile in August
Microsoft is set to roll out tenant-wide custom branding for Viva Engage in August 2026, allowing admins to set a custom name, logos, and theme color via a new Brand Center. This change will unify the app’s look across web and mobile, making it feel more integrated with corporate identity. IT teams should prepare assets and watch for rollout communications.
Hands-On: Collabora Office Edits Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Files on Android Without a Cloud Account
MakeUseOf tested Collabora Office on Android and found it reliably edits common Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files locally without a Microsoft account. Though it has minor formatting quirks and can't handle advanced Microsoft-specific features, it offers a compelling free alternative for routine mobile editing.
Teams Chat Purge on Hold: Johns Hopkins Bows to User Pressure, Rethinks Policy
Johns Hopkins University has paused its plan to automatically delete Microsoft Teams chats after user backlash, leaving a published 90-day retention policy in limbo. The reversal highlights the tension between data governance and everyday workflows, offering lessons for IT admins on user empowerment and policy design.
Windows 11 KB5101684: Start Menu Glitches Vanish, Search Gets Smarter, Intune Headaches Cured
Microsoft’s optional July 28 preview update for Windows 11 (KB5101684) delivers fixes for Start menu reliability, smarter search, and File Explorer improvements, along with a critical patch for Intune devices falsely marked noncompliant. The update is available now for manual install and will reach all users in August’s Patch Tuesday release.
Windows 11 preview update adds calendar pause, screen tint, and critical MDM fix
Microsoft's KB5101681 preview for Windows 11 26H1 introduces a date-based update pause, screen tint overlay, Magnifier precision controls, quieter Widgets, and vital enterprise fixes including an MDM compliance correction and Bluetooth improvements.
New Outlook Now Opens Emails from Notifications in 5 Seconds, Down from 10—But Classic Is Still Instant
Microsoft has quietly halved the notification delay in New Outlook from 10 seconds to 5, but Classic remains instant. The fix, spotted in version 1.2026.713.100, is part of a wider effort to close feature and performance gaps before forced migration begins in 2027. Users who need split-second email access should stick with Classic for now, while IT admins should pilot New Outlook to gauge real-world readiness.
Microsoft Purview Admins Can Now Send a DLP Warning Without an Email—Here’s Why That Matters
Microsoft is decoupling policy tips and email notifications in Purview DLP for SharePoint and OneDrive, allowing admins to choose whether users see warnings, receive emails, both, or neither. The change gives organizations more precise compliance communication, reducing alert fatigue and improving incident response. The update is in preview now and reaches general availability in July 2026.
Forgotten SharePoint Sites Reappear with New Microsoft 365 Archive Search
Microsoft 365 Archive now surfaces archived SharePoint and OneDrive content in user searches, letting employees discover old files and request reactivation without knowing the exact site location. The July 2025 launch balances cold storage savings with practical access, though administrators must configure proper governance workflows to handle the surge in restoration requests.
Book a Meeting Room Instantly from the Console: Teams Rooms Pro on Windows Gains Ad-Hoc Reservation
Microsoft is rolling out a new feature for Teams Rooms Pro on Windows that allows users to book an available meeting room for immediate use directly from the console. The ad‑hoc reservation capability, tracked as Roadmap ID 548648, is available worldwide and in government clouds, starting July. This article explains what the feature does, who is affected, and how IT admins can prepare their room estate—from license checks to pilot testing—to avoid calendar chaos.
Your Microsoft Teams Sidebar Just Grew: A Practical Guide to Viva Engage Communities
Microsoft has integrated Viva Engage communities directly into Microsoft Teams, adding a persistent navigation entry alongside chats and channels. Employees can now browse, join, and participate in organization-wide discussions without leaving the Teams client. IT teams and communications leads must establish clear governance, train staff on the differences between communities and project channels, and manage notifications to prevent overload.
New Exchange Online Policy Puts Admins in Charge of Outlook’s Comma Behavior
Microsoft has launched a new Exchange Online policy that allows admins to set a tenant-wide default for whether commas separate recipients in Outlook. The setting, controlled via Set-OrganizationConfig -RecipientDelimiters, applies to Outlook on the web and new Outlook for Windows but can be overridden by users. It’s especially valuable for organizations with comma-heavy naming conventions, and a careful pilot is recommended before broad rollout.
Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows to Get Native Google Meet Joining by July 2026
Microsoft has announced that Teams Rooms on Windows will gain the ability to join Google Meet meetings directly, with Google Meet hardware also able to join Teams, via two-way Direct Guest Join. The feature, tracked under Roadmap ID 562341, is scheduled for general availability in July 2026 across commercial and government clouds. This update eliminates the need for laptops or workarounds in cross-platform meeting rooms, though IT admins must carefully configure mailboxes, networking, and set user expectations due to some feature limitations.