Overview of Microsoft’s Validation OS
In 2022, Microsoft introduced a specialized version of Windows 11 called Validation OS. While not intended for everyday consumers, this operating system serves an important role in the technology manufacturing sector. Validation OS is optimized for validating, diagnosing, and repairing new hardware, ensuring software compatibility, and troubleshooting a variety of issues. Notably, it primarily operates through a command-line interface (CLI).
This is what Microsoft says about Validation OS:
Microsoft Validation OS is a lightweight, fast, and customizable Windows 11-based operating system that you can use on the factory floor to diagnose, mitigate and repair hardware defects during Windows device manufacturing.
Validation OS boots into a Command Line environment to increase reliability on the factory floor and supports running Win32 apps, smoothing the transition from early hardware bring-up to retail OS and apps development.
Recent Developments and Updates
As part of its commitment to continuous improvement, Microsoft has been regularly updating Validation OS. In July 2024, it provided support for Windows 11 24H2; however, details regarding these updates were initially scarce, with no changelogs available. Recently, Microsoft has begun to publish monthly updates, complete with release notes, enhancing user experience and functionality.
Latest Enhancements
The most recent update, released earlier today, includes several critical advancements:
- Upgrades and enhancements for the. NET framework and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) UI framework.
- Improvements related to USB booting capabilities for Windows PE (Preinstallation Environment) in Ramdisk mode.
According to a recent statement from Microsoft:
The following release notes identify the new features, open issues, and resolved issues for the 2504 release of the Microsoft Validation OS….This article applies to the Validation OS 2504 release, corresponding to the ISOs with the prefix “26100.3916.250422-2254”.
New Features
- Enhancements to the Windows Hardware Lab Kit on Validation OS:
- Added Surface Dock specific drivers to the Microsoft-WinVOS-DriversPack-A package.
- Basic support for running certain WPF applications and comprehensive. NET support via the Microsoft-WinVOS-WPF-Support optional package.
- Migration to the latest and most secure. NET implementation.
- Separation of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean TrueType font support into Microsoft-WinVOS-CJKFonts.
- Integration of ‘DISM.exe /Image: /Set-ScratchSpace’ support in Validation OS for configuring RAM-DRIVE size when booting from USB.
Issues Fixed
- Various enhancements and bug fixes were implemented.
Known Issues
- In certain ARM64 systems, using both Microsoft-OneCore-SerialConsole-Package and Microsoft-WinVOS-Bluetooth-Package can lead to system instability and crashes.
Previous Releases and Features
The updates preceding the latest release brought noteworthy enhancements as well:
Validation OS Release 2025.02 Highlights
- Introduction of an “Inbox Drivers”package supporting a limited set of drivers, including ASIX ethernet adapters.
- Integration of the Out of Box Experience (OOBE) feature for USB boot images.
- Experimental script for converting generated Validation OS WIM files to a custom-sized VHDX.
Validation OS Release 2503 Highlights
- Built-in support for Out of Box Experience.
- Accessibility improvements for certain hardware devices via driver packages.
- Bootable VHDX images in Hyper-V without the need for additional updates.
- Added utilities such as takeown.exe and driverquery.exe to the support package.
Fixed Issues and Known Issues
- Improved kernel mode crash dump management.
- Stability concerns related to arm64 devices using the OOBE package were addressed.
Where to Download Validation OS
For those interested in exploring the latest releases of Validation OS, they can do so by visiting Microsoft’s official page.
Related Articles:
Microsoft Confirms New Bugs in Classic Outlook: CAA2000B, 4usqa, 49dvs Sign-In Issues
7:33
Google Announces Gemini for Chrome on Windows 11, Hints at Major AI Upgrade
0:23
How to Change the Default Downloads Folder Location in Windows 11
20:04
Leave a Reply ▼