Windows Server 2025 adds flighting and deletes WordPad from Windows 11

Windows Server 2025 is official. Microsoft is releasing build 26040 of Windows Server for administrators, with new Bluetooth and admin features and a flighting option to smoothly install the new software.

Branded as Windows Server 2025, but available today for early adopters in the Windows Insider programme, the latest version of Microsoft’s server operating system adds various enterprise features and higher specs to the desktop Windows experience for individual employees. 

The new build is available now as an OS update, rather than having to download and manually install a new build or run an in-place upgrade. Although you still have to check for updates yourself, this new flighting feature should make it easier to dive into this and future builds.

Admins will be pleased to hear that build 26040 now allows you to choose any port for Server Message Block (SMB) over the QUIC network protocol, rather than being stuck with the hardcoded default UDP/443 port. You can select any unused port from 1 to 65535, but as yet there’s no support for configuring alternative SMB server TCP or RDMA ports.

Other fresh features include increased Bluetooth support for peripherals such as mice, keyboards and headphones. Wi-Fi is also enabled by default for Edge, instead of being disabled until you manually change it as was previously the case.

Officially known as the Windows Server Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) Preview, the new build contains both Desktop Experience and Server Core installation options for Datacenter and Standard editions, Annual Channel for Container Host and Azure Edition (for VM evaluation only). 

Windows 11 updates to 26040

At the same time, Microsoft is pushing out build 26040 of Windows 11. Despite the matching build numbers, the non-server version of the operating system continues its existing branding as introduced in 2021. 

There are new features for administrators in the Canary Channel build of Windows 11. Among those useful features are changes to how the Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) manages user accounts when setting up and disabling local accounts.

Related: Confessions of a sysadmin: why honesty is the best policy

So long WordPad

The upgrade also deletes a famously simple app. Upon installation of the 26040 build, you’ll lose WordPad. This long-serving text editing app debuted in Windows 95 and has been a mainstay of the OS ever since. When you want to write RTF or Doc files, Microsoft directs you to Word, an app which you have to pay for, or you can use Notepad for plain text documents. 

This latest version of Windows Server was first teased at the annual Microsoft Ignite developer conference in November last year. Microsoft releases new builds roughly every two weeks, and you can get access to them through the Windows Server Insider Program. Joining also allows you to send feedback to the engineering team about the new features they’ve introduced. That said, a problem with submitting feed is among the software’s known issues flagged by Microsoft.

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