Are you keeping up with Microsoft updates? The Microsoft Mondays: Microsoft Service Updates series from Total Solutions is here for your needs, and remember that Total Solutions also provides tailored, expert guidance during our consulting process. We are highlighting a few of the Microsoft announced upcoming updates from July:
- Key Document Updates as a Highlight in the Profile Card
- 90-Day Reminder: End of support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 – Oct 10, 2023
- OneDrive Sync Account Detection
- Update to the Free LinkedIn Courses Available in Viva Learning
- Custom list templates can now include Power Automate flows
- OneDrive: Color, font, and navigation changes in OneDrive for Web
Keep an eye out for Microsoft Mondays for your Microsoft updates or speak with our technical team for your Microsoft needs.
*Updates posted here originally posted by Microsoft in the Microsoft 365 Message Center
Key Document Updates as a Highlight in the Profile Card
[MC628160 · Published Jul 6, 2023]: Item insights power a few prominent file-based experiences in Microsoft 365. Microsoft is introducing a new highlight type that shows updates to relevant documents seen by your users on their collaborators’ profile cards. Document updates include edits, comments, mentions, replies, and shares. When this toggle is turned off, it will also disable this highlight for your organization.
This change is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID: 145799
When this will happen:
Microsoft will start rolling out this feature in early August and expect to complete by late August.
How this will affect your organization:
With this update, document updates will start to show up when your users look at the profile card of their key collaborators, an example of which is below:
User A would view User B’s profile card and would see that User B has commented on a document User A and User B have access to. User C would not be able to see this on User B’s profile card if they are not a key collaborator.
What you need to do to prepare:
If you want to make the content and activities of your organization less discoverable, you can disable item insights.
90-Day Reminder: End of support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 – Oct 10, 2023
[MC627682 · Published Jul 6, 2023]: As previously announced all editions of Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 will reach end of support on October, 2023. The October 10, 2023 security update is be the last update available for these products. After this date, these versions of Windows Server will no longer receive updates containing protections from security threats, bug fixes, or technical support.
Customers can migrate to Azure, upgrade to Windows Server 2022, or purchase Extended Security Updates to continue receiving security updates until October 13, 2026. As always, Microsoft recommends upgrading to the latest version of Windows Server. Running the latest version of Windows Server allows you to use the latest features – including the latest security features – and delivers the best performance.
For detailed information, see the lifecycle page at learn.microsoft.com for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2. For information about servicing timelines, supported upgrade paths, and lifecycles, see Windows Server release information, Overview of Windows Server upgrades, Lifecycle FAQ – Windows, and Microsoft Lifecycle Policy search tool.
Additional information:
- Extended Security Updates for Windows Server Overview
- Which version of Windows Server should I upgrade to?
- Upgrade and conversion options for Windows Server
- Install, upgrade, or migrate to Windows Server
- Three options to prepare for Windows Server 2012/R2 end of support
OneDrive Sync Account Detection
[MC626577 · Published Jul 6, 2023]: In the past Windows Business users could add a consumer account to Windows to use within various apps. Users could use this Consumer account to configure syncing their OneDrive consumer files via the OneDrive sync client. This summer the OneDrive Sync client will start prompting Business users if they’d like to sync their Consumer files using a detected Microsoft Consumer account known to Windows.
This change is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID: 146851
When this will happen:
Minimum required version: 23.086
Insiders: Microsoft will begin rolling out early June 2023 and expect to complete by late June 2023.
Standard Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out early August 2023 and expect to complete by late August 2023
How this will affect your organization:
- Consumer files will start syncing down to your user’s devices IF they confirm this behavior in the prompts that the Sync client will give them.
What you need to do to prepare:
- There is nothing you need to do to enable these prompts within your system
- If you would like to disable these prompts there are two policies you can deploy
- DisableNewAccountDetection (client version 23.063) will suppress these messages from being shown to your users, but still allow users to manually configure their Consumer accounts to sync their OneDrive Consumer files.
- DisablePersonalSync will disable users from syncing their Consumer OneDrive files completely.
Update to the Free LinkedIn Courses Available in Viva Learning
[MC630310 · Published Jul 7, 2023] As part of the Viva Learning integration with LinkedIn, Microsoft provides free content in Viva Learning that can be accessed by any Viva Learning user without the need for a LinkedIn premium license. As part of this partnership, Microsoft is increasing the set of free courses to the Global Skilling Initiative catalog which consists of more than 300 courses. This will replace the existing catalog of 125 free LinkedIn courses available in Viva Learning.
You can find more details on the Global Skilling Initiative program here.
When this will happen:
Microsoft will begin rollout in early July 2023 and expect rollout to be complete by mid-July 2023.
How this will affect your organization:
Users will have access to more courses that are part of the Global Skilling Initiative catalog.
What you need to do to prepare:
There is nothing you need to do to prepare.
Custom list templates can now include Power Automate flows
[MC630307 · Published Jul 7, 2023] Even though they were just released, custom list templates are getting another boost! As part of Microsoft’s efforts to evolve Microsoft Lists and enable more users to take advantage of automation, admin users now have the option to create and deploy custom list templates that include pre-created Power Automate flows. When end users create a list from the deployed custom list template, they will also have the option to install any pre-created flows that are attached to that list template. You can use this feature to create a list + automation template that can be adopted by many teams across your organization.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 117436.
When this will happen:
Targeted Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out early July 2023 and expect to complete by mid-July 2023.
Standard Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out mid-July 2023 and expect to complete by late July 2023.
How this will affect your organization:
List creators who create a list from a custom list template that includes a pre-created flow will see a modal prompting them to install the included Power Automate flow after their list has been created. Flows installed via a list template are solution-aware flows.
Users with a Microsoft 365 E3 license, Microsoft E5 license, or Power Automate per-user plan can create and use Power Automate flows.
What you need to do to prepare:
You might want to notify your users about these new capabilities in custom list templates and update your training and documentation as appropriate.
Learn more:
- Custom list templates
- Package flows into organizational list templates
- Manage a flow that was created from a list template
- Overview of solution-aware flows
- Power Platform solution concepts
- Licensing overview for Microsoft Power Platform
OneDrive: Color, font, and navigation changes in OneDrive for Web
[MC626572 · Published Jul 6, 2023] Microsoft is introducing an improved left navigation in OneDrive for web and minor color, font, and icon changes to the user interface.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID: 146071 and 146068
When this will happen:
Targeted Release (if applicable): Microsoft will begin rolling out in early to mid-July through the end of July.
Standard Release (if applicable): Microsoft will begin rolling out in the end of July through late August.
Note: Some users may see this feature before others in your organization.
How this will affect your organization:
With this update you will see the following changes:
- The background of the web app is now grey instead of white
2. The Suite navigation on the app is also grey (no longer the standard blue)
3. A new left navigation with a “New” button for creating new content from anywhere within OneDrive
4. Upload file and Upload folder are within the “New button”
5. The new left nav can be expanded or collapsed!
What you need to do to prepare:
You may consider updating your training and documentation as appropriate.
Check out previous Microsoft Updates that Total Solutions has posted here -> Microsoft Updates Archives – Total Solutions Inc.
