Here is the changelog:

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

 

[Snap]

 

• We’re trying out a behind-the-scenes change to improve what apps are suggested for snapping in snap layouts. Try out snapping different apps and let us know if you see improvements in what apps you see suggested.

 

[Narrator]

 

• We have added a new shortcut “Narrator key + control + X” to copy what Narrator last spoke to clipboard. It follows the pattern of using “Narrator key + X” which repeats the last spoken phrase out loud and is a good way to memorize similar shortcuts. You can use these shortcuts to review and copy what Narrator spoke, useful in cases you want to quickly copy some content or descriptions or codes/numbers for use.
• Narrator will now auto-read contents of a mail in the new Outlook app similar to behavior in Outlook classic.

 

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

 

[File Explorer]

 

• Did some work so the search box in File Explorer shouldn’t draw off the end of the window anymore.

 

[Narrator]

 

• We have addressed a performance issue where Narrator would slow down after 15 minutes of continuous use with a single application. If you continue to experience any performance delays, do report using Feedback Hub.
• Fixed an issue where Narrator would add an additional announcement “contains style” whenever its focus is on text that has styling attributes such as bullets, numbers across applications such as Microsoft Edge, Teams, Outlook, etc.
• Fixed an issue where few dialogs in Narrator were not adopting the 200% text scaling setting in Windows.

You can check out the full blog post here.

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Turns out, the 0xc1900101 error seems to be pretty widespread,with various users experiencing the issue all throughout 24H2 Insider testing as well as final release.

In fact, the bug popped up in the very first version 24H2 Insider build itself back in February earlier this year with build 26052. And it has done so time and again, with more recent incidents surfacing back in September, though Microsoft again confirmed it has been fixed earlier this month in build 27718. It wrote:

Fixed an issue which was causing some Insiders to experience a hang at the boot screen and their PC to roll back with error 0xC1900101 when trying to upgrade to the previous flight.

The issue was also reported on the Feedback Hub, one such instance titled "My PC rolled back when attempting to install the latest Windows Update (error code 0xc1900101)" which was subsequently upvoted over 8000 times, across two entries.

Microsoft has also responded to these queries stating that the problem is a generic error code that is displayed when an update fails and it is rolled back. It writes:

.. error code 0xc1900101 is a generic error displayed when an update fails and rolls back for some reason. This is an area we monitor closely and can have different root causes depending on which build you were attempting to upgrade to and your setup. If you were attempting to update to a previous Insider build, please try the latest one, as it may address your issue.

 

If you're interested in understanding more about what may have been the cause of your specific issue, the update logs can be informative: https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/deployment/upgrade/log-files.

Essentially, Microsoft is telling users to try again or try harder in case they come across the issue.

Elsewhere in a support article, the company has published details about the error and appears to be a bit more helpful than the above response. The company notes this can be a result of a "driver error." It says:

An error that begins with 0xC1900101 is usually a driver error. If you see any of these error codes, try the following steps first to fix the problem. If these steps don’t work, see Resolve Windows upgrade errors for more detailed technical info.

 

• 0xC1900101 - 0x2000c
• 0xC1900101 - 0x20017
• 0xC1900101 - 0x30018
• 0xC1900101 - 0x3000D
• 0xC1900101 - 0x4000D
• 0xC1900101 - 0x40017

On a related note, in case you are not being offered the Windows 11 24H2 Update on your PC, you can try force-triggering it using this Group Policy or Registry trick.

Source: Feedback Hub (Link1, Link2)

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Here is the changelog:

Added Features:

 

• Help information has been added to some rows on the Profile Preference Page.
• Introduced a new custom border for the save/update password flyout.

 

Improved Behavior:

 

• Fixed an issue where browser would crash on startup after an upgrade installation on Android.
• Fixed an issue when switching to any search engine would cause browser to crash on iOS.

 

Changed Behavior:

 

• Resolved an issue where Sidebar apps were pre-installed for new users in Gamer Mode.
• Fixed an issue where the wallpaper was enlarged on the New Tab Page.
• Resolved an issue where the New Tab and Edit icons in the tab group showed the same tooltip as the tab group name.
• Fixed an issue where the media indicator was not displayed correctly after playing media in two windows and pausing one of them on YouTube.com or other sites.
• Resolved an issue where the Top Sites were misaligned when switching to portrait mode and then returning to the New Tab Page while accessing feeds in landscape mode.
• Fixed an issue where hovering over icon buttons in high contrast mode made the icons less visible in the Downloads section.
• Resolved an issue where the Address bar’s fill color did not update to reflect theme changes.
• Fixed an issue where the ‘Sort by’ and ‘View by’ groups under Favorites were incorrectly defined as Menu items.

 

iOS:

 

• Resolved an issue where the text in the Soft-landing UI section appeared unclear under experimental settings on iOS.
• Resolved an issue where the PDF toolbar would appear upon signing in with an AAD account on iOS.
• Resolved an issue when, after clicking the ‘Exit InPrivate mode’ button, the New Tab Page would switch to dark mode on iOS.
• Fixed an issue where the PDF toolbar would briefly appear on non-PDF pages on iOS.
• Resolved an issue where ‘News and more’ would be displayed in feeds when the tab center was clicked while opening a new tab page on iOS.

Microsoft Edge Dev will update itself automatically in the background. Alternatively, you can force the update by heading to edge://settings/help. If you want to join the Edge Insider program, which is available on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS, head to the official website.

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Here is the changelog with feature updates:

• Token Binding. Token Binding uses cryptographic certificates on both ends of the TLS connection in an attempt to close the security gap of bearer tokens, which may be lost or stolen. Token Binding is deprecated in Microsoft Edge version 130. Also, the AllowTokenBindingForUrls policy is now obsolete.
• Copilot browser Context Policies. The EdgeEntraCopilotPageContext policy will be available starting from Microsoft Edge version 130 and will replace the CopilotCDPPageContext policy. The CopilotCDPPageContext policy is deprecated in Microsoft Edge version 130 and will be obsolete in Edge 133.
• Elevating top settings and improving settings page navigability. To make finding browser settings more efficient, Microsoft Edge is introducing three navigation improvements to Edge Settings. We aren’t changing the functionality of any setting, and all the settings stay on the same page as they are today but will be behind clickable sections. These changes are as follows.
  • Introduce quick access to the most used Settings actions on the first place users land when entering Edge Settings (the Profiles page). Clicking the button with the name of the setting navigates users directly to its location.
  • Make densely populated Settings pages (such as Privacy, search, and services, Appearance, Cookies and site permissions, System and performance) easier to navigate by introducing quick access to the most used actions located on that page. Clicking the button with the name of the setting takes users directly to its location.
  • For these densely populated pages, each lengthy section of settings will be a clickable "table of contents" with descriptive subtexts. This helps users locate settings directly and avoid unnecessary scrolling.
    Note: This feature is a controlled feature rollout. If you don't see this feature, check back as we continue our rollout.
• Edge on macOS now seamlessly opens links in Teams. When Microsoft Edge is configured as the browser to open web links in Teams, then links in Teams chat will be opened through Edge, and Edge launches in the profile that matches with the authenticated profile, users can benefit from a seamless browsing experience that integrates their identity and user data across Microsoft apps. Administrators can control the availability of this feature using the "Choose Which Browser Opens Web Links" Microsoft 365 policy. Note: This feature is a controlled feature rollout. If you don't see this feature, check back as we continue our rollout.

Fixes in Microsoft Edge 130 include the following:

• Fixed an issue that prevented the briefcase icon from appearing on the edge://settings/sidebar page when Edge Bar was disabled using the StandaloneHubsSidebarEnabled policy.
• Fixed an issue that caused rendering issues on some SharePoint sites.

In addition, the update contains all the small improvements and changes Microsoft introduced in the Dev Channel for version 130:

• Dev Channel update to 130.0.2808.0
• Dev Channel update to 130.0.2821.1
• Dev Channel update to 130.0.2835.2
• Dev Channel update to 130.0.2849.1

Microsoft Edge 130 also includes some site compatibility changes, such as support for non-special scheme URLs (git://example.com), keyboard-focusable scroll containers, and compression dictionary transport with shared Brotli and shared Zstandard. More information about those changes is available here.

You can update Microsoft Edge to the latest version by heading to Menu > Help and Feedback > About Microsoft Edge or edge://settings/help.

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According to leaker Kopite7kimi a well-known name in the Nvidia information space, the company is planning to release the app out of beta with the launch of its upcoming GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs.

The Nvidia app's original beta launch in February, alongside the 551.61 driver, offered the combined features of the aging Nvidia Control Panel and the GeForce Experience app's Optimal Game Settings operation. It doesn't even need logging in to Nvidia to access its features unlike the current GeForce Experience app.

Features like the In-Game Overlay UI and AI-powered filters like RTX HDR were also transferred over, but legacy features such as Broadcast to Twitch and YouTube, image sharing to social media, and Photo Mode 360 and options were discontinued entirely in the move.

Later updates added more features like changing display settings, app sorting, RTX video controls, and support for more languages. However, earlier this month, a major update to the Nvidia app brought along G-SYNC controls to GPU Control Center, RTX HDR multi-monitor support, driver rollback function, an updated HUD experience, and other quality of life additions.

Nvidia has not officially announced a release date for the Nvidia App, nor the RTX 50 series, just yet. However, the beta is available for download and use here, and Nvidia is urging users to provide feedback as it continues development.

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At the same time, the tech giant understands that the Outlook calendar feature is useful and is thus carrying it over to Teams as well.

Aside from these changes, Microsoft has also confirmed that Outlook is getting a bunch of new themes as well as support for custom AI themes that can be made with the aid of Copilot. On the Microsoft 365 roadmap entry under feature ID 394682, it writes:

Outlook: Outlook themes generated by Microsoft Copilot

 

Make Outlook yours with themes generated by Copilot. You will be able to find these themes in Settings.

You can also find information related to the above on the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under Message ID: MC912174.

Aside from custom AI theme support, Outlook is also getting four new "Modern" themes. The company has added the entry under feature ID 417004 on the Microsoft 365 roadmap. The upcoming themes will work on both Outlook for Windows and the Outlook Web app. However, at the moment, there are no additional details on what these modern themes will be like.

The entry states:

Outlook: New Modern Themes

 

Adding four new themes to Outlook for Windows and the Outlook Web App. These themes will bring more personalization and expressiveness to your email client.

As per the roadmap entries, the general availability rollout for both modern themes, as well as Copilot-based themes, will start next month.

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Here is the changelog:

Changes and Improvements

 

[Settings]

 

We are adding the ability to configure the Copilot key. You can choose to have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX packaged and signed, thus indicating the app meets security and privacy requirements to keep customers safe. The key will continue to launch Copilot on devices that have the Copilot app installed until a customer selects a different experience. This setting can be found via Settings > Personalization > Text input. If the keyboard connected to your PC does not have a Copilot key, adjusting this setting will not do anything. We are planning further refinements to this experience in a future flight.

 

Fixes

 

[General]

 

We fixed an underlying issue causing some games, including Microsoft Solitaire & Casual Games, to crash on launch after installing Build 27718+.

 

[Windowing]

 

Fixed an underlying issue which could cause the screen to go black for a few seconds for some people when using ALT + Tab.

 

[Other]

 

We fixed an issue causing BitLocker to not work correctly for a small number of Insiders in the last 2 flights.

 

Known issues

 

[General]

 

[IMPORTANT NOTE FOR COPILOT+ PCs] If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose Windows Hello pin and biometrics to sign into your PC with error 0xd0000225 and error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available”. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN”.

 

• We’re investigating reports that some Insiders are still experiencing rollbacks (with error code 0xc190010) when attempting to install the latest Canary builds.
• [UPDATED] Some Insiders with PCs that have older NVIDIA GPUs (like the GTX 970, Quadro K620, etc.) are experiencing some issues where their displays appear stuck at a black screen and unresponsive or seeing their GPUs showing errors in Device Manager and not working correctly. We are aware of the issue and working on a fix. If you are impacted by this issue and unable to use your PC, you can boot into Windows Recovery (WinRE), roll back to the previous build, and pause updates in Windows Update to wait for a new build with the fix for this issue. If you paused updates with Build 27723 last week you will need to un-pause and re-pause updates to not take Build 27729 to remain on Build 27718 for right now.
• [NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing some Insiders to see a bugcheck with error PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA starting in Build 27723.

 

[Input]

 

We’re working on the fix for an underlying issue causing the Emoji Panel and Clipboard History to not open in certain surfaces anymore, including in Registry Editor.

You can check out the full blog post here. Canary Channel members can also get a new Snipping Tool update that lets users copy data tables.

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Users on Reddit noticed that the recent Firefox Nightly updates introduced configs that allow turning on the Mica material (Mica alt, to be precise) on the top bar (tab strip). The implementation is in the early stages and needs some extra improvements, such as Mica support for vertical tabs. Also, there are no fancy materials in context menus and other parts of the browser.

If, despite the early implementation, you still want to try Mica in Firefox, here is how to do it:

1. Download Firefox Nightly from the official website. Keep in mind that Nightly builds are unstable and can crash or throw a bug at you (you can run Nightly side-by-side with a stable release).
2. Go to the about:config page (type it in the address bar) and acknowledge the risks.
3. Type widget.windows.mica in the search bar and click the button with two opposite-looking arrows.
4. Type browser.theme.native-theme and click the same button with arrows.
5. Do the same for browser.tabs.allow_transparent_browser.
6. Restart your browser.

It is also worth noting that the Mica material heavily depends on your desktop background. Mica looks better with wallpapers with vivid, rich colors. Also, if you do not see the immediate result even after changing the desktop background, go to themes and switch to the System theme—auto. You can expect Firefox to fix and improve its Mica implementation in future updates as the change makes its way down to more stable Firefox channels.

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As such, unofficial third-party mods try to fill in the space including free apps like the one we recently covered, called Rebound 11, which promises to improve the UI with the help of WinUI 3 for greater "consistency" while also not doing system-wide customization and keeping MSSTYLES files intact.

The app, however, at least in its current state, does not vastly alter the Windows UI as it aims to only improve the interface consistency. If you need something that is more impactful, you can check out another new software called Seelen UI.

This one has been in pre-release for the last two weeks and it promises a "Fully Customizable Desktop Environment" not just for Windows 11, but for Windows 10 as well. The author of Seelen UI writes:

Seelen UI is the first web-based fully customizable desktop environment for Windows 10/11, providing an intuitive and powerful way to manage your workspace and customize it.

It has some cool and interesting features like Tiling Manager wherein the windows promise to automatically arrange themselves to streamline and improve multitasking thus enhancing the workspace experience.

Seelen UI also brings an app launcher based on Rofi that promises to find and launch apps faster. Also, as you can see, the Taskbar can be moved around and is also floating. If you recall, the next version of Windows, "Windows 12," was rumored to feature such a taskbar.

Finally, the author of Seleen UI has highlighted the UI that allows for "easy" customization and configuration of the various features available in the utility.

As mentioned above, the Seleen UI app was in a pre-release state until today and it is now available as a stable release. The dev notes several improvements in its latest versions 2.0.1 and 2.0.2:

Seelen UI v2.0.1

 

refactor

 

• unification of SeelenWeg pinned files, folder and apps in a single structure.

 

enhancements

 

• improve open_file function to allow arguments.
• allow to users select update channel between release, beta and nightly.

fix

 

• not getting icons directly from .lnk files.
• users not recieving update notification on settings header.
• start-menu item on dock not closing native start menu.
• default theme wallpaper showing cut on ultra-wide monitors.

...

 

Seelen UI v2.0.2

 

fix

 

• infinite render loop on settings home page, fetching news.

You can download the app from its official GitHub repo though the developer recommends doing it from the Microsoft Store. As always with unofficial software, the best place to download and install them is always in a VM.

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Of course, the upgrade may take some time to reach each and every Meet user. So hang tight, and wait for the new update to land on your device.

Meanwhile, the company remains focused on continuing to enhance the new Meet app with features such as attendant reactions, direct calling capability, audio-only mode, live captions, and more. By killing off parallel apps, Google avoids confusion and can devote all of its development energies to a single product.

Source: 9to5Google

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The app is called Writing Tools. As the name suggests, it adds system-wide text controls that can help you proofread, summarize, rephrase, generate key points, convert data to tables, and more. You can even give custom commands on what the app should do to the selected text, like translate it to another language. The app also works in any application that lets you enter text, be it Word, Notepad, Microsoft Edge, or anything else.

Writing Tools is an Apple Intelligence-inspired application for Windows that supercharges your writing with AI. It lets you fix up grammar and more with one hotkey press, system wide. It's currently the world's most intelligent system-wide grammar assistant.

The Writing Tools app is powered by the Gemini 1.5 Flash model, and using it requires a free or paid API key from Google. During the first launch, the app will guide you on where to generate your key and offer to customize the trigger shortcut (it uses Ctrl + Space by default).<

It is worth noting that Writing Tools does not use on-device models, so consider privacy implications before using the app. The developer claims the program is open source and does not collect any data except for sending encrypted text to Google for processing. Also, using Writing Tools requires an active internet connection.

If you are interested in giving Writing Tools a try, head to its GitHub page. You can download the latest release or compile it yourself.

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According to a support article on the official SanDisk website, the problem is caused by issues with the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) on some SSDs from Western Digital and SanDisk. Affected products include the following:

If you have a drive affected by the problem, Western Digital recommends updating its firmware before attempting to install Windows 11 version 24H2. The company also acknowledged that Microsoft may prevent PCs with the SSDs listed above from accessing the update without the latest firmware.

To update the firmware on your SSD, go to this page and download the Western Digital Dashboard application, which, besides updating firmware, lets you monitor your drive's health, temperature, speeds, and other important information (it is only available on Windows; macOS and Linux are not supported). After the launch, the app will notify you that there is a pending firmware update for the installed drive.

Once everything is done, you can update to Windows 11 version 24H2 using this guide (or this registry tweak). If your system is not officially supported, check out this guide. Keep in mind that your computer might be affected by other known issues and bugs, so be sure to check them out here before proceeding.

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In the case of Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky is the adjective and means "having or showing determined courage in the face of difficulties" and Puffin is the noun, this animal is defined as "an auk (seabird) of northern and Arctic waters which nests in holes, with a large head and a massive brightly colored triangular bill."

There are some exceptions to the rule of picking an endangered animal, Ubuntu 14.10 was called Utopic Unicorn, Ubuntu 15.10 was called Wily Werewolf, and Ubuntu 23.10 was called Mantic Minotaur - all these creatures are entirely mythical.

Ubuntu 25.04 is due for release on April 17, 2025, and will be supported until January 2026. The short support window is because it is not a long-term support release. We won't get an LTS until April 2026 and it should come with a standard five years of support, taking us into the new decade.

Canonical released Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole last week and that version is also supported for nine months until July 2025. That version shipped with the latest Linux 6.11 kernel and the new GNOME 47.

While 24.10 and 25.04 are stable releases, they are not LTS releases. For people who want to get their work done and don't want to mess around upgrading all of the time then an LTS is a suitable choice.

The latest LTS was Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat which came out in April and got a point release update in August.

Let us know in the comments whether you like this codename!

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Essentially, it involves using the target version policy via the Group Policy Objects (GPO) editor to input the feature update a user's PC wants to stay on or upgrade to. And while the policy is designed for business PCs, home users who are running Windows 11 Pro can also upgrade their system to Windows 11 24H2 using this method in case they are not being offered the update via Windows Update.

To do so:

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor (GPEDIT.MSC)
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business
3. Go to Select the target Feature Update version policy
4. Double-click it or right-click > Edit to edit it.

   

    

5. Set the policy from Not configured (default) to Enabled
6. Input "Windows 11" in the product version and "24H2" in the target version

   

    

7. Hit Apply and OK.

As mentioned above, Home editions of Windows do not have the Group Policy Editor and the same is the case for Windows 11 as well. However, users can still use another powerful native Windows configuration tool called the Registry Editor to perform the same target version policy trick.

To do so:

1. Open the Registry Editor app or run REGEDIT.
2. Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windowsupdate key
3. Inside, create a new create new string value with the name ProductVersion, set the value to "Windows 11"
4. Create another string value TargetReleaseVersionInfo, and set the value to "24H2"
5. Finally, create a DWORD TargetReleaseVersion and set the value to "1"

Using either one of the two methods should trigger Windows Update to make the leap to Windows 11 24H2. In case you are still not being offered the latest feature update even after performing this, there may be some safeguard holds or some other issue at play.

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While Excel may not be the first app to come to mind when you hear about drawing with a stylus, it still has extensive tools for working with shapes and lines. Therefore, Microsoft will soon let you use the Draw and Hold gesture for tidier spreadsheets. Also, it is a welcome addition to PowerPoint, where drawings and shapes are more common.

Here is how Microsoft describes the feature:

1. Open a new or existing Excel worksheet or PowerPoint presentation.
2. Using a single stroke, sketch a line, arrow, or shape on the canvas, and then hold your pen in place for a few milliseconds.
3. Watch as the shape is converted to a neater version of the stroke you drew.

Draw and Hold supports the following shapes: circle, ellipse, triangle, square, rectangle, rhombus, trapezoid, pentagon, and hexagon. After straightening a shape, Excel and PowerPoint can also let you move it, resize, rotate, or leave it as is.

Microsoft says the new gesture is now rolling out to Beta Channel users with Office Version 2410 (Build 18108.20000) or later. As usual, new stuff is rolling out gradually to ensure stability and avoid bugs, so getting the Draw and Hold gesture might take a few days.

In other Office news, Microsoft recently confirmed a hilarious bug in Word. It deletes files instead of saving them locally, so beware. More information about it and possible workarounds are available here.

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Winamp, through its Belgian owner Llama Group, posted the source for its "Legacy Player Code" on September 24 so that developers could "contribute their expertise, ideas, and passion to help this iconic software evolve."

Less than a month later, that repository has been entirely deleted, after it either bumped up against or broke its strange hodgepodge of code licenses, seemingly revealed the source code for other non-open software packages, and made a pretty bad impression on the open-source community.

"Collaborative" licensing

Winamp's code was made available in late September, but not very open. Under the "Winamp Collaborative License (WCL) Version 1.0.1," you may not "distribute modified versions of the software" in source or binary, and "only the maintainers of the official repository are allowed to distribute the software and its modifications." Anyone may contribute, in other words, but only to Winamp's benefit.

Justin Frankel, a key developer of the original Winamp and founder of Nullsoft, which also made SHOUTcast streaming software, was asked on his Q&A site about contributing to the code. Frankel responded that, even if he had some desire, the license terms "are completely absurd in the way they are written." Even taking them "as they are likely intended," Frankel wrote, "they are terrible. No thank you."

Despite how this license would seem to bar forks, or perhaps because of that, the code has been forked at least 2,600 times as of this writing. In forking and examining the source when first released, coders have noticed some, shall we say, anomalies:

• Large portions of other projects' code, offered under other, more robust licenses, were seemingly included (if later deleted) from Winamp's repository
• The original Winamp code may have leaked the source code for SHOUTcast server software
• In seeking to remove offending files with a simple deletion instead of a rebase, Winamp kept it available to those who know Git mechanics
• Proprietary packages from Intel and Microsoft were also seemingly included in the release's build tools

A player unstuck in time

As people in the many, many busy GitHub issue threads are suggesting, coding has come a long way since the heyday of the Windows-98-era Winamp player, and Winamp seems to have rushed its code onto a platform it does not really understand.

Winamp flourished around the same time as illegal MP3 networks such as Napster, Limewire, and Kazaa, providing a more capable means of organizing and playing deeply compressed music with incorrect metadata. After a web shutdown in 2013 that seemed inevitable in hindsight, Winamp's assets were purchased by a company named Radionomy in 2014, and a new version was due out in 2019, one that aimed to combine local music libraries with web streaming of podcasts and radio.

Winamp did get that big update in 2022, though the app was "still in many ways an ancient app," Ars' Andrew Cunningham wrote then. There was support for music NFTs added at the end of 2022.

In its press release for the code availability, the Brussels-based Llama Group SA, with roughly 100 employees, says that "Tens of millions of users still use Winamp for Windows every month." It plans to release "two major official versions per year with new features," as well as offering Winamp for Creators, intended for artists or labels to manage their music, licensing, distribution, and monetization on various platforms.

Winamp has not responded to requests for comment, either at the time of source code posting or after its repository deletion.

This post was updated at 12:20 p.m. on Oct. 16 after Winamp's source repository was deleted.

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NTDEV, the creator of tiny11 and tiny10, which are essentially miniature lightweight modded builds of Windows 11 and 10, has published a new update to the tiny11 project. In this new update, Windows 11 version 24H2 is now in tiny11 form and this has been achieved with the help of Windows 11 LTSC 2024.

The author has boasted about the impressive size, or rather how little of it, the new tiny11 24H2 takes. tiny11 24H2 can be run off a DVD as it consumes "just" 3.54 GB and thus there is room to spare since a DVD can store close to 4.7 GB of data.

NTDEV adds that this was made possible using LZX delta compression. For those who may not be familiar, LZX or Lempel-Ziv Extended compression is an LZ77-based compression engine that is used for NTFS file compression. NTFS (New Technology File System) is still the primary file system used by Windows for managing various Windows system files, and more.

Although Microsoft has made ReFS (Resilient File System) improvements in its latest feature update, the upgrades are not meant for the general user.

Aside from the tiny storage footprint, the tiny11 developer also often highlights about the low system memory requirements of their build. One time, they managed to run it on just 176 MB of RAM, and in another attempt, they drove it even lower to just 100 MB with a "text-only" version of Windows 11 (YouTube link) essentially stripping the OS of all its GUI essence.

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Firefox responds to user feedback about the List All Tabs button

Firefox users were unhappy that Mozilla had added a new "List All Tabs button" next to the plus button (new tab button). Was it a new addition? No, it has always been there, you just may have not noticed it. The old style used a downwards arrow (Caron symbol), which was quite minimalistic. The new style for the List All Tabs button has a bigger icon.

The fact that many people started complaining about the button does prove that the old icon was not noticeable and this perhaps unused by a lot of users. That's why Mozilla changed it to a bigger icon. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Mozilla did the right thing, I just wanted to point out what could have inspired them to change the style.

Anyway, the primary complaint from users was this: why can't we remove the List All Tabs button in Firefox? A few also raised the question of why the button existed, when Firefox View serves a similar purpose. That is a good point, and Firefox View can be removed if you don't like it.

So, what was the idea behind making the List All Tabs button permanent, aka non-removable? According to some comments from developers, it was done because the button contains the hidden tabs sub menu, and this acted as a preventive measure against add-ons that may hide tabs maliciously, or extensions that may not have a good UI to re-show the tabs. Naturally, this response was met with criticism from users, which gained the attention of the developers who then agreed to make the button removable.

I'd like to point out a comment from another developer, who stated that Mozilla was working on migrating some of the button's functionalities into other areas such as the sidebar, vertical tabs and tab groups. He went on to explain that the dev team may reconsider the need for the button after those tasks have been completed. Okay, that sounds interesting, but the fact that a Mozilla dev recommended editing the userChrome.CSS to hide the button seems rather silly, but some users edited the CSS file. Others complained that there should be a toggle in the browser to allow users to choose what they want to use. I get it, I'm not a fan of unnecessary changes either, but it didn't bother me.

There's too much drama about this, I don't really care about the aesthetics, but it got me wondering, is the button useful?

Is Firefox's All Tabs button any good?

I have mixed feelings about it, it has some potential, but there is plenty of room for improvement. The close all duplicates tabs option is nice, but this action is already available in the tab context menu via a right-click on any tab. The New Containers option is handy too, but again this also exists, you just need to right-click on the new tab button. The List All Tabs button's namesake feature is to list all the tabs, which it does reasonably well, it's sort of like a vertical tab bar.

The main problem with the List All Tabs button is the search function, which is rather abysmal. Clicking on the Search tabs option in the menu changes the focus, i.e. moves the cursor from the pop-up menu to the address bar, and switches the search mode to find tabs.

Speaking of which, Firefox's keyboard shortcut (search open tabs) to use the feature is not super convenient either. You need to press Ctrl + L, type % followed by Space, it's rather odd to require multiple inputs for this action. In comparison, Chrome's Tab Search feature lets you search for tabs with Ctrl + Shift + A. This is slightly faster and more efficient.

Circling back to the List All Tabs button's search, it feels rather outdated. One would expect that searching for a tab would filter the list of tabs directly in the pop-up to display the corresponding result, on an as-you-type basis. Right? I mean, that's how Chrome handles it. Guess what, that is exactly how the search function in Firefox View works. Why doesn't the List All Tabs button follow this design?

Take a look at Tab Manager Plus, I reviewed the add-on 4 years ago. This extension has a much better search function, you just need to type the name of the website or part of the page's title, and it highlights the relevant results. If an extension can do the job so efficiently, why can't Mozilla implement something similar in the browser?

Search All Tabs is another extension that can be used to find tabs quickly. You can read my review of the add-on here. TabSearch is another alternative that you may be interested in.

Mozilla lets users remove the List All Tabs button from Firefox's tab bar

Mozilla released the Firefox 131.0.3 update yesterday to patch some security issues. The change log for the update mentions that the update "fixes an issue where the List all tabs button was not able to be moved from the toolbar." Sure, it was "a bug". If you don't like the button, right-click on the Firefox toolbar, select Customize Toolbar, and click and drag the button away to the customization screen. There, problem solved.

Do you like the List All Tabs button in Firefox?

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Over on the Linux side of things, the new updates bring initial support for Linux kernel version 6.12, Ubuntu 24.04, and several display-related quirks including black screen, flickering, and more.

The full changelog for version 7.0.22 is given below:

• GUI: Fixed deletion of VMs with unattended install related files, no longer leave them behind causing trouble with creating a new VM with the same name (bug #21331)
• GUI: Updated Italian, Greek, Georgian, Turkish and Indonesian translations
• VMSVGA: Improved flickering, black screen and other screen update issues with recent Linux kernels (bug #21955)
• TPM: Fixed multiple issues with TPM deployment with Windows 10/11 VMs
• 3D: Improve accuracy of 3D capability reporting, limit it to what the host can handle
• API: Suppress logging of "Screenshot is not possible" errors when the VGA config is invalid, avoiding user confusion
• API: Fixed NVRAM file handling when taking snapshots
• API: Fixed NVRAM file deletion for VMs using BIOS firmware
• API: Fixed rare hangs when API objects are uninitialized concurrently
• Windows host: Fixed system DLL size checking which failed with Windows 11 24H2 and recent Insider Preview builds (bug #22162)
• Linux host: Fixed a bug in RPM packaging which misplaced the QHelp file, breaking the built-in help viewer
• Guest OSes: Added OS type for Ubuntu 24.04
• Linux Guest Additions: Fixed vboxvideo kernel module build with RHEL 9.5 kernel
• Linux Guest Additions: Introduce initial support for kernel 6.12 (NOTE: In kernel 6.12, KVM initializes virtualization on module loading by default. This prevents VirtualBox VMs from starting. In order to avoid this, either add "kvm.enable_virt_at_load=0" parameter into kernel command line or unload corresponding kvm_XXX module)

And, the changelog for version 7.1.4 is given below:

• GUI: Added latest NLS update for Turkish, Indonesian and Italian languages
• VMSVGA: Improved flickering, black screen and other screen update issues with recent Linux kernels (bug #21955)
• NAT: Fixed issue with restoring 7.0.X saved state
• VBoxManage: Fixed breakage of "list vms" and "showvminfo" for inaccessible VMs
• Windows host: Fixed system DLL size checking which failed with Windows 11 24H2 and recent Insider Preview builds (bug #22162)
• Linux Guest Additions: Introduce initial support for kernel 6.12 (NOTE: In kernel 6.12, KVM initializes virtualization on module loading by default. This prevents VirtualBox VMs from starting. In order to avoid this, either add "kvm.enable_virt_at_load=0" parameter into kernel command line or unload corresponding kvm_XXX module)
• Linux/Arm Guest Additions: Added possibility to automatically upgrade Guest Additions via Devices menu
• EFI: Added missing LsiLogic MPT SCSI driver again to fix booting from devices attached to this device if the EFI firmware is used (7.1.0 regression)
• EFI: Restored broken network boot support (7.1.0 regression)

You can download the software from Oracle's official website here.

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Template Editor in DesktopGPT is simple: you give your template a name, create a shortcut, and describe how the system should process your requests and generate responses. For example, respond to every question you ask, as Jesse Pinkman from the Breaking Bad series would yo. Or, as Stardock puts it in the update announcement, have ChatGPT talk to you like a pirate every time you invoke the pirate template.

Of course, styling the conversation is just one simple response. The new DesktopGPT version comes with a few templates by default, like Summarize, Cover Later, Proofread, etc. The idea is to make using ChatGPT easier by generating output with a consistent format and not typing your custom prompt every time you want to interact with the service.

As an example, I have a template created that takes a body of text and summarizes the information, formats questions based on the text, and then outputs it into a format that can be put into a CSV so that it can be loaded into a quiz tool my daughter uses to prepare for tests and quizzes.

In addition to the template editor, the latest DesktopGPT update brings a more consistent user interface, code optimizations for better efficiency, and other minor changes that should improve customers' overall experience.

DesktopGPT is available as part of the Object Desktop suite, which includes programs such as Fences, Start11, Groupy, SoundPackager, DeskScapes and Multiplicity.

Disclaimer: Neowin's relationship to Stardock

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The most common issue is that the update gets stuck during the download or installation, usually at 40% or 90-95%. In other cases, the update downloads but fails to install or begins installation only to roll back.

Several error codes are seen with these installations, including 0x800736b3, 0x80070005, 0x800f0838, and 0x8007371b, according to Windows Latest. Due to these errors, users cannot update their computers, which means their computers might be at risk as this patch fixes security issues.

Microsoft has not yet officially acknowledged these issues, although other workarounds might work. One of the most useful is manually downloading and installing the update through the Microsoft Update Catalog. This method bypasses the Windows Update service and lets users install the necessary files directly.

Other fixes are running the Windows Update Troubleshooter, restarting Windows Update services, or using system file checker (SFC) and deployment image servicing and management (DISM) tools to repair system file corruptions.

Unfortunately, the report said some users have successfully installed the update but then experienced post-installation issues, like OpenSSH server failures or performance problems.

We advise users to back up their critical data before installing KB5044284. Those experiencing issues can uninstall the update and wait for Microsoft to release an official fix or further guidance.

Microsoft typically addresses such issues in subsequent patches or releases.

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The features in question are the Phone Link Start menu integration and "Personalized offers" in the out-of-box experience (OOBE or initial setup).

In case you are not familiar with those updates, the Phone Link Start menu integration lets you have a dedicated panel for your Android phone right next to the Start menu. There, you can check your phone's battery and connectivity, hear voice messages, make calls, continue various activities, and more. Unfortunately, this feature is only available to Android users—no luck for you if you have an iPhone.

As for the out-of-box experience update, it only changes the name of one of its privacy settings from "Tailored Experiences" to "Personalized offers."

Both changes in the release notes for build 22631.4387 have been replaced with the following text:

[UPDATE 10/14] This feature will roll out to Insiders in Release Preview on Windows 11, version 23H2 at a later date and is not rolling out yet with this update.

Other improvements, such as the ability to remap the Copilot key, the new Gamepad keyboard, improved notifications, and fixes for battery drain, Bluetooth connectivity issues, Teams bugs, and other issues, are still present in build 22631.4387 (KB5044380). You can check out the complete changelog for the build in our dedicated coverage.

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The just-released Windows 10 Release Preview and Beta build 19045.5070 (KB5045594) has some hidden upgrades to the "About" section in the Settings app. Besides having some oddly ported Windows 11 design elements (not sure if it is a bug or a feature), the updated page displays much more information about your PC specs. Those include your graphics card model, the amount of video memory, storage, and drive model. Also, the most important bits are prominently displayed in overhead cards. Neat!

There is even a small FAQ section where users can learn more information about their computers, such as how the amount of RAM affects performance, what the latest Windows version is, and more.

While the looks are definitely odd (what a weird mashup of Windows 10 and 11 design languages), it is nice to see Microsoft updating the "About" page with so much extra information, making it much easier to learn the most important bits about your computer.

The changelog for build 19045.5070 does mention the revamped "About" section, and getting it to work requires turning on two feature IDs with the ViVeTool app. Here is how to do it:

1. Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder.
2. Run Command Prompt as Administrator and navigate to the folder with ViVeTool files using the CD command.
3. Type vivetool /enable /id:48478026,48433719,49453572 and press Enter.
4. Restart your computer.

Now, all Microsoft has to do, except announce the new page, is bring it to Windows 11 users as well. Interestingly, pre-release Windows 11 builds have had similar spec cards in the Settings app, but Microsoft never released them to the public. Perhaps now is the time?

Source: @PhantomOfEarth on X

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For those unfamiliar, Nvidia releases Studio Driver less frequently than Game Ready drivers. That is because the goal of Studio Drivers is to provide the "highest level of reliability" for customers who work in creative and professional software. To do so, Nvidia puts its Studio Driver through stricter testing in the most popular applications.

Here is the full changelog for Nvidia Studio Driver 565.90 WHQL:

Applications

 

The October NVIDIA Studio Driver provides optimal support for the latest new updates to the Adobe Creative Cloud suite announced at Adobe MAX including Premiere Pro, After Effects, and the Substance 3D line of apps.

Fixed Application Bugs

 

• [Final Fantasy XV]. Turning on Turf Effects causes texture flickering with drivers newer than 546.65 [4745646]
• [Dying Light 2 Stay Human] Game launch shows frozen white screen then crashes to desktop [4738045]

 

Fixed General Bugs

• Enabling MSAA globally causes corruption to Steamlink streaming [4741818]
• Slight monitor backlight panel flicker when FPS drops below 60FPS. [4785222]

Known issues include the following:

• Short 3 second black screen on alt-tab from game to desktop in Windows 11 24H2 [4722079]

Nvidia's Studio drivers are available for systems with 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 and the following graphics cards:

You can download the latest Nvidia Studio Drive via this link. More information about the update is available here, and the full release notes here (PDF).

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It was speculated that perhaps the new Checkpoint update system was the reason for this but Microsoft has confirmed such was not the case. The company says this is a reporting issue on Windows 11 24H2 and that the app is inaccurately reporting this information since the files are indeed being deleted as intended by the user.

It explains:

After using the Windows Disk Cleanup application, it may display an incorrect amount of disk space that can be freed up in the 'Windows Update Cleanup' category.

 

Please note this is a reporting error. When 'Windows Update Cleanup' is selected and Disk Cleanup is run for the first time, some or all files in that category (for example, 15 GB) are cleaned up correctly and the related disk space is freed as expected. However, after this initial run, the tool may inaccurately report an amount of space still available for cleanup (for example, 88 GB) in the 'Windows Update Cleanup' category. This inaccurate amount of disk space is reported even though the space was already freed in the initial run.

The company says it is investigating the root cause of the problem and a fix will be provided once available. You can find the issue here on the official Windows health dashboard site.

If you are wondering about other Windows 11 24H2 issues, the month's Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11 fixes the bug that led to boot loops and Bluetooth/USB connectivity failures. It is now also available via the official Media Creation Tool.

The tech giant has also promised an upcoming fix for the SFC scan error. However, certain quirks are yet to be addressed like a BSOD issue on WD HMB-based NVMe SSDs that requires a Registry trick to fix.

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