Microsoft has back-ported its Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) security toolkit from Windows 10 to Windows 7 and 8.1.

The release will allow those holding out with older versions of the OS to get the exploit and malware-infection detection, prevention, and event reporting features offered by Windows 10.

For enterprises, the extension to Windows 7 and 8.1 will, more importantly, allow admins to bring their older machines under the same security management and administration tools they use for Windows 10 PCs.

This is where Microsoft is focusing its pitch: by adding ATP to Windows 7 and 8.1, Redmond hopes it will convince sysadmins to add those machines to the Windows Defender monitoring systems they use for Windows 10 devices and, in the process, prod companies towards migrating the older PCs to Windows 10.

"We hear from our customers security is one of the biggest motivators for their move to Windows 10," wrote Rob Lefferts, partner director of security and enterprise for the Windows and Devices group, earlier today.

"Meanwhile, we know that while in their transition, some may have a mix of Windows 10 and Windows 7 devices in their environments."

Microsoft noted that Windows 7 is still slated for retirement in January of 2020.

The software giant is also looking to extend ATP support for non-Windows devices by signing up another partner for its security push. SentinelOne will be adding ATP support to the EndPoint Protection Platform security tool it sells for Windows, Mac, Linux, and VDI. This means administrators can set up SentinelOne to automatically pass alerts along to management consoles via ATP. ®

Speaking of Windows... Meanwhile, those signed up to the Windows Insider program will get their hands on a few more pre-release features to try out this month. Build 17093 sports changes to the Game Bar recording and streaming menu, as well as the ability for more PCs to stream HDR video via the Video Playback menu in the Settings > Apps screen. Build 17093 also adds the a new Graphics menu specifically for multi-GPU PCs and the ability for all Insider build PCs to delete diagnostic data from their machines. Those running Windows S will now be able to use the Authenticator App and Windows Hello to log in without passwords, through their mobile devices. Windows Defender has also been updated to work with Windows Hello to manage accounts via their phone's fingerprint, facial recognition, or PIN screens. Other new additions include updates to Eye Control, single-click pairing for Bluetooth, full-screen (F11) mode for Edge, and better multilingual text support. Finally, progressive web apps are at last coming to Microsoft Edge and Windows 10.