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IGEL OS Dual Boot 2.0.0 Release Notes

Version 2.0.0 (General Availability)

Release date: 5th August 2026

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 11

Readme_2_0_0 1.txt

Overview

IGEL OS Dual Boot 2.0.0 is a General Availability release introducing Emergency Mode, a centralized recovery orchestration feature that gives administrators rapid access control over at-risk endpoints. Emergency Mode enables IT teams to remotely transition devices into a secure, authorized IGEL OS environment via the UMS Web App, with integrated monitoring and user-friendly return workflows.

This release builds on the installation reliability achieved in 1.2.0 and adds enterprise-grade disaster recovery capabilities for business continuity after ransomware, malware, or system compromise.

Before You Install

  • Windows 11 with UEFI boot.

  • .NET 10 Runtime is required on the endpoint.

  • UMS Server 12.13.100 or higher, or UMSaaS deployment.

  • IGEL OS 12.10.0.

  • Windows RMAgent for Dual Boot (included in this release).

  • UMS permissions model: Administrators must hold Emergency Mode Trigger permissions on target devices or device directories to activate Emergency Mode.

  • For best results, ensure devices are connected to UMS and have stable network connectivity to ICG (IGEL Cloud Gateway) or on-premises UMS.

  • The installer checks whether Windows System Restore is enabled and recommends temporarily disabling it to avoid installation conflicts.

  • Minimum free space and partition sizing guidance from prior releases still applies (16-64 GB IGEL OS partition, configurable via /partitionsize).

What's New in 2.0.0

Emergency Mode

  • Remote Activation via UMS: Administrators can trigger Emergency Mode directly from the UMS Web App. The feature supports three targeting scopes:

    • Targeted Selection: Apply to one or more hand-selected devices

    • Device Directory: Apply to all devices in a specified UMS directory

    • Global Override: Apply to all managed devices (bypasses object permissions for high-speed response during incidents)

  • Forced Reboot Workflow: Once Emergency Mode is activated, a non-dismissible countdown notification appears on the Windows desktop. At the end of the countdown, the device automatically reboots into IGEL OS without user intervention.

  • Command Batching for Scale: To protect UMS and network infrastructure during large-scale incidents, Emergency Mode commands are processed in batches. Administrators may observe a short visibility gap (approximately 2 minutes) between triggering the mode and devices appearing as "targeted" in the UMS dashboard. This is intentional and does not indicate a deployment delay.

  • Secure Recovery Environment: Once in IGEL OS, users see a persistent notification confirming they are in an authorized recovery environment. Local boot selection is disabled; any reboot attempt while Emergency Mode is active automatically returns to IGEL OS.

  • New Agent Component: Windows RMAgent enables UMS to manage the device as a unified entity across both Windows and IGEL OS, using a shared device identity and UMS Unit ID.

  • Visibility: The following status (info) will be available in UMS:

    • Active Operating System (Windows or IGEL OS)

    • Emergency Mode Status

    • RMAgent Health

  • Message Passing: Windows and IGEL OS communicate via encrypted messages stored on the EFI partition. This enables coordinated transitions between operating systems and secure telemetry exchange, even in offline scenarios.

Emergency Mode Exit & Return to Windows

  • Admin-Controlled Resolution: Administrators can stop Emergency Mode from UMS. This removes the emergency flag on the IGEL OS side and initiates the return workflow.

  • User Notification Dialog: When Emergency Mode is terminated, a modal dialog appears on the IGEL OS desktop with a countdown timer. The message notifies users that the emergency has ended and the system will return to Windows at the end of the countdown.

  • Automatic Return to Windows: Once the countdown expires, the device automatically reboots into Windows.

System Status & Visibility

  • Dashboard Clarity: A new "Emergency Mode" dashboard widget shows real-time status of devices in Emergency Mode, including:

    • Number of devices targeted

    • Number of devices successfully transitioned to IGEL OS

    • Number of devices awaiting reboot

UMS Command & Control

  • Unified Protocol Support: UMS now sends Emergency Mode commands to Windows RMAgent via the standard Unified Protocol, ensuring compatibility with existing IGEL Cloud Gateway (ICG) and on-premises UMS deployments.

  • No Additional Firewall Rules: Emergency Mode uses existing WebSocket connections between RMAgent and UMS (ports 8443 for HTTPS, WebSocket standard paths). No new firewall rules are required.

Uninstalling

Uninstall Dual Boot and Emergency Mode like any other Windows program. In 2.0.0, uninstall via UI, MSI, EXE, /silent, or /verysilent performs a complete removal:

  • All application files

  • All registry entries

  • EFI boot entries

  • Emergency Mode flag file (if present)

  • Diagnostic logs (automatically backed up before removal)

The freed IGEL OS partition space is returned to the Windows system partition. No manual cleanup is required.

Support & Documentation

For detailed setup, deployment, and troubleshooting guidance, see the IGEL Knowledge Base: