{"id":151882,"date":"2026-04-17T00:03:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T04:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/?p=151882"},"modified":"2026-04-17T00:03:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T04:03:29","slug":"when-will-we-see-a-windows-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/when-will-we-see-a-windows-12\/","title":{"rendered":"When Will We See A Windows 12?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"daves-4232213188\" class=\"daves-single-post-before-content daves-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7205184075006101\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7205184075006101\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"2700504761\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"false\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><p>This question &#8211; when will we see a Windows 12 &#8211; was raised recently by a regular DCT commenter, and it&#8217;s a darn good question.<\/p>\n<p>While there is no official word regarding the next Windows iteration, with a combination of historical data and logic, we can ascertain a reasonable theory.<\/p>\n<h2>Windows 11 Lifecycle<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Windows-11-Lifecycle.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-151883\" src=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Windows-11-Lifecycle.png\" alt=\"windows-11-lifecycle\" width=\"612\" height=\"326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Windows-11-Lifecycle.png 612w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Windows-11-Lifecycle-350x186.png 350w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Windows-11-Lifecycle-150x80.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As you can see from the above official Windows 11 lifecycle chart, there is typically a 2-year turnaround between builds, with each build reaching end-of-life around 2 years after its initial release.<\/p>\n<p>If Microsoft follows that traditional pattern with 26H2, it means that 26H2 will be released around September\/October 2026 and reach end-of-life 2 years later, around September\/October 2028.<\/p><div id=\"daves-804326029\" class=\"daves-single-post-in-content daves-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7205184075006101\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7205184075006101\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"2700504761\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"false\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>So, I believe it&#8217;s safe to say that September\/October 2028 would be the logical date for Microsoft to release a new Windows iteration. I would certainly be surprised if Microsoft released a new Windows before that date.<\/p>\n<p><strong>*A word on Windows 11 26H1<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/topic\/windows-11-version-26h1-6a0533a9-71a8-43b8-a32c-8fa7db97543d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Windows 11 26H1<\/a> is based on a different Windows core and available only for select new PCs that initially hit the market in the first quarter of 2026; it is not available for existing PCs.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, according to Microsoft, PCs running 26H1 will follow an entirely different update path from all other PCs.<\/p>\n<h2>Will There Be Two Windows Versions?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Windows-Two-Versions.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-151885\" src=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Windows-Two-Versions.png\" alt=\"windows-two-versions\" width=\"600\" height=\"67\" srcset=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Windows-Two-Versions.png 600w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Windows-Two-Versions-350x39.png 350w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Windows-Two-Versions-150x17.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve been saying for ages that the next Windows iteration is more likely to be called either &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/getting-the-most-out-of-copilot\/\"><em>Windows Copilot<\/em><\/a>&#8221; or &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/windows-heading-to-full-blown-ai\/\"><em>Windows AI<\/em><\/a>&#8221; rather than Windows 12. However, the advent of Windows 11 26H1 has thrown a spanner in that theory.<\/p><div id=\"daves-2953715714\" class=\"daves-single-post-in-content-2 daves-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7205184075006101\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7205184075006101\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"2700504761\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"false\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>Assuming Windows 11 26H1, with a very different core, is aimed at new PCs that are fully equipped to handle AI effectively, I now suspect we might end up with two different Windows versions &#8211; one for the new AI-specific PCs and another for existing traditional PCs.<\/p>\n<p>What they might be named is well and truly open to conjecture. Goodness knows, Microsoft&#8217;s traditional naming convention has been a mystery for years. That said, perhaps &#8220;<em>Windows Copilot<\/em>&#8221; for the new AI machines and &#8220;<em>Windows 12<\/em>&#8221; for the traditional PCs.<\/p>\n<p>As always, your thoughts via the comments are most welcome.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p><div id=\"daves-451683233\" class=\"daves-single-post-in-content-3 daves-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7205184075006101\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7205184075006101\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"2700504761\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"false\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"daves-4109817767\" class=\"daves-after-content daves-entity-placement\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7205184075006101\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7205184075006101\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3225321574\" \ndata-ad-format=\"autorelaxed\" data-full-width-responsive=\"false\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This question &#8211; when will we see a Windows 12 &#8211; was raised recently by a regular DCT commenter, and it&#8217;s a darn good question. While there is no official word regarding the next Windows iteration, with a combination of historical data and logic, we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[478],"tags":[11159],"class_list":["post-151882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-microsoft-windows","tag-windows-12"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151882"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":152017,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151882\/revisions\/152017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}