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Microsoft and its partners are now quite actively and regularly promoting the upgrade to Windows 11. Asus, for example, recently published blog posts about the "mandatory Windows 11 upgrade" that is coming as the Windows 11 end of support date nears. Microsoft itself, from time to time, urges users to upgrade to its newest OS. Back in February 2024, Microsoft released an advert highlighting the best things about Windows 11 over Windows 10. Later, in June in the same year, the tech giant busted "myths and misconceptions" surrounding a Windows 11 upgrade. And towards the end of 2024, in December, Microsoft put up a blog post outlining the gaming features a user enjoys on 11 if they were to upgrade from Windows 10. While technically there is nothing wrong with a company promoting its own product, sometimes these campaigns make little sense and they fall flat. For example, in January earlier this year, Microsoft shared a blog post headlined "Free Upgrade to Windows 11 (For a Limited Time Only)" which did not make sense as it offered little information about it being a "free upgrade," and it was rightfully, later taken down. The company is back again with a new commercial about Windows 11. This time it is aimed mainly at IT professionals and enterprises as the advert talks about upgrading to Windows 11 Pro from Windows 10. This landed a few days after Microsoft released a new backup tool for organizations for such a purpose. What is interesting is that the company is promoting Intel's vPro processors and there is no mention of AMD's Ryzen PRO parts. The commercial is posted on the Windows official YouTube channel and has been titled "Right side of risk | Windows 11 Pro and Intel". The video description says, "Windows 10 support ends October 14. Stay on the right side of risk—upgrade now to the power of Windows 11 Pro PCs with Intel vPro®." AMD does have a support article about the subject headlined "Support Your Customers’ Move to Windows 11, With AMD Ryzen™ PRO Processors" and you can find it here. This is not the first time Microsoft has promoted Intel CPUs over AMD ones. Back in 2021, the company also put up a full page explaining how users should "look for the Intel EVO badge" on a new device before making a purchase decision because such PCs are "verified wonderful" which was a bit of an odd language. Like the limited upgrade time article, the page above was taken down after we reported on it (can be viewed via the archive) and replaced with something else. The new commercial was published about a couple of days ago, and it is possible that Microsoft may have a dedicated AMD advert too in the pipeline scheduled for a later release, and that would only be fair if both companies get a similar treatment. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Microsoft is testing a feature in Windows 11 Insider builds that could help your laptop's battery last longer. Windows will automatically throttle your computer if it is idle. The feature, which was first spotted by Windows Latest, was described in a recent blog post on the Windows Insider blog. Microsoft terms it User Interaction-Aware CPU Power Management, it is an OS-level enhancement that helps reduce power consumption. When Windows detects that your PC is idle, i.e., there is no keyboard or mouse or touch-input activity, the operating system will conserve power by automatically applying efficient power management policies. In layman's terms, it may be activated like how a screensaver kicks in. The amount of power saved will depend on various factors such as the power mode, battery state (plugged in or on battery), and the manufacturer-defined Processor Power Management (PPM) settings Windows already has Power Saving features, but the upcoming change will reportedly be different. The report says that Windows will lower the clock speeds or voltages to drop to a lower performance state, and activate a sleep-like mode similar to a C-State. Windows will probably detect when you are gaming or when a video is playing, for example, in full-screen, while you watch a movie or video, and prevent the User Interaction-Aware CPU Power Management settings from being applied in such scenarios. Microsoft's article says that the feature will not affect the performance of apps and games, as Windows 11 will restore, i.e. stop throttling the CPU, when it detects input from the user, via the keyboard or mouse, or touch. While it sounds useful, it remains to be seen how it actually works, and whether users will be able to disable the feature or make changes to it according to their needs. Windows Latest says that since Microsoft is testing the new power-saving feature in Windows 11 Build 26200.5603, it is expected to come to Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Windows 11 has already received several improvements that make it easier to learn about your computer's specifications. Recently, Microsoft released Spec Cards for the System > About section, which provide basic information about the PC's main components, such as processor, memory, storage, graphics card, and video memory. Now, the Settings app is getting a new way to find your device info. Microsoft wants to display basic device information right on the Home page of the Settings app. The latest preview builds from the Dev and Beta Channels introduced a new "Your device info" card for the Settings' Home page. It displays specs like processor name and speed, graphics card and the amount of video memory, storage, and RAM. The card also has a link to the "About" section, where you will find more information about your computer, its Windows edition, product ID, and the recently introduced FAQ section that answers common hardware-related questions. The "Your device info" card joins the existing cards on the Settings app's home page. While the section offers useful information like quick access to Bluetooth devices, Wi-Fi, personalization, and recommended settings, users received it with mixed reactions, as many considered it another way for Microsoft to promote its services and subscriptions like Microsoft 365, OneDrive, and Game Pass (seriously, who thinks about Game Pass when opening Settings?). Now, the Settings' Home page is a bit more useful, as it saves you a few clicks when checking your computer's specs. If you want to test the new "Your device info" card, update your PC to build 26200.5622 or newer (Dev Channel). Just keep in mind that Microsoft is rolling it out gradually, and it requires signing in with a Microsoft Account in the United States. Other changes in build 26200.5622 include a new Settings section for Quick Machine Recovery, widget improvements, more app recommendations in the "Open with" dialog, and more. Check out the full release notes here. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Discover seven accessibility features anyone can use to improve customization and productivity. Windows 11 offers a comprehensive list of accessibility features designed to improve usability for all users, regardless of their abilities. However, these tools not only support individuals with specific needs, but they can also help improve anyone's overall experience. For example, you can use the mouse settings to change the pointer's style, and you can even enable the indicator to make it easier to find the pointer on the screen. Also, it's possible to customize the appearance of the text cursor to improve usability. You will also find features such as Live Captions to show captions on the screen from any voice or video content. Voice Access allows you to control your computer with only your voice. Similarly, the Voice Typing feature can help you type a document using your voice and more. In this how-to guide, I'll share seven accessibility features that everyone should be using on Windows 11. Best accessibility for anyone using Windows 11 These are some accessibility features that can help anyone boost the overall navigation experience on Windows 11. 1. Customise mouse appearance Microsoft categorizes the mouse settings as accessibility features, but anyone can use them to make the pointer a little more personal and fun. To change the mouse pointer appearance, use these steps: Open Settings. Click on Accessibility. Click the "Mouse pointer and touch" setting. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Select the Custom option under the "Mouse pointer style" section. Choose the new color scheme for the pointer. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Quick tip: You can also create a custom color with the "Choose another color" option. If you want to personalize even further, you can use the "Customize printer image" setting to set a custom icon for each state of the mouse pointer. (This is a new option that may or may not be available for everyone at the time you're reading this guide.) In addition, you can make the mouse pointer bigger or smaller using the "Size" slider. One particular option I also usually turn on is the "Mouse indicator" feature, which allows you to press the "Ctrl" key to show a circle around the mouse pointer to make it easier to find on the screen. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Microsoft is also porting other legacy mouse features to this page, including mouse pointer trails and shadow. 2. Change text cursor appearance Although you wouldn't typically think about the text cursor since it's just a flashing visual indicator that shows where text will be entered or edited on the screen, you can also customize its color and thickness. To change the text cursor appearance, use these steps: Open Settings. Click on Accessibility. Click the "Text cursor" setting. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Turn on the "Text cursor indicator" toggle switch. Select the size of the indicator. Choose the new color scheme for the text indicator. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Quick tip: You can also create a custom color with the "Choose another color" option. Choose how thin or thick the text cursor is using the "Text cursor thickness" slider. Once you complete the steps, the changes will apply to the text cursor. 3. Show live captions from any media Live Captions is a feature that provides real-time transcription of audio into text on your screen. In other words, this means that whether you're watching videos, attending virtual meetings, listening to podcasts, or even playing games, you can see what's being said in text format. To enable Live Captions on Windows 11, use these steps: Open Settings. Click on Accessibility. Click the "Captions" setting. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Turn on the "Live Captions" toggle switch. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Click the "Yes, continue" button (if applicable). Click the Continue button (if applicable). After you complete the steps, you can use the "Windows key + Ctrl + L" keyboard shortcut to control the feature. For example, if you turn the feature on, the system will use the on-device components to generate captions from any content with audio. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) This feature works virtually with any source of audio, including online streaming (such as YouTube), local files, virtual meetings, music, podcasts, and even games. 4. Control your PC with voice commands On Windows 11, you can also control your computer entirely with your voice without a keyboard or mouse. It's built directly into the operating system and can function offline after an initial language file download. As an accessibility feature, it's particularly helpful for individuals with limited mobility or temporary injuries, but anyone can use it for a hands-free experience. Open Settings. Click on Accessibility. Click the "Speech" setting. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Turn on the "Voice Access" toggle switch. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Click the "I agree" button (if applicable). Set up your device's microphone using the Voice Access Guide app. You can click the "Done" button to start using the feature or the "Start guide" button to learn the basics about Voice Access. For example, you can say: "Voice Access wake up" to turn the microphone on to interact with the feature. You can launch and switch between apps, open and close windows, manage your desktop, and perform system tasks like shutting down or restarting your computer. Command examples: "Open File Explorer," "Switch to ," "Close window," "Go to desktop," "Shut down PC." You can also navigate through various elements on your screen, including menus, buttons, links, and folders. Command examples: "Click Start," "Scroll down," "Show numbers" (to display numbers on clickable items), "Click 5" (to select a numbered item), and "Show grid" (to refine mouse pointer placement). Furthermore, you can control the mouse pointer with your voice, allowing for precise clicks, double-clicks, right-clicks, and even drag-and-drop actions. Command examples: "Click," "Right click," "Double-click," "Mouse grid" (to move the mouse to a specific point on a monitor). (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) You can always use the "Help" (?) menu in the Voice Access interface to access the app and view all the commands. You can even create shortcuts for one or multiple actions using the "Voice shortcuts" feature. 5. Convert voice into text with dictation Voice Typing is a feature that allows you to convert your spoken words into text in virtually any text field on your computer. In other words, you can use this feature to dictate emails, documents, messages, search queries, and more, speeding up your writing process and providing an alternative to traditional keyboard typing. To get started with Voice Typing, use these steps: Invoke the "Windows key + H" keyboard shortcut. Click the Microphone button to start dictation. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) After you complete the steps, you can create text from voice on any application with a text field. Optionally, you can open the Voice Typing settings to turn on the option to launch the feature when it detects you're in a text box. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) You can also turn on automatic punctuation and change the microphone source as needed. 6. Show scrollbar on all apps Windows 11 introduced a more minimalist design, including making scrollbars thinner and often hiding them by default until you hover your mouse pointer over the area where they appear or begin scrolling. The idea was to provide a cleaner, less cluttered visual interface, especially on touch-enabled devices. However, this "auto-hide" behavior can be annoying or even slow productivity for many users, which is why Windows 11 provides an option always to show scrollbars. To always show the scrollbar, use these steps: Open Settings. Click on Accessibility. Click the "Visual effects" setting. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Turn on the "Always show scrollbars" toggle switch. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Once you complete the steps, apps like File Explorer and Settings app will always show the scrollbar to improve navigation across the operating system. 7. Control keyboard sensitivity when typing Filter Keys is a feature that allows you to control the sensitivity of the keyboard by setting options to ignore or slow down repeated keystrokes. It's designed to assist individuals with mobility challenges, but you can always use it to improve your typing experience if you find yourself accidentally pressing keys multiple times or have difficulty holding down keys for the correct duration. To change the filter keys settings on Windows 11, use these steps: Open Settings. Click on Accessibility. Click the "Keyboard" setting. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Click on the "Filter keys" setting. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Turn on the "Filter keys" toggle switch. Turn on the "Ignore quick keystrokes (slow keys)" toggle switch. Choose the time in seconds in the "Wait before accepting a keystroke" setting. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Turn on the "Ignore unintended keystrokes (bounce keys)" toggle switch. Choose the time in seconds in the "Wait before accepting repeated keystrokes" setting. Turn on the "Ignore repeated keystrokes (repeated keys)" toggle switch. Choose the time in seconds in the "Wait before accepting the first repeated keystroke" setting. Choose the time in seconds in the "Wait before accepting subsequent repeated keystroke" setting. It's important to adjust and test the settings until you arrive at the best configuration for your needs. Do you regularly use any of the Windows 11 accessibility features to enhance your experience? Let me know in the comments. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Microsoft is rolling out a new Windows 11 Canary Channel build 27871 for Windows Insiders. Today's build contains little, except for Phone Link improvements, energy saver management in Microsoft Intune, and various fixes. With build 27871, IT administrators can now control the energy savings on PCs in Microsoft Intune. Policies can be managed using the Local Group Policy Editor or the Microsoft Intune Admin Center. When enabled, energy saver limits background activity and reduces screen brightness, ensuring that devices consume less power while maintaining optimal performance. Phone Link integration in the Start menu received the same changes that Microsoft introduced earlier this week in the Dev and Beta Channels. Notifications are now appearing grouped on the Phone Link pane in the Start menu, Android users can enable screen mirroring with one click, and iPhone photo memories are now supported. Finally, Microsoft adjusted the "needy state pill" under apps that require your attention. Those pills are now larger and more visible. Fixes in build 27871 include the following: And here are the known bugs: You can find the announcement post on the official Windows Blogs website. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Microsoft, today, has released the newest build to the Windows 11 24H2 Beta channel for Insiders. The new build 26120.4230, under KB5058506, brings Quick machine recovery to the Settings app, Click-to-do improvements, and more. The full releases notes are included below: Below are the changes and improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on to receive updates right away: Click to Do (Preview) The following changes and improvements are rolling out for Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs: For Windows Insiders using French or Spanish as their primary language on their PC, we’re beginning to roll out Rewrite and its options, including Refine, again for Click to Do. Click to Do can now perform intelligent text actions in German, Italian and Portuguese. Phone Link The following improvements for Phone Link and phone companion with the Start menu are rolling out to Windows Insiders across all channels: Instantly see notifications from your mobile device apps — grouped by app for easy catch-up, right from your Start menu. Mirror your Android device’s screen with a single click from your Start menu. Simply click on your device’s icon or access the option from the footer menu to quickly launch device screen mirroring. Your iPhone© memories are now accessible from the Start menu. Windows iCloud app users can see recently synced photos and quickly access their iCloud photos all within the Start menu. Lock screen We have temporarily disabled more widget options on the lock screen and support for lock screen widget personalization that began rolling out to all Windows Insiders in the previous Beta Channel flight to address some issues. We are planning to begin rolling this experience out again very shortly. Settings For Windows Insiders on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs with the new agent experience in Settings, we’ve made some improvements to make the search box at the top of Settings more centered. We’re rolling out a new Device Card for Settings Home for Windows Insiders signed in with their Microsoft account and in the U.S. It provides a quick snapshot of your PC’s key specs and usage, right where you need it. From the card, you can jump directly to the Settings > About page to see more detailed information about your PC. The Device Card may also help guide you toward discovering your next Windows PC – so you can shop with ease and confidence when you’re ready. NOTE: We’ve been previewing the Device Card with Windows Insiders with Settings Home on IT-managed PCs signed in with an Entra ID. Fixes These are the fixes gradually being rolled out in the Beta Channel with the toggle on. Improved Windows Search The following fixes are rolling out for improved Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs: Fixed an underlying crash causing semantic indexing to not work for some Insiders in the last couple flights. Start menu Fixed an issue causing Start menu to crash on launch for some Insiders in the latest flights. File Explorer Fixed an issue where if you opened the “…” menu in the File Explorer address bar to show the full list of folders for the current path, the dropdown might be cut off and the bottom of it inaccessible. Fixed an issue which was causing File Explorer to crash doing various actions in the latest flights, including when deleting files for some Insiders. Fixed an issue where the recommended section in File Explorer wasn’t expanding when using the right arrow key. Fixed an issue which could lead to duplicate access keys in the File Explorer context menu. The following are fixes for AI actions in File Explorer: Fixed the issue where the action result canvas displayed text from left to right for AI actions for Microsoft 365 files when your Windows display language is configured with a right-to-left language. Settings Fixed an underlying issue related to Bluetooth which could cause Settings or Quick Settings to crash on launch for some people. Fixed an issue with Quick Settings where if you clicked the top third of the buttons in the top row, it wouldn’t work. Other Fixed an issue with msftedit.dll which was causing apps like Sticky Notes and Dxdiag to crash in certain cases for people using Hebrew or Arabic display languages. These fixes are rolling out to everyone in the Beta Channel: General We have mitigated the issue where if Virtualization Based Security is enabled, applications dependent on virtualization, such as VMware Workstation, would lose the ability to run unless the “Windows Hypervisor Platform” Windows optional component is installed on the system. Finally there are some Known Issues you should be aware about, which are listed below: Known issues General After you do a PC reset under Settings > System > Recovery, your build version may incorrectly show as Build 26100 instead of Build 26120. This will not prevent you from getting future Beta Channel updates, which will resolve this issue. The option to reset your PC under Settings > System > Recovery will not work on this build. Xbox Controllers Some Insiders are experiencing an issue where using their Xbox Controller via Bluetooth is causing their PC to bugcheck. Here is how to resolve the issue. Open Device Manager by searching for it via the search box on your taskbar. Once Device Manager is open, click on “View” and then “Devices by Driver”. Find the driver named “oemXXX.inf (XboxGameControllerDriver.inf)” where the “XXX” will be a specific number on your PC. Right-click on that driver and click “Uninstall”. Click to Do (Preview) Windows Insiders on AMD or Intel™-powered Copilot+ PCs may experience long wait times on the first attempt to perform intelligent text actions in Click to Do after a new build or model update. Improved Windows Search [REMINDER] For improved Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs, it is recommended that you plug in your Copilot+ PC for the initial search indexing to get completed. You can check your search indexing status under Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows. Taskbar & System Tray In some cases, taskbar icons may appear small even though the setting to show smaller taskbar buttons is configured as “never”. File Explorer The following are known issues for AI actions in File Explorer: Narrator scan mode may not work properly in the action result canvas window for the Summarize AI action for Microsoft 365 files when reading bulleted lists. As a workaround, you can use Caps + Right key to navigate. Widgets Until we complete support for pinning in the new widgets board experience, pinning reverts you back to the previous experience Graphics [NEW] When connecting your PC to some older Dolby Vision displays, in some cases you might see severe discoloration. You can navigate to Settings > System > Display > HDR turn off “Use Dolby Vision mode” as a workaround to resolve the issue or disconnect the display. You can find the official announcement post here. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Microsoft is kicking off this week with a duo of new Windows 11 preview builds. Those in the Dev Channel received build 26200.5622 (KB5058512), which introduces several improvements and new features, including a new way to recover from boot issues, widget improvements, new features for Click to Do, and more. Users with Copilot+ PCs can now try a new Click to Do feature. It lets you click a sentence in an email or any other portion of text on your screen and click "Draft with Copilot in Word" to create a document based on the selected text and your instructions. Note that this feature requires a Microsoft 365 subscription. Also, Click to Do now supports French and Spanish languages for the rewriting tool, and text actions are now available in German, Italian, and Portuguese. Next is the big one. Quick Machine Recovery now has its own section in the Settings app. Announced at Ignite 2024, this feature lets you quickly resolve boot issues by applying fixes and patches within the Windows Recovery Environment. The new page enables you to check and configure the status of QMR. Windows Insiders can try QMR in action with test mode. Windows Widgets now feature multiple boards, allowing you to switch between widget-only view and a mix of widgets and news. Other changes include the following: The "Open with" dialog now displays app recommendations, allowing you to discover more apps that support the selected file. Phone Link now groups notifications in the start menu and lets you initiate screen mirroring (Android-only) with a single click. Connected iPhones can also display memories and recently synced photos. The Settings app now has a better alignment for the search bar on Copilot+ PCs, redesigned dialogs for entering your product key, troubleshooting activation, phone activation, and retail demo to match the Windows 11 visuals. Also, there is now a new Device Card for the Home page where you can see a brief rundown of your PC's specs. Now, here is what was fixed (these fixes are rolling out gradually): The following fixes are rolling out for improved Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs: Fixed an underlying crash causing semantic indexing to not work for some Insiders in the last couple flights. [Start menu] There have been some underlying improvements which should help address the issue where clicking your profile picture wasn’t opening the Account Manager for some Insiders after the latest flights. If you’re continuing to experience issues, please file feedback. Fixed an issue causing Start menu to crash on launch for some Insiders in the latest flights. [File Explorer] Fixed an issue where if you opened the “…” menu in the File Explorer address bar to show the full list of folders for the current path, the dropdown might be cut off and the bottom of it inaccessible. Fixed an issue which was causing File Explorer to crash doing various actions in the latest flights, including when deleting files for some Insiders. Fixed an issue where the recommended section in File Explorer wasn’t expanding when using the right arrow key. Fixed an issue which could lead to duplicate access keys in the File Explorer context menu. The following are fixes for AI actions in File Explorer: Fixed the issue where the action result canvas displayed text from left to right for AI actions for Microsoft 365 files w [Task Manager] Fixed an issue where after adding the new CPU Utility column, you might notice that System Idle Process always showed as 0. Fixed an issue where the CPU graphs in the Performance page were still using the old CPU utility calculations. [Narrator] Fixed an issue where the Describe image feature of narrator wasn’t working. [Voice Access] Fixed an issue where support for more descriptive and flexible language on Copilot+ PCs wasn’t working as expected. [Settings] Fixed an underlying issue related to Bluetooth which could cause Settings or Quick Settings to crash on launch for some people. Fixed an issue with Quick Settings where if you clicked the top third of the buttons in the top row, it wouldn’t work. [Other] Fixed an issue with msftedit.dll which was causing apps like Sticky Notes and Dxdiag to crash in certain cases for people using Hebrew or Arabic display languages. And there is a single fix that is available for everyone in the Dev Channel: [General] We have mitigated the issue where if Virtualization Based Security is enabled, applications dependent on virtualization, such as VMware Workstation, would lose the ability to run unless the “Windows Hypervisor Platform” Windows optional component is installed on the system. Finally, here is the list of known bugs: [General] After you do a PC reset under Settings > System > Recovery, your build version may incorrectly show as Build 26100 instead of Build 26200. This will not prevent you from getting future Dev Channel updates, which will resolve this issue. The option to reset your PC under Settings > System > Recovery will not work on this build. [Xbox Controllers] Some Insiders are experiencing an issue where using their Xbox Controller via Bluetooth is causing their PC to bugcheck. Here is how to resolve the issue. Open Device Manager by searching for it via the search box on your taskbar. Once Device Manager is open, click on “View” and then “Devices by Driver”. Find the driver named “oemXXX.inf (XboxGameControllerDriver.inf)” where the “XXX” will be a specific number on your PC. Right-click on that driver and click “Uninstall”. [Click to Do (Preview)] The following known issues will be fixed in future updates to Windows Insiders: Windows Insiders on AMD or Intel™-powered Copilot+ PCs may experience long wait times on the first attempt to perform intelligent text actions in Click to Do after a new build or model update. [Improved Windows Search] [REMINDER] For improved Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs, it is recommended that you plug in your Copilot+ PC for the initial search indexing to get completed. You can check your search indexing status under Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows. [Taskbar & System Tray] [NEW] In some cases, taskbar icons may appear small even though the setting to show smaller taskbar buttons is configured as “never”. [File Explorer] The following are known issues for AI actions in File Explorer: Narrator scan mode may not work properly in the action result canvas window for the Summarize AI action for Microsoft 365 files when reading bulleted lists. As a workaround, you can use Caps + Right key to navigate. [Widgets] Until we complete support for pinning in the new widgets board experience, pinning reverts you back to the previous experience. [Graphics] [NEW] When connecting your PC to some older Dolby Vision displays, in some cases you might see severe discoloration. You can navigate to Settings > System > Display > HDR turn off “Use Dolby Vision mode” as a workaround to resolve the issue or disconnect the display. You can find the announcement post on the official Windows Blogs website. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

The results of Valve's Hardware & Software Survey for May 2025 are here, showing the continuous increase of Windows 11's market share among gamers. Last month, Windows 11 gained 0.46 points and reached a new all-time high of 58.3%. Microsoft's latest operating system has outpaced Windows 10 for several months, and the latter now lags behind with 37%. In one month, Windows 10 lost 1.09 points as it gets closer to the end of support in October 2025. Despite its age and unsupported status, Windows 7 still has enough users to show up on Valve's stat gauges. 0.10% of all Windows users who participated in the survey in May reported using Windows 7, even though Steam no longer receives updates on the operating system. While it still works, Windows 7 users could lose access to their libraries at any moment. The worst part is that now, with the free upgrade path from Windows 7 to Windows 10 closed, the only way is to purchase a new computer or a Windows 10 key. Overall, Windows holds an overwhelming 95.45% of all Steam users (-0.65 points). Linux is second with 2.69% (+0.42 points), and macOS is third with 1.85% (+0.23%). While no one expects Linux to bite off a significant portion of Windows' pie any time soon, if ever, there is a growing discontent with the quality of gaming experience on Windows compared to Linux, especially on handheld devices. A recent report revealed that Microsoft even hit the pause button on its handheld console to make Windows gaming better. On the hardware side, the most popular PC configuration has 16GB of RAM (43%), a 6-core CPU (29.79%), an Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card (4.56%), 8GB of VRAM (33.67%), and a 1080p monitor (55.35%). On the GPU side, Nvidia has a whopping 74.18% share, while AMD has 17.62%, and Intel is third with 7.85%. AMD does better on the processor side, though. While Intel still trumps its rival with a 59.69% share, AMD is pretty close with a 40.31% share. You can find more stats on the official Steam Hardware and Software Survey here. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Although Windows 11 is becoming more popular among gamers, its worldwide growth stalled a bit last month. Statcounter reports that the system's global market share dropped from 47.32% to 43.23% in one month. While the drop is not a big one, it is still a notable slowdown compared with previous months. Windows 10 is still the most popular Windows version worldwide. Last month, its market share increased proportionally to Windows 11's decline. Now, it sits at 53.19% (+0.25 points). In its home country, the United States, Windows 11 is the most popular version, but in May 2025, it lost a notable chunk of users, going down from 56.36% to 52.94%. It's a similar picturen Canada, where Windows 11 holds 50.65%, a -2.05 points decrease. In the United Kingdom, however, Windows 11 climbed to a new all-time high of 57.12% (+1.43 points). Other Windows versions, which are no longer supported, remain at the bottom of the chart, with Windows 7 having 2.48% (+0.02 points), Windows XP at 0.54% (+0.16 points), and Windows 8.1 at 0.29% (+0.01 point). Statcounter's data is not 100% accurate, considering the methodology this service uses (probably only Microsoft can tell the exact figures, but it would not do that). Therefore, some fluctuations and inaccuracies are possible. Still, the data shows the overall market trend and the results of Microsoft's efforts to switch users from the outgoing Windows 10 to Windows 11. For example, during the last 12 months, Windows 11 has climbed from 26.19% to 43.23%, which is a 17.04 percentage point increase. As we get closer to October 2025 and the end of Windows 10 support, Windows 11 will pick up its pace and soon become the most popular desktop operating system worldwide. However, Windows 10 is expected to repeat the Windows 7 story. The aging operating system will stick around for a while, with Microsoft and third-party companies offering additional update solutions for those who are not ready to move on. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Microsoft's new mandate forces all USB-C ports in new Windows laptops to support displays, charging, and data. USB-C ports are the most common physical connection on modern Windows laptops, but that doesn't mean the ports all perform at the same level. USB-C is made up of several different standards, with the most recent being USB4. And in that case, USB4 also has a couple of performance tiers to contend with. Despite reviewing and using many different laptops every month, I often get confused about the specific capabilities of a particular USB port. So, how does a regular user expect to avoid confusion? Microsoft has recognized the issue and plans to fix it with a new initiative. Microsoft is 'ending USB-C port confusion' A look at two USB-C ports on HP's OmniBook X 14. Can you tell me which standard they support just by looking at them? (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central) The USB-C naming schemes and standards remain a big problem for PC users in 2025. According to a recent Microsoft Blog post written by Senior Product Manager Ugan S., 27% of Windows PCs with a USB4 port have received a dreaded limited functionality notification. If you see this pop up when connecting a peripheral, it means your USB-C port lacks a certain feature to properly run the accessory. It usually occurs when connecting a display. The problem boils down to USB-C's inequality. Many laptop makers slap a USB-C port or two onto a PC without divulging much more information beyond its numbered standard, and even then, it's difficult to tell its true capabilities. Microsoft shares a theoretical scenario that is undoubtedly quite common around the world: So, how does Microsoft plan to fix the problem? The solution arrives with an updated Windows 11 Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP). Going forward, laptops that ship with Windows 11 24H2 on board will have WHCP certification. According to Microsoft, certification comes with "two firm promises of USB-C on Windows 11." USB data, charging, and display support will work on ALL USB-C ports. No more confusion when using older USB peripherals. They'll "just work." USB4 ports with 40Gbps performance will be fully compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 peripherals. Any USB4 or TB3 peripheral will "work every time on every port." These promises come with several minimum capabilities for each USB-C version. The Microsoft blog post has a neat little table that lays them out. Microsoft lays out minimum USB-C capabilities found in WHCP-compliant Windows PCs. (Image credit: Microsoft) The enforcement of these minimums through the WHCP qualification system leads to several conclusions. Most importantly, you'll be able to trust that your USB devices will work without issue, thanks to Microsoft's new requirement of USB-IF certified silicon inside the laptop. Every USB-C port on a certified PC now requires USB Power Delivery capabilities so that there's no inconsistency with what can charge and what cannot. Next up is external display support; DisplayPort Alt Mode is now required for all USB-C ports. Ports are required to be VESA certified, so you can expect to plug in a screen without issue. And finally, a Microsoft driver stack requirement ensures that your PC is always getting the latest USB driver updates to keep everything running smoothly. What about USB4's 40Gbps and 80Gbps standards? Accessories like the Razer USB4 Dock don't require Intel's Thunderbolt branding to deliver awesome performance. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy) USB4 is the latest version that uses the physical USB-C connector, and to add further confusion, it comes in a couple of performance tiers. There are 40Gbps and 80Gbps bandwidth options that PC makers can use, and until recently, they weren't exactly advertised separately. That was an issue due to their massive gap in capabilities. While the USB-IF has added some extra guidelines for naming USB4 performance tiers separately, Microsoft is taking things a step further. USB4 40Gbps connections in new Windows laptops will now require full compatibility with USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 accessories. If your laptop is advertised as having a USB port with 40Gbps performance, you can expect it to be able to sustain that speed. Beyond that, WHCP certification covers 80Gbps USB4 ports, requiring them to offer 80Gbps transfer speeds in both directions, as well as an asymmetric 120Gbps / 40Gbps mode made especially for high-res external display. That puts it in line with Thunderbolt 5, which is Intel's branded and licensed take on USB4 v2. The new WHCP certification for USB-C connectivity will only be found on new laptops that ship with Windows 11 version 24H2. It will be enforced with its Hardware Lab Kit, which pulls in user feedback and telemetry, automated test cases, and validation led by OEMs. It's expected that this program will receive updates with every major Windows 11 release. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Microsoft, sometime in March earlier this year, quietly updated the Windows 11 minimum system requirements page. With the update, the company has tried to clarify the processor requirements that users need to look out for if they are eyeing a Copilot+ PC. After all, Microsoft does officially recommend buying a new system, and especially its Copilot+ AI PCs for the best Windows experience, and For those who may not be in the loop with some of the recent developments, Microsoft has a new range of Windows PCs dubbed "Copilot+ PCs" that are more geared towards processing AI tasks. Windows 11 24H2 is packed with several AI features which were initially limited to only Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips but now Intel and AMD systems have them too; and the list of features keeps growing with new additions at regular intervals. While the baseline Windows 11 requirements have not changed from what they were originally, Microsoft has published a new set of requirements specifically for Copilot+ PCs. Last year, the company made it clear that for a system to qualify as a Copilot+ AI PC, it needed to deliver more than 40 NPU TOPS (trillion operations per second). The NPU is essentially a dedicated AI neural processor meant to hardware-accelerate AI and ML tasks and Microsoft thinks Windows 11 24H2 is too hard for a system without this kind of power. Aside from the NPU TOPS requirement, Microsoft has also raised the RAM requirement for its AI PCs to a minimum of 16 GB and has made 256 GB of fast storage like SSD or UFS mandatory. In the recently updated minimum requirements page for Windows 11, Microsoft also added helpful links to the processors from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, respectively, that are Copilot+ PC-ready. The previous version of the page read: "Copilot+ PCs are a class of Windows 11 devices that are powered by a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of performing 40+ trillion operations per second (TOPS). An NPU is a specialised computer chip for AI-intensive processes like real-time translations and image generation." For most scenarios, customers will need to acquire new hardware to run Copilot+ PCs experiences. In addition to the above minimum system requirements for Windows 11, hardware for Copilot+ PCs must include the following: Processor: A compatible processor or System on a Chip (SoC). This currently includes the Snapdragon® X Plus and the Snapdragon® X Elite. We will update this list periodically as more options become available. RAM: 16 GB DDR5/LPDDR5 Storage: 256 GB SSD/UFS" The updated page now says: "Copilot+ PCs are a new class of Windows 11 AI PCs that are powered by a turbocharged neural processing unit (NPU)—a specialised computer chip for AI-intensive processes like real-time translations and image generation— that can perform more than 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS)." To run unique Copilot+ PC experiences, customers will need to acquire new hardware. In addition to the minimum system requirements for Windows 11, Copilot+ PCs must include the following: Processor: A compatible processor or System on a Chip (SoC) with an NPU capable of performing 40+ TOPS. This currently includes: AMD Ryzen™ AI 300 series Intel® Core™ Ultra 200V series Snapdragon® X series RAM: 16 GB DDR5/LPDDR5 Storage: 256 GB SSD/UFS The change should be a helpful one though it would have been even better had Microsoft begun maintaining separate support pages for the list of compatible Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm chips, similar to what it does for the general OS CPU requirements. The last meaningful update for that was made in February this year. The new addition of CPUs and links is not the only helpful requirement-related change Microsoft has made lately. The company also made a big update regarding USB-C in order to improve and boost Windows 11 support for the protocol. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

I'm reasonably proficient at building and maintaining a Windows 11 PC, but the past week has pushed me to the brink of insanity. It's certainly been a week for me. My PC woes began almost immediately after trying to make DOOM: The Dark Ages work at all, then work without crashing. The end result was a PC that would not boot. The first warning sign that something was wrong was when the Windows 11 Start Menu wouldn't open, an inconvenience to shutting down said PC. But the following morning it wouldn't boot at all, and through everything I spent about 5 days on and off trying various tactics to get back up and running, and running stable. In that time, so I could actually get some work done, I reached for my (not that) old trusty Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook. Once again, with a newfound appreciation for the simplicity of ChromeOS in a world where Windows 11 is full of potential pain points. A week where my PC nearly beat me Issues relating to NVIDIA RTX graphics drivers kicked off my week of torture. (Image credit: Windows Central | Ben Wilson) I'm not going to go through every single point step by step; nobody wants to read that. But I can trace it all back to fudging around with NVIDIA drivers to get DOOM: The Dark Ages to play nicely on my system powered by an Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA RTX 5080. Issues with the drivers and the RTX 50 Series were documented, but I must have tried at least three older drivers, and then the latest update after the one with issues, but none could stop DOOM from crashing on my PC. What followed was total annihilation, the MIA Start Menu followed by a refusal to boot. My boot SSD is in good health, so it wasn't that dying that was at fault. As I had only a USB handy with a Linux installer on, I figured at least for now I'd toss that on so I could finish the work week. It worked to an extent, but even now that NVIDIA drivers on Linux are better, I was experiencing crashes in games and even on the desktop. And any touching of the drivers seemed to break things entirely. Good old RTX 50 series, it seems(?) So I dug out a Windows laptop, built a USB installer, and tried and failed multiple times to even get it to install at all. So I gave up and started using my Chromebook so I could get something done. Too many points of complication Windows 11 has a lot of good stuff. But it's undeniable how complicated it can be at times. (Image credit: Future) Right from the beginning, it looks like my USB stick, which I chose to install Windows 11, wasn't formatted correctly. It took multiple failed attempts and some top-level Googling to figure out that unless I formatted it as exFAT, it wouldn't work. Was this a secret change or just something I've been lucky with in the past? In case you wondered, exFAT is not the default option when you . This is but one example of complications in installing and using Windows that aren't obvious and can cause significant problems. What followed, though, were multiple days of reinstalling Windows in the hopes of having a stable experience. Each minute, I would get an error saying the Recycle Bin has been corrupted. Every fresh boot, I couldn't save files to my Downloads folder or write to my Steam library. Why? For some reason, every directory had been set to read-only permissions. I've never seen that one before. What seems to have worked in the end is completely nuking both SSDs in my PC, setting up fresh partitions, and accepting all the telemetry, all the stuff Microsoft wants you to enable, but that you don't necessarily want to. Literally making it as close to something I just pulled out of a box as I could. Why did I do that? Some helpful tips on the Internet suggested that they've seen issues with some aspects of Windows when opting out of telemetry. Others warned against using debloat tools (which, full disclosure, I did as I have always done on my first attempt) because stuff will break. Between all of this, all the drivers you have to install, all the potential points of failure, it's a lot. It really puts into perspective just how massive, bloated, and potentially complicated Windows 11 can be. There is a huge market for Chromebooks that are potentially using the wrong OS right now Even gamers aren't left out on a Chromebook these days. (Image credit: Windows Central) Despite Windows 11 being my main platform (partly because of my job, partly for gaming), I've always made sure I use others. I'm a firm believer in understanding the competition and what else is out there. But I also still use a Chromebook anytime I leave the house with a laptop because I enjoy using one. It's a perfect antidote to the last week of cursing and installing Windows 11 (and Linux) more times than any sane person should have to. It has hooks into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem now, with the Office suite of web apps and integration of OneDrive into the ChromeOS Files app. It's still based on the most used web browser on the planet, you can game on it through Steam or the cloud, and Google even has some AI tidbits if you just have to have them. But most of all, using a Chromebook is simple. So many apps now have web clients, including Photoshop. You can edit videos using something like Microsoft Clipchamp. The Play Store will even offer developers the opportunity to Chromebook-optimize versions of their Android apps. ChromeOS can now integrate seamlessly with Microsoft 365 (Image credit: Windows Central) If you need something not on Android or the web, you can fire up the Linux environment. However, it's mostly the simplicity that draws me to ChromeOS. Updates are regular and fast to install. If something does go wrong, it takes mere minutes to reset and be back with all your stuff synced to your machine again. But there's not a lot to go wrong in the first place. I wish beyond all else that Microsoft had a real competitor. A stripped-back version of Windows for the hundreds of millions of more casual users out there. Hell, we're crying out for a lighter version of Windows to run on gaming handhelds as it is. I'm not getting rid of my Windows 11 PC, but even more so, I won't be getting rid of my Chromebook. It's the backup that I now have a greater appreciation for. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Earlier this month, we reported on a couple of big changes Microsoft is bringing regarding Windows hardware testing. First, the tech giant deprecated Windows Device metadata and the Windows Metadata and Internet Services (WMIS) on the latest OS version of Windows 11. First, Microsoft also published an updated HLK or hardware lab kit release with many new validation tests related to Bluetooth LE Audio, among other improvements. LE Audio received official Windows requirements earlier this year in February. Under the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP), HLK, as mentioned above, is used to test and validate various hardware and their corresponding drivers and software to ensure Windows compatibility so that all the features of such hardware will work as intended. Unfortunately, in this area, USB-C support has not been the greatest, and Microsoft knows it. As such, today, Microsoft has published a detailed blog post explaining why that is changing soon. The company has stated that it will try and enforce the various optional USB-C functionalities into mandatory ones so that users will not have to wonder and guess which of the USB-C features will work on their PC. Microsoft says that this applies to mobile (laptop and notebook) systems only, at least for the moment. This looks like a great initiative by Microsoft given that it is not often clearly defined which PC supports which of the features and thus with a mandatory baseline for the various USB-C functionalities, laptop makers and OEMs will be forced to make all such features available and make like easier for consumers. The company had earlier published a support article regarding "USB4 device functionality might be limited" problems that users face. As you can see in the image above, Microsoft has published a new set of requirements for Windows 11 USB4 and USB 3.0 devices to make the support for the following functions compulsory alongside their rated throughputs: USB4 15 watts or higher charging Dual 4K 60 Hz display support PCIe 3.0 Intel Thunderbolt 3 USB 3.0 4.5 to 15 watts charging 1x display support You can find the official blog post here on Microsoft's Tech Community website. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Windows 11 used to have two stock text editors: Notepad for the most basic text edits and WordPad, a more feature-rich text editor with extra capabilities like RTF support, text formatting, and more. Now, with WordPad being six feet under, Microsoft is bringing parts of WordPad to Notepad, making the stock text editor in Windows 11 more versatile and capable. Today, Microsoft released a new update for Notepad for Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary Channels (no new preview builds this week, sadly). Version 11.2504.50.0 introduces basic text formatting tools, allowing you to insert headers, bullet lists, links, and format text with bold or italics. Also, Notepad now supports Markdown for those who prefer a markup language in their text documents. You can switch between formatted Markdown and Markdown syntax on the View tab or by clicking the button on the status bar at the bottom of the window. Here is what Notepad with text formatting and the new toolbar looks like in version 11.2504.50.0: Microsoft knows that not all users want text formatting in Notepad (many wish for a simple, bullet-proof Notepad like the one from the Windows 7 era), so it also introduced a clear formatting button on the toolbar. Press Ctrl + A to select everything and click the corresponding button to clear text from any formatting. If that is not enough, go to the Settings section and turn off text formatting completely. As usual, Microsoft urges users to share their thoughts and ideas about new features in the Feedback Hub. You can send your feedback about Notepad by pressing Win + F and heading to Apps > Notepad. Microsoft has been quite busy adding new features to Notepad, an app that used to be a bare-bones text editor. The company is currently testing AI-powered capabilities like text summarization and text generation. You can learn more about those features in our dedicated article. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

In November 2024, Microsoft announced Edge Game Assist, a special browser built into Windows 11's Game Bar. The goal was to give gamers a more convenient way to browse the internet when playing games and eliminate the need to Alt + Tab just to check something on the internet. Now, Microsoft Edge Game Assist is out of beta and publicly available. With Microsoft Edge Game Assist, you can forget about alt-tabbing out of your game, which, in some cases, takes a lot of time and even causes issues with your game. Instead, hit Win + G to bring up the Game Bar, a gaming overlay with various useful features, and open Edge Game Assist while keeping the game running as usual. Microsoft Edge Game Assist is part of the Edge browser, so it is fully compatible with the modern internet and offers some of its existing features, plus some gaming-focused stuff like tips and guides (it can detect what game you are playing and suggest relevant content) and quick access to Discord, Spotify, or Twitch. Game Assist also lets you have separate tabs from the main browser, keeping gaming-related tabs away from work and personal browsing. During the testing period, Microsoft added support for over 80 various games (Game Assist works with any game, but it offers extra features for optimized and supported titles), keyboard shortcut support, a new Paste Game Title feature (the browser automatically pastes the name of the game when you open it), access to favorites, history, and extensions. However, there are still some limitations. At the moment, Game Assist is optimized for mouse and keyboard users, but Microsoft says it is working on "refining" controller support in future updates. You can read more about Microsoft Edge Game Assist here. The full list of supported games is available here. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Windows Update orchestration platform will deliver a unified experience for app and driver updates. Microsoft announced the "unified future for app updates on Windows" this week. The tech giant created the Windows Update orchestration platform to bring together app updates and other updates on your PC. At the moment, apps, drivers, and other components are updated separately using different methods. This fragmented approach creates more work for IT admins and anyone who manages devices. The current setup can also cause CPU usage spikes and other issues, which Microsoft outlines in a recent blog post. "Updates across the Windows ecosystem can feel like a fragmented experience for IT admins managing applications that have their own update orchestrators (e.g., line of business) and commercial management tools that handle their own download, install, restart, and notifications today," said Microsoft. "To solve this, we're building a vision for a unified, intelligent update orchestration platform capable of supporting any update (apps, drivers, etc.) to be orchestrated alongside Windows updates." The newly announced Windows Update orchestration platform makes it possible to have app updates run through Windows Update. The platform is now in private preview. Windows Update currently handles updates to Windows 11, some OEM updates, and certain drivers. The Windows Update orchestration platform will result in a more unified update experience for apps and drivers. The Windows Update orchestration platform also benefits developers by enabling change logs to appear directly within Windows Update. Microsoft detailed that the new setup also allows for eco-efficient scheduling, a simplified notification experience, and admin policy support for deadlines. Microsoft Store failings The Microsoft Store manages app updates and uses Windows Update on its back end. (Image credit: Future) A centralized method for app updates managed by Microsoft — hasn’t that been around for a while? The Windows Update orchestration platform looks like a genuinely useful tool for IT admins and businesses. It also highlights that Microsoft cannot convince developers to embrace the Microsoft Store. The Microsoft Store uses Windows Update on its back end and has been around for well over a decade. These facts were also pointed out by Legacy Update on Bluesky. Admittedly, using the Microsoft Store to manage updates has had limits, but even those have gotten looser over the years. Late in 2024, Microsoft started testing the option to have the Microsoft Store's update system work with apps that are not hosted on the Microsoft Store's servers. That change affected "provided and updated apps," which are listed in the Microsoft Store but sourced from the server of the app's developer. The update turned the Microsoft Store into a "one-stop shop for all app updates on your system," as explained by our Senior Editor Zac Bowden. But it still requires apps to be within the Microsoft Store. The Windows Update orchestration platform provides a unified experience and works with apps and components not available through the Microsoft Store. Between improvements to the Microsoft Store, the release of Windows Package Manager, and the upcoming Windows Update orchestration platform, there is a collection of tools to get apps onto PCs. That's great for IT admins and consumers. It just feels like some of Microsoft's efforts are only needed because the tech giant cannot convince developers to embrace the Microsoft Store. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Earlier this month, we wrote a news piece about Windows 11 KB5058411 installations failing with various error codes. The KB update was released for Windows 11 24H2 PCs and we noted how the company's support guide for such error codes proved helpless in such a situation. Microsoft has not released official word on the 24H2 issues. However, the tech giant confirmed today similar installation-related problems regarding Windows 11 22H2/23H2 KB5058405, which was released simultaneously with KB5058411 as part of the May 2025 Patch Tuesday. The company notes that affected users will find that they will run into a "0xc0000098" hex error code in Windows recovery after the update fails to install. The error also reveals that the issue is related to a corrupt Windows ACPI.sys system driver. The ACPI or Advanced Configuration and Power Interface is part of the processor power management that helps control various power states (P-states and C-states) on Windows, meant to run a CPU efficiently. Microsoft says that you may see the following error during recovery: Your PC/Device needs to be repaired The operating system couldn't be loaded because a required file is missing or contains errors. File: ACPI.sys Error code: 0xc0000098 Aside from the error confirmed by the Redmond giant itself, users online are running into other issues too, like one with "0x8007007e" code (via Reddit). Once again, Microsoft's guide does not help. About the documented 0xc0000098 failure issues, Microsoft adds that home users are unlikely to run into such issues. The company has added that the problem is seen "primarily on devices running in virtual environments" like Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Virtual Desktops, and On-premises virtual machines hosted on Citrix or Hyper-V. The issue is currently being investigated and thus no workaround as of such has been provided. You can find the issue here on Microsoft's official Windows health dashboard website. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Windows Insiders with PCs enrolled in the Canary Channel of the Insider program can download build 27868. Today's update is not very big, but it still has some notable improvements and fixes, such as a reworked Voice Access in-product experience. Microsoft will use the latter to announce new features and enhancements, helping users to discover and learn about the latest changes for these important accessibility features. Microsoft also fixed a bug that caused pen input to stop responding on some PCs and another one that caused some apps like Spotify to fail at launch or when installing from the Microsoft Store (error 0xc80070032). Also, developers resolved system crashes with the SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED message and Group Policy Editor not rendering correctly on systems with certain languages like Chinese. That is pretty much everything that build 27868 has to offer. Before you update, mind the following known bugs: [General] [IMPORTANT NOTE FOR COPILOT+ PCs] If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose Windows Hello pin and biometrics to sign into your PC with error 0xd0000225 and error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available”. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN”. You may see an Administrative Templates error message when opening Group Policy Editor. If you click OK you should be able to proceed as normal. We’re investigating an issue where the taskbar is unexpectedly not showing acrylic material after upgrading to this build. We’re working on the fix for an issue where audio devices with high sampling (like 192Hz) and multiple channels aren’t producing sound after upgrading to this build. Thanks Insiders that provided detailed information in your feedback! [NEW] When Virtualization Based Security is enabled, applications dependent on virtualization, such as VMware Workstation, lose the ability to run unless the “Windows Hypervisor Platform” Windows optional component is installed on the system. Previously, installing the optional component was not required. [Task Manager] Search and other options, such as filtering in Task Manager, do not work. You can find the announcement post on the official Windows Blogs website. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

One day after releasing May 2025 non-security updates for Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2, Microsoft is updating the latest version, 24H2. KB5058499, with build number 26100.4202, is now available for download, and its changelog contains many new features and improvements. Today's update brings some updates to Click to Do. It now offers text actions on AMD and Intel-powered systems and a new "Ask Copilot" action. Also, Click to Do is now available in the European Economic Area with support for Spanish and French. If you use Click to Do often, you can now assign it to your stylus' shortcut button. Copilot improvements include the ability to personalize the Win + C shortcut and the Copilot key, and hold those buttons to talk to Copilot. Windows Search now lets you find various settings using natural language on Copilot+ PCs, and Narrator can generate detailed image descriptions (again, only on Copilot+ PCs). KB5058499 introduces some Settings improvements. The operating system now allows you to stream HDR video even when HDR is turned off and to toggle Dolby Vision independently of HDR. The System > About section now features an FAQ section about your PC's specs. The printer rename UI now matches the rest of Windows 11's visuals, and more mouse settings made their way from the Control Panel to the Settings app (Accessibility > Mouse > Mouse pointer and touch). Here is the list of what was fixed (gradual rollout): [Audio] Fixed: The startup sound might not play on boot, although it is enabled. [Bluetooth] Fixed: Settings might stop responding when loading information about Bluetooth devices. [Camera] Fixed: Settings might stop working when interacting with content under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Cameras. [Display] Fixed: Unexpected changes to screen size and window position might occur after waking from sleep for some devices. [File Explorer] Fixed: If you have disconnected network drives while conducting a search from Home, it might prevent searches from executing and you remain on Home. [Input] Fixed: Voice typing won't start from the touch keyboard when using the Chinese (Simplified) narrow layout. Fixed: When using the Symbols section of the touch keyboard, pressing the key to change pages might unexpectedly insert a character into password fields. Fixed: Typing in some apps might stop working after disconnecting from a remote desktop session. [JPG] Fixed: When using CopyPixels the pixels may be unexpectedly inverted in certain cases. [Microsoft Management Console (MMC)] Fixed: Improved the colors used in MMC when items are selected, both generally, and when contrast modes are enabled. [Print] Fixed: Non-admin users can't uninstall printers that they’ve added. [UHF Tuning] Fixed: Tuning scan for UHF channels doesn’t work, and only VHF channels are returned. [USB] Fixed: Certain USB devices might become disconnected after sleep, until you reboot your PC. [Windows Hello] Fixed: When using Windows Hello for Business facial recognition, the camera might unexpectedly stop working after your PC wakes from sleep, blocking login using this method. The following fixes are rolling out "normally": [BitLocker] Fixed: This update addresses an issue where devices with BitLocker on removable drives could encounter a blue screen error after resuming from sleep or hybrid-booting. [Boot menu screens] Fixed: This update addresses the issue where early boot screens, such as BitLocker PIN, BitLocker Recovery key, and boot menu screens, render slowly. [Graphics kernel] Fixed: An issue where some game titles become unresponsive after upgrading to 24H2. [Memory leak] Fixed: This update addresses an issue in the Input Service that causes increased memory usage, potentially impacting performance in multi-user, multi-lingual, and remote desktop usage. [Multimedia] Fixed: If you turn on multi-app mode or basic camera mode in advanced camera settings, the Windows Hello Face Enrollment might not work and show a bad camera preview. [Network] Fixed: This update addresses an issue where Windows Server 2025 always shows the network as "public" on new domain controllers. It now checks for a domain controller name before using loopback addresses to ensure proper Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) binding. Known issues only include one bug that causes Noto fonts to appear blurry in Chromium-based browsers on systems with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean localizations. You can download KB5058499 from Windows Update. The release is optional, so you need to click "Download and install manually." Alternatively, get the update from the Microsoft Update Catalog. The complete changelog is available here. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

It is the last Tuesday of the month, which means it's time for another C-release or non-security preview optional update. The new update is out for Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 as the March non-security preview update under KB5058502 and builds 22621.5413 and 22631.5413. The new release brings improvements for the Settings app with a new FAQ page related to system information. Aside from this, Widgets on the Lock screen have also received new customization options. Speaking of more customization, Taskbar app pinning has also improved with new options for Admins. Copilot key customization is here, too. The full release notes are given below: [Copilot] New! You can open Copilot on Windows with Win + C. You can personalize your Copilot key and Win + C experience at any time with the existing “Customize Copilot key on keyboard” under Settings > Personalization > Text input. For Enterprise users, see Updated Windows and Microsoft 365 Coplot Chat experience. New! To start Press to talk with Copilot on Windows, hold the Copilot key—or Win + C if your keyboard doesn’t have one—for two seconds. Press Esc or stay silent for a few seconds to end the call. Use Alt + Spacebar to talk with Copilot on Windows. You can interact with Copilot using your voice and receive instant responses while continuing your tasks. [Search on Taskbar] Improved support for web search providers in Windows Search for the European Economic Area (EEA), including with increased discoverability. [Settings] New! Find answers to commonly asked questions about your PC and Windows 11 in the new FAQs section under Settings > System > About page. It covers topics like system setup, performance, and compatibility—all in one place. [Taskbar] New! Admins can configure taskbar policies so users can unpin specific apps, ensuring they are not repinned during the next policy refresh. To turn on this feature, use the new PinGeneration option. [Widgets] New! There are some new updates to the new Widgets on Lock experience for devices in the EEA. In addition to accessibility and craftsmanship improvements, the Lock screen weather widget now supports customization. To configure your weather widget, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and select the “Customize widget” option from the weather widget more options menu. More widgets will be customizable in the future. [Windows Share] New! When you drag a local file from File Explorer or your desktop, a tray appears at the top of your screen. Drop the file into a suggested app or select More to open the Windows share window. [Input] Fixed: Voice typing won't start from the touch keyboard when using the Chinese (Simplified) narrow layout. When using the Symbols section of the touch keyboard, pressing the key to change pages might unexpectedly insert a character into password fields. [Voice access] Fixed: Voice access might stop responding with error “working on it” when dictating. Microsoft notes one known issue for the release wherein Noto fonts are broken on systems with certain languages. To download the optional update, head over to Windows Settings > Update & Security and select Check for Updates, and it should be available for download in the Optional Updates area. Alternatively, manual downloading can also be done from the Microsoft Update Catalog website here. The official support article can be viewed here on Microsoft's official website. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Windows 11 will soon let you personalize your lock screen to a greater extent. Microsoft is currently testing an option that allows users to pick which widgets will be displayed when the computer is locked. In its current state, Windows 11's only option to customize the widgets experience is "Weather and more", which displays the weather info, some random news headlines, a stocks widget, and a couple of other widgets. The only other choice that users have is to disable the experience completely, which is what many users do, because they do not like the default widgets or the content that they display. This is changing, Microsoft has announced a new Lock Screen experience for testers that will allow you to select what widgets appear on the screen. In order to do this, you will need to change some options under the Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. Essentially, you can choose to add new widgets, or remove existing widgets to declutter the lock screen, That's not all that's changing, Windows 11 also lets you rearrange the widgets. Microsoft says that these options will be available for the following widgets: Weather, Watchlist, Sports, Traffic, and more. The official announcement says that "Any widget that supports the small sizing option can be added here.", which likely means that third-party widgets will be supported. While we are on the topic of Widgets, Microsoft is also making a change to the Widgets board that you can access from the Windows 11 Taskbar. This panel now supports multiple dashboards, to allow users to add as many widgets as they want. The widgets board has a new navigation bar on the left, using which you can switch between multiple boards. The changes to the lock screen widgets experience is currently rolling out to users in the Windows Insider Program, and have opted in to the Beta channel. It won't be long before these features make their way to the stable release of Windows 11. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Earlier this year, in March, we covered an interesting Microsoft recommendation for new Windows 11 PCs. The company highlighted how its Smart App Control feature can keep PCs more secure. However, we noted that the feature is only available with clean installations. For those wondering, Microsoft debuted Smart App Control (SAC) with the release of Windows 11 version 22H2 in September 2022. And in a new article, Microsoft has shared several advantages of it over traditional antivirus software. One of those, according to Microsoft, is the inherent advantage Smart App Control offers in terms of performance over the typical AV application. The tech giant explains how constant background scanning by the latter can bog down devices. Microsoft writes: The company says this is so because Smart App Control is a proactive antimalware solution rather than being reactive like a traditional AV. Thus the benefit is twofold according to Microsoft. Not only do users get better performance and a snappier system, but SAC can also neutralize new threats based on suspicious behavior that it can pick up based on its past machine learning and cloud data. It writes: Irrespective of what Microsoft says though, there are reports from time to time about SAC impacting performance too due to bugs that do pop up sometimes, as this Broadcom support article points out. Curiously, Broadcom also highlights that the Redmond giant provided "no specific guidelines on how to address/remediate such scenarios." The discussion is quite relevant given that the majority seem to still feel older Windows editions like Windows 8.1/8 are ahead performance-wise, despite being relatively modern in terms of UI/UX and feature-set. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 build for Insiders flighting the Beta Channel. The latest build, 26120.4161 KB5058515, is introducing some new features and improvements. First, the company is working on a new "Draft with Copilot in Word" Click to Do option. Essentially, Copilot will do the brainstorming for you when you are trying to quickly draft something up. Microsoft says it will begin rolling out "over the course of the coming weeks," but it will not be free and will require a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription. With the latest build, Microsoft is also improving Widgets, which will now have multiple dashboards. If you don't like them already, this change will not change your mind; however, those who find widgets helpful and useful will likely enjoy the new additional boards. In addition, more options for the lock screen are also rolling out so that users can have more control over what widgets appear there. The new migration app that we reported on recently is also landing with this build. You can read this article to learn some of the details. The activation dialog box for the Windows 11 product key is finally getting the Windows 11 visual style treatment to improve the consistency of the UI. Microsoft has made changes like these in the past, but they were not quite up to the overall aesthetics of the OS. Finally, a new "Open with" dialog is being tested that will recommend Microsoft Store apps when you try opening a file. Aside from these new feature additions, Microsoft is also making several subtle improvements across many of the other elements, such as an inconvenience with Account Manager sign-in, Task Manager CPU reading issues, and more. The known issues are given below: [General] After you do a PC reset under Settings > System > Recovery, your build version may incorrectly show as Build 26100 instead of Build 26120. This will not prevent you from getting future Beta Channel updates, which will resolve this issue. The option to reset your PC under Settings > System > Recovery will not work on this build. [NEW] Starting in the last flight, when Virtualization Based Security is enabled, applications dependent on virtualization, such as VMware Workstation, lose the ability to run unless the “Windows Hypervisor Platform” Windows optional component is installed on the system. Previously, installing the optional component was not required. [Xbox Controllers] Some Insiders are experiencing an issue where using their Xbox Controller via Bluetooth is causing their PC to bugcheck. Here is how to resolve the issue. Open Device Manager by searching for it via the search box on your taskbar. Once Device Manager is open, click on “View” and then “Devices by Driver”. Find the driver named “oemXXX.inf (XboxGameControllerDriver.inf)” where the “XXX” will be a specific number on your PC. Right-click on that driver and click “Uninstall”. [Click to Do (Preview)] The following known issues will be fixed in future updates to Windows Insiders: Windows Insiders on AMD or Intel™-powered Copilot+ PCs may experience long wait times on the first attempt to perform intelligent text actions in Click to Do after a new build or model update. [Improved Windows Search] [REMINDER] For improved Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs, it is recommended that you plug in your Copilot+ PC for the initial search indexing to get completed. You can check your search indexing status under Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows. [Taskbar & System Tray] [NEW] In some cases, taskbar icons may appear small even though the setting to show smaller taskbar buttons is configured as “never”. [File Explorer] The following are known issues for AI actions in File Explorer: Narrator scan mode may not work properly in the action result canvas window for the Summarize AI action for Microsoft 365 files when reading bulleted lists. As a workaround, you can use Caps + Right key to navigate. When your Windows display language is configured with a right-to-left language, the action result canvas displays text from left to right for AI actions for Microsoft 365 files. [Widgets] Until we complete support for pinning in the new widgets board experience, pinning reverts you back to the previous experience You can find the blog post for build 26120.4161 (KB5058515) here on Microsoft's official website. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Microsoft is rolling out a new Windows 11 preview build in the Canary Channel. Build 27863 is not the biggest one, and there are not that many updates. However, it contains some important changes, like post-quantum cryptography, which Microsoft announced at its annual Build conference earlier this week. Windows 11 now supports the post-quantum signature algorithm ML-DSA in the NCrypt and BCrypt cryptography API surfaces, as well as the Crypt32 certificate APIs. Other changes in Windows 11 build 27863 include three fixes. One resolves error 0xc0370106 upon Windows Sandbox launch that occurred in the previous Canary build. Another fix patches the bug with core Windows surfaces not being able to load in safe mode. Those include File Explorer, Start menu, and other elements. Finally, build 27863 fixes problems with the msftedit.dll library, which was causing apps like Sticky Notes and Dxdiag to crash on systems with certain locales, such as Hebrew or Arabic. Known issues include the following: Improtant Note for Copilot+ PCs: If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose Windows Hello pin and biometrics to sign into your PC with error 0xd0000225 and error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available”. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN”. You may see an Administrative Templates error message when opening Group Policy Editor. If you click OK you should be able to proceed as normal. One of the causes of this is fixed with this flight – there’s a second fix we’re working on which will be included in an upcoming flight. We’re investigating an issue where the taskbar is unexpectedly not showing acrylic material after upgrading to this build. We’re working on the fix for an issue where audio devices with high sampling (like 192Hz) and multiple channels aren’t producing sound after upgrading to this build. Thanks Insiders that provided detailed information in your feedback! [Input] Pen input may be non-responsive on some PCs that support pen for inking. [Task Manager] Search and other options such as filtering in Task Manager does not work. You can find the official announcement post here. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

This week, Microsoft released some big updates for Windows 11's built-in apps. Paint, Notepad, and Snipping Tool—all three received AI injections, with new features allowing you to generate stickers, make perfect screenshots, and draft text. Now, Microsoft is working on another upgrade for Snipping Tool, and the good news is that it is not about AI. @pahntomofearth discovered that Snipping Tool will soon allow saving screen recordings as GIFs. In its current form, the app saves recordings as videos, but a quick and lightweight GIF is sometimes a more efficient way to show something on your screen. Besides the new format, Snipping Tool will let you choose the output quality to reduce the file size or make the image clearer. Once the update is out, you will see a new GIF button in the upper-right corner of the window when saving the recorded video and a new Ctrl + G keyboard shortcut. Microsoft has not announced the update yet, so full details remain unknown. The ability to save screen recordings as GIFs might show up alongside one of the future Windows 11 preview builds in the Insider program. If you are new to the Snipping Tool app, you might want to change where the app stores screenshots and screen recordings. Check out this guide to learn how to do that. What other features would you like Microsoft to add to the Snipping Tool app? Share your thoughts in the comments. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend