Windows Weekly (Audio)

Windows Weekly (Audio)

Windows Weekly is about more than Windows. Veteran Microsoft insiders Paul Thurrott and Richard Campbell join Leo for a deep dive into the most valuable company in the world. From consumer to enterprise, AI to Xbox, Windows Weekly is the only Microsoft podcast you'll ever need. Records live every Wednesday at 2:00pm Eastern / 11:00am Pacific / 19:00 UTC.

Episodes

December 28, 2025 88 mins

This isn't your usual Windows Weekly. Pour a glass and settle in as Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell ditch the headlines for whisky-soaked tech stories, behind-the-scenes Microsoft confessions, and the unexpected joys (and disasters) of vintage hardware. These are the tales you only hear when the mics are (almost) off.

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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Mark as Played

We were inundated with new Windows features in 2025, but which ones actually moved the needle? Fortnite isn't just back on iPhone and Android, it's available on Windows 11 on Arm, and it works great! Plus, 2 big mobile wins for Epic Games and some thoughts on the "right" way to roll out AI features.

Windows 11

  • Best Windows 11 updates of 2025, in no particular order...
  • Dark mode improvements to File Explorer
  • Widgets...
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December 2025's Patch Tuesday brought major shifts, but the real action is in Microsoft's pricing, privacy battles, and the arms race to control AI-enabled browsers. Plus, Paul recommends Tiny11 Builder for a clean install, or Win11Debloat for an existing install. Then, Rufus to create installation media without the forced Microsoft account (MSA) sign-in or hardware requirement checks. Use MSEdgeDirect to use the default web brows...

Mark as Played

Can the AI boom survive its own hype? This episode takes on the future of OpenAI, tech's subscription fatigue, and why "Made with AI" labels might be the new scarlet letter. Plus, Microsoft's ugly sweaters are back for some reason.

Windows 11

  • Week D comes a week late and in the wrong month, but it's a big one, and a preview of what to expect next week in Patch Tuesday
  • More pervasive dark mode
  • Copilot+ PC exclusives: Improv...
Mark as Played

Pavan Davuluri only spoke at one Ignite 2025 session, and it did not deserve the hate he got. But what did he really say?

  • Copilot is a front-end for apps and cloud AI services, agents are background processes.
  • Apps in Windows need to become programmatic so AI and agents can control them.
  • You are in control. You being IT and the user. These experiences are off by default, opt-in, and optional. This is the end of whatever BS ...
Mark as Played

Ahead of Microsoft Ignite 2025, Windows boss Pavan Davuluri tweeted an innocuous post about nothing, and all hell broke loose. We are broken as a community and it's time to cull the herd.

Ignite 2025

  • Fun aside: Google could have announced Gemini 3 at any time, but they chose the opening day of Ignite. Who's dancing now?
  • No Satya and suddenly the keynote is watchable again
  • Microsoft brings Anthropic models to Foundry along ...
Mark as Played

Windows 11 just got its most noticeable Start menu revamp in a while, but is it a productivity boost or just more Microsoft meddling? The team digs into Patch Tuesday's big surprises and whether generative tools are transformative essentials or just a passing fad.


Windows 11

  • Patch Tuesday was yesterday, your new Start menu is right where Microsoft left it
  • Copilot+ PCs: Improvements to Click to Do, File Explorer, Voice acc...
Mark as Played

We've heard that Microsoft will go off script this year with a 26H1 release of Windows 11 specifically aimed at Snapdragon X2-based PCs, as it did with the early release of 24H2 last year for the first-generation Snapdragon X. Also, Microsoft's latest earnings call left analysts baffled as execs dodged questions about multibillion-dollar AI losses and the real story behind OpenAI's ballooning deficit.

26H1!

  • Now confirmed by th...
Mark as Played

Welp, Azure crashed on Microsoft's earnings day, the cloud's weakest link exposed just as AI investments hit mind-boggling numbers. And 2.5 years into the AI era, things are still moving quickly, and there are extreme opinions on both ends of the spectrum. But Paul finally found a source for a good way to evaluate AI and figure out where it works and where it does not. It came from an unexpected place.

Windows 11

  • Week D arrive...
Mark as Played

Microsoft is promising a bold AI-infused future for Windows 11, as the company aims to turn the OS into an AI-powered "agentic" hub. Amid all the Copilot hype, the hosts ask the tough questions: Are these AI features solving real problems, or is Big Tech just chasing a revenue gold rush? Tune in for sharp takes on AI skepticism, notable buzzwords, and the practical impact of Microsoft's ambitious new direction.

Windows 1...

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