Windows 10 21H2 in this Weekly Digest

Weekly Digest: Windows 10 21H2, end of SMB1, tech tips

In case you missed it, Microsoft plans to retire the SMB1 protocol completely, Windows 10 21H2 is fully available, and more tips to get the most out of your PC.

This week on Pureinfotech, Microsoft announced that it plans to disable the no longer secure SMB1 client protocol from Windows 11 Home and remove the binaries in future releases of the OS.

Windows 11 21H2 is expected to introduce new shortcuts to navigate and perform actions in the new Task Manager.

The software giant also quietly announced that it is making the Windows 10 21H2 fully available, which means that the update doesn’t have any critical or unknown issues, and it’s safe to install on versions 2004, 20H2, and version 21H1.

Surface Book 2, Laptop Studio, Duo, and Duo 2 received the April 2022 update to address several vulnerabilities and improve system stability.

Tech tips roundup

This week, you learned a bunch of tips to get the most out of Windows, including the steps to create and use a restore point to undo system changes and how to export and import a backup of the Registry on Windows 11.

You now know the steps to change the time zone if Windows 11 isn’t showing the correct time or you are in a different region, and you have to change the settings manually.

It’s possible to start your computer in Safe Mode to troubleshoot and fix Windows 11 problems, and here are four ways to access this mode. Also, you can use these instructions to disable network adapters on your computer, share a local printer in the network, enable Dynamic Lock to add an extra layer of security to your computer, and delete pending updates when they are causing problems.

Finally, if you want to replace the system hard drive but you don’t want to go through the OS reinstallation process, you can use these instructions to use Clonezilla to clone the Windows 11 installation drive to a new SSD or HDD.

As part of the broader availability of Windows 10 21H2, we looked into the steps to upgrade to this version with a clean installation or doing an in-place upgrade. With these steps, you can also check if version 21H2 is installed on your computer.

Finally, you now know the steps to enable Remote Desktop on Windows 10 using Command Prompt.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He's also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ & Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, and LinkedIn.