Windows 11
Windows 11 is Microsoft's current PC operating system, updated yearly with 24 or 36 months of support per version. Copilot+ PCs are Windows 11 devices with an NPU above 40 TOPS that run on-device AI features such as Recall (preview) and Click to Do, and give developers local models through Microsoft Foundry on Windows.1
Also known as Copilot+ PCs, AI PCs, Premium Performance PCs, Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Enterprise
- Intended for
- IT teams planning PC refreshes and Windows updates, Business buyers comparing AI PCs, Windows app developers adding local AI, Security teams setting Windows AI policies
- Runs on
- Windows 11 PCs and Copilot+ PCs from Microsoft (Surface) and other PC makers, Managed through MDM such as Intune or Group Policy, Enterprise and IoT Enterprise LTSC editions, Local AI on Windows 10 and later PCs through Windows ML and Foundry Local
At a glance
- What is it?
- Windows 11 gets one feature update a year, in the second half of the year. Home and Pro editions get 24 months of updates per version, Enterprise and Education 36 months. Version 26H2 became available on 29 September 2026; 26H1, released 10 February 2026, is only for new devices. Copilot+ PCs are Windows 11 hardware whose neural processing unit performs more than 40 trillion operations per second, with chips such as Qualcomm Snapdragon X, AMD Ryzen AI 300 and Intel Core Ultra 200V. Microsoft's shopping page now groups devices as Premium Performance PCs and uses Copilot+ PC as a device label, while Learn and the Windows for Business page still say Copilot+ PCs.1234
- What does it do?
- For businesses, Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise provide hardware-backed security such as Windows Hello, BitLocker and Pluton, managed through MDM tools or Group Policy. On Copilot+ PCs, local AI features include Recall (preview), which saves encrypted screen snapshots only after the user opts in and is removed by default on managed devices, plus Click to Do, improved Windows search and image tools. Developers can call Windows AI APIs (Phi Silica, OCR, image description and more), run open models with Foundry Local, or run their own ONNX models with Windows ML, which picks the NPU, GPU or CPU automatically.456
- Who needs it?
- IT teams still replacing Windows 10 devices, which reached end of support on 14 October 2025, and teams planning version updates across a fleet. Organizations that want AI features to run on the device, for privacy or offline use, should look at Copilot+ PCs, and developers building Windows apps with local AI need one to test NPU-based APIs.7
- What does it need?15
- A supported Windows 11 device; for Copilot+ features, an NPU above 40 TOPS
- For Recall: a Secured-core Copilot+ PC with 16 GB RAM, 8 logical processors, 256 GB storage with 50 GB free, Device Encryption or BitLocker, and Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security with a biometri
- Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise or Education for business management; Recall storage and filtering policies apply only to Enterprise and Education
- An MDM tool or Group Policy to set Windows AI policies
- The Windows App SDK for Windows AI APIs
- What it is not
- A Copilot+ PC does not include Microsoft 365 Copilot, which needs a separate per-user license. Not every Windows 11 PC is a Copilot+ PC: Recall and most Windows AI APIs need the 40+ TOPS NPU. Recall is still marked preview in Microsoft's IT documentation and is not available on managed devices unless IT allows it. Windows 11 version 26H1 is not offered as an update to existing devices.45
Availability and licensing. Checked 26 Oct 2026: 26H2 (GA 29 Sep 2026) gets updates until 10 Oct 2028 for Home and Pro and 9 Oct 2029 for Enterprise and Education; 25H2 until 12 Oct 2027 and 10 Oct 2028; 24H2 Enterprise until 12 Oct 2027 (Home and Pro ended); 23H2 Enterprise until 10 Nov 2026. 26H1 is only for new devices. Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 Oct 2025. Microsoft 365 Copilot is licensed separately from the PC.2
The problem it solves
Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025, so organizations still running it need a plan for Windows 11. At the same time, more AI work could run on the device instead of in the cloud, which helps with privacy, latency and offline use, but only on hardware with a capable NPU.
Windows 11 gives IT one managed platform with current security features and a predictable yearly update cycle, and Copilot+ PCs add the NPU that local AI features and APIs depend on.7
How it works
- Servicing: one feature update a year plus cumulative security updates on the second Tuesday of each month; Enterprise and Education versions get 36 months of updates.
- Hardware: on Copilot+ PCs the NPU works alongside the CPU and GPU, Windows assigns AI tasks to it, and Task Manager shows NPU use.
- Local AI stack: Microsoft Foundry on Windows combines Windows AI APIs (models shipped and shared by Windows), Foundry Local (open LLMs and speech-to-text) and Windows ML (ONNX Runtime that picks execution providers such as QNN or OpenVINO and falls back to GPU or CPU).
- Recall controls: snapshots stay on the device, encrypted with keys protected by the TPM and a VBS enclave, and access needs Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security; admins control availability, storage, app and website filters and Purview DLP integration through the WindowsAI policy CSP or Group Policy.125
Diagram as a list
Copilot & business apps
- Windows appsCall local AI through Windows AI APIs, Foundry Local or Windows ML
- Copilot+ features (Recall preview, Click to Do, improved search)On-device AI for users
AI models & platform
- Windows AI APIsReady-made models such as Phi Silica and OCR, shared across appsConnects to NPU (40+ TOPS), GPU and CPU
- Foundry LocalRuns open LLMs and speech-to-text locallyConnects to NPU (40+ TOPS), GPU and CPU
Developer tools
- Windows ML (ONNX Runtime)Runs your own models and selects NPU, GPU or CPUConnects to NPU (40+ TOPS), GPU and CPU
Security, identity & governance
- Windows Hello ESS, TPM, VBS enclave and BitLockerProtect sign-in and Recall data
- MDM (such as Intune) or Group PolicySet Windows AI policies such as Allow Recall to be enabledConnects to Copilot+ features (Recall preview, Click to Do, improved search)
Cloud & hybrid infrastructure
- NPU (40+ TOPS), GPU and CPURun inference on the device
Capabilities
Annual servicing with long support2
One feature update each year with 24 months of updates for Home and Pro and 36 months for Enterprise and Education, plus monthly cumulative security updates.
Why it matters: Predictable planning for upgrades and testing.
Limits: Each version has a fixed end-of-updates date; 26H1 is limited to new devices and does not support IoT Enterprise.
Business security features4
Hardware-backed protections such as Windows Hello, BitLocker and Pluton, plus phishing protection and memory integrity on by default.
Why it matters: Raises the security baseline without third-party agents.
Limits: Some protections depend on device hardware, for example Windows Hello sign-in options.
Copilot+ PC NPU1
An NPU above 40 TOPS on Arm-based Qualcomm and on AMD and Intel silicon runs AI models efficiently next to the CPU and GPU.
Why it matters: Enables on-device AI features with longer battery life.
Limits: Only Copilot+ PCs have the NPU class required by Recall and most Windows AI APIs.
Recall and Click to Do5
Recall (preview) lets users search encrypted, locally analyzed screen snapshots in natural language; Click to Do acts on text and images on screen.
Why it matters: Helps users find past work while data stays on the device.
Limits: Removed by default on managed devices, requires user opt-in, and is optimized for six languages; IT cannot view snapshots.
Microsoft Foundry on Windows6
Windows AI APIs for LLM (Phi Silica), OCR, image description, image generation and semantic search, Foundry Local for open models and Windows ML for custom ONNX models.
Why it matters: Developers add local AI features with little code and no model hosting.
Limits: Most Windows AI APIs need a Copilot+ PC; some, such as Phi Silica on GPU and speech recognition, also run on other Windows 11 PCs.
Windows ML hardware selection1
Windows ML detects available accelerators, downloads the matching execution provider through Windows and falls back to GPU or CPU.
Why it matters: Apps no longer bundle hardware-specific runtimes.
Limits: Models often need quantization, for example to INT8, to run on the NPU.
Practical use cases
Part of the fleet still runs Windows 10, which no longer gets regular security updates.
- Approach
- Move devices to a supported Windows 11 version (25H2 or 26H2) and replace hardware that cannot upgrade, choosing Copilot+ PCs where local AI matters.
- Role of Windows 11
- Windows 11 becomes the supported, managed platform.
- Data, infrastructure and skills
- Compatible hardware and a deployment tool such as Intune or Windows Autopilot.
- Type of benefit
- Supported platform
- Caveats
- Version 26H1 is only for new devices; check end-of-update dates per version.
- First step
- List the devices still on Windows 10 version 22H2.
A developer wants AI features that work offline and keep user data on the device.
- Approach
- Use Windows AI APIs on Copilot+ PCs and Windows ML for custom models that must also run on other PCs.
- Role of Windows 11
- Windows supplies the models, runtime and hardware selection.
- Data, infrastructure and skills
- A Copilot+ PC for testing and the Windows App SDK.
- Type of benefit
- Data stays local
- Caveats
- Most Windows AI APIs need a Copilot+ PC; performance on other PCs varies with hardware.
- First step
- Try the samples in AI Dev Gallery.
IT must decide whether to allow Recall on company devices.
- Approach
- Keep Recall removed by default, or allow it for a pilot group with app and website filters, storage limits and Microsoft Purview DLP integration.
- Role of Windows 11
- Windows enforces the policies; users still choose whether to save snapshots.
- Data, infrastructure and skills
- Copilot+ PCs that meet Recall requirements and Enterprise or Education editions for the storage and filtering policies.
- Type of benefit
- Controlled adoption
- Caveats
- Recall is in preview; Purview is currently the only supported DLP provider.
- First step
- Review the WindowsAI policy CSP settings for Recall.
Works with
Optional integration
- Microsoft IntuneWindows AI policies are set through MDM CSPs, and Surface DFCI management requires Intune and Autopilot.
- Microsoft PurviewRecall can use Microsoft Purview endpoint DLP as its DLP provider.
Complementary tools
- Windows 365Windows 365 offers screen capture protection so Cloud PC content stays out of Recall snapshots.
- Azure Virtual DesktopRecall filters Azure Virtual Desktop sessions, and AVD offers screen capture protection.
- Microsoft IntuneWindows AI features such as Recall are controlled by policy CSPs that MDM tools like Intune deploy, and Surface DFCI needs Intune and Autopilot.
- Microsoft 365 CopilotMicrosoft 365 Copilot runs on Windows 11 but needs its own per-user license.
Relationship labels follow Microsoft's documentation. "Alternative approaches" does not mean one is better: each profile says when it fits.
Getting started
Check version support
Compare devices with the Windows 11 release information page: 24H2 Home and Pro updates have ended, 24H2 Enterprise is updated until 12 October 2027 and 23H2 Enterprise until 10 November 2026.
Check: Every device runs a version with a future end-of-updates date.
Choose hardware
For local AI, pick Copilot+ PCs with an NPU above 40 TOPS, such as Snapdragon X, AMD Ryzen AI 300 or Intel Core Ultra 200V based models.
Check: Task Manager shows an NPU on the test device.
Set Windows AI policies
Decide Recall and Click to Do policies before deployment and push them through MDM or Group Policy.
Check: The Allow Recall to be enabled setting reports the intended state on test devices.
Test local AI as a developer
Install the Windows App SDK and try a Windows AI API, Foundry Local or Windows ML.
Check: A sample model runs and NPU use appears in Task Manager.
Official resources
Deciding whether you need it?
Three free tools apply Microsoft's own published guidance to your situation, and say when Windows 11 or any new technology is not needed.
Sources
Each statement above links to the source it comes from. Labels say who reported it.
- Copilot+ PCs developer guide (opens in a new tab)
- Windows 11 release information (Microsoft Learn) (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft Windows Premium Performance PCs shopping page (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft Windows for Business page (opens in a new tab)
- Manage Recall for Windows clients (Microsoft Learn) (opens in a new tab)
- Use local AI with Microsoft Foundry on Windows (Microsoft Learn) (opens in a new tab)
- Windows 10 Enterprise and Education lifecycle (Microsoft Learn) (opens in a new tab)
- Surface for Business page (opens in a new tab)
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