<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0"><channel><title>News: Software News</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/page/100/?d=2</link><description>News: Software News</description><language>en</language><item><title>Senior Mozilla exec explains how Firefox dies without Google and it's not just the money</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/senior-mozilla-exec-explains-how-firefox-dies-without-google-and-its-not-just-the-money-r29003/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	If you have been reading Neowin or some other tech blog fairly regularly, you must be aware of the current Google vs DOJ situation.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	As a refresher, the <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/doj-google-must-sell-chrome-web-browser-and-open-search-index-for-rivals/" rel="external nofollow">DOJ has been pushing Google</a> to sell off Chrome and open its search index to competitors. Google has been paying the likes of Mozilla and Apple billions to maintain Google Search as the default search engine, and the DOJ has flagged this practice as anti-competitive.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	While it sounds like a win for Google's rival, in the case of Mozilla, things are not looking too bright, at all. That is because an enormous portion of the funding that Mozilla is able to get comes from Google. Some say it is close to 80%, although Mozilla itself <a href="https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/mozilla-and-google-sign-new-agreement-for-default-search-in-firefox/" rel="external nofollow">stated</a> back in 2011 that the "specific terms of this commercial agreement are subject to traditional confidentiality requirements" and that it is "not at liberty to disclose them" with reports suggesting it was <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/google-to-pay-300-million-a-year-for-firefox-search-rights/" rel="external nofollow">around $300 million.</a>
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	If true, it must be a big chunk of change in 2025 as the firm is clearly very worried.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Following the recent testimonial by Mozilla's Chief Financial Officer, Eric Muhlheim, the firm published a blog post explaining how Google's funding, or the lack thereof, could make or break Firefox as well as its in-house engine. It says:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		It’s no secret that search revenue accounts for a large portion of Mozilla’s annual revenue. Firefox is an independent browser — we don’t have our own OS, devices, or app store. Without this revenue, Mozilla and other small, independent browsers may be forced to scale back operations and cut support for critical projects like Gecko, the only remaining browser engine competing with Google’s Chromium and Apple’s WebKit.
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	Google itself had <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/google-claims-dojs-demand-to-sell-chrome-would-hurt-consumers-and-americas-tech-leadership/" rel="external nofollow">put forth the same argument</a> previously.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	However, it is not just the funding itself that will hurt Mozilla and its ability to develop the browser; the default search engine itself can play a big role, too.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The firm says that Google Search has already proved itself to be the better alternative as Yahoo had previously failed to satisfy the search needs for most of its users, but to the dismay of Mozilla, many of those dissatisfied users moved over to other browsers.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	It <a href="https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/internet-policy/google-search-deals-and-browser-choice/" rel="external nofollow">writes</a>:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		Firefox users view Google as the best quality search engine. Mozilla experienced this firsthand when we switched the Firefox browser’s default search engine from Google to Yahoo between 2014 and 2017 in an effort to support search competition. Firefox users found Yahoo’s search quality lacking and some switched to Google search while others left the Firefox browser altogether.
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	Thus, the damage Firefox could take can be twofold: first, from the lack of funding itself and second, from unhappy users who ditch Firefox due to a dissatisfactory browsing experience.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Mark Surman, President of Mozilla, also <a href="https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/internet-policy/proposed-remedies-browsers/" rel="external nofollow">argued</a> previously that this does not actually help promote healthier competition:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		The big unintended consequence here is the handing of power from one dominant player to another. So, from Google Search to Microsoft, or Bing for example—while shutting out the smaller, independent challengers that actually drive browser innovation and offer web users privacy and choice.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		This isn’t something we do because it’s profitable or easy. We do it because it matters. The DOJ’s proposal doesn’t just miss the mark, it risks handing even more power to dominant industry players like Google or Apple, not less.
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	It will be interesting to see how things pan out and whether Mozilla can survive, let alone thrive, if Google is forced to cut ties from the search engine agreement.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/senior-mozilla-exec-explains-how-firefox-dies-without-google-and-its-not-just-the-money/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811</em></span>
</p>

<p>
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</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">29003</guid><pubDate>Sat, 03 May 2025 07:57:13 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Microsoft boosts Windows 11 performance with latest update but users feel it's not enough</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-boosts-windows-11-performance-with-latest-update-but-users-feel-its-not-enough-r29002/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Earlier today, we published an article about a <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/free-app-based-on-official-microsoft-tech-saves-huge-windows-space-with-no-performance-loss/" rel="external nofollow">free app called CompactGUI</a> that has been built on Microsoft's technology. The app seems to massively compress down used disc space on Windows 11/10 without any apparent performance loss.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Compression and archiving is something Microsoft made a big fuss about with Windows 11 23H2 and Neowin looked at the performance aspect of it to see how the <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-gets-native-rar-support-here-is-how-it-compares-to-winrar-and-other-apps/" rel="external nofollow">native performance of the new File Explorer</a> compared with other popular third-party solutions like WinRAR. While Windows 11 was much slower, it was good to see it in action.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	That was back in August of 2023 and since then, the company has slowly <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11s-native-file-archive-is-impressive-as-7-zip-plays-catch-up-with-zstd-support/" rel="external nofollow">released updates for the feature</a>. This has continued, and the latest April non-security preview update (C-release) <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-kb5055627-is-a-massive-update-with-a-lot-of-new-features/" rel="external nofollow">KB5055627</a> also brings a performance boost for the feature. The release notes says:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		Improved the performance of extracting zipped files, particularly in the case where you’re unzipping a large number of small files.
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	A Redditor tested this and found that the update indeed improved the performance over the previous release. However, they were still disappointed not from the improvement itself but because of how far behind the native performance of File Explorer still is. And apparently, Defender also seems to make a big dent.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p class="img-center">
	<img alt="KB5055627 windows 11 file extraction performance comparison" class="ipsImage" height="395" width="720" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/05/1746204830_kb5055627_win_11_performance_boost.jpg">
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The user <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/1k9mlea/aprils_cumulative_update_for_24h2_speeds_up_file/" rel="external nofollow">IridiumIO notes</a>:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		With defender enabled, we can see a 10% improvement in extraction speed (from 333s to 303s), but that pales in comparison to the overall hit that Realtime Protection causes, with a 35% speed improvement just by turning it off.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		But then you compare the comparative performance hit with running 7Zip, or even by just using the <code>Expand-Archive</code> command from Powershell. Explorer is ridiculously slow by comparison, <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-gets-native-rar-support-here-is-how-it-compares-to-winrar-and-other-apps/" rel="external nofollow">but that's pretty old news</a>.
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	The user further discusses the point about PowerShell with a bit of a rant:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		What annoys me is they've clearly done some work to speed it up, but can't go the whole way and scrap the XP-era processing they're still using under the hood.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		...
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		They've added RAR and 7Z support, but that's basically glued on top of the old system and next to useless. They have a functional archive manager already on their system in Powershell - sure it's not as good as 7Zip, but it's miles ahead of Explorer's implementation. Why not just use that?
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p class="img-center">
	<img alt="KB5055627 windows 11 file extraction performance comparison" class="ipsImage" height="394" width="720" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/05/1746204822_kb5055627_win_11_performacne_boost_2.jpg">
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The Redditor IridiumIO is the same person who has created the CompactGUI app we linked to up top, so he certainly has some authority on the topic.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Interestingly, they also seemed to have uncovered another potential problem with File Explorer that could be something that Microsoft can look into:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		I did notice something else that's interesting. I did all the above tests in the "Downloads" folder of my user account, but moving the archive to the root of the C:/ drive before extracting does lead to another ~10% improvement in speed. I suspect (and hope I am wrong) that this is due to explorer checking the entire path structure for each file as it is extracted, which leads to the extra slowdown.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		I'd guess this means that for deeper nested directories the slowdown gets even worse, but I haven't checked this.
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	There is a caveat here, though. The user does note later that it's possible there could be further improvements which may not have been reflected as a consequence of A/B testing. They write:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		Apparently (due to A/B testing) my update doesn’t actually include the improvements to archive extraction, and the speed boost is supposed to be much more than what I got.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		...
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		Hopefully this means that when the fix rolls out properly the results will be closer to at least Powershell’s speed if not 7zip.
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	Knowing Windows, something like that is certainly possible. Tests have shown that Windows 11's performance can be inconsistent<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/report-your-windows-11-pc-can-silently-cripple-itself-and-you-wont-even-know-it/" rel="external nofollow"> even in a controlled environment</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<hr>
<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<em>Do you think Microsoft is doing enough to improve the performance of Windows 11, especially certain aspects like File Explorer? Or do you feel there is much to be desired still? Let us know below!</em>
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-boosts-windows-11-performance-with-latest-update-but-users-feel-its-not-enough/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">29002</guid><pubDate>Sat, 03 May 2025 07:55:44 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>How to use File History on Windows 11 to protect your documents with backups</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/how-to-use-file-history-on-windows-11-to-protect-your-documents-with-backups-r28997/</link><description><![CDATA[<h3>
	If you want to protect files stored locally on your computer, you can use File History, and I'll show you how it works.
</h3>

<p>
	On <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11" data-before-rewrite-redirect="/windows-11" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11" rel="external nofollow">Windows 11</a>, File History is a legacy feature that can automatically create a backup of your files at specific intervals throughout the day to protect your data from accidental editing, deletion, or damage.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	When you configure File History on your computer, by default, the feature automatically backs up files located in the profile folders, such as Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, Desktop, Contacts, Favorites, and OneDrive (as long as the files are available offline).
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Also, File History requires a separate storage location for your backups, meaning you must connect an external hard drive with enough storage to your computer to set up the feature.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	In this <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="/how-to" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://www.windowscentral.com/how-to" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/how-to" rel="external nofollow">how-to guide</a>, I'll outline the steps to set up and recover files using File History on Windows 11.
</p>

<h2 id="section-how-to-backup-and-restore-files-using-file-history">
	<span>How to backup and restore files using File History</span>
</h2>

<p>
	Once you connect the external storage, you can proceed with the setup process. Here's how.
</p>

<h2 id="file-history-setup-3">
	File History setup
</h2>

<p>
	To set up File History, connect a USB hard drive and use these steps:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<ol start="1">
	<li>
		Open <strong>Start</strong>.
	</li>
	<li>
		Search <strong>Control Panel </strong>and select the top result to open the app.
	</li>
	<li>
		Click on <strong>System and Security</strong>.
	</li>
	<li>
		Click on <strong>File History</strong>.
	</li>
</ol>

<p>
	 
</p>

<div>
	<div>
		<p>
			<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="Control Panel File History" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
		</p>

		<p>
			<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<ol start="5">
			<li>
				(Option 1) Click the <strong>Turn on</strong> button to enable the feature with the default drive selection.
			</li>
		</ol>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<div>
			<div>
				<p>
					<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/apLjPrNPYR6UY6wnttuZC4-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/apLjPrNPYR6UY6wnttuZC4-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/apLjPrNPYR6UY6wnttuZC4-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/apLjPrNPYR6UY6wnttuZC4-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/apLjPrNPYR6UY6wnttuZC4-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/apLjPrNPYR6UY6wnttuZC4-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="Enable File History" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/apLjPrNPYR6UY6wnttuZC4-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
				</p>

				<p>
					<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
				</p>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<ol start="6">
					<li>
						(Option 2) Click the <strong>Select drive</strong> option from the left pane.
					</li>
				</ol>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<div>
					<div>
						<p>
							<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z3GLzmBusx8k4DWQvXZWcS-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z3GLzmBusx8k4DWQvXZWcS-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z3GLzmBusx8k4DWQvXZWcS-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z3GLzmBusx8k4DWQvXZWcS-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z3GLzmBusx8k4DWQvXZWcS-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z3GLzmBusx8k4DWQvXZWcS-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="File History Select Drive" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z3GLzmBusx8k4DWQvXZWcS-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
						</p>

						<p>
							<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
						</p>

						<p>
							 
						</p>

						<ol start="7">
							<li>
								Choose another drive to store the backups.
							</li>
						</ol>

						<p>
							 
						</p>

						<div>
							<div>
								<p>
									<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JLXKbFKXwSNrfjXozbcp9Y-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JLXKbFKXwSNrfjXozbcp9Y-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JLXKbFKXwSNrfjXozbcp9Y-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JLXKbFKXwSNrfjXozbcp9Y-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JLXKbFKXwSNrfjXozbcp9Y-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JLXKbFKXwSNrfjXozbcp9Y-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="Change drive for File History" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JLXKbFKXwSNrfjXozbcp9Y-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
								</p>

								<p>
									<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
								</p>

								<p>
									 
								</p>

								<ol start="8">
									<li>
										Click the <strong>OK </strong>button.
									</li>
									<li>
										(Optional) Click the <strong>Advanced settings</strong> option from the left pane.
									</li>
								</ol>

								<p>
									 
								</p>

								<div>
									<div>
										<p>
											<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="Advanced settings" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
										</p>

										<p>
											<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
										</p>

										<p>
											 
										</p>

										<ol start="10">
											<li>
												Choose how often File History saves copies of your files.
											</li>
											<li>
												Choose how long to keep saved copies of your files.
											</li>
										</ol>

										<p>
											 
										</p>

										<div>
											<div>
												<p>
													<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bTvoKfF3kcbf5MoeUdNXBB-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bTvoKfF3kcbf5MoeUdNXBB-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bTvoKfF3kcbf5MoeUdNXBB-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bTvoKfF3kcbf5MoeUdNXBB-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bTvoKfF3kcbf5MoeUdNXBB-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bTvoKfF3kcbf5MoeUdNXBB-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="File History change backup retention" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bTvoKfF3kcbf5MoeUdNXBB-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
												</p>

												<p>
													<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
												</p>

												<p>
													 
												</p>

												<ol start="12">
													<li>
														Click the <strong>Save changes</strong> button.
													</li>
													<li>
														(Optional) Click the <strong>Exclude Folders </strong>option from the left pane.
													</li>
												</ol>

												<p>
													 
												</p>

												<div>
													<div>
														<p>
															<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Me7hsNXzncozEvthca8JR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Me7hsNXzncozEvthca8JR-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Me7hsNXzncozEvthca8JR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Me7hsNXzncozEvthca8JR-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Me7hsNXzncozEvthca8JR-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Me7hsNXzncozEvthca8JR-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="File History Exclude Folders" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Me7hsNXzncozEvthca8JR-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
														</p>

														<p>
															<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
														</p>

														<p>
															 
														</p>

														<ol start="14">
															<li>
																Click the <strong>Add </strong>button.
															</li>
														</ol>

														<p>
															 
														</p>

														<div>
															<div>
																<p>
																	<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7AkbTfrzKXyA3AavEXRghW-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7AkbTfrzKXyA3AavEXRghW-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7AkbTfrzKXyA3AavEXRghW-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7AkbTfrzKXyA3AavEXRghW-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7AkbTfrzKXyA3AavEXRghW-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7AkbTfrzKXyA3AavEXRghW-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="File History add folder to exclude" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7AkbTfrzKXyA3AavEXRghW-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
																</p>

																<p>
																	<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																</p>

																<p>
																	 
																</p>

																<ol start="15">
																	<li>
																		Choose the folders to exclude from File History.
																	</li>
																	<li>
																		Click the <strong>Select Folder</strong> button.
																	</li>
																	<li>
																		Click the <strong>Save changes</strong> button.
																	</li>
																</ol>

																<p>
																	 
																</p>

																<p>
																	After you complete the steps, the feature will start backing up your files at the intervals you defined.
																</p>

																<div id="slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-PVo6cP4zgFT4VCFKcWTDN4">
																	<div data-hydrate="true">
																		<p>
																			 
																		</p>

																		<div>
																			<div>
																				<p>
																					<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cinze3cLLZjvN7ecqD8eiE-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cinze3cLLZjvN7ecqD8eiE-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cinze3cLLZjvN7ecqD8eiE-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cinze3cLLZjvN7ecqD8eiE-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cinze3cLLZjvN7ecqD8eiE-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cinze3cLLZjvN7ecqD8eiE-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="Folder include to library" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cinze3cLLZjvN7ecqD8eiE-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					 
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					Since File History only backs up files in specific locations, if you have files and folders stored in other places that you want to back up, you need to add them to one of the <strong>"Libraries"</strong> manually. You can do this by right-clicking on the folder, selecting <strong>"Show more options,"</strong> then <strong>"Include in library,"</strong> and choosing an existing library or creating a new one.
																				</p>

																				<h2 id="file-history-restoration-3">
																					File History restoration
																				</h2>

																				<p>
																					To restore documents, pictures, videos, and other file types using File History, use these steps:
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					 
																				</p>

																				<ol start="1">
																					<li>
																						Open <strong>Start</strong>.
																					</li>
																					<li>
																						Search <strong>Control Panel </strong>and select the top result to open the app.
																					</li>
																					<li>
																						Click on <strong>System and Security.</strong>
																					</li>
																					<li>
																						Click on <strong>File History</strong>.
																					</li>
																				</ol>

																				<p>
																					 
																				</p>

																				<div>
																					<div>
																						<p>
																							<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="Control Panel File History" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
																						</p>

																						<p>
																							<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																						</p>

																						<p>
																							 
																						</p>

																						<ol start="5">
																							<li>
																								Click the<strong> "Restore personal files"</strong> option from the left pane.
																							</li>
																						</ol>

																						<p>
																							 
																						</p>

																						<div>
																							<div>
																								<p>
																									<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Nfu3GR2vyFL92dKKhzupM9-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Nfu3GR2vyFL92dKKhzupM9-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Nfu3GR2vyFL92dKKhzupM9-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Nfu3GR2vyFL92dKKhzupM9-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Nfu3GR2vyFL92dKKhzupM9-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Nfu3GR2vyFL92dKKhzupM9-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="File History restore personal files" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Nfu3GR2vyFL92dKKhzupM9-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
																								</p>

																								<p>
																									<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																								</p>

																								<p>
																									 
																								</p>

																								<ol start="6">
																									<li>
																										Click the <strong>left </strong>and <strong>right </strong>buttons at the bottom to navigate the File History timeline.
																									</li>
																									<li>
																										Choose the files you want to recover.
																									</li>
																									<li>
																										Click the <strong>Restore </strong>button.
																									</li>
																								</ol>

																								<p>
																									 
																								</p>

																								<div>
																									<div>
																										<p>
																											<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8gFPSkLxQiLaw3JXLSaBoH-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8gFPSkLxQiLaw3JXLSaBoH-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8gFPSkLxQiLaw3JXLSaBoH-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8gFPSkLxQiLaw3JXLSaBoH-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8gFPSkLxQiLaw3JXLSaBoH-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8gFPSkLxQiLaw3JXLSaBoH-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="File History restore items" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8gFPSkLxQiLaw3JXLSaBoH-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											 
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											Once you complete the steps, the file will be restored to the same or an alternative location, depending on your restoration option.
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											 
																										</p>

																										<div>
																											<div>
																												<p>
																													<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eQgQs4AbCTJJbHhfyiPehZ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eQgQs4AbCTJJbHhfyiPehZ-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eQgQs4AbCTJJbHhfyiPehZ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eQgQs4AbCTJJbHhfyiPehZ-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eQgQs4AbCTJJbHhfyiPehZ-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eQgQs4AbCTJJbHhfyiPehZ-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="File History restore from folder properties" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eQgQs4AbCTJJbHhfyiPehZ-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													 
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													Alternatively, you can also right-click a folder and choose the <strong>"Properties" </strong>option, and then from the <strong>"Previous Versions"</strong> tab, you can select the version of the file you want to restore.
																												</p>

																												<h2 id="file-history-storage-cleanup-3">
																													File History storage cleanup
																												</h2>

																												<p>
																													If you notice that the drive is filling up quickly, you can delete previous versions of the backup. Also, you can change the retention setting to a shorter schedule to minimize the impact of storage usage.
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													 
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													To free up space used by File History, use these steps:
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													 
																												</p>

																												<ol start="1">
																													<li>
																														Open <strong>Start</strong>.
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														Search <strong>Control Panel </strong>and select the top result to open the app.
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														Click on <strong>System and Security</strong>.
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														Click on <strong>File History</strong>.
																													</li>
																												</ol>

																												<p>
																													 
																												</p>

																												<div>
																													<div>
																														<p>
																															<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="Control Panel File History" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fc7wVUu2xQpdKYnx5o6Xjm-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															 
																														</p>

																														<ol start="5">
																															<li>
																																Click the <strong>Advanced settings</strong> option from the left pane.
																															</li>
																														</ol>

																														<p>
																															 
																														</p>

																														<div>
																															<div>
																																<p>
																																	<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="Advanced settings" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86mcJF2ztY5rTBEw5rAsj-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	 
																																</p>

																																<ol start="6">
																																	<li>
																																		Change the backup frequency to fewer times a day, depending on your current configuration.
																																	</li>
																																	<li>
																																		Change the backup retention to, for example, six months instead of forever.
																																	</li>
																																</ol>

																																<p>
																																	 
																																</p>

																																<div>
																																	<div>
																																		<p>
																																			<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cb4eCwESSbEsfPDokGib8J-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cb4eCwESSbEsfPDokGib8J-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cb4eCwESSbEsfPDokGib8J-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cb4eCwESSbEsfPDokGib8J-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cb4eCwESSbEsfPDokGib8J-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cb4eCwESSbEsfPDokGib8J-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="File History storage control" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cb4eCwESSbEsfPDokGib8J-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
																																		</p>

																																		<p>
																																			<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																																		</p>

																																		<p>
																																			 
																																		</p>

																																		<ol start="8">
																																			<li>
																																				Click the <strong>"Clean up versions"</strong> option.
																																			</li>
																																			<li>
																																				Choose the files to delete according to their age<strong>.</strong>
																																			</li>
																																		</ol>

																																		<p>
																																			 
																																		</p>

																																		<div>
																																			<div>
																																				<p>
																																					<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jdtzGYR3WvgCJziWYhBUAY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jdtzGYR3WvgCJziWYhBUAY-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jdtzGYR3WvgCJziWYhBUAY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jdtzGYR3WvgCJziWYhBUAY-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jdtzGYR3WvgCJziWYhBUAY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jdtzGYR3WvgCJziWYhBUAY-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"><img alt="File History clean up versions" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jdtzGYR3WvgCJziWYhBUAY-1024-80.jpg"></source></picture>
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<ul>
																																					<li>
																																						<strong>Quick tip: </strong>The action can take a long time, depending on your selection.
																																					</li>
																																				</ul>

																																				<ol start="10">
																																					<li>
																																						Click the <strong>Clean up</strong> button.
																																					</li>
																																				</ol>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					After you complete the steps, File History will reduce the storage usage in the backup drive.
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					Although File Explorer can help you protect your files, it's not recommended as a primary backup solution since you cannot restore all your files in a new installation of the operating system on the same or a different computer.
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					Nowadays, Microsoft leans towards <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/microsoft-onedrive" data-before-rewrite-redirect="/onedrive" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/microsoft-onedrive" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/microsoft-onedrive" rel="external nofollow">OneDrive</a> for cloud-based backups, but File History remains a functional tool for local backups of your files.
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					As part of your backup strategy, regularly create a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/how-create-full-backup-your-windows-11-pc" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/how-create-full-backup-your-windows-11-pc" rel="external nofollow">full system backup</a> in case you need to recover from a critical failure.
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					<a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-use-file-history-on-windows-11" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
																																				</p>

																																				<hr class="ipsHr">
																																				<p>
																																					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811</em></span>
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
																																				</p>
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											</div>
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					</div>
				</div>
			</div>
		</div>
	</div>
</div>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28997</guid><pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 19:10:45 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>More gamers turn to Windows 11 as the end of Windows 10 approaches</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/more-gamers-turn-to-windows-11-as-the-end-of-windows-10-approaches-r28996/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Windows 11 is quickly catching up to its predecessor, and it is <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-becomes-more-popular-as-it-narrows-gap-with-windows-10/" rel="external nofollow">on track to become the most popular Windows version worldwide</a> (in some countries, it already is). On the gaming side, Windows 11 is already the dominant operating system, and in April 2025, it increased its position with more users switching from Windows 10.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Valve's latest Steam Hardware and Software survey results for April 2025 show a small increase in Windows 11's gaming market share. Windows 11 currently holds 57.84% of all Windows machines that participated in the survey (remember that participation is optional, so the final data does not represent 100% of all users). In one month, the operating system increased its share by 2.5 points.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Windows 10 is now below the 40% mark. It lost nearly the same number of users as Windows 11 gained, and it currently holds 38.09% (-2.49 points). While Windows 10 will keep losing its customers, especially after the end of support in October 2025, it will stick around for a while since developers, including Valve, do not plan to drop it in the near future.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Overall, Windows holds 96.1% on Steam (no changes in April 2025). Linux is second with 2.27% (-0.06 points), and macOS is third with 1.62% (+0.04 points).
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	As for hardware preferences, the Nvidia RTX 3060 was dethroned by the laptop variant of the RTX 4060. This GPU is now the most popular choice, with 4.8% of participants reporting playing games with it. The RTX 3060 is second with 4.57%, and the desktop RTX 4060 is third with 4.35%. Other hardware picks include 16GB of RAM (43.86%), a 6-core processor (30.26%), 8 GB of video memory (34.25%), up to 250 GB on the primary drive, and a 1080p display (55.27%).
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	You can find more information on the <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-Welcome-to-Steam" rel="external nofollow">official Steam website</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/more-gamers-turn-to-windows-11-as-the-end-of-windows-10-approaches/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28996</guid><pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 19:05:07 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Everything new in Microsoft Teams from April 2025</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/everything-new-in-microsoft-teams-from-april-2025-r28995/</link><description><![CDATA[<h3>
	You can now pause and catch up with town halls in Microsoft Teams.
</h3>

<p>
	Microsoft Teams gets new features each month. With so many versions of Teams available across different operating systems and types of devices, it can be difficult to keep track of everything that's new. Luckily, Microsoft breaks down all the changes in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/what%E2%80%99s-new-in-microsoft-teams--april-2025/4410002" href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/what%E2%80%99s-new-in-microsoft-teams--april-2025/4410002" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">monthly roundup</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Some of the features listed below were available to select users starting in March but were not generally available. The list also includes brand-new features, such as enhanced OneDrive navigation within Teams.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Arguably the headline feature from the latest wave of updates is enhanced OneDrive navigation. Now, when you open OneDrive within Teams, the app will jump to the exact spot you left off the last time you used OneDrive.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Here's a rundown of everything new Microsoft listed in its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/what%E2%80%99s-new-in-microsoft-teams--april-2025/4410002" href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/what%E2%80%99s-new-in-microsoft-teams--april-2025/4410002" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">recent Tech Community post</a>:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<ul>
	<li>
		<strong>Chat and Collaboration</strong>

		<ul>
			<li>
				Enhanced OneDrive navigation in Teams
			</li>
			<li>
				Custom file download location for Mac
			</li>
			<li>
				Improved Microsoft Lists links in Teams messages
			</li>
			<li>
				Forward messages with app cards
			</li>
			<li>
				Tag Mentions filter in Activity
			</li>
			<li>
				Increased drop zone for chats when uploading files
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<strong>Meetings, Webinars, and Town Halls</strong>
		<ul>
			<li>
				IT administrators can upload multiple themes for branded meetings [Premium]
			</li>
			<li>
				Admins can disable ability to send messages in meeting chat before and after the meeting
			</li>
			<li>
				Information barriers moderated meetings
			</li>
			<li>
				Edit display name in meetings
			</li>
			<li>
				Notification that intelligent recap is ready for calls from chat and ‘Meet now’ meetings
			</li>
			<li>
				Set chat notification preference via meeting RSVP
			</li>
			<li>
				Bi-directional calendar syncing between Google Workspace and Teams
			</li>
			<li>
				DVR support in Town hall
			</li>
			<li>
				Post and reply to questions as an organizer
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<strong>Teams Phone</strong>
		<ul>
			<li>
				Teams Phone extensibility for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center
			</li>
			<li>
				Queues app: barge/whisper/monitor/takeover
			</li>
			<li>
				More seamless migration from on-premises Direct Routing phone numbers to online phone numbers
			</li>
			<li>
				Direct Routing Call Troubleshooting via SIP Ladder
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<strong>Workplace: Places and Teams Rooms</strong>
		<ul>
			<li>
				Book an individual desk by plugging into a peripheral
			</li>
			<li>
				Live transcription and controls on Teams Rooms on Windows
			</li>
			<li>
				Live captions translation in Teams Rooms on Windows
			</li>
			<li>
				Updates to gallery view in Teams Rooms on Windows
			</li>
			<li>
				Occupancy status on Teams panels
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<strong>Fundamentals and Security</strong>
		<ul>
			<li>
				Admins can choose automatic or manual adjustment of meeting sensitivity based on the sensitivity level of shared files in Teams meetings [Premium]
			</li>
			<li>
				Brand impersonation phishing protection for GCC, GCC-H and DoD
			</li>
			<li>
				Background blur, virtual and user uploaded backgrounds the new VDI solution
			</li>
			<li>
				AVD Screen Capture Protection and Microsoft Teams compatibility
			</li>
			<li>
				Cross cloud support for the new optimizations for VDI
			</li>
			<li>
				Manage location sharing in Teams
			</li>
			<li>
				Monitor Teams client updates in Teams admin center
			</li>
			<li>
				Teams client health dashboards in Teams admin center
			</li>
			<li>
				Remote contact management for Teams Phone devices in Teams admin center
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<strong>Frontline Worker Solutions</strong>
		<ul>
			<li>
				Wired headset support to Walkie Talkie on iOS
			</li>
			<li>
				Storyline in Teams
			</li>
			<li>
				Engage in Teams mobile
			</li>
			<li>
				Flexible membership for deploying Teams at scale
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="dvr-in-microsoft-teams-town-halls-3">
	DVR in Microsoft Teams town halls
</h2>

<p>
	While enhanced OneDrive navigation is the first feature mentioned by Microsoft's Pete Daderko, my favorite addition is Digital Video Recording (DVR) support for town halls.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	If you view a town hall on Teams for the web or the desktop app, you can now pause content and then move forward or back to catch up.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Since town halls are often attended live, the ability to pause and skip around is a nice improvement. While this functionality isn’t exclusive to Teams, it’s a welcome upgrade.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<div id="slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-eGeQ4GysRenhzsYTfR3nwY">
	<div data-hydrate="true">
		<p>
			<a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/everything-new-in-microsoft-teams-from-april-2025" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
		</p>

		<hr class="ipsHr">
		<p>
			<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
		</p>

		<p>
			<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
		</p>

		<p>
			<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811</em></span>
		</p>

		<p>
			<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
		</p>
	</div>
</div>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28995</guid><pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 19:03:52 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Windows 11 is getting a new Settings page with advanced options</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/windows-11-is-getting-a-new-settings-page-with-advanced-options-r28985/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Windows 11 is about to receive a new Settings section with some advanced features. Technically, it is not new. It is rather a rework of the "For developers" section, where users and developers can tweak all sorts of additional features. Microsoft probably understands that those things are useful not only for developers, and renaming to "Advanced" might clear things up a bit (the first about this <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-is-working-on-advanced-windows-settings-to-give-you-more-control-over-your-pc/" rel="external nofollow">appeared over a year ago</a>).
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Like it often happens, the news about the "Advanced" page comes from a sharp-eyed Windows enthusiast @<a href="https://x.com/phantomofearth/status/1918023638608998816" rel="external nofollow">phantomofearth</a> on X. In addition to a new name, this area of the Settings app is getting a slight makeover and more features. <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-is-killing-its-dev-home-app-for-windows-10-and-11/" rel="external nofollow">Microsoft recently discontinued the Dev Home app</a>, promising to integrate certain parts into the OS itself. Now, we see the result.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	New features in the "Advanced" section include the ability to toggle long paths in directories, Virtual Workspaces settings, File Explorer source code integration, and more. Besides, Microsoft is tidying things up with feature groups like Taskbar, File Explorer, Terminal, Virtual Workspaces, and more.
</p>

<figure class="image image--expandable">
	<img alt="Advanced Settings in Windows 11" class="ipsImage" height="451" width="720" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/05/1746132295_advanced_settings.jpg">
</figure>

<p>
	For reference, here is what the "For Developers" page looks like in the current Windows 11 version 24H2:
</p>

<figure class="image image--expandable">
	<img alt="Developer Settings in Windows 11" class="ipsImage" height="513" width="720" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/05/1746132242_developer_settings.jpg">
</figure>

<p>
	As of right now, you can only find the new "Advanced" page in Windows Server build 26404. It is hidden by default, and enabling it requires the now-traditional tinkering with feature IDs. It probably won't take long for it to show up in consumer versions of Windows 11 in the insider program, so look out for new builds in the upcoming days and weeks.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	In case you missed it, the Settings app is also getting <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-moves-more-control-panel-elements-to-the-settings-app-in-windows-11/" rel="external nofollow">more bits and pieces from the legacy Control Panel</a>, which is something I recently complained about in my article about <a href="https://www.neowin.net/editorials/windows-11-still-grinds-my-gears-with-these-5-things/" rel="external nofollow">five things that still grind my gears in Windows 11</a>. Soon, Windows 11 will have modern keyboard settings, giving you one less reason to use the old Control Panel.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-is-getting-a-new-settings-page-with-advanced-options/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28985</guid><pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 08:02:51 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Will Microsoft charge for Windows security updates starting in July? Yes, but for Windows Server 2025, not Windows 11.</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/will-microsoft-charge-for-windows-security-updates-starting-in-july-yes-but-for-windows-server-2025-not-windows-11-r28984/</link><description><![CDATA[<h3>
	Some headlines have caused confusion over whether Windows security updates will cost money.
</h3>

<p>
	Microsoft is launching a paid subscription for Windows security updates, but the cost will hit those running Windows Server 2025, not Windows 11. Hotpatching for Windows Server 2025 has been free while in preview, but when the option leaves preview in July, it will cost $1.50 per CPU core per month.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	I suspect many who manage servers already know about the change coming in July and whether it will affect their organization. The problem is that this story made the rounds because some outlets used — dare I say — clickbait headlines that suggested PC owners may have to pay for Windows 11 security updates starting this summer.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	But if you're an admin who manages servers and is curious about the change, I'll cover that as well.
</p>

<h2 id="what-is-hotpatching-a-server-3">
	What is hotpatching a server?
</h2>

<div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo" contenteditable="false">
	<div>
		<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="113" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/LS7BS4jsU_o?feature=oembed" title="Windows Server 2025 Hotpatching: Quick Introduction" width="200"></iframe>
	</div>
</div>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Hotpatching is a way to update a server without having to reboot after installation. This is important because it minimizes the time servers are unprotected.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	It's common for a fix to be delayed while a server waits to be rebooted. During that time between installation and the reboot, known as the "window of vulnerability," the server is left vulnerable even though a fix is available.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Hotpatching in Windows Server 2025 will reduce the number of times you need to restart servers to around four times per year. That leaves some windows of vulnerability, but far fewer than if you had to restart a server each month.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	To use hotpatching in multicloud or on-premises environments, you need to use <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/overview" href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/overview" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">Azure Arc</a>. With Azure Arc, you can manage an environment by projecting non-Azure or on-premises resources into Azure Resource Manager.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<div id="slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-JJvmg6QNiUoPc9Lt3mpkwM">
	<div data-hydrate="true">
		<p>
			<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windowsservernewsandbestpractices/windows-server-hotpatching-is-here/3174930" href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windowsservernewsandbestpractices/windows-server-hotpatching-is-here/3174930" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">Hotpatching for Windows Server Datacenter: Azure Edition</a> has been around for years and will continue to be available. The upcoming July launch is for Windows Server 2025, which allows Microsoft to offer hotpatching for non-Azure servers that are connected with Azure Arc.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			Microsoft's announcement post about <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/blog/2025/04/24/tired-of-all-the-restarts-get-hotpatching-for-windows-server/" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/blog/2025/04/24/tired-of-all-the-restarts-get-hotpatching-for-windows-server/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">hotpatching for Windows Server 2025</a> outlines how to enable it and links to several guides.
		</p>

		<h2 id="is-microsoft-charging-for-windows-security-updates-3">
			Is Microsoft charging for Windows security updates?
		</h2>

		<p>
			In what appears to be an effort to generate clicks, some outlets have covered the Windows Server 2025 subscription requirement while omitting key details from headlines. I've seen several social media posts and articles that only mention "Windows" when discussing the upcoming $1.50 per CPU core per month fee.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			Since Windows 10 support ends in October, there will be some people who will <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-reveals-subscription-pricing-for-using-windows-10-beyond-2025-and-its-not-cheap" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-reveals-subscription-pricing-for-using-windows-10-beyond-2025-and-its-not-cheap" rel="external nofollow">pay for continued support</a>. But that's entirely separate from the server news.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			Windows 11 security updates are not going to cost money come July 1, 2025 or at any point this year. They'll continue to roll out as usual.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			While personal computing is unaffected by this news, there's some justified pushback against pricing for hotpatching Windows Server 2025. The fact that the subscription charges per CPU core means costs could add up quickly.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			<a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/will-microsoft-charge-for-windows-security-updates-starting-in-july-yes-but-for-windows-server-2025-not-windows-11" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
		</p>

		<hr class="ipsHr">
		<p>
			<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
		</p>

		<p>
			<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
		</p>

		<p>
			<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
		</p>

		<p>
			<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
		</p>
	</div>
</div>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28984</guid><pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 08:01:42 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Microsoft reveals how Windows 10/11 nearly broke PCs from an official cyberthreat song</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-reveals-how-windows-1011-nearly-broke-pcs-from-an-official-cyberthreat-song-r28982/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Back in August 2022, Microsoft engineer Raymond Chen told the interesting tale of how a certain song was getting systems to crash. As it turns out, the song in question was <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/careful-with-that-song-microsoft-shares-crazy-tale-of-janet-jackson-crashing-windows-pcs/" rel="external nofollow">Janet Jackson's <em>Rhythm Nation</em></a> which would be causing 2.5-inch 5400 RPM laptop hard disk drives (HDDs) to go haywire and crash as certain frequencies played in the song would match with the resonant frequency of the HDDs.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The story did not reveal what those frequencies were, but we noted last time, based on available research information, that hard drives would vibrate anywhere between 0 and 5,000 Hz with <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/careful-with-that-song-microsoft-shares-crazy-tale-of-janet-jackson-crashing-windows-pcs/#:~:text=between%200%20and-,5%2C000%20Hz,-though%20there%20are" rel="external nofollow">peaks at</a> 12.5, 87.5, 1100, 1450, 1700, and 1850 Hz, so some of those frequency points must have aligned that triggered the resonance.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Just a day after this, the song was listed as an official exploit by the MITRE and was validated and tracked under ID <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/janet-jackson-song-is-now-an-official-exploit-for-windows-pcs/" rel="external nofollow">CVE-2022-38392</a>, which, as funny as it sounds, essentially makes listening to Janet Jackson's <em>Rhythm Nation</em> a cyber threat.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Microsoft has long patched this problem and hence it should not be a reason for worry. Besides, most modern systems would be unaffected anyway, as they run SSDs that are not mechanical in nature like HDDs.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Later on, Chen also shared how Microsoft understood that the usage of heavier 3.5-inch HDDs would cause a dampening effect that prevented this problem. However, that wasn't a feasible solution since laptops require smaller and lighter storage. So, a software approach was taken to mitigate the issue via the usage of APO or Audio Processing Objects.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	For those wondering how APO helped, they essentially helped filter or cut out those troublesome frequencies in the song as APO is essentially software-based DSP or digital signal processing.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Earlier this week, Raymond Chen shared the third part of this story, explaining how an update to Windows APO operations nearly broke laptops, again.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	As it turns out, after Windows 7, Microsoft added an option to turn off all filtering via APO using the “<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/disable-audio-enhancements-0ec686c4-8d79-4588-b7e7-9287dd296f72" rel="external nofollow">Disable all audio enhancements</a>” setting, and this in turn also disabled the filters specifically set for the Janet Jackson song.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Thankfully, upon request, an exception was granted for this or else we would have had plenty of modern Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and even early Windows 11 PCs crashing had someone disabled the APO functionality, cause let's face it, sound settings aren't the first thing a user would think of if a system began misbehaving and malfunctioning.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	This situation sort of is similar to how automatic BitLocker on Windows 11 24H2 is <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-users-reportedly-losing-data-due-to-microsofts-forced-bitlocker-encryption/" rel="external nofollow">allegedly leading to data loss of unaware and unprepared users</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Source: <a href="https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20250429-42/?p=111127" rel="external nofollow">Microsoft</a>
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-reveals-how-windows-1011-nearly-broke-pcs-from-an-official-cyberthreat-song/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28982</guid><pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 07:59:23 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Ubuntu 25.10 "Questing Quokka" development begins, release timeline has been shared</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/ubuntu-2510-questing-quokka-development-begins-release-timeline-has-been-shared-r28981/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Canonical has announced the start of development for Ubuntu 25.10 “Questing Quokka”, it comes just a few weeks after the release of <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/ubuntu-2504-now-available-with-gnome-48-and-linux-kernel-614/" rel="external nofollow">Ubuntu 25.04 “Plucky Puffin”</a>, which came out on April 17. According to the <a href="https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/questing-quokka-release-schedule/36462" rel="external nofollow">release schedule</a>, Thursday, October 9, will be the release date of Ubuntu 25.10.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Ubuntu codenames are made up of an adjective and a noun, in this case, Questing and Quokka. The definition of Questing is: making a long or arduous search for something, while <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quokka" rel="external nofollow">a Quokka is a marsupial</a> from Australia that’s about the size of a cat, is a herbivore, and sleeps during the day. Following tradition, Canonical picked Quokka to raise awareness of the animal which has a conservation status of Vulnerable.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Some important dates during the development cycle are August 14 when the feature freeze will take place, September 4 when we get the user interface freeze, September 18 when we will be able to try out the beta, and October 9 when it’s <a href="https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2025-May/043348.html" rel="external nofollow">released</a> to the public. As a non-LTS release, it will only have nine months of support,
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	While the beta is still quite a way off, you can download the <a href="https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/" rel="external nofollow">Ubuntu Daily Builds</a> when available to get started testing earlier. This is particularly useful if you want to actively contribute to the development. Be warned that these daily builds can be very buggy, and at first, won’t look much like Ubuntu 25.10 will when it ships.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	For anyone wondering if they will need to upgrade to this, the simple answer, if you are on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, is no. However, if you’re using interim releases such as Ubuntu 25.04 or 24.10, then you’ll probably want to upgrade when it becomes available.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/ubuntu-2510-questing-quokka-development-begins-release-timeline-has-been-shared/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28981</guid><pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 07:57:57 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Microsoft blocks the most popular Windows 11 bypass for internet, MSA, making users angry</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-blocks-the-most-popular-windows-11-bypass-for-internet-msa-making-users-angry-r28976/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Towards the end of March, Microsoft made its intention pretty obvious, that it wants to <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/kb5053658-microsoft-wants-to-remove-windows-11-bypassnro-bypass-for-internet-msa/" rel="external nofollow">remove the BYPASSNRO workaround</a>, which allows users to skip internet connectivity and Microsoft Account sign-ins. Thankfully, a <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/forget-bypassnro-a-new-internetaccount-bypass-during-windows-11-installs-already-exists/" rel="external nofollow">new bypass method</a> (including <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-has-an-official-bypass-for-windows-11-installs-without-internet-microsoft-account/" rel="external nofollow">an official one</a>) has since been discovered, and <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/psa-windows-11s-bypassnro-is-still-part-of-rufus-as-it-receives-its-latest-update/" rel="external nofollow">good ol' Rufus works still</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Neowin readers were, among many, not too happy with the move, as evident from their comments. Some of them raised some pretty valid concerns, too. For example, user tHE_uKER mentioned the case of a lack of any internet connectivity, which led to a flurry of responses from some of our other readers.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/kb5053658-microsoft-wants-to-remove-windows-11-bypassnro-bypass-for-internet-msa/#comment-598976117" rel="external nofollow">Here's the full exchange</a>:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		<strong>tHE_uKER</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		What about PCs that don't have and will never have internet connectivity?
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		Is that not a legitimate use case now?
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p style="margin-left:40px">
		<strong>leonsk29</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p style="margin-left:40px">
		Good point. It seems that they now want you to pay for an Enterprise SKU license if that's the case. And what about if the Internet is down or not available for some reason at the time of installing? Someone at Microsoft is being very stupid right now.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p style="margin-left:80px">
		<strong>TheGhostPhantom</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p style="margin-left:80px">
		You can log into your account with the internet down.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p style="margin-left:120px">
		<strong>leonsk29</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p style="margin-left:120px">
		Into what account if Microsoft doesn't let you use a local one? This is so confusing and stupid...
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p style="margin-left:120px">
		<strong>neufuse</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p style="margin-left:120px">
		but you can't set up a computer that will never have the internet...... and dont give me that "everyone has the internet" excuse... sometimes you have situations where computers will never and i mean never be on the internet, I know we have a few use cases at work where we forbid specific systems from ever being network connected.. and no we don't use enterprise edition anywhere in our business, its a waste of money for all you get for our use cases
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	Another reader on the same comment thread <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/kb5053658-microsoft-wants-to-remove-windows-11-bypassnro-bypass-for-internet-msa/#comment-598976174" rel="external nofollow">C:Amie</a> described their main reason for using the BYPASSNRO command to skip those requirements during the Windows 11 install:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		Well that sucks. It wouldn't be so bad, if when tied to a Microsoft account, if we didn't have to sit there and wait for the system to install some stupid update for 20 mins before we can log into the profile.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		That's one of the main reasons I skip it.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		Having forked out for 11 Pro (£120) you then have to fork out more than double that to get to the Enterprise SKU. Volume Licensing only starts to become sensible at over 15 device licenses - something that a lot of small businesses don't qualify for. Finally if you then want to use any of the functionality from Enterprise, you need to then fork out for a Domain controller (which they appear to be moving towrds deprecating) or £35/mo + VAT per-device for InTune (which mandates an Internet connection).
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		And weirdly enough the only way to activate Enterprise offline is with a KMS server (min £1500
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	It is not just Neowin readers who are displeased at this step, though. The company's official Feedback Hub also has an entry with the title "Do not remove bypassnro.cmd script from Windows 11 OOBE" regarding this. It has been upvoted by 112 users at the time of writing. This issue was opened last month and was last upvoted around eight hours ago.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Earlier this week, user Nathan S suggested making it optional. They write:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		It should not be removed, what if people wish to not have a Microsoft account, like let people not have one, leave it optional, maybe even adding a skip account button even when connected to internet, like its ok to persuade someone, but don't force them, that feels really anti consumer, and begging for control over people.
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	For some reason though the entry may not show up when one searches for it, so you may have missed it in case you were looking for something like that. You can <a href="https://aka.ms/AAvazei" rel="external nofollow">find the entry here</a> in case you want to upvote it or add some of your own personal feedback there.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The removal of BYPASSNRO is still in testing, so the tech giant should be looking into these. So this is your chance to let Microsoft know that you are not quite on board with it, before it finishes testing and hits general availability status. So far, however, no "official response" from Microsoft has been posted on it.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-blocks-the-most-popular-windows-11-bypass-for-internet-msa-making-users-angry/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28976</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 19:01:08 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>What's new on Recall, Click to Do, and Search for Copilot+ PCs &#x2014; Here's how to enable and configure each in Windows 11</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/whats-new-on-recall-click-to-do-and-search-for-copilot-pcs-%E2%80%94-heres-how-to-enable-and-configure-each-in-windows-11-r28975/</link><description><![CDATA[<h3>
	Here's the latest information and my configuration tips for three major AI features coming to Windows 11.
</h3>

<p>
	Microsoft has started a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/windows-recall-general-availability-2025-copilot" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/windows-recall-general-availability-2025-copilot" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">gradual rollout of Windows Recall</a> and other related AI features, including Click to Do and Semantic Indexing for Windows Search for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/-microsoft-copilot-plus-faq" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/-microsoft-copilot-plus-faq" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">Copilot+ PCs</a> running the latest version of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11" data-before-rewrite-redirect="/windows-11" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11" rel="external nofollow">Windows 11</a>. These features are coming out almost a year after several delays and security concerns.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Originally, Windows Recall was supposed to be released alongside the launch of Copilot+ PCs and Windows 11 version 24H2 in June 2024. However, the company had no choice but to postpone the release until October 2024 due to privacy and security concerns, but since the feature wasn't ready, it was delayed one more time.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Microsoft has now spent many months improving the security of Recall, and it's gradually making it available along with Click to Do and Semantic Indexing for compatible devices.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	In this <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="/how-to" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://www.windowscentral.com/how-to" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/how-to" rel="external nofollow">how-to guide</a>, I'll outline the details to get started with these new AI features on Windows 11.
</p>

<h2 id="section-what-s-new-for-windows-recall">
	<span>What's new for Windows Recall</span>
</h2>

<p>
	On Windows 11, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/windows-recall-faq-everything-you-need-to-know" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/windows-recall-faq-everything-you-need-to-know" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">Recall is a feature that takes screenshots of all your activities every few seconds</a>. Then, it applies AI to analyze the information, making everything searchable using natural language.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	As part of this rollout, the system update will download and install the necessary components (if they are not already available), including the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ai/overview" href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ai/overview" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">Windows Copilot Runtime</a>, the Recall app, Click to Do, and Semantic Indexing.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Windows Copilot Runtime is the platform that provides more than 40 AI models (including a Screen Region Detector, Optical Character Recognizer, Natural Language Parser, and Image Encoder) to power this and many other features. These smaller AI models are running concurrently to detect text, images, videos, audio, and more.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<div id="slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-kUTRn63z22WdxTHfYUD8vN">
	<div data-hydrate="true">
		<p>
			Recall is an app that offers an interface that allows you to find and interact with the snapshots.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			Click to Do is a feature that works inside and outside of the Recall app, and it's the feature that handles the AI actions that you can perform on selected text and other objects.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			Finally, Semantic Indexing is a technology that allows the use of AI, more specifically Natural Language Processing (NLP), to allow the system to make sense of the query.
		</p>

		<h2 id="enable-recall-3">
			Enable Recall
		</h2>

		<p>
			If the system hasn't already prompted you to enable the feature, you can use these instructions to opt into the Windows Recall:
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<ol start="1">
			<li>
				Open <strong>Settings</strong>.
			</li>
			<li>
				Click on <strong>Privacy &amp; security</strong>.
			</li>
			<li>
				Click the<strong> Recall &amp; snapshots</strong> page on the right side.
			</li>
		</ol>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<div>
			<div>
				<p>
					<img alt="Recall and snapshots settings" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Mi4gPPGFN3CvpeFXEHBYMg-1024-80.jpg">
				</p>

				<p>
					<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
				</p>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<ol start="4">
					<li>
						Turn <strong>on </strong>the <strong>"Save snapshots"</strong> toggle switch to enable Recall.
					</li>
				</ol>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<div>
					<div>
						<p>
							<img alt="Windows 11 enable Recall" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LiRDR9jYQHzF6fmzjzXE9-1024-80.jpg">
						</p>

						<p>
							<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
						</p>

						<p>
							 
						</p>

						<p>
							Alternatively, you can turn on the AI feature by launching the "Recall" app and opting in to save snapshots on your computer.
						</p>

						<h2 id="access-recall-3">
							Access Recall
						</h2>

						<p>
							To get started with the Windows Recall app, use these steps:
						</p>

						<p>
							 
						</p>

						<ol start="1">
							<li>
								Open <strong>Start</strong>.
							</li>
							<li>
								Search for <strong>Recall </strong>and click the top result to launch the app.
							</li>
						</ol>

						<ul>
							<li>
								<strong>Quick tip: </strong>You can use the <strong>"Windows key + J"</strong> keyboard shortcut or open the Recall flyout in the Taskbar and click <strong>"Open Recall"</strong> to launch the app.
							</li>
						</ul>

						<ol start="3">
							<li>
								Continue by authenticating using Windows Hello.
							</li>
							<li>
								(Option 1) Use the search box to search for a snapshot using natural language.
							</li>
						</ol>

						<ul>
							<li>
								<strong>Quick tip: </strong>You can also click the "microphone" button and perform a voice search.
							</li>
						</ul>

						<ol start="5">
							<li>
								Click on the snapshot from the search result.
							</li>
						</ol>

						<p>
							 
						</p>

						<div>
							<div>
								<p>
									<img alt="Windows Recall search" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dtP4ER5ubMvNyf4DHgrvSi-1024-80.jpg">
								</p>

								<p>
									<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
								</p>

								<p>
									 
								</p>

								<ul>
									<li>
										<strong>Quick tip: </strong>If the feature can't find any matches, you can click the<strong> "File Explorer results"</strong> option to perform a traditional Windows Search.
									</li>
								</ul>

								<ol start="6">
									<li>
										(Option 2) Use the slider to scroll through the timeline and find a specific snapshot.
									</li>
								</ol>

								<p>
									 
								</p>

								<div>
									<div>
										<p>
											<img alt="Windows Recall timeline slider" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QjVxw4CnAianpx2aQFzns7-1024-80.jpg">
										</p>

										<p>
											<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
										</p>

										<p>
											 
										</p>

										<ol start="7">
											<li>
												Choose the snapshot with the activity you want to analyze.
											</li>
											<li>
												Select the text or object of interest and right-click the selection to access the different actions using Click to Do.
											</li>
										</ol>

										<p>
											 
										</p>

										<div>
											<div>
												<p>
													<img alt="Recall Click to Do context menu" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cpsJ5QiZmUZXUWFit9FPSK-1024-80.jpg">
												</p>

												<p>
													<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
												</p>

												<p>
													 
												</p>

												<ol start="8">
													<li>
														(Optional) Click the app button to launch the program in the snapshot.
													</li>
												</ol>

												<ul>
													<li>
														<strong>Quick note: </strong>This option only opens the app, not the contents on the snapshot.
													</li>
												</ul>

												<ol start="10">
													<li>
														(Optional) Click the <strong>Copy </strong>button to copy the snapshot as a screenshot to the clipboard.
													</li>
													<li>
														(Optional) Click the <strong>Delete </strong>button to remove the snapshot from your computer.
													</li>
												</ol>

												<p>
													 
												</p>

												<p>
													You can also click the <strong>"Recall" </strong>button in the System Tray to access the flyout, which includes a preview of the current snapshot, the option to open the app, and the option to temporarily pause the feature.
												</p>

												<p>
													 
												</p>

												<p>
													The flyout also includes an option to access the settings to manage Windows Recall.
												</p>

												<h2 id="configure-recall-3">
													Configure Recall
												</h2>

												<p>
													To configure the Windows Recall features, use these steps:
												</p>

												<p>
													 
												</p>

												<ol start="1">
													<li>
														Open <strong>Settings</strong>.
													</li>
													<li>
														Click on <strong>Privacy &amp; security</strong>.
													</li>
													<li>
														Click the<strong> Recall &amp; snapshots</strong> page from the right side.
													</li>
												</ol>

												<p>
													 
												</p>

												<div>
													<div>
														<p>
															<img alt="Recall and snapshots settings" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Mi4gPPGFN3CvpeFXEHBYMg-1024-80.jpg">
														</p>

														<p>
															<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
														</p>

														<p>
															 
														</p>

														<p>
															Using the <strong>"Recall &amp; snapshots" </strong>settings page, you can control various aspects of the feature.
														</p>

														<p>
															 
														</p>

														<p>
															The <strong>"Save snapshots"</strong> toggle switch allows you to turn the feature on or off. However, turning off the Recall feature doesn't delete the snapshots already saved on your computer.
														</p>

														<p>
															 
														</p>

														<p>
															If you want to delete the snapshots, click the<strong> "Delete snapshots"</strong> setting, choose the period, and click the <strong>"Delete snapshots" </strong>button from the "Delete snapshots from a specific timeframe" setting.
														</p>

														<p>
															 
														</p>

														<p>
															Or click the <strong>"Delete all"</strong> button from the "Delete all snapshots" to clear all the data stored on your computer.
														</p>

														<p>
															 
														</p>

														<div>
															<div>
																<p>
																	<img alt="Windows Recall delete snapshots" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Uyb7V5my4JGLnfYq3Qpqmf-1024-80.jpg">
																</p>

																<p>
																	<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																</p>

																<p>
																	 
																</p>

																<p>
																	By default, the system reserves 25GB of storage on devices with a 256GB SSD, 75GB for a 512GB SSD, and 150GB for a 1TB SSD. However, you can increase or decrease the allocation with the instructions below.
																</p>

																<p>
																	 
																</p>

																<p>
																	If you want to change the storage settings, click the <strong>"Storage"</strong> setting and choose the storage allocation size using the <strong>"Maximum storage for snapshots" </strong>setting.
																</p>

																<p>
																	 
																</p>

																<div>
																	<div>
																		<p>
																			<img alt="Windows Recall storage settings" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hHSUwdYzZmY8aZk4SWrwo9-1024-80.jpg">
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			 
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			You can also use the <strong>"Maximum storage duration for snapshots"</strong> setting to allow the feature to delete snapshots after a specific time.
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			 
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			The <strong>"Filter lists" </strong>settings allow you to prevent the Recall feature from saving sensitive information. By default, the feature can filter passwords, credit cards, and more. However, you can also exclude apps and websites.
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			 
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			If you choose to exclude a specific website, consider that this feature only works on Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, and other Chromium-based browsers.
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			 
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			You can <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-get-started-with-windows-recall-on-windows-11" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-get-started-with-windows-recall-on-windows-11" rel="external nofollow">learn more about Windows Recall</a> in my more in-depth guide.
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			 
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			You can also use the <strong>"Maximum storage duration for snapshots"</strong> setting to allow the feature to delete snapshots after a specific time.
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			 
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			The <strong>"Filter lists" </strong>settings allow you to prevent the Recall feature from saving sensitive information. By default, the feature can filter passwords, credit cards, and more. However, you can also exclude apps and websites.
																		</p>

																		<p>
																			 
																		</p>

																		<div>
																			<div>
																				<p>
																					<img alt="Windows Recall filters" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/txRKMDzJAmFpfdrHBBa2Xi-1024-80.jpg">
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					 
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					If you choose to exclude a specific website, consider that this feature only works on Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, and other Chromium-based browsers.
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					 
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					You can <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-get-started-with-windows-recall-on-windows-11" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-get-started-with-windows-recall-on-windows-11" rel="external nofollow">learn more about Windows Recall</a> in my more in-depth guide.
																				</p>

																				<h2 id="section-what-s-new-for-click-to-do">
																					<span>What's new for Click to Do</span>
																				</h2>

																				<p>
																					On Windows 11, Click to Do is another AI feature that provides different options to perform specific actions using AI based on the content available on the screen. Also, Click to Do works inside and outside of Windows Recall.
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					 
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					One interesting aspect of this feature is that it can take snapshots and then detect text and images using AI, but it doesn't recognize the content.
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					 
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					When using Click to Do, everything happens locally, and no data is uploaded to the cloud unless you do a web search or ask <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-copilot-everything-you-need-to-know" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-copilot-everything-you-need-to-know" rel="external nofollow">Copilot</a> for help.
																				</p>

																				<h2 id="turn-click-to-do-on-or-off-3">
																					Turn Click to Do on or off
																				</h2>

																				<p>
																					To turn Click to Do on or off on Windows 11, use these steps:
																				</p>

																				<p>
																					 
																				</p>

																				<ol start="1">
																					<li>
																						Open <strong>Settings</strong>.
																					</li>
																					<li>
																						Click on <strong>Privacy &amp; security</strong>.
																					</li>
																					<li>
																						Click the <strong>Click to Do</strong> page on the right side.
																					</li>
																				</ol>

																				<p>
																					 
																				</p>

																				<div>
																					<div>
																						<p>
																							<img alt="Click to Do settings" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5Hysu4VcPuRTh3RhKjovG7-1024-80.jpg">
																						</p>

																						<p>
																							<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																						</p>

																						<p>
																							 
																						</p>

																						<ol start="4">
																							<li>
																								(Option 1) Turn on the <strong>"Click to Do"</strong> toggle switch to enable it.
																							</li>
																						</ol>

																						<p>
																							 
																						</p>

																						<div>
																							<div>
																								<p>
																									<img alt="Enable Click to Do" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jqNHjR4ZjBv8B9atiyw9sM-1024-80.jpg">
																								</p>

																								<p>
																									<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																								</p>

																								<p>
																									 
																								</p>

																								<ol start="5">
																									<li>
																										(Option 2) Turn off the <strong>"Click to Do"</strong> toggle switch to disable it.
																									</li>
																								</ol>

																								<h2 id="access-click-to-do-3">
																									Access Click to Do
																								</h2>

																								<p>
																									To access Click to Do from outside of Recall, use these steps:
																								</p>

																								<p>
																									 
																								</p>

																								<ol start="1">
																									<li>
																										(Option 1) Open <strong>Start</strong>, search for <strong>Click to Do</strong>, and click the top result.
																									</li>
																								</ol>

																								<p>
																									 
																								</p>

																								<div>
																									<div>
																										<p>
																											<img alt="Open Click to Do from Start" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tasxbgL4FLPcsZ8fHeraBf-1024-80.jpg">
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											 
																										</p>

																										<ol start="2">
																											<li>
																												(Option 2) Invoke the <strong>"Windows key +</strong> Mouse click" shortcut anywhere on the screen to open the app.
																											</li>
																											<li>
																												(Option 3) Invoke the<strong> "Windows key + Q"</strong> shortcut to launch the app.
																											</li>
																											<li>
																												(Option 4) Open <strong>Click to Do</strong> from the Snipping Tool toolbar.
																											</li>
																										</ol>

																										<p>
																											 
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											When launching the experience, the feature will produce a wobbling visual effect around the screen, and then the toolbar will appear.
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											 
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											You can use the search box to find a specific text or object using natural language, but you can always select and right-click the text or an image to unveil the different actions.
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											 
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											For example, if you select text, the context menu will include the following options:
																										</p>

																										<p>
																											 
																										</p>

																										<ul>
																											<li>
																												<strong>Copy.</strong>
																											</li>
																											<li>
																												<strong>Open with.</strong>
																											</li>
																											<li>
																												<strong>Search the web.</strong>
																											</li>
																											<li>
																												<strong>Ask Copilot.</strong>
																											</li>
																											<li>
																												<strong>Summarize.</strong>
																											</li>
																											<li>
																												<strong>Create a bulleted list.</strong>
																											</li>
																											<li>
																												<strong>Rewrite.</strong>
																											</li>
																										</ul>

																										<p>
																											 
																										</p>

																										<div>
																											<div>
																												<p>
																													<img alt="Click to Do context menu" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ENjUhKAz82ASfyKUeBseEA-1024-80.jpg">
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													 
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													If you have <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n0dgwh9pszf?hl=en-US&amp;gl=US" href="https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n0dgwh9pszf?hl=en-US&amp;gl=US" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">the "Reading Coach" app</a> installed, then you can access the <strong>"Immersive Reader"</strong> and <strong>"Reading Coach" </strong>features.
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													 
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													If you're selecting a web link, then you'll find the "Open website" option.
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													 
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													In the case that you right-click on an object, the context menu will include these options:
																												</p>

																												<p>
																													 
																												</p>

																												<ul>
																													<li>
																														<strong>Copy.</strong>
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														<strong>Save as.</strong>
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														<strong>Share.</strong>
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														<strong>Open with.</strong>
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														<strong>Ask Copilot.</strong>
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														<strong>Visual search with Bing.</strong>
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														<strong>Blur background with Photos.</strong>
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														<strong>Erase objects with Photos.</strong>
																													</li>
																													<li>
																														<strong>Remove background with Paint.</strong>
																													</li>
																												</ul>

																												<p>
																													 
																												</p>

																												<div>
																													<div>
																														<p>
																															<img alt="Click to Do image AI options" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7h2eDVV3nUswTz6xhXwxqS-1024-80.jpg">
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															 
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															You can also use Click to Do inside the Recall app and refer to the previous steps to access the feature.
																														</p>

																														<h2 id="section-what-s-new-for-windows-search">
																															<span>What's new for Windows Search</span>
																														</h2>

																														<p>
																															Microsoft is also introducing Semantic Indexing to bring AI to the Windows Search feature.
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															 
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															Semantic Indexing is a feature part of Windows Search that uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) with AI to make sense of your query as if you were asking another person, allowing you to search and find files, settings, and other content using conversational language.
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															 
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															It's important to note that Semantic Indexing doesn't replace Windows Search. Instead, it's just another feature of the search experience.
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															 
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															This allows you to continue to search using keywords, but now, you can also describe what you're looking for without specifying anything specific about the file, for example.
																														</p>

																														<h2 id="access-semantic-indexing-3">
																															Access Semantic Indexing
																														</h2>

																														<p>
																															To use Windows Search with Semantic Indexing, use these steps:
																														</p>

																														<p>
																															 
																														</p>

																														<ol start="1">
																															<li>
																																Open <strong>Start </strong>or <strong>Windows Search </strong>from File Explorer.
																															</li>
																															<li>
																																Click on the search box.
																															</li>
																															<li>
																																Compose your search query using natural language. For example, show me the picture I created with AI about a bear drinking coffee.
																															</li>
																														</ol>

																														<p>
																															 
																														</p>

																														<div>
																															<div>
																																<p>
																																	<img alt="Windows Search with Semantic Indexing" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rExEjUsNFETyak6MMRHAif-1024-80.jpg">
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	 
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	It's important to note that Semantic Indexing will show results of images stored in the cloud as well as from files stored locally on the computer.
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	 
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	Furthermore, exact matches for your keywords within the text of your cloud files will also appear in the search results.
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	 
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	Semantic Indexing is available in the search box in the Start menu, on the Windows Search home page, in the search box from the Taskbar, in the search box for File Explorer, and in the search experience for the Settings app.
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	 
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	You will notice that the AI feature for Windows Search is available because of the colorful new search icon that includes two starts and a new colorful underline in the search box interface.
																																</p>

																																<h2 id="change-search-settings-3">
																																	Change search settings
																																</h2>

																																<p>
																																	To improve the search experience, Microsoft recommends to enable the "Enhanced" option:
																																</p>

																																<p>
																																	 
																																</p>

																																<ol start="1">
																																	<li>
																																		Open <strong>Settings</strong>.
																																	</li>
																																	<li>
																																		Click on <strong>Privacy &amp; security</strong>.
																																	</li>
																																	<li>
																																		Click the <strong>Searching Windows</strong> page on the right side.
																																	</li>
																																</ol>

																																<p>
																																	 
																																</p>

																																<div>
																																	<div>
																																		<p>
																																			<img alt="Searching Windows" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zmFPdZYM4qEj4tLxAqCK5M-1024-80.jpg">
																																		</p>

																																		<p>
																																			<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																																		</p>

																																		<p>
																																			 
																																		</p>

																																		<ol start="4">
																																			<li>
																																				Click the <strong>"Find my files"</strong> setting.
																																			</li>
																																			<li>
																																				Select the <strong>Enhanced </strong>option.
																																			</li>
																																		</ol>

																																		<p>
																																			 
																																		</p>

																																		<div>
																																			<div>
																																				<p>
																																					<img alt="Search index Enhanced option" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jzmS7azqxn3y3nSxX3wxZQ-1024-80.jpg">
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					Once you complete the steps, the search results should be more accurate.
																																				</p>

																																				<h2 id="section-system-requirements">
																																					<span>System requirements </span>
																																				</h2>

																																				<p>
																																					Windows Recall, Click to Do, and Semantic Indexing for Windows Search are exclusive for Copilot+ PCs, meaning that they're not available for existing laptops and desktops without a Neural Processing Unit (NPU).
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					A Copilot+ PC usually includes these minimum hardware requirements:
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<ul>
																																					<li>
																																						<strong>Processor:</strong> ARM or x86 CPU with NPU (40 or more TOPS).
																																					</li>
																																					<li>
																																						<strong>Memory:</strong> 16GB or more.
																																					</li>
																																					<li>
																																						<strong>Storage:</strong> 256GB or more of SSD.
																																					</li>
																																					<li>
																																						<strong>Security:</strong> TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0.
																																					</li>
																																				</ul>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					If you have an ARM device, it needs to have one of the latest Snapdragon X Series processors from Qualcomm. If you have an AMD or Intel-based device, then it needs to have one of the Ryzen AI 300 Series or Ryzen AI PRO 300 &amp; AI Max PRO Series chips, and on Intel, the device has to have one of the Core Ultra 200V Series processors.
																																				</p>

																																				<h2 id="section-get-the-ai-features">
																																					<span>Get the AI features</span>
																																				</h2>

																																				<p>
																																					If you have a Copilot+ PC, you can download and enable Windows Recall, Click to Do, and Semantic Indexing now with the latest preview of the May 2025 Security Update, which Microsoft currently defines as the April 2025 non-security update.
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					To update your system manually, use these steps:
																																				</p>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<ol start="1">
																																					<li>
																																						Open <strong>Settings</strong>.
																																					</li>
																																					<li>
																																						Click on <strong>Windows Update</strong>.
																																					</li>
																																					<li>
																																						Turn on the <strong>"Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" </strong>toggle switch.
																																					</li>
																																					<li>
																																						Click the<strong> "Check for updates"</strong> button.
																																					</li>
																																				</ol>

																																				<p>
																																					 
																																				</p>

																																				<div>
																																					<div>
																																						<p>
																																							<img alt="Check for updates" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JgnntLLNtm9TLwmJSBmXFZ-1024-80.jpg">
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)</span></em>
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							 
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							Once you complete the steps, the system should download and install the updated KB5055627, which contains the new features.
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							 
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							It's important to note that Microsoft is rolling out these features gradually, and even after installing the update, it may take some time for you to access them.
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							 
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							Also, initially, these features will only be available in some markets. However, Recall and Click to Do are not expected to arrive in the European Economic Area until later in 2025.
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							 
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							Finally, these three features are currently only optimized for English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							 
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							<a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/what-is-new-on-recall-click-to-do-search-for-copilot-pcs-running-windows-11" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
																																						</p>

																																						<hr class="ipsHr">
																																						<p>
																																							<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
																																						</p>

																																						<p>
																																							<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
																																						</p>
																																					</div>
																																				</div>
																																			</div>
																																		</div>
																																	</div>
																																</div>
																															</div>
																														</div>
																													</div>
																												</div>
																											</div>
																										</div>
																									</div>
																								</div>
																							</div>
																						</div>
																					</div>
																				</div>
																			</div>
																		</div>
																	</div>
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
												</div>
											</div>
										</div>
									</div>
								</div>
							</div>
						</div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</div>
		</div>
	</div>
</div>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28975</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 18:57:22 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Windows 11 users reportedly losing data due to Microsoft's forced BitLocker encryption</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/windows-11-users-reportedly-losing-data-due-to-microsofts-forced-bitlocker-encryption-r28974/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Earlier today, we <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-blocks-the-most-popular-windows-11-bypass-for-internet-msa-making-users-angry/" rel="external nofollow">published an article</a> regarding Microsoft's recent removal of the BYPASSNRO script and how it has irked Windows 11 users. The script still allows users to go around the internet and Microsoft Account (MSA) requirements during the Windows 11 <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-releases-kb5059093-oobe-initial-setup-update-for-windows-11-24h2-server-2025/" rel="external nofollow">OOBE (initial setup)</a>. If you are against it, you can let Microsoft know via the <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-blocks-the-most-popular-windows-11-bypass-for-internet-msa-making-users-angry/#:~:text=of%20your%20own-,personal,-feedback%20there." rel="external nofollow">official Feedback Hub portal</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	One of the possible reasons for the Microsoft Account requirement is the default BitLocker encryption changes on the latest Windows 11 feature update, as the recovery key is backed up on the user's MSA. Security from data encryption is something Microsoft also stressed when it <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-explains-tpm-benefits-and-why-it-makes-windows-11-better-than-10/" rel="external nofollow">discussed the benefits of TPM</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	For those who are on Windows 11 24H2 or are planning to upgrade soon, keep in mind that Microsoft encrypts your Windows drive with BitLocker or Device Encryption by default. While Microsoft would do so in the past on non-Home editions, the requirement for BitLocker was relaxed for Windows 11 24H2, and now <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-may-default-encrypt-your-data-with-bitlocker-on-windows-11-24h2-home-pcs-too/" rel="external nofollow">even Home edition systems can be encrypted too</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	BitLocker has been found to <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsofts-default-bitlocker-on-your-windows-11-pc-is-hitting-even-the-fastest-ssds-hard/" rel="external nofollow">impact drive speed and performance</a> in the past, but there is a far scarier aspect of it, and that is the possibility of data loss.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Recently, a Reddit user, MorCJul, shared a bit of a rant about BitLocker Device Encryption and how it has seemingly led to the loss of data for many users. The post was headlined "Microsoft forces security on users, yet BitLocker is now the biggest threat to user data on Windows 11," and it has been overwhelmingly upvoted by users with nearly 550 upvotes at the time of writing.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The user <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/1k90piu/microsoft_forces_security_on_users_yet_bitlocker/" rel="external nofollow">says</a>:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		After seeing multiple users lose all their data because of BitLocker after Windows 11 system changes, I wanted to discuss this:
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		Microsoft now automatically enables BitLocker during onboarding when signing into a Microsoft Account.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		Lose access to your MS account = lose your data forever. No warnings, no second chances. Many people learn about BitLocker the first time it locks them out.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		...
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		I'd argue that for the average user, Availability of their data matters far more than confidentiality. Losing access to family photos and documents because of inavailability is far more painful than any confidentiality concerns.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		Without mandatory, redundant key backups, BitLocker isn't securing anything — it's just silently setting users up for catastrophic failure. I've seen this happen too often now.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		Microsoft's "secure by default" approach has become the biggest risk to personal data on Windows 11, completely overlooking the real needs of everyday users.
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	The Redditor raises a very valid point here, that for most general folks, like the ones who don't read Neowin daily or aren't tech savvy enough or are unaware of all this, can be completely stumped if anything goes wrong with how Microsoft has set up the Windows 11 24H2 BitLocker situation, because they will have no idea that their device was ever encrypted or about keeping the key safe.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Hopefully, Microsoft can find a better way to handle this situation so that the general user can be more easily alerted to the dangers of BitLocker.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	In the meantime, there is an official guide on the topic of backup and recovery of BitLocker keys. Users are advised to <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-posts-official-bitlocker-key-recovery-and-back-up-guide-for-windows-1110-pcs/" rel="external nofollow">bookmark this article</a> as it can come in very handy. We also published a guide on how users can use the Registry to disable BitLocker encryption during the OS setup. You can <a href="https://www.neowin.net/guides/how-to-prevent-windows-11-from-encrypting-your-disks-during-installation/" rel="external nofollow">bookmark this article, too</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p class="img-center">
	<img alt="bitlocker enable and disable option in the Settings" class="ipsImage" height="523" width="720" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/05/1746119038_bitlocker_encryption_disable_settings_windows_11.jpg">
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	If you are already on Windows 11 24H2, you can also head over to the Settings app to choose whether or not you want to keep BitLocker enabled (image above).
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-users-reportedly-losing-data-due-to-microsofts-forced-bitlocker-encryption/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
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]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28974</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 18:52:51 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Firefox 138.0.1 is out with fixes for Outlook bugs and more</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/firefox-13801-is-out-with-fixes-for-outlook-bugs-and-more-r28973/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Mozilla has released a small bug-fixing update for the recently launched Firefox 138. Version 138.0.1 is now available for download from the official website or within the browser, and it brings two fixes. One addresses a bug causing a blank page to appear instead of Home and New Tab pages, and another patches bugs with Outlook for the web adding UTF-8 to the beginning of attachment file names upon saving.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Here is the changelog and links to the fixed bugs:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		<strong>Version 138.0.1, first offered to Release channel users on May 1, 2025</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			Fixed an issue which caused a blank page to be shown for Home and New Tab pages for some users. (<a href="https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1963537" rel="external nofollow">Bug 1963537</a>)
		</li>
		<li>
			Added a workaround for a bug in outlook.office.com/outlook.live.com where attachment filenames are incorrectly prefixed with UTF-8 when saved. (<a href="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1961710" rel="external nofollow">Bug 1961710</a>)
		</li>
	</ul>
</blockquote>

<p>
	As a reminder, Firefox 138 arrived earlier this week with some interesting changes. The browser received a profile manager to help you keep browsing well-organized, some design improvements for Windows 11 users, more address bar improvements, tab groups for all users worldwide, and more. You can find the complete changelog <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/firefox-gets-big-update-with-profiles-and-better-looks-on-windows-11/" rel="external nofollow">here.</a>
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	You can download Firefox 138.0.1 <a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/" rel="external nofollow">from the official website</a>, <a href="https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9NZVDKPMR9RD" rel="external nofollow">the Microsoft Store</a> (if you are on Windows 10 and 11), or <a href="https://www.neowin.net/software/firefox-1380/" rel="external nofollow">Neown's software page</a>. Existing installations will get to the latest version automatically, but you can speed things up by heading to <strong>Menu &gt; Help &gt; About Firefox</strong>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/firefox-13801-is-out-with-fixes-for-outlook-bugs-and-more/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="ipsEmbed_finishedLoading" data-controller="core.front.core.autosizeiframe" data-embedauthorid="113165" data-embedcontent="" data-embedid="embed9940891201" src="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/471571-mozilla-firefox-browser-13801/?do=embed&amp;comment=1865414&amp;embedComment=1865414&amp;embedDo=findComment#comment-1865414" style="overflow: hidden; height: 332px; max-width: 500px;"></iframe>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
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</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28973</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 18:50:54 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Is AI just hype? This report claims bots like Microsoft Copilot aren't replacing humans, increasing wages, or even saving time</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/is-ai-just-hype-this-report-claims-bots-like-microsoft-copilot-arent-replacing-humans-increasing-wages-or-even-saving-time-r28972/</link><description><![CDATA[<h3>
	Generative AI might not be revolutionizing the world, as this working paper suggests that the impact of AI chatbots is minimal.
</h3>

<p>
	<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/artificial-intelligence" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/artificial-intelligence" rel="external nofollow">Generative AI</a> has seemingly revolutionized the world as it gains broad adoption across organizations. Aside from privacy and security concerns, the technology has started to raise concerns among professionals over their job security.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Tech leaders, including Microsoft co-founder <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/bill-gates-says-ai-will-replace-humans-for-most-things" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/bill-gates-says-ai-will-replace-humans-for-most-things" rel="external nofollow">Bill Gates, predict that AI will replace humans for most things</a>. However, Gates claims that we'll have the chance to preserve sentimental tasks for ourselves, jokingly indicating that no one would like to watch "computers playing baseball".
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	However, it's not all bad. According to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/work-productivity/microsoft-ai-agents-will-make-every-employee-agent-boss" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/work-productivity/microsoft-ai-agents-will-make-every-employee-agent-boss" rel="external nofollow">Microsoft's latest Work Trend Index report</a>, most organizations are integrating generative AI into their workflows to make work easier by automating repetitive tasks, creating ample time for employees to focus on more important things.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Interestingly, a new report by the University of Chicago's Becker Friedman Institute for Economics wants to set all these concerns aside. It claims that AI-powered chatbots such as Google's Gemini AI, ChatGPT, Claude, and even <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/copilot" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/copilot" rel="external nofollow">Microsoft Copilot</a> have minimal to no impact on wages or employment (via <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://www.techradar.com/pro/generative-ai-isnt-biting-into-wages-replacing-workers-or-saving-time-economists-say" href="https://www.techradar.com/pro/generative-ai-isnt-biting-into-wages-replacing-workers-or-saving-time-economists-say" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">TechRadar</a>).
</p>

<h2 id="are-large-language-models-making-no-impact-3">
	Are "Large Language Models" making no impact?
</h2>

<div>
	<div>
		<p>
			<img alt="The logos of OpenAI and DeepSeek artificial intelligence apps on mobile phones." class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mmc5YmLsSKG9vH2DkFseoK-1024-80.jpg">
		</p>

		<p>
			<em><span>OpenAI and DeepSeek AI apps. </span></em>
		</p>

		<p>
			<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg)</span></em>
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			According to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5219933" href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5219933" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">the report</a><span>:</span>
		</p>

		<p class="QuoteNewsStyle">
			<em>"While AI chatbots are now widely used – saving users time and creating new job tasks, especially in workplaces that encourage their use – their overall impact on the labor market remains limited."</em>
		</p>

		<p>
			It's worth noting that the study was based on data collected from approximately 25,000 workers in Denmark across 11 AI-exposed occupations. Per the study's findings, the emergence of AI hasn't contributed to any significant changes in earnings or working hours despite the integration of AI-powered tools into the workforce.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<div id="slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-s3wMQKgbMfccgqf8hGbZkK">
			<div data-hydrate="true">
				<p>
					While organizations have been quick to hop onto the AI bandwagon with firm-led investments adoption rates rising from 47% to 83%, the study finds that AI-powered tools haven't had a significant impact on the employees' output <strong>— </strong>only saving 2.8% of their time at work, which translates to a little over an hour in a 40-hour week.
				</p>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<p>
					The report goes on to claim that AI has created new tasks for 8.4% of workers for roles like monitoring AI-aided cheating, prompt engineering, and AI output editors, which add to their existing workloads.
				</p>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<p>
					Perhaps more concerning, the report indicated that these roles increased workloads most of the time. As such, time savings only translated into higher earnings a mere 3-7% of the time.
				</p>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<p>
					This isn't the first time a report has countered AI's expected impact on society. Last year, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/is-ai-all-a-fad-a-new-report-suggests-very-few-people-are-using-tools-like-chatgpt-and-the-hype-is-being-misconstrued-for-actual-public-interest" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/is-ai-all-a-fad-a-new-report-suggests-very-few-people-are-using-tools-like-chatgpt-and-the-hype-is-being-misconstrued-for-actual-public-interest" rel="external nofollow">a separate report</a> suggested that very few people are using tools like ChatGPT, and the hype is being misconstrued as actual public interest.
				</p>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<p>
					<a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/report-claims-ai-isnt-replacing-humans-or-saving-time" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
				</p>

				<hr class="ipsHr">
				<p>
					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
				</p>

				<p>
					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
				</p>

				<p>
					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
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				<p>
					<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
				</p>
			</div>
		</div>
	</div>
</div>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28972</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 18:49:23 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Tails 6.15 out now with Tor Browser 14.5.1, Linux 6.1.135, and removed drivers</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/tails-615-out-now-with-tor-browser-1451-linux-61135-and-removed-drivers-r28971/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	The team behind the privacy operating system Tails has just released version 6.15 with the latest version of the Tor Browser, version 14.5.1, and Linux 6.1.135. Unfortunately, if you use the Broadcom BCM4301 and BCM4306 chips to get connected to Wi-Fi, they have been removed to resolve build failures.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	For anyone not familiar with Tails OS, it's a portable Linux operating system that you install on a USB stick. The idea is that you can boot into it on any computer where booting from a USB is available and it provides a very secure environment for you to browse the web using the Tor Browser. Even the installed applications have their network traffic router through Tor to keep you safe.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The main reason to update quickly to Tails 6.15 is because of the updates to the Tor Browser. This new version backports security updates from <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/firefox-gets-big-update-with-profiles-and-better-looks-on-windows-11/" rel="external nofollow">Firefox 138</a>. Anyone interested in compromising Tails users, think security agencies, could try to exploit publicly known issues in older versions of the Tor Browser, so to avoid this, you should update before using Tails for any searches, just to be safe.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Some other key updates in this release include:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<ul>
	<li>
		The GRUB menu appearance has been fixed in secure boot, providing a better user experience
	</li>
	<li>
		The APT package manager has been switched from Fastly to Cloudfront, potentially improving download speeds and reliability when installing software
	</li>
	<li>
		Improvements have been made to the Tails reproducible builds process, strengthening security and trustworthiness of Tails
	</li>
	<li>
		The Tor Browser now runs in a pseudo-Flatpak environment, potentially enhancing security thanks to sandboxing
	</li>
	<li>
		Several improvements to the Welcome Screen and other system components have been implemented.
	</li>
</ul>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Anyone on Tails 6.0 or above should be able to upgrade. You should see a notification pop up once you’ve connected to the internet and it has had a chance to check for a new version. Do not delay the upgrade, otherwise you will be open to exploits. If you want to install Tails, follow these <a href="https://tails.net/install/index.en.html" rel="external nofollow">straightforward instructions</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Source: <a href="https://blog.torproject.org/new-release-tails-6_15/" rel="external nofollow">Tails</a>
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/tails-615-out-now-with-tor-browser-1451-linux-61135-and-removed-drivers/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="ipsEmbed_finishedLoading" data-controller="core.front.core.autosizeiframe" data-embedauthorid="610954" data-embedcontent="" data-embedid="embed2881161872" src="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/471576-tails-615/?do=embed&amp;comment=1865428&amp;embedComment=1865428&amp;embedDo=findComment#comment-1865428" style="overflow: hidden; height: 332px; max-width: 500px;"></iframe>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
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<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28971</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 18:47:31 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Windows 11's WSL 2 now officially has support from Arch Linux</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/windows-11s-wsl-2-now-officially-has-support-from-arch-linux-r28970/</link><description><![CDATA[<h3>
	"I use Arch, BTW" can now also apply if you use Windows 11.
</h3>

<p>
	Having been first teased earlier this year, Arch Linux is now officially available to download and install on Microsoft's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/wsl" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/wsl" rel="external nofollow">WSL</a> on Windows 11 (via <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://news.itsfoss.com/arch-linux-wsl-release/" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/arch-linux-wsl-release/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">It's FOSS</a>).
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	It comes a couple of weeks on from another big name officially joining the WSL roster, when <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/fedora-42-on-wsl-is-almost-here-and-you-can-help-test-it-out-today" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/fedora-42-on-wsl-is-almost-here-and-you-can-help-test-it-out-today" rel="external nofollow">Fedora 42</a> officially became available, also.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The project started after discussions with Microsoft, with the latter expressing interest in getting a full-fat, official release of Arch Linux onto WSL.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Arch Linux for WSL is developed with its own dedicated Gitlab repository, to keep it separated from the main release. Images should be generated once a month, and the only possibly bad news is that WSL 1 users can't take part.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Arch Linux is built only for WSL 2.
</p>

<div>
	<div>
		<p>
			<picture><source sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EP6Sx3tGMFK4oDVBDTxXzM-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EP6Sx3tGMFK4oDVBDTxXzM-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EP6Sx3tGMFK4oDVBDTxXzM-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EP6Sx3tGMFK4oDVBDTxXzM-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EP6Sx3tGMFK4oDVBDTxXzM-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EP6Sx3tGMFK4oDVBDTxXzM-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" type="image/webp"></source></picture>
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			<img alt="Installing Arch Linux on WSL" class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EP6Sx3tGMFK4oDVBDTxXzM-1024-80.jpg">
		</p>

		<p>
			<em><span>Arch Linux is now available to install on WSL with a single command. </span></em>
		</p>

		<p>
			<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Windows Central)</span></em>
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			Installation is extremely simple. To get it up and running on your system, simply open up PowerShell and enter:
		</p>

		<pre class="line-numbers  language-powershell" language="powershell" style="margin-left: 40px;"><code class="language-powershell">wsl --install archlinux</code></pre>

		<p>
			After a brief download and install period, you're good to go. If you're using Windows Terminal simply restart it and Arch Linux will now be in your dropdown menu.
		</p>

		<div id="slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-ukpTqxSTbKcyUZctCuebdP">
			<div data-hydrate="true">
				<div>
					 
				</div>

				<p>
					If you're not, or want to enter it from PowerShell directly simply type:
				</p>

				<pre class="line-numbers  language-powershell" language="powershell" style="margin-left: 40px;"><code class="language-powershell">wsl --d archlinux</code></pre>

				<p>
					From here, aside from knowing that it works and is quite fast, there's not much more I can say. I am not an "I use Arch, BTW" person (Fedora will always be my Linux home now) and I'll be the first to admit I don't really know what I'm doing with it.
				</p>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<p>
					But if you do, and you've been longing to have it powering your WSL adventures, go forth and have all the Arch you desire.
				</p>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<p>
					<a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11s-wsl-2-now-officially-has-support-from-arch-linux" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
				</p>

				<hr class="ipsHr">
				<p>
					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
				</p>

				<p>
					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
				</p>

				<p>
					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
				</p>

				<p>
					<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
				</p>
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		</div>
	</div>
</div>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28970</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 18:45:26 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Microsoft Edge is not going anywhere with its market share</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-edge-is-not-going-anywhere-with-its-market-share-r28969/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	I used to cover Statcounter's monthly findings about Windows and browser market share each month. While in the Windows part, drastic changes happen every time (<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-becomes-more-popular-as-it-narrows-gap-with-windows-10/" rel="external nofollow">Windows 11 is quickly catching up to Windows 10</a>), things on the browser side are completely stalled. Competing with Google Chrome is an immense task, and even corporations like Microsoft are struggling to put a dent in Chrome's market share.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Statcounter reports that during the last 12 months, the desktop browser market share worldwide has seen very little to no action. Google Chrome, despite <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/chrome-general-manager-tells-judge-that-only-google-can-run-chrome/" rel="external nofollow">all the regulatory turbulence around it</a>, remains uncontested with an overwhelming 65.02% market share, which, in April 2025, decreased by 0.62 points.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	One year ago, in April 2024, Microsoft Edge had 12.97%. Fast forward to May 2025, Microsoft's browser has 13.29% (-0.08 points in one month and +0.32 points year-over-year). Despite being the default browser in Windows 10 and 11, despite being very hard to delete from the operating system, and despite all the efforts Microsoft puts into making users switch from Chrome (some of them are quite aggressive and openly user-hostile), Edge still seems permanently stuck with its 13% market share worldwide (the highest point was 13.9% <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-edge-reaches-new-all-time-high-desktop-market-share/" rel="external nofollow">by the end of February 2025</a>).
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<figure class="image image--expandable">
	<img alt="Desktop Browser Market Share worldwide by Statcounter" class="ipsImage" height="405" width="720" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/05/1746094560_statcounter-browser-ww-monthly-202404-202504.jpg">
	<figcaption>
		<em>Source: <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/desktop/worldwide#monthly-202404-202504" rel="external nofollow">Statcounter</a></em>
	</figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
	In some countries, though, things are a bit better for Microsoft. For example, in the United Kingdom, Edge has a more impressive 21.78%, while Chrome has 52.45%. But then, there is India, where Chrome sits at a whopping 86.22% and Microsoft Edge is all the way down at just 5.65%.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Apple's Safari is the third most popular desktop browser worldwide with a 7.95% market share (-0.3 points in April 2025). Firefox is fourth with 6.14% (+0.12 points), and Opera closes the top 5 with a modest 3.04% market share (+0.1 point).
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	You can find more information about Statcounter's latest browser findings <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/desktop/worldwide#monthly-202404-202504" rel="external nofollow">on the official website</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-edge-is-not-going-anywhere-with-its-market-share/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28969</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 18:42:05 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>AnduinOS 1.3 is a Linux distro that looks like Windows 11, now with GNOME 48 and HDR support</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/anduinos-13-is-a-linux-distro-that-looks-like-windows-11-now-with-gnome-48-and-hdr-support-r28968/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	With Windows 10 losing official support later this year, many computers will be <a href="https://www.neowin.net/editorials/save-your-computer-from-microsofts-windows-10-end-of-life-planned-obsolescence/" rel="external nofollow">left unable</a> to run Windows 11. For those of you in that situation who are willing to experiment, AnduinOS could be a good Linux distribution for you to look at, and the latest version, <a href="https://news.anduinos.com/post/2025/4/30/announcing-anduinos-13" rel="external nofollow">AnduinOS 1.3</a>, has just been released.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	AnduinOS 1.3 is based on <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/ubuntu-2504-now-available-with-gnome-48-and-linux-kernel-614/" rel="external nofollow">Ubuntu 25.04</a>, meaning it’s supported until January 2026. What makes AnduinOS potentially appealing to readers is the fact that it’s running a heavily customized GNOME shell, which takes many cues from Windows 11, including the centered Start button and pinned apps.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	One of the big features in this update is the inclusion of <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/gnome-48-arrives-with-tons-of-new-features-including-new-fonts/" rel="external nofollow">GNOME 48</a>, which we have previously covered. The developers behind this Linux distribution have also pre-installed GNOME Software and Flatpak for easier app installation. Some smaller improvements include a Super + V shortcut to bring up your clipboard history, a fix for Firefox localization issues, and HDR support.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	AnduinOS doesn’t seem to be a particularly well-known OS just yet, as it’s not even ranked in Distrowatch’s top 100 Linux distributions. Also, there are some drawbacks to it, such as <a href="https://github.com/Anduin2017/AnduinOS/discussions/42" rel="external nofollow">not being able to do an in-place upgrade between versions</a>, but this is being looked at by the maintainers.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Nevertheless, given that it’s a Windows-inspired Linux distribution that you don’t have to set up, it certainly looks like something interesting to try out in a virtual machine or on a spare computer.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/arduinos-13-is-a-linux-distro-that-looks-like-windows-11-now-with-gnome-48-and-hdr-support/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28968</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 18:41:15 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Windows 11 becomes more popular as it narrows gap with Windows 10</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/windows-11-becomes-more-popular-as-it-narrows-gap-with-windows-10-r28961/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Windows 11 is getting progressively more popular. In March 2025, the operating system made <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-market-share-is-quickly-catching-up-to-windows-10/" rel="external nofollow">a big jump</a> in its effort to catch up with the outgoing Windows 10, and in April, it gained more. Statcounter reports that as of May 1, 2025, Windows 11 holds 43.72% of the Windows market.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	During April 2025, Windows 11 managed to increase its market share by 1.03 points. Windows 10, on the other hand, is losing its customers who migrate to the newer version ahead of the end of support later this year. According to Statcounter, Windows 10 lost 1.26 points in April, and it currently holds 52.94% of all PCs running Windows worldwide.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	During the last 12 months, Windows 11 grew from 26.19% to 43.72% (+17.53 points), and Windows 10 fell from 69.89% to 52.94% (-16.95 points). Microsoft is expected to speed up the Windows 11 rollout, but Windows 10 will not go anywhere, even after the end of mainstream support. Microsoft's <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-extends-windows-10-life-for-consumers-if-they-pay-30/" rel="external nofollow">Extended Security Update program</a> will keep plenty of users with Windows 10 for a few more years despite encouragements to upgrade or <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-how-to-update-to-windows-11-on-unsupported-windows-10-pc-dump-it-and-buy-new/" rel="external nofollow">dump unsupported devices</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<figure class="image image--expandable">
	<img alt="Desktop Windows version market share worldwide" class="ipsImage" height="405" width="720" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/05/1746085605_statcounter-windows_version-ww-monthly-202404-202504.jpg">
	<figcaption>
		<em>Source: <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide#monthly-202404-202504" rel="external nofollow">Statcounter</a></em>
	</figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
	In the United States, Windows 11 is already more popular than Windows 10. It became the number one desktop operating system last month, and currently, it has 56.43%, while Windows 10 has 41.04%. The same has happened in the United Kingdom and Canada.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Of course, there are countries where people are not-so-willing to update from Windows 10 to Windows 11. In Ukraine, for example, Windows 11 has only 26.7%, and Windows 10 is going strong with a steady market share of 68.55%.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	While the overwhelming majority of Windows customers use supported versions, there are still people out there using Windows 7 and older releases. Statcounter says Windows 7 has 2.4% (+0.18 points), Windows XP has 0.38% (+0.05 points), and Windows 8.1 is at 0.28%.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	You can find more information about the Windows market <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/" rel="external nofollow">on the official Statcounter website</a>. Click <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/faq#methodology" rel="external nofollow">here</a> to learn how the website gathers its information for monthly reports.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-becomes-more-popular-as-it-narrows-gap-with-windows-10/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28961</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 08:20:18 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>This unofficial PowerShell GUI Windows 11/10 customization and tweaking app gets big upgrade</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/this-unofficial-powershell-gui-windows-1110-customization-and-tweaking-app-gets-big-upgrade-r28960/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Microsoft, earlier today, released the latest update for Validation OS. For those not familiar, it is the <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-updates-official-lightweight-windows-11-validation-os-with-dism-wpf-net-upgrades/" rel="external nofollow">official lightweight variation of Windows 11</a>, though it is not meant for the general public.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Users who want a lighter, bloatware-free, custom Windows 11 or 10 have to rely on third-party apps and utilities. One such application that received a major update recently is Winhance, which comes with the tagline of "Windows Enhancement Utility".
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p class="img-center">
	<img alt="winhance app UI" class="ipsImage" height="409" width="720" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/05/1746079930_winhance_hero.jpg">
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Winhance used to be a PowerShell-based GUI (graphical user interface) utility, but with the new update, the app has been translated to C#. Fonts have also been updated from Windows Fonts to Google Material Symbols so as to improve the app's UX consistency between Windows 10 and 11.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The full changelog of all the improvements and changes is given below:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		<strong>Winhance Release #4 - v25.04.27</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		Winhance C# First Release!
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			<p>
				Winhance changed from a PowerShell GUI Script to a C# application with proper install/uninstall support and a portable version<br>
				.....
			</p>

			<p>
				 
			</p>
		</li>
		<li>
			<p>
				MainWindow &amp; UI Changes
			</p>

			<p>
				 
			</p>

			<ul>
				<li>
					Changed to Google Material Symbols rather than relying on Windows Fonts to render symbols which created inconsistencies in the app between Windows 10 and Windows 11.
				</li>
				<li>
					Added Save &amp; Import Config buttons that can be used to manage selections and settings in Winhance
				</li>
				<li>
					Added Support/Donate Button
				</li>
				<li>
					Added a styled scroll bar
				</li>
			</ul>
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			<p>
				Software &amp; Apps View Changes
			</p>

			<p>
				 
			</p>

			<ul>
				<li>
					Windows Apps &amp; Features Section
					<ul>
						<li>
							Added a section with a legend to explain symbols that appear in the Windows Apps GUI and a search bar to search for items
						</li>
						<li>
							Moved the "Remove Selected Items" button to the top and added an "Install Selected Items" button below it to install items if available.
						</li>
						<li>
							Seperated Windows Apps, Legacy Capabilities and Optional Features into different sections for better organization.
						</li>
					</ul>
				</li>
				<li>
					External Apps Section
					<ul>
						<li>
							Added a new section with multiple useful apps in different categories ex. Browsers, Multimedia utilities, Document viewers etc. that can be installed via WinGet.
						</li>
					</ul>
				</li>
			</ul>
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			<p>
				Optimize View Changes
			</p>

			<p>
				 
			</p>

			<ul>
				<li>
					Added an info section with a legend and search bar to search for items.
				</li>
				<li>
					Added an icon to indicate if a registry key or value is missing.
				</li>
				<li>
					Added toggle switches to each available setting in their subcategories (ex. Privacy, Gaming etc.) to allow users better control over what is applied.
				</li>
				<li>
					Moved Sound, Notifications and a part of the Explorer customizations from Customize View to the Optimize View.
				</li>
				<li>
					Added a Combobox/Dropdown menu in Power Settings to select a Power Plans
				</li>
			</ul>
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			<p>
				Customize View Changes
			</p>

			<p>
				 
			</p>

			<ul>
				<li>
					Added an info section with a legend and search bar to search for items.
				</li>
				<li>
					Added an icon to indicate if a registry key or value is missing.
				</li>
				<li>
					Added toggle switches to each available setting in their subcategories (ex. Taskbar, Start Menu etc.) to allow users better control over what is applied.
				</li>
				<li>
					Changed the Windows Theme selector (Dark Mode/Light Mode) to a Combobox/Drodown Menu
				</li>
			</ul>
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			<p>
				About View Changes
			</p>

			<p>
				 
			</p>

			<ul>
				<li>
					Removed About View, will add a similiar view with a better structure in a future update
				</li>
			</ul>
		</li>
	</ul>
</blockquote>

<p>
	If you want to try Winhance, you can head over to its new download <a href="https://winhance.net/" rel="external nofollow">page here</a> or the app's official <a href="https://github.com/memstechtips/Winhance/releases/tag/v25.04.27" rel="external nofollow">GitHub repo</a>. As always, though, as a reminder, the best place to try out unofficial third-party apps is often in a VM.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/this-unofficial-powershell-gui-windows-1110-customization-and-tweaking-app-gets-big-upgrade/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28960</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 08:19:33 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Microsoft updates official lightweight Windows 11 Validation OS with DISM, WPF .NET upgrades</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-updates-official-lightweight-windows-11-validation-os-with-dism-wpf-net-upgrades-r28959/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-released-a-new-lightweight-windows-11-validation-os-thats-probably-not-for-you/" rel="external nofollow">Back in 2022</a>, Microsoft released a new variation of Windows 11 named Validation OS. While this operating system is not meant for the general user, it, as the name suggests, is designed to be utilized in the validation, diagnosis and repair of new hardware, ensuring software compatibility, and for troubleshooting various issues. It is based on command line interface (CLI).
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Here's how Microsoft describes it:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		Microsoft Validation OS is a lightweight, fast, and customizable Windows 11-based operating system that you can use on the factory floor to diagnose, mitigate and repair hardware defects during Windows device manufacturing.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		Validation OS boots into a Command Line environment to increase reliability on the factory floor and supports running Win32 apps, smoothing the transition from early hardware bring-up to retail OS and apps development.
	</p>
</blockquote>

<p>
	Over time, Microsoft has been releasing updates for it, which have included <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-quietly-updates-official-lightweight-windows-11-validation-os-isos-for-24h2/" rel="external nofollow">support for Windows 11 24H2</a>. That was back in July of 2024. However, back then, Microsoft did not publish any changelog or release notes for the Validation OS updates.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	However, towards the end of last year, the company started releasing monthly updates for it and has also been publishing corresponding release notes.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The latest update was released earlier today with upgrades and enhancements for .NET and WPF (<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/the-head-of-microsofts-windows-team-wants-your-thoughts-about-ux-frameworks/" rel="external nofollow">Windows Presentation Framework</a>) UI framework. It also has improvements related to USB booting for Windows PE (preinstallation environment) Ramdisk mode.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/validation-os-release-notes-2504?view=windows-11" rel="external nofollow">Microsoft writes</a> (spotted by <a href="https://www.deskmodder.de/blog/2025/04/30/validation-os-iso-auf-basis-von-windows-11-24h2-fuer-entwickler/" rel="external nofollow">DeskModder</a><span class="ipsEmoji">😞</span>
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		The following release notes identify the new features, open issues, and resolved issues for the 2504 release of the Microsoft Validation OS. ... This article applies to the Validation OS 2504 release, corresponding to the ISOs with the prefix "26100.3916.250422-2254".
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		<strong>What's new</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			Windows Hardware Lab Kit on Validation OS enhancements:
			<ul>
				<li>
					Added Surface Dock specific drivers to the <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-DriversPack-A</strong> package
				</li>
			</ul>
		</li>
		<li>
			Added basic support to run some WPF applications along with sufficient support to run .NET (former ".NET core") and WPF on .NET (former "WPF on .NET core") via the <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-WPF-Support</strong> optional package (under the Extras CAB directory)
		</li>
		<li>
			Migrated to the latest most secure and performant .NET implementation
		</li>
		<li>
			Split Chinese, Japanese, and Korean TrueType support from <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-Fonts</strong> into <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-CJKFonts</strong>
		</li>
		<li>
			Added support to ‘DISM.exe /Image: /Set-ScratchSpace’ on Validation OS when booting from USB to configure RAM-DISK size via the <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-Provisioning</strong> package
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		<strong>Issues Fixed</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			Enhancements and bug fixes
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		<strong>Known Issues</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			<p>
				When including both <strong>Microsoft-OneCore-SerialConsole-Package</strong> and <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-Bluetooth-Package</strong> on certain ARM64 systems, the machine will become unstable and can crash.
			</p>
		</li>
	</ul>
</blockquote>

<p>
	In case you are wondering, the previous two releases added support for OOBE (<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-releases-kb5059093-oobe-initial-setup-update-for-windows-11-24h2-server-2025/" rel="external nofollow">out of box experience</a>) and Inbox drivers, like that of the Ethernet. The changelogs are given below:
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<blockquote class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<p>
		The following release notes identify the new features, open issues, and resolved issues for the 2025.02 release of the Microsoft Validation OS. .. This article applies to the Validation OS 2025.02 release, corresponding to the ISOs with the prefix "26100.3323.250220-1537".
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		<strong>What's new</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			<p>
				Added a the “Inbox Drivers” feature package that adds a limited subset of inbox drivers, including some ASIX ethernet adapters.
			</p>
		</li>
		<li>
			When including the <strong>Out of Box Experience</strong> (OOBE.pkg) in an image targeted FOR USB boot, GenImage will automatically filter out Microsoft-WinVOS-Setup-Package from the composition (this package is unsupported in durin USB boot).
		</li>
		<li>
			Includes an experimental script to convert a generated Validation OS WIM file to a custom sized VHDX: <strong>GenImage\CustomVHDX.cmd</strong>
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		<strong>Issues Fixed</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			Fixed issue where kernel mode crash dumps were only created if the <strong>Power</strong> feature was included in the composition. Now, there are no option package requirements for kernel mode crash dump creations.
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		<strong>Known Issues</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			When including both Microsoft-OneCore-SerialConsole-Package and Microsoft-WinVOS-Bluetooth-Package on certain ARM64 systems, the machine will become unstable and can crash.
		</li>
		<li>
			The <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-Setup-Package</strong> is located in both the common package location and under OOBE (this is fixed in the upcoming March 2025 release)
		</li>
		<li>
			Adding the <strong>Out of Box Experience</strong> (OOBE.pkg) package to arm64 devices will result in an infinite reboot cycle (this will be fixed in the upcoming March 2025 release)
		</li>
		<li>
			Image generation is not possible if the input (base) WIM/VHDX is compressed. This is a limitation of dism.exe and considered by design.
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		[....]
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		The following release notes identify the new features, open issues, and resolved issues for the 2503 release of the Microsoft Validation OS. .. This article applies to the Validation OS 2503 release, corresponding to the ISOs with the prefix <strong>"26100.3624.250321-2034"</strong>.
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		<strong>What's new</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			Windows Hardware Lab Kit on Validation OS enhancements:
			<ul>
				<li>
					Added built-in support for <strong>Out of Box Experience</strong> (OOBE.pkg)
				</li>
				<li>
					Added support for certain hardware devices via the <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-DriversPack-A-Package</strong>
				</li>
				<li>
					VHDX images are now bootable in Hyper-V with no additional updates
				</li>
			</ul>
		</li>
		<li>
			Added <strong>takeown.exe</strong> and <strong>driverquery.exe</strong> utilities to the <strong>Applications and Application Support</strong> (apps.pkg) feature package.
		</li>
		<li>
			Added Validation OS specific DirectML samples to <a href="https://github.com/microsoft/Validation-OS/tree/main/Samples/DirectML" rel="external nofollow">Github:Validation-OS/Samples/DirectML</a>
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		<strong>Issues Fixed</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			The <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-Setup-Package.cab</strong> file is now only located in the OOBE package location
		</li>
		<li>
			Adding the <strong>Out of Box Experience</strong> (OOBE.pkg) package to arm64 devices will not result in an infinite reboot cycle anymore
		</li>
		<li>
			Fixed ApiSet Schema for <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-Connectivity-Devices</strong>
		</li>
	</ul>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<p>
		<strong>Known Issues</strong>
	</p>

	<p>
		 
	</p>

	<ul>
		<li>
			When including both <strong>Microsoft-OneCore-SerialConsole-Package</strong> and <strong>Microsoft-WinVOS-Bluetooth-Package</strong> on certain ARM64 systems, the machine will become unstable and can crash.
		</li>
	</ul>
</blockquote>

<p>
	To download the latest Validation OS release, head over to <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/validation-os-overview?view=windows-11" rel="external nofollow">this page</a> on Microsoft's official website.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-updates-official-lightweight-windows-11-validation-os-with-dism-wpf-net-upgrades/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28959</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 08:18:12 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>How Google killed my excitement in operating system upgrades</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/how-google-killed-my-excitement-in-operating-system-upgrades-r28956/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	As someone born in the first half of the 1990s, I vaguely remember Windows 98 and vividly remember using Windows XP at school, Vista on my first laptop, and later Windows 7 which I reinstalled many times on another laptop which I used to experiment with Linux distributions on.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Each version had been launched years apart with pretty big changes and it was a time before really good web apps so desktop apps were way more important than they are today. For me, each new release was hotly anticipated and I was genuinely excited with new features.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo" contenteditable="false">
	<div>
		<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="113" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/5JyFbF7QFlY?feature=oembed" title="Google Chrome OS Open Source Project Announcement" width="200"></iframe>
	</div>
</div>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Things took a funny turn towards the end of the 2000s when Google announced Chrome OS. I have never used it as my primary operating system to this day, but its ethos, coupled with the shift to mobile and improvements with web technologies, has pretty much killed my excitement in new operating system updates.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	ChromeOS was built on the idea that updates were to be incremental, background affairs that the user didn’t need to worry about. At the time, I found this quite an interesting and exciting concept, but had no idea that it would diminish my excitement for new major operating system updates.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Alongside the maturation of ChromeOS, we’ve seen the maturation of Google’s mobile operating system, Android. Gone are the days when Android was defined by its Tron-inspired theme and big Android updates were important. Google, and users, have gotten fed up with slow upgrades from OEMs and the search giant made Android more modular.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<div class="img-center">
	<figure class="image image--expandable">
		<img alt="A screenshot of HTML5Test" class="ipsImage" height="460" width="720" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/04/1745985859_html5test.jpg">
		<figcaption>
			<em>HTML5Test: a formerly popular way to see how well browsers supported HTML5</em>
		</figcaption>
	</figure>
</div>

<p>
	Another big piece of the puzzle that was starting to form around the end of the 2000s was HTML5, this essentially made web apps available that worked as well as regular apps, diminishing the role of the operating system further.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	In this editorial, I want to take a deeper dive into these items and explore how they made me much less interested in the major operating system updates from companies like Apple and Microsoft, and even upgrades of Linux distributions.
</p>

<h3>
	<strong>ChromeOS</strong>
</h3>

<p>
	The first time I heard about ChromeOS was back in 2009 when Sundar Pichai showed off an early version of the operating system. At the time, I remember thinking that you could get away with using that system for some tasks but it would limit you in terms of desktop apps, what I did really like about it though were all the security features Google had built in.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	As outlined in the video below, which was released around the time of Pichai’s keynote, Chrome tabs were sandboxed to reduce exploits, and the underlying operating system had security measures in place such as atomic updates and verified boot to ensure it hadn’t been tampered with. Building it from the ground up, Google was able to make sure ChromeOS systems were very secure.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo" contenteditable="false">
	<div>
		<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="113" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/A9WVmNfgjtQ?feature=oembed" title="Chromium OS Security" width="200"></iframe>
	</div>
</div>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Some other niceties of ChromeOS that I remember being pretty excited about were the promised quick boot times and the fact that you would just log in with your Google account credentials; essentially, you wouldn’t need to worry about backups, all your data was there waiting for you when you logged in.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	ChromeOS was promising something much different from what Apple, Microsoft and major Linux distributions were offering at the time, for example, I can still remember upgrading my iMac at the time to Snow Leopard using a physical disc. At the time, ChromeOS didn’t feel quite complete, but after 15 years of maturation, it looks great, fast internet speed allows for quick updates, and web apps have diminished the need for desktop software.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Around 2010, Google Chrome got a new release cycle which saw major updates drop every six weeks, in the time since, this has fallen to <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/google-chrome-will-shift-to-a-four-week-release-cycle/" rel="external nofollow">every four weeks</a>. ChromeOS gets upgrades alongside the Chrome web browser, making it a rolling release operating system, similar to Arch Linux-based distributions.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Rather than adding lots of new features in one giant update event, Google introduces a handful of smaller updates with each new version, updating the system iteratively so that users don’t notice the changes as much. The quicker releases also mean that Google can push out security updates faster, so users stay protected.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	This rolling release update model has also rubbed off onto other operating systems including Microsoft Windows. While Microsoft still releases major Windows versions, since Windows 10 it has been iteratively improving its systems via updates a few times per year.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	In recent years, the Fedora project has started releasing a collection of atomic desktops, like <a href="https://www.neowin.net/editorials/forget-ubuntu-2404-lts-what-you-really-want-to-download-this-month-is-fedora-silverblue-40/" rel="external nofollow">Fedora Silverblue</a>, built around rpm-ostree that gives you image-based upgrades, making rollbacks much easier and giving you a more stable operating system overall. While these get big updates a few times per year like Fedora Workstation, the security benefits are reminiscent of what ChromeOS delivers.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The lack of new major versions of operating systems, largely popularized by ChromeOS, for me, has significantly diminished the importance and excitement of new releases that do land, because there is not usually too much that’s changed or necessary.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	If you were using a computer during the Windows XP era and then saw the releases of Windows Vista and eventually Windows 7, I bet you can name many of the new features between them, I know I can. Nowadays, can you remember what new features were introduced in each of the Moment updates or H updates for Windows, I can’t. They just seem to be kind of there one day without much fanfare.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	This continuous evolution is actually really good for most people because it reduces the learning curve and people can focus on productivity instead of trying to work out how to use their computer again. However, it sucks a bit in terms of excitement because the updates aren’t too big.
</p>

<h3>
	<strong>Android</strong>
</h3>

<p>
	My memories of the early days of Android and when I got on board are pretty fuzzy. My first experience with a smartphone operating system was iOS on the iPod Touch. Being an Apple device, that got new updates like clockwork via iTunes. As these were the early days, Apple was busy adding plenty of new, important features such as search and being able to set custom wallpapers.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The first Android phone was the awful HTC Tattoo which had a tiny resistive touch screen. That was soon swapped out for a Motorola Milestone (pretty much the same as the Motorola Droid), which I actually really liked. Android updates at this time were awful so I ended up loading custom ROMs to get access to new Android versions, although I had to give up with anything higher than Android 2.3 “Gingerbread” as later versions were far too heavy for that phone.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<div class="img-center">
	<figure class="image image--expandable">
		<img alt="Android 4 screenshot" class="ipsImage" height="428" width="241" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/04/1745986800_android-4.jpg">
		<figcaption>
			<em>Android 4 running on my Milestone (I think!)</em>
		</figcaption>
	</figure>
</div>

<p>
	An interesting thing to note about the upgrades back then were the drastic user interface overhauls. I remember looking forward to Android 2.3 with its dark notification bar that blended better into the phone and Android 4 which was heavily inspired by Android 3.0 which only launched on tablets and borrowed design elements from Tron.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Nowadays, ever since Android 5 really, Google has settled for a more mature Material design. It has received pretty subtle updates since then, but nothing too groundbreaking like we saw in the early days of Android.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo" contenteditable="false">
	<div>
		<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="113" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/cnzwm_bdmxY?feature=oembed" title="Do you like Gingerbread?" width="200"></iframe>
	</div>
</div>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Ever since Android launched, upgrades for devices have always been few and far between, largely due to the amount of work OEMs have to put in for each device to get new Android versions working on existing phones. Google launched its own line of smartphones with the Nexus devices which has good update support and in later years has made other efforts to update pieces of Android even if your OEM has abandoned your device.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Almost 20 years since Android launched, the Android upgrade issue is still there. I am currently rocking a Poco X5 5G from Xiaomi. It arrived with the last version of MIUI, got HyperOS 1.0, and is reportedly going to get HyperOS 2.0 with the rollout beginning in December 2024. Have I received this update yet? Nope. Android updates suck, but I’m past caring because it doesn’t really matter.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	I’m not really sure when it was, probably around the time of Android 5 or 6, but I just stopped caring about Android upgrades. I knew they were very bad, but as long as my apps kept working, I didn’t care. Google’s inability to sort this out has fostered in me a bit of apathy about Android upgrades. I never expect my phones to get them, I just expect to hand over more money for a new phone if I expect to see a new OS.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Over the years, OEMs have started to get their acts together a little bit, sometimes offering two OS upgrades and three years of security updates, as is the case with my Poco X5 (I think). In recent years, <a href="https://www.sammobile.com/news/galaxy-smartphones-seven-years-android-one-ui-updates-eligibility/" rel="external nofollow">Samsung has committed to supporting its premium devices for seven years</a> to match <a href="https://endoflife.date/iphone" rel="external nofollow">Apple with its iPhones</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	To give credit to Google, it has recognized this as a serious issue and has taken steps to improve updates. In 2017 it announced <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/google-and-qualcomm-work-to-bring-up-to-four-android-os-updates-to-new-devices/" rel="external nofollow">Project Treble to facilitate faster Android updates</a> and since Android 10, <a href="https://source.android.com/docs/core/ota/modular-system" rel="external nofollow">Google has been offering Mainline</a> which modularizes some Android components letting them get updated outside of the usual Android update cycle, giving users a better experience if their OEM has left them high and dry.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The Google Play system updates, delivered via Mainline, updates various components in Android including Android OS modules, Google Play Store, Google Play services, Android System WebView, Android System Intelligence, Google Wallet, Device Connections, Utilities (such as autofill, contact syncing, and backup/restore), Safety and Emergency, Account Management, and Games.
</p>

<h3>
	<strong>The Web</strong>
</h3>

<p>
	The third and final aspect that, for me, has made operating system upgrades boring is the maturation of the web thanks to web technologies like HTML5 that make web apps much more useful and, in some cases, replace desktop apps. Think Google Docs or Microsoft 365; I can run both of these in Google Chrome on my Lubuntu installation. I can keep notes quickly in Google Keep or save events via Google Calendar. For me, the operating system is only there to facilitate the opening of my web browser; I don’t really care what’s new between versions.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<div class="img-center">
	<figure class="image image--expandable">
		<img alt="Google Sheets" class="ipsImage" height="321" width="720" src="https://cdn.neowin.com/news/images/uploaded/2025/04/1745990600_google-sheets.jpg">
		<figcaption>
			<em>Google Sheets</em>
		</figcaption>
	</figure>
</div>

<p>
	It wasn’t like this so much in the 2000s when the web was less feature rich and people were socializing on desktop apps like Windows Live Messenger or writing documents in Microsoft Office 2007. Today, the desktop just plays less of a role because the web is so much more powerful.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Circling back to ChromeOS briefly, the advancements in web technologies is what has made ChromeOS a more viable option compared to when it was introduced in 2009. Pichai said in the video earlier that internally they joke that Chrome is ChromeOS. According to this informal definition, I basically use ChromeOS everyday except for the odd occasion when I need to edit an image with GIMP.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The empowering of the web has essentially turned the operating system into a piece of the underlying infrastructure that manages resources and basic functionality. It’s not something I proactively engage with too much, and for that reason, I’m not as bothered about updates to it.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	It’s a bit like the Linux kernel, it’s nice when new features and hardware support are added but I don’t get excited about it like I did with operating system updates in the past.
</p>

<h3>
	<strong>Looking Ahead</strong>
</h3>

<p>
	While the old paradigm is quite nostalgic for me personally, I do not believe that we need to go back to a world where big OS upgrades come out every five years or whatever. The steady stream of updates that users do not have to think about is ultimately a more seamless experience and it benefits a wider number of people.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The launch of intelligent artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT have spiced up operating systems a bit with baked-in tools like Gemini on Android, Apple Intelligence on iPhone, and features like <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-weekly-recall-arrives-and-windows-maps-dies/" rel="external nofollow">Recall in Windows 11</a>. If you’re enthusiastic about AI, features like Recall are quite exciting and reignites some interest in operating systems getting tools like this.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Despite this, I don’t think we will ever get back to big OS updates like XP, Vista, and 7. I think the correct approach is to double down on making small updates frequently, even if they are not exciting. I think there is plenty of other stuff to get interested about in consumer tech today rather than operating systems. For example, on mobile we have loads of new and interesting apps which weren’t really a thing in the 2000s and now we are hearing all the time about new AI versions bringing new and interesting features.
</p>

<h3>
	<strong>Conclusion</strong>
</h3>

<p>
	Google with the development of its ChromeOS and Android operating systems, as well as its major part in the development of web technologies, I believe, has played a major role in making operating system updates boring. While I don’t find much interest in new OS updates, I don’t think the new paradigm is bad, in fact, I think companies should double down and get the operating system, and all the updates, as out of the way as possible so that users can focus on the things they actually care about.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<em>Let us know in the comments, are you still excited about operating system upgrades or do you, like me, think they’ve gotten a bit boring over the last decade with the switch to more of a rolling release style?</em>
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/editorials/how-google-killed-my-excitement-in-operating-system-upgrades/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28956</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 02:49:54 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Microsoft wants users to ditch Windows 10 before its imminent death &#x2014; Using Copilot+ PCs with Recall to upsell Windows 11</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-wants-users-to-ditch-windows-10-before-its-imminent-death-%E2%80%94-using-copilot-pcs-with-recall-to-upsell-windows-11-r28951/</link><description><![CDATA[<h3>
	Windows 10 is about to lose its support, and Microsoft is promoting Copilot+ PCs with Windows 11 and AI features.
</h3>

<p>
	As we edge closer to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-10/psa-windows-10-has-entered-its-final-year-of-free-support" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-10/psa-windows-10-has-entered-its-final-year-of-free-support" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">Windows 10's end-of-support date</a> <strong>(October 14, 2025)</strong>, Microsoft is seemingly getting more creative with its ploy to get users to upgrade to Windows 11. Unlike past attempts that included full-screen multipage pop-up ads, the tech giant for a more subtle and sophisticated way to convince users to upgrade to Windows 11 — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/-microsoft-copilot-plus-faq" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/-microsoft-copilot-plus-faq" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">Copilot+ PCs</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	If you're still running a 5+ year-old <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-10" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-10" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">Windows 10</a> PC and you're heavily reliant on Microsoft's ecosystem, especially Windows apps, then the thought of upgrading to Windows 11 must've crossed your mind. Of course, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-11-system-requirements" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-11-system-requirements" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">Microsoft's stringent system requirements for Windows 11</a> make it difficult for most users to make the transition using their current devices.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Microsoft says the key to deciphering this puzzle comes with a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/-microsoft-copilot-plus-faq" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/-microsoft-copilot-plus-faq" rel="external nofollow">Copilot+ PC</a>. Aside from checking all the system requirement boxes for Windows 11, they also ship with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-is-bringing-a-wave-of-crazy-next-gen-ai-features-to-windows-11-next-month-heres-who-gets-them" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-is-bringing-a-wave-of-crazy-next-gen-ai-features-to-windows-11-next-month-heres-who-gets-them" rel="external nofollow">new AI-powered features</a> like Windows Recall, Click To Do, and improved Windows Search, which are designed to make Windows 11's user experience even better.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	As you may know, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/windows-recall-general-availability-2025-copilot" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/windows-recall-general-availability-2025-copilot" rel="external nofollow">these features recently started rolling out to Copilot+ PCs</a> after almost a year-long delay due to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-has-lost-trust-with-its-users-windows-recall-is-the-last-straw" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-has-lost-trust-with-its-users-windows-recall-is-the-last-straw" rel="external nofollow">privacy and security concerns</a>.
</p>

<h2 id="microsoft-is-all-in-on-copilot-pcs-3">
	Microsoft is all-in on Copilot+ PCs
</h2>

<div>
	<div>
		<p>
			<img alt="Microsoft logo is seen on a store." class="ipsImage" height="720" width="720" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7GfKjxhNKkupQFuLvjMPc4-1024-80.jpg">
		</p>

		<p>
			<em><span>Copilot+ PCs at a store in Manhattan. </span></em>
		</p>

		<p>
			<em><span itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto)</span></em>
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2025/04/25/copilot-pcs-are-the-most-performant-windows-pcs-ever-built-now-with-more-ai-features-that-empower-you-every-day/" href="https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2025/04/25/copilot-pcs-are-the-most-performant-windows-pcs-ever-built-now-with-more-ai-features-that-empower-you-every-day/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">According to Microsoft</a>, Copilot+ PCs:
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<ul>
			<li>
				<strong>Deliver up to 13%</strong> faster performance than the MacBook Air M4 amongst top performing devices, with unmatched AI experiences in market.
			</li>
			<li>
				<strong>Up to 5x faster</strong> than a 5-year-old Windows device with enhanced security features that make them the most secure Windows PCs we’ve ever built.
			</li>
			<li>
				<strong>Provide the longest lasting battery</strong> amongst Windows PCs, with Up to<strong> 22 hours of video playback and up to 15 hours of web browsing</strong>, so you can go all day on a single charge.
			</li>
		</ul>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			Interestingly, the company claims broad adoption of Copilot+ PCs. According to its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-hl-processed="none" data-url="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/events/fy-2025/earnings-fy-2025-q2?msockid=12b7f8d294f26f2a1dddeda895df6ec3" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/events/fy-2025/earnings-fy-2025-q2?msockid=12b7f8d294f26f2a1dddeda895df6ec3" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow">January report</a>, up to <em>"15% of premium-priced laptops in the U.S. during the holiday quarter were Copilot+ PCs."</em>
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			Microsoft also indicated that it anticipates this number to grow, aiming to have most PCs sold over the next few years be Copilot+ PCs.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<div id="slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-PApXC99NQqUHhWiPTMXftS">
			<div data-hydrate="true">
				<p>
					Over the past few months, Windows 11's market share (42.69%) has grown steadily, but Windows 10 continues to dominate the category at 54.2%. It'll be interesting to see if Windows 10's imminent death prompts users to upgrade to Windows 11 and buy Copilot+ PCs, or find alternatives to hold out.
				</p>

				<p>
					 
				</p>

				<p>
					<a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-using-copilot-pcs-with-recall-to-upsell-windows-11" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
				</p>

				<hr class="ipsHr">
				<p>
					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
				</p>

				<p>
					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
				</p>

				<p>
					<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
				</p>

				<p>
					<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
				</p>
			</div>
		</div>
	</div>
</div>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28951</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:18:55 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Satya Nadella says AI already writes 30% of Microsoft's code &#x2014; but Bill Gates claims software development is too complex to be fully automated</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/satya-nadella-says-ai-already-writes-30-of-microsofts-code-%E2%80%94-but-bill-gates-claims-software-development-is-too-complex-to-be-fully-automated-r28950/</link><description><![CDATA[<h3>
	Microsoft's CEO recently revealed that 20-30% of the company's code is written using AI.
</h3>

<p>
	With the rapid emergence of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/artificial-intelligence" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/tag/artificial-intelligence" rel="external nofollow">generative AI</a> and its broad adoption across the world, the definition of work is quickly changing. Organizations are quickly embracing the technology and integrating it across their workflows to make work easier by augmenting repetitive tasks, creating ample time for more meaningful tasks.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Interestingly, Microsoft is already using AI to write some of its code. During a recent fireside chat with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Meta’s LlamaCon conference, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella indicated that 20-30% of the company's code is written by AI (via <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-google-interstitial="false" data-hl-processed="skimlinks" data-merchant-name="SkimLinks - cnbc.com" data-merchant-network="SkimLinks" data-placeholder-url="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=23432X820454&amp;xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2Fsatya-nadella-says-as-much-as-30percent-of-microsoft-code-is-written-by-ai.html&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.windowscentral.com%2Fmicrosoft%2Fsatya-nadella-says-ai-already-writes-30-percent-of-microsofts-code" data-url="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/29/satya-nadella-says-as-much-as-30percent-of-microsoft-code-is-written-by-ai.html" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/29/satya-nadella-says-as-much-as-30percent-of-microsoft-code-is-written-by-ai.html" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" rel="external nofollow" target="_blank">CNBC</a>).
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	According to Nadella:
</p>

<p class="QuoteNewsStyle">
	<em>“I’d say maybe 20%, 30% of the code that is inside of our repos today and some of our projects are probably all written by software.”</em>
</p>

<div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo" contenteditable="false">
	<div>
		<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="113" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/FZ-RZ0dKO8o?feature=oembed" title="Welcome to LlamaCon 2025 - Closing Session!" width="200"></iframe>
	</div>
</div>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Microsoft's CEO further indicated that the amount of code written by AI at the company could likely go up as the technology becomes more advanced. Interestingly, Nadella asked Zuckerberg how much of Meta's code is written using AI.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	While the executive could spell out the exact amount, he indicated the Meta was developing an AI model with the capability to build future versions of the company's Llama family of AI models.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	According to Mark Zuckerberg:
</p>

<div id="slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-KjbWZbcAkWXkiUFZPjnx3J">
	<div data-hydrate="true">
		<p class="QuoteNewsStyle">
			<em>“Our bet is sort of that in the next year probably … maybe half the development is going to be done by AI, as opposed to people, and then that will just kind of increase from there.” </em>
		</p>

		<p>
			At the beginning of the year, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/work-productivity/salesforce-is-seriously-debating-software-engineer-hires-in-2025" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/work-productivity/salesforce-is-seriously-debating-software-engineer-hires-in-2025" rel="external nofollow">Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff indicated that the company was seriously debating hiring software engineers in 2025</a>, citing "incredible productivity gains" from agentic AIs. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg seemingly echoed similar sentiments, highlighting that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/mark-zuckerberg-ai-engineers-might-claim-coding-jobs" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/mark-zuckerberg-ai-engineers-might-claim-coding-jobs" rel="external nofollow">mid-level AI engineers might claim coding jobs from professionals at the company in 2025</a>.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang had already predicted the paradigm shift in software engineering, claiming that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/nvidia-ceo-says-the-future-of-coding-as-a-career-might-already-be-dead" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/nvidia-ceo-says-the-future-of-coding-as-a-career-might-already-be-dead" rel="external nofollow">coding might be dead in the water with the prevalence of AI</a>. Instead, he recommended that the next generation should consider exploring alternative career paths in biology, education, manufacturing, or farming.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			To that end, more tech companies are seemingly hopping onto the AI bandwagon and leveraging the technology to write code.
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			However, Microsoft co-founder recently indicated that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/bill-gates-says-ai-will-replace-humans-for-most-things" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/bill-gates-says-ai-will-replace-humans-for-most-things" rel="external nofollow">AI could be on the precipice of replacing humans for most things</a>, but <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/bill-gates-3-professions-will-remain-indispensable-for-now" href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/bill-gates-3-professions-will-remain-indispensable-for-now" rel="external nofollow">biologists, energy experts, and coders would remain safe from the AI revolution</a> because the fields are too complex to be fully augmented using AI,
		</p>

		<p>
			 
		</p>

		<p>
			<a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/satya-nadella-says-ai-already-writes-30-percent-of-microsofts-code" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
		</p>

		<hr class="ipsHr">
		<p>
			<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
		</p>

		<p>
			<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
		</p>

		<p>
			<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
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		<p>
			<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
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	</div>
</div>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28950</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:16:03 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Firefox 139 beta improves upload performance of HTTP/3, translations and PNG support</title><link>https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/firefox-139-beta-improves-upload-performance-of-http3-translations-and-png-support-r28949/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Mozilla released Firefox 138 to the stable channel yesterday with several improvements that you can <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/firefox-gets-big-update-with-profiles-and-better-looks-on-windows-11/" rel="external nofollow">read about on Neowin</a>. Alongside that launch, the company also released the first Firefox 139 update to the beta channel and it brings improved upload performance on HTTP/3 connections. To be clear, the beta channel gets updates three times per week so other features may get added before it’s released in several weeks.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	Most users do not need to worry themselves about what HTTP/3 is, as it’s something the browser deals with behind the scenes. For users, it delivers faster page load times, improved performance on mobile networks, and enhanced security. Now, Firefox also uploads data over this protocol faster in this latest update.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	The release notes state that upload performance on HTTP/3 has been significantly improved, particularly on resumed connections that use QUIC 0-RTT, as well as high bandwidth and high delay connections.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	In addition to this, the release notes also state that full-page translations are now available in the Firefox extensions page and PNG images with transparency will keep their transparency when pasted into Firefox.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	While these are certainly nice changes, Mozilla says on its release notes page that the features may or may not make it into the final release.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	While delays are certainly possible, Mozilla is planning to release Firefox 139 on May 27, 2025 - less than a month from now. Alongside the stable release of Firefox 139, Mozilla will release Firefox 115.24 and Firefox 128.11 extended support releases. These two versions likely won’t see the HTTP/3 improvements and will instead just get security patches to keep users safe.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	To stay abreast of future updates to the beta channel, you can bookmark the <a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/139.0beta/releasenotes/" rel="external nofollow">Firefox 139 beta release notes page</a>.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	<a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/firefox-139-beta-improves-upload-performance-of-http3-translations-and-png-support/" rel="external nofollow">Source</a>
</p>

<hr class="ipsHr">
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Hope you enjoyed this news post.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><em>News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357</em></span>
</p>

<p>
	<strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="https://nsaneforums.com/topic/459202-remember-matrix/" rel="">RIP Matrix</a> | Farewell my friend  </span></strong><img alt=":sadbye:" data-emoticon="true" loading="lazy" src="https://nsaneforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default/sadbye.gif" title=":sadbye:">
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">28949</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:12:43 +0000</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
