The wallpapers included in this update can be separated into several categories. You have several renditions of the official wallpaper, a few mascot wallpapers that feature an Oriole bird, digital art, photographs, and a collection of 20th Anniversary wallpapers to celebrate the launch of Ubuntu 4.10 "Warty Warthog" 20 years ago, the company's very first Ubuntu release.

One of the 20th Anniversary wallpapers shows the evolution of the Ubuntu logo, which has had three renditions to date. Another is the brown Warty Warthog default wallpaper, but the old Ubuntu logo was replaced by the new one, and the text "20th Anniversary" appeared above the word Ubuntu.

As for the default wallpapers, they stick to the same style that we are used to now. Below, you can find the full-size wallpapers. Just open them, right-click, and press Save As.

Default Wallpapers

Mascot

Digital Art

Photography

20th Anniversary

Ubuntu 24.10 will be released on October 10. As a non-LTS, it will only receive updates for 9 months. If you do not like upgrading your computer often, you are best off sticking with Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. The first point release has just been made available. WIth the point release out, users on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS are being offered the upgrade to 24.04 LTS.

With this being the 20th Anniversary since the start of Ubuntu, let us know in the comments which version you used first. My first release was Ubuntu 8.04 LTS "Hardy Heron"!

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Patch security vulnerabilities include Intel SA-00999 and Intel SA-01083. The same patches recently arrived for the Surface Studio 2+ and the Surface Studio 2.

Here is the official changelog:

Improvements and fixes:

 

• Solves the issue that was leading to flickering or flashing screen when the device is connected to Surface Dock 2.
• Addresses a potential security vulnerability related to Intel® Security Advisories INTEL-SA-00999 and INTEL-SA- 01083.
• Improves security for devices with PXE boot enabled in IPv6 networks by protecting them against external access within compromised network segments.
• Addresses Wi-Fi related security issues and improves connection stability during Reset/Recovery.

Here is the list of new drivers:

Here is extra information about the release:

The Surface Go 2 is supported until December 30, 2024.

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Windows 11 version 24H2 Start menu and Taskbar (Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

As part of the Windows 11 2024 Update (version 24H2), you can also expect a few changes for the Start menu and Taskbar.

In this release, the Copilot button is no longer an option in the Taskbar, the Quick Settings flyout receives various resign improvements, and you will even find more elements. Also, in the Start menu, the Recommended section will now show app promotions and more.

In this guide, I will outline the biggest changes coming to the Taskbar and Start menu with the release of Windows 11 version 24H2.

What's new with the Taskbar and Start menu changes for version 24H2

Although this feature update won't significantly impact how you interact with the Taskbar and Start menu, you will find some interesting improvements.

Taskbar

In the Taskbar, Microsoft has removed the "Copilot" button from the System Tray, meaning it will no longer conflict with the "Show Desktop" button.

This change is due to the company removing the previous Copilot integration in favor of a new web application that the system installs through the Microsoft Edge browser. 

As a result, the Taskbar also includes a new Copilot icon alongside your other apps.

Here is what Microsoft said in the update changelog for Windows 11 build 27695:

[ADDED 9/5] We’re investigating reports that starting with Build 27686, when upgrading to a newer Canary Channel build some Insiders experience a hang at the boot screen and their PC rolls back with error 0xC1900101.

The 0xC1900101 error joined two other known issues in the Canary build 27695. One affects Copilot+ PCs and breaks Windows Hello PIN and biometric authentication, and another bug abruptly closes the emoji panel when switching between emoji tabs or trying to select an emoji. Microsoft recently confirmed the problem with the emoji panel, and it is currently working on fixing it in future updates.

Windows 11 preview builds from the Insider program are not intended to run on mission-critical systems due to the high risks of significant bugs, and the confirmed issue with error 0xC1900101 is another reminder that using pre-release software on your main machine, especially from the Canary Channel, is not a very good idea.

In case you missed it, Microsoft introduced Windows 11 build 27695 on August 30, 2024. The build brought a new place for the Widgets button on the left-aligned taskbar, improvements to the Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS), a new "timebomb" for Canary builds, some tweaks for a better Windows Update experience, multiple bug fixes, and more.

You can check out the full release notes for Windows 11 build 27695 in our dedicated article.

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Microsoft published a warning about the upcoming change in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (MC884011, via @teroalhonen on X):

Starting in new Office 2024, the default configuration setting for ActiveX objects will change from Prompt me before enabling all controls with minimal restrictions to Disable all controls without notification. This change applies to the Win32 desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio.

 

Users will no longer be able to create or interact with ActiveX objects in Office documents when this change is implemented. Some existing ActiveX objects will still be visible as a static image, but it will not be possible to interact with them. In non-commercial SKUs of Office, users will see this notification when an ActiveX object is blocked by the new default behavior:

 

The new default setting is equivalent to the existing DisableAllActiveX group policy setting.

The change will be implemented in October, alongside the release of Office 2024. Microsoft 365 apps will receive the same treatment in April 2025.

Microsoft understands that some companies would still need access to ActiveX objects, so it provided three methods to enable them:

• In the Trust Center Settings dialog, under ActiveX Settings, select the Prompt me before enabling all controls with minimal restrictions option.
• In the registry, set HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Common\Security\DisableAllActiveX to 0 (REG_DWORD).
• Set the Disable All ActiveX group policy setting to 0.

Turning off ActiveX in Office 2024 marks another step in the years-long process of phasing out the framework, which is known for its security issues and poor user experience. However, Microsoft still allows enabling ActiveX for compatibility reasons in Office apps and Microsoft Edge via Internet Explorer mode.

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Explorer7 is a new third-party project that lets you have Windows 7's taskbar on modern Windows versions, such as 10 and 11. Although it is primarily targeted at Windows 8.1 (even though Windows 8.1 does not have that many users), Explorer7 also works on Windows 10 and 11.

The app is a public beta, so expect rough surfaces and known bugs. Also, the installation process is not as straightforward as installing a regular application. In addition to the app itself, you need a Windows 7 image file to get the necessary files and components.

The biggest problem with this glorious piece of mad software engineering is that you cannot run "modern" applications on Windows 8.1, 10, and 11. This applies not just to programs from the Microsoft Store but also to stock apps and even the Settings app. Therefore, for Windows 11 users, this is hardly a solid option for daily use. It is interesting to play around on a spare device or a virtual machine.

If you need a more viable alternative to Windows 11's stock taskbar and Start menu, projects like Start11, StartAllBack, or ExplorerPatcher are much better options.

Other known issues include the following:

Known issues/limitations (General):

 

• UWP/Metro UI apps won't run. This is a limitation that we might work on fixing sometime in the future.
• There are no multi-monitor taskbars. This is because Windows 7's explorer didn't had that option, making this a limitation.
• utoplay may not function properly.
• Context menu entries for pinning and unpinning internal start menu items are missing.
• 8.x style transparency does not work on the taskbar/start menu.

 

Known issues/limitations (Windows 10/11):

 

• All programs list functionality is inadequate and relies on a temporary hack.
• Thumbnails use inactive DWM Colorization. (Only happens on Windows 10 1809+)
• Icon badges for compression are visible.
• Changing accent color does not reflect until you restart explorer.exe.
• Notification icon settings in Control Panel are missing.
• Taskbar may have weird color behavior if your system's theme filename is "aero.msstyles".
• Searching for an executable by the name of the executable rather than shortcut name will result in the item not opening/responding correctly to user input.

Those curious about trying Explorer7 should visit the project's forum page on winclassic.net or its GitHub repository.

Image source: @TheBobPony on X

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As it turns out though, it is possible that both sets of test results are actually error-free and it could be Windows 11 that is to be blamed for this wide variance of performance. YouTube channel Hardware Unboxed (HwU), which recently posted its findings about Windows 11 24H2 performance, post the Ryzen branch prediction optimization patch, reported that it shows up to an 11% boost in average framerates vs Windows 11 23H2, a very impressive result.

Although the test results are accurate it is also possible that you may not see such big gains on your own system after upgrading from 23H2 to 24H2. It appears that there is a certain issue in the OS itself that can cripple the performance of your PC even after a fresh clean installation, making it incredibly difficult to pinpoint what could be going wrong.

In its charts HwU has labelled the Windows 11 23H2 installation that provided the better performance as "Good Install" while the one that had inferior figures as "Bad Install." The "Patch" refers to the backported branch prediction optimizations that Microsoft later released for 23H2.

Test Case 1

Test Case 2

Test Case 3

As you may notice from the Test Case 1 image, the performance difference is 9% in favor of 24H2 this time against a "Good Install" Windows 11 23H2 PC, and that is despite just using cherry-picked 23 titles that showed bigger difference. If you recall, the previous test with the "Bad Install" 23H2 showed an 11% improvement and that was across 43 titles, clearly indicating that a bad Windows 11 installation can severely hamstring your system, at least when gaming.

As for what could be causing these issues, there are always a few suspects. VBS / HVCI has shown that it can still impact performance even on the latest versions of Windows 11 like 24H2 and 23H2. Another issue can be scheduling-related problems that are leading to such inconsistencies.

Ultimately what this means is that a user can have 'perfectly set-up' Windows 11 computer and unbeknownst to them, they could still be losing out on a lot of performance for no apparent straightforward reason.

Source and images: HwU (YouTube)

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The big change in this build is a new expiration date of Sept. 15, 2025. Previously, the Windows Server Insider builds had a Sept. 15, 2024 expiration date. That means everyone who has downloaded and used any older versions of the Windows Server Insider needs to download and install the new 26280 build in order to keep using it after Sept. 15, 2024.

Here is the changelog;

What's New

 

Windows Admin Center (WAC)

 

Beginning with build 26252, Windows Server 2025 preview customers can download and install Windows Admin Center right from the Windows Server Desktop using the in-OS app that takes care of downloading and guides you through the installation process.

 

Note: You must be running a desktop version of Windows Server 2025 Datacenter or Standard preview to access this feature.

 

Windows Server Flighting is here!!

 

If you signed up for Server Flighting, you should receive this new build automatically later today. For more information, see Welcome to Windows Insider flighting on Windows Server - Microsoft Community Hub

 

The new Feedback Hub app is now available for Server Desktop users! The app should automatically update with the latest version, but if it does not, simply Check for updates in the app’s settings tab.

 

Known Issues

 

[NEW] Sysprep unable to generalize images. There is a known issue in build 26280.5000 that prevents images from being generalized via sysprep. The issue is understood and will be fixed in a future release.

 

Flighting: The label for this flight may incorrectly reference Windows 11. However, when selected, the package installed is the Windows Server update. Please ignore the label and proceed with installing your flight. This issue will be addressed in a future release.

 

WinPE - Powershell Scripts: Applying the WinPE-Powershell optional component does not properly install Powershell in WinPE. As a result, Powershell cmdlets will fail. Customers who are dependent on Powershell in WinPE should not use this build.

 

If you are validating upgrades from Windows Server 2019 or 2022, we do not recommend that you use this build as intermittent upgrade failures have been identified for this build.

 

This build has an issue where archiving eventlogs with "wevetutil al" command causes the Windows Event Log service to crash, and the archive operation to fail. The service must be restarted by executing "Start-Service EventLog" from an administrative command line prompt.

 

If you have Secure Launch/DRTM code path enabled, we do not recommend that you install this build.

 

Available Downloads

 

Downloads to certain countries may not be available. See Microsoft suspends new sales in Russia - Microsoft On the Issues.

 

• Windows Server Long-Term Servicing Channel Preview in ISO format in 18 languages, and in VHDX format in English only.
• Windows Server Datacenter Azure Edition Preview in ISO and VHDX format, English only.
• Microsoft Server Languages and Optional Features Preview

 

Keys: Keys are valid for preview builds only

 

• Server Standard: MFY9F-XBN2F-TYFMP-CCV49-RMYVH
• Datacenter: 2KNJJ-33Y9H-2GXGX-KMQWH-G6H67
• Azure Edition does not accept a key

 

Symbols: Available on the public symbol server – see Using the Microsoft Symbol Server.

 

Expiration: This Windows Server Preview will expire September 15, 2025.

You can download the new Windows Server preview from Microsoft's site and check out the full blog post here.

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The key highlights of this update are as follows:

• Profiles editor - Switch and manage your profiles from a single place.
• Django unit test support - Discover and run Django unit tests from the Test Explorer.
• IntelliSense on vscode.dev - Boost your JS & TS coding in vscode.dev with IntelliSense.
• Notebook diff viewer - Efficiently review changes in notebooks by collapsing unchanged cells.
• Resize columns via the keyboard - Resizing table columns in VS Code is more accessible via the keyboard.
• Source Control Graph - Easily hide, collapse, or move the Source Control Graph.
• GitHub Copilot - Add context in Quick Chat and improve test generation and chat history.
• Experiment: Custom Copilot instructions - Define specific code-generation instructions for Copilot.

Over the last couple of years, we've witnessed all the hype about generative AI and how it's going to make us all super productive. One of the main pushers of this narrative is Microsoft, so it's not surprising to see the AI improvements it's making with GitHub Copilot in VS Code 1.93.

For example, when you write code, it's best practice to write unit tests to ensure the code is doing what you want it to. AI is great at writing these unit tests. In this VS Code update, GitHub Copilot first checks to see if you have an existing test file for the code you're working on. If you do, GitHub Copilot will now append new tests to the end, but if you don't, it will go ahead and create a new test file for the generated tests.

Another GitHub Copilot improvement is in the Quick Chat. You can now use a new action called Attach Context, which lets you attach files to your Copilot request so that the AI can be more useful. You can now also check your GitHub Copilot chat history via the Show Chats button at the top of the Chat view. The chats have user-friendly titles and are sorted by the date of their last request for easy access.

Visual Studio Code 1.93 is absolutely packed with new functionality beyond GitHub Copilot improvements. If you'd like to check individual items, check out the full release notes here. If you want to try the program out, you can download it here. If you already have it, be on the lookout for any available updates, and if you're on Linux and have it, then check your update manager.

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In a blog post, Microsoft stated the Photos app is getting some Gallery navigation improvements:

• The Gallery option at the top lets you access all your photo content in one place, regardless of where they come from – your PC, iCloud, or OneDrive.
• To view photos synced from your cloud providers, click on the OneDrive – Personal, OneDrive – Business, or iCloud Photos options.
• In the This PC section at the bottom, you’ll find all the folders and content from your computer that have been added to the Photos app. To include more photos and videos in this view, click on the Add Folder icon next to ‘Gallery.’

The app is also adding a new feature called Visual Search with Bing:

In the Viewer, you can search your images online with our new Visual Search with Bing feature. Simply click on the Visual Search with Bing icon located at the bottom of the image (also available through the right-click dropdown menu). This will open the search results in Bing including similar images, related products, and other related content.

Windows 10 users will now see that the Microsoft App is based on Windows App SDK and WinUI3, following the same update for Windows 11 users. Also, Windows 10 users can now view iCloud-stored photos in Mcrosoft Photos.

To access your iCloud photos, go to the iCloud Photos pivot in the Photos app, install the latest iCloud for Windows app from Microsoft Store, sign in with your Apple ID, and choose to sync your iCloud photos. Within minutes, you will see all your iCloud photo content starting to appear automatically in the Photos app.

There are also some other smaller improvements to the Photos app:

• We added an option to run the Photos app in the background with minimal processes, to improve the app startup speed. If you do not want Photos running in the background, you can turn off the Performance option under Settings.
• You can now quickly edit an image in File Explorer or on the desktop, by right-clicking on the image and selecting the Edit in Photos This will open the Photo Editor where you can crop, rotate, or mark up the image, as well as applying adjustments and AI-powered edits.

People can update the app to 2024.11080.30001.0 or higher. Keep in mind that this has just started rolling out, so not everyone in the Insider program will see this new version immediately. There's no word on when the new Microsoft Photos app will become generally available.

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Here is the official changelog:

AMD Radeon Anti-Lag 2 Vulkan Support for Counter-Strike 2

 

AMD Radeon Anti-Lag 2 now supports the Vulkan API, offering additional responsive gaming options. AMD Radeon Anti-Lag 2 introduces an in-game option to optimally pace frames, further reducing input lag on AMD RDNA architecture-based graphics products.Users looking for a way to measure response time can use our Frame Latency Meter (FLM) or the built-in latency monitor in AMD Radeon Anti-Lag 2.

 

Use the ALT+SHIFT+L hotkey to enable the Radeon Anti-Lag 2 Latency Monitor. Once activated, a small white chevron will appear in the top left corner of your display indicating that it is enabled.

 

Use ALT+SHIFT+L again to cycle through the following Latency Monitor display options: No metrics, FPS only, FPS and latency (in ms), FPS and latency (in ms and frames), FPS and latency (in ms and frames) with a legend.

 

To compare the difference between Anti-Lag 2 On and Anti-Lag Off, hold the right CTRL key.

Here are the fixed issues:

• Intermittent driver timeout or application crash while playing Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.

• Overly dark shadows or desaturated colors may be observed while playing Black Myth: Wukong when Global Illumination is to Medium or higher.

Keep in mind that non-WHQL drivers could be less stable than Microsoft WHQL-certified drivers. Waiting for the next WHQL release with the changes mentioned above may be a preferred option for those who want their PCs running as smoothly as possible.

You can download AMD Software 24.10.37.10 from the official website.

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However, all is not bad, and there are plenty of useful features that can get overlooked. One such feature is Snap Layouts, which helps group windows and improve multitasking. Neowin was fairly impressed when we first looked at it back in 2022, and improvements have been made since then.

Google has decided to take inspiration and has added a similar feature in its latest ChromeOS update. The latest version in the Stable channel, ChromeOS 128, has a new Snap groups feature that allows grouping windows similar to how the feature works on Windows 11.

On its official release notes page, the ChromeOS team explains how the feature works:

Snap groups on ChromeOS

 

Group windows on one screen with Snap groups. When you pair two windows for split-screen display, ChromeOS now forms a Snap group. As a Snap group, you can bring the windows back into focus together, resize them simultaneously, and move them both as a group.

 

This is not the sole addition the new update brings. More new features like isolated web apps (IWA), improvements related to privacy, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR), among others, have also been added.

Google has added IWAs in order to provide better protection against server attacks. Instead of being hosted on live web servers and fetched over via HTTPS, these apps are packaged into Web Bundles, signed by their developers.

The ChromeOS team adds that in this initial release, IWAs are only installable using a new policy IsolatedWebAppInstallForceList⁠ on enterprise-managed ChromeOS devices.

Moving on, the ChromeOS camera app has gained Optical Character Recognition (OCR) which enables text extraction from captured images with the help of an ML-powered text extraction service.

The rest of the changes are given below:

• Geolocation privacy controls

• ChromeOS privacy control reminders

• Pinned notifications on ChromeOS

• Auto Gain Control enabled by default

• Access Point Name (APN) management

• Admin-configurable site search

• Data processor mode: EU-wide rollout

• Store aggregated vitals data with one-year retention

You can view the release notes on the support document here on ChromeOS' official website.

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The security vulnerabilities in question are INTEL-SA-00999 and INTEL-SA-01083. The first is a bunch of vulnerabilities in the Intel Converged Security and Manageability Engine, Intel Active Management Technology, Intel Standard Manageability, and Intel Wi-Fi software. The second is a potential vulnerability in the SMI Transfer Monitor.

The following update is available for Surface Studio 2+ devices running Windows 11 September 2022 Update, Version 22H2, or greater.

 

Improvements and fixes:

 

• Addresses a potential security vulnerability related to Intel Security Advisories INTEL-SA-00999 and INTEL-SA- 01083.

• Addresses the problem that caused Wi-Fi to drop when the device wasn't connected to Ethernet cable.

Here is the list of new drivers:

Here is extra information about the release:

The Surface Studio 2+ is supported until October 2, 2028. Its predecessor, the Surface Studio 2, will be out of support on October 2, 2024.

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Newly supported games in Intel 32.0.101.5989 include the following:

Thanks to driver optimizations, Intel managed to improve FPS in Deadlock by 17% at 1080p and 13% at 1440p. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown can deliver up to 19% more FPS at 1080p and 1440p, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 runs at up to 7% more FPS at 1080p and 8% at 1440p.

There are still some known issues that Intel has to fix in future updates. They include the following:

Intel Arc A-Series Graphics Products:

 

• Diablo IV (DX12) may intermittently crash while toggling Ray Tracing settings during gameplay.
• Doom Eternal (VK) may exhibit intermittent flickering corruption in the game menu and during gameplay.
• Blender may experience application crash while rendering certain benchmark scenes.
• Topaz Video AI may experience errors when exporting videos after using some models for video enhancements.

 

Intel Core Ultra with built-in Intel Arc GPUs:

 

• Enshrouded (VK) may experience an application crash during gameplay.
• Diablo IV (DX12) may experience an application crash with ray tracing settings enabled.
• Horizon Forbidden West (DX12) may experience color corruption during gameplay.
• Fortnite (DX12) game may crash while performing Alt + Tab operations
• SPECworkstation3.1 may exhibit system instability while running certain workloads.
• CATIA texts may not appear in quality toolbar with HQAO settings Procyon AI may experience an application crash while running benchmark with precision float32.

You can download Intel Arc & Iris Xe Graphics Driver 32.0.101.5989 non-WHQL from the official website. Full release notes are available here (pdf).

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Today, Microsoft introduced a new feature in Microsoft Planner called Goals. Goals will allow you to set and track goals for your plan. Planner will enable you to link goals to individual tasks. You can also use Copilot to create goals specific to your scenario. The new Goals feature is now available to all Planner users with a Planner Plan 1 or greater subscription.

Microsoft has set a limit of 10 goals per plan to encourage best practices for creating goals, as creating too many goals is often unachievable.

Here's how you can access Goals in Microsoft Planner:

• If you have a Planner Plan 1 or greater subscription, you can go to the Goals view by selecting Goals in the navigation header in the new Planner experience.
• You can create goals by selecting Add goal and filling in essential details, such as the title, end date, status, and a unique color.
• If you are unsure about the goals, you can use Copilot in Planner (preview) to set meaningful goals for your plan. To use Copilot to create goals, you can ask Copilot to add goals based on your specific needs, and Copilot will create goals based on your description.
• You can also add more details by selecting a goal, such as the description, start date, and priority.
• Finally, you can link tasks to goals by selecting Connect tasks and choosing the tasks that are related to the goal. Also, each task can only be linked to one goal at a time.

Goals can also be viewed in other views inside Planner, including the Board view, Charts view, Grid view, and People view.

The new Goals feature in Microsoft Planner enhances its capabilities for effective project management and goal tracking, streamlining workflows and promoting better organization.

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I can always tell when fall is in the air.

No, it’s not a decrease in temperatures — we’re still very hot here in Central California. No, it’s not that pumpkin-spice aroma around coffee shops.

It’s the technology headlines about imminent updates from Redmond and Cupertino. Naturally, that means I’m raising the MS-DEFCON level to 2. Here are a few things you should consider.

Windows

For now, stick to Windows 11 23H2. An excellent and simple way to do that is with Steve Gibson’s InControl app. Download and run it on an “uncontrolled” PC, and you’ll see the window in Figure 1. (Note that InControl is a zero-install program. After downloading it, move the executable file incontrol.exe to your preferred location, and perhaps add a shortcut to the desktop or Taskbar.)

Figure 1. Updates are not controlled, and Windows can do as it pleases.

InControl manages six Windows Registry keys. If those are missing, you’ll see the message in Figure 1. Simply set the Version/Release values as desired, then press the Take Control button. InControl will create (or alter) the registry keys, based upon your values. Note that InControl assumes you know what you’re doing well enough to get those two values correct. It will accept bogus values (e.g., 95/9602), but they’ll have no effect. Because I’m recommending staying on Windows 11 23H2, you’ll enter 11/23H2.

Once you’ve set the values by “taking control,” the InControl Window will change, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. InControl has placed you in control.

The message now indicates that version updates to Windows will be blocked; this is safe. However, security updates will be processed.

If you want to control all updates, see our BlockAPatch website.

Why do I recommend holding off on 24H2? Most of its major changes are exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, which became available only a few months ago. The vast majority of users do not have such a PC and thus do not need to rush to 24H2. For the most part, I’m seeing only dribbled changes, most of which are insignificant. One potentially significant improvement is the ability to share content to your Android device, but this is also coming to Windows 11 23H2 in the September security updates.

Apple

Monday is “Glowtime” at Apple. Its September event is usually reserved for iPhone announcements, so the iPhone 16 models are expected. macOS Sequoia, still in beta, is expected by the end of the month or early October, so there may be announcements on Monday.

Importantly, Sequoia brings Apple Intelligence, which is a breaking point for Apple because it requires more modern hardware. Older devices will not be supported. Here’s the list of devices that will run the new macOS version:

Although Macs with M4 SoCs are expected, these will most likely be introduced in November.

Consumers

Pause updates. The September security updates may not include the fix for dual-booting; if you dual-boot, disable Secure Boot or pause until we see a release that supports dual-booting natively.

As noted above, I recommend using InControl to lock your Windows version release. Don’t worry about Windows 10, because no version releases beyond 22H2 are expected. But for Windows 11, lock your machine on 23H2 for now.

This is a good time to check your Macs to see whether they are included in the list above. Then you can plan accordingly.

We’ll be asking our usual questions about Windows 11 adoption in our annual survey in January. However, it was interesting to learn from Steam’s August survey that just over 50% of respondents were using Windows 11.

Businesses

Focus less on the monthly updates for now, and spend more time thinking about that looming date a year from now — when Windows 10 reaches its official end of life (October 2025).

On a timelier note: October 8, 2024, marks the end of servicing for Windows 11 Enterprise and Education 21H2, Windows 11 Home and Pro 22H2, and Windows 11 IoT Enterprise 21H2.

Important long-term projects include Boot Manager revocations (KB5025885). Posts at the PatchManagement Google Group (registration required) clearly indicate that firms that are slogging through it, saying it’s confusing. Matt Guelde reported that

(i) applied all 4 mitigation steps on a spare laptop, and once the revocation step was applied, I was no longer able to boot from either of our WinPE boot media (the one my colleague built, and the one from our endpoint management software).

Also be aware of the upcoming changes to certificate-based authentication on Windows domain controllers, as noted in KB5014754. And note the additional steps needed in KB5037754 relating to PAC validation changes (CVE-2024-26248 and CVE-2024-29056).

Monitor changes needed for TLS server authentication. Remember: In late 2024, 1024-bit RSA keys will be deprecated.

Finally, if you use Windows Smart Cards, determine whether you are impacted by the upcoming changes in early 2025 that will remove the RSA override and retain KSP as the default. Test the recommended registry key if you use RSA-based certificates and smart cards.

Resources

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Windows 11 lets you change that, but the problem is that the operating system's File Explorer is quite a buggy piece of software, which is why changing grouping or sorting options results in File Explorer simply resetting the view to the default one, especially if you want to apply one view to all subfolders in the Downloads directory.

Luckily, there is a workaround.

Turn off file grouping in the Windows 11 Downloads folder

If you do not have additional folders in downloads, you can turn off grouping without any issues or bugs:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the Downloads folder.
2. Click the Sort button on the toolbar and select Group > None.

   

3. Now, you can select your preferred sorting option, such as by name, size, type, etc.

Disable file grouping in the Windows 11 Downloads folder and subfolders

Problems start when you want to apply a single view to all subfolders in the Downloads directory. Many applications that can download files (messengers, for example) have their own folders placed in the standard Downloads folders. They also use standard grouping, and attempting to apply a single view to all folders within Downloads leads to File Explorer resetting everything to default. It is a very odd and annoying bug, which is present in most Windows 11 versions, including 23H2, 24H2, and other preview builds. Luckily, you can work around that bug; here is how.

Important: perform the following steps and actions exactly step-by-step as described. Use the exact buttons and menus as described. Performing those steps in another order or using the context menu will reset the view to the default one due to a bug. That is File Explorer quality for you right there.

1. Open File Explorer and go to Downloads.
2. On the toolbar, click Sort > Name. Do not use the context menu!

   

3. On the toolbar, click Sort > Group by > None. Do not use the context menu!

   

4. If you want to change the default "Details" view to something else, click View and select the option you need.

   

5. Click the three-dot button on the toolbar and select Options.

   

6. Go to the View tab and click Apply to folders. This action will apply your current Download options to all folders within it.

   

That is it. Now, you can change sorting or view and apply them to all folders without File Explorer resetting the Download directory to the default grouping view.

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Here are the official release notes:

Improved Reliability:

 

• Fixed an issue where browser would crash when clicking ‘Permissions and Privacy’ on any site in the sidebar.
• Fixed an issue where; after logging out, the Favorites hub displayed the workspace. Clicking on the workspace would cause the browser to crash.
• Fixed an issue where browser would crash when dragging a tab to create a new window on iOS.

 

Changed Behavior:

 

• Resolved an issue where the ‘Magnify Image’ tooltip was not displaying for the close button.
• Resolved an issue where the ‘Open in new…’ button was unavailable when right-clicking an item in the Favorites Hub/Panel.
• Resolved an issue where the tab actions menu hub closed after opening a group tab in a new tab within the window card under the tab actions menu.
• Fixed an issue where the banner title would not display normally after right-clicking ‘Show Media Control’ and hovering over the browser icon.
• Fixed an issue where icons were missing in the settings under the sidebar.

 

Android:

 

• Resolved an issue where a colored circle icon appeared in the upper left corner of the tab group on android.
• Resolved an issue where the input box was not displayed when editing Top sites names on Android on new tab page.
• Fixed an issue where menu items were displayed abnormally in the overflow menu while in InPrivate mode on android.

 

iOS:

 

• Resolved an issue where users couldn’t scroll down to view feeds on iOS.
• Fixed an issue where the upper left corner of the profile popover was not rounded in the account panel on iOS.

As usual, you can get Microsoft Edge Dev from the official Edge Insider website. Existing installations can be updated on the edge://settings/help page. The public release in the Stable Channel is expected on the week of October 17, 2024.

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What is happening? Google is changing the extensions system for Google Chrome. Old extensions that are not updated to the new system won't work anymore. These will be deactivated and eventually removed from the browser.

This change affects all Chromium-based browsers. Browsers like Microsoft Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, or Opera are affected by the change. While some plan to implement changes that prolong support for the old system by a year, support is ending eventually.

Note: Brave is a bit unique, as its developers promised that Brave will continue to support a few popular Chrome extensions, including uBlock Origin.

Still, most extensions will stop working this year for most Chrome and Chromium-based browser users. All can be configured to extend support by a year, even if the browser developer has no plans to implement this by default.

Which Chrome extensions are affected?

The absolute number is unknown, but plenty are affected. From the most popular content blocker uBlock Origin to niche extensions that serve a very specific purpose.

You have a few options to check whether extensions that you use are affected:

Option 1

Load chrome://extensions in the browser's address bar. Google may display incompatible extensions already on the page at the top.  If not, this is coming before the change lands.

The text should say something like these extensions may soon no longer be supported.

Option 2

Open the Chrome Web Store page of the extension. If you get the message "his extension may soon no longer be supported because it doesn't follow best practices for Chrome extensions." near the top of the page, it will be disabled unless it is updated by the developer.

Tip: any extension that still has the "featured" tag is compatible.

Can you name extensions by Google that will stop working?

There is no official list. Here is an unofficial list. Remember that extensions may get updated before the deadline to remain available after Google pulls the plug.

• Chrome Web Store Launcher
• Google Analytics Debugger
• Google Dictionary
• Google Tone
• IBA Opt-out
• Page Analytics
• Password Alert
• Tag Assistant Legacy

There are more, probably, but there is no option to list all extensions by Google on the store. While you can list extensions by Google, the list appears heavily filtered already.

Google has published extensions under different accounts in the past as well. All in all, it seems likely that more extensions are affected.

Closing Words

There may be alternatives that continue to work. For other extensions, there may be none, however. You could run them in Firefox even after Google disables the functionality, as Firefox does not use Chromium as its core.

What is your take on the move? Will all these extensions stop working? Do you know of other extensions that won't work anymore? Feel free to provide a list in the comments below.

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Another similar feature is Memory Integrity or hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI) (also called hypervisor-enforced code integrity or HECI). HVCI is what allows Virtualization-based Security (VBS) on Windows. Microsoft has earlier explained why features like VBS and TPM 2.0 are so crucial and also published a demo of them. More recently, the company published a guide on how to enable Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) that leverages VBS and TPM for additional protection.

However, there is a cost to it: performance. Time and time again, we have seen VBS hurt the performance of CPUs, especially when gaming. This happens on supported CPUs as well, which pack Intel MBEC (Model-based Execution Control) and AMD GMET (Guest Mode Execute Trap). MBEC and GMET essentially help to hardware-accelerate VBS.

Interestingly, disabling Memory Integrity is also a recommendation by Microsoft for boosting gaming performance.

Using AMD's Ryzen 5800X3D, German news outlet ComputerBase (CB) decided to see what improvements Windows 11 24H2 brings to the Ryzen 5000 series (Zen 3). The test shows that the newest Windows version has a definite improvement over its predecessor. However, VBS continues to hamstring the OS's performance, just as it has since Windows 11 21H2.

As you can see in the charts above, the "HVCI off" figures dominate, be it in terms of average frames or percentile low figures. Overall, it looks like there is an ~8% performance penalty with VBS enabled.

For those who have not been following recent AMD performance patches and updates, the company has made branch prediction-related optimizations that are now available on Windows 11 24H2 and this leads to a healthy improvement in performance, especially on the Ryzen 9000 series. Microsoft later backported the optimizations to 23H2 as well. This is what the "23H2 + Update" data points in the above charts indicate.

Source and images: ComputerBase

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Today, a new Vulkan SDK beta version (v1.3.290.0) was released that will allow developers to build native Vulkan API apps for Windows on Arm. This beta release includes Arm64x layers for debugging x86_64 Vulkan binaries and a native Arm64 shader toolchain.

You can check out the demo of Vulkan SDK for Windows on Arm in the video below

Installing this new Vulkan SDK for Windows on Arm is identical to installing the standard Vulkan SDK for Windows. However, it won't include the DXC library and executable, or the GFXReconstruct layer. These items will be available in future SDK versions. Also, the Vulkan Hardware Caps viewer native build for Windows on Arm will be released in the future. Since this new beta SDK does not have any changes to file names or libraries, porting apps and games to the ARM64 development environment will be relatively straightforward.

Developers with the following hardware and software requirements can get started with Vulkan development using the Vulkan SDK:

• Windows 11 ARM 64-bit OS
• Vulkan Installable Client Driver (ICD) from your GPU hardware vendor; the Vulkan Loader is delivered with the vendor's driver package
• 8 GB memory
• Sufficient free disk space to install the Vulkan SDK (approximately 1 GB)

This release marks a significant step forward in expanding the Vulkan ecosystem to ARM-based Windows devices. With the growing popularity of Qualcomm Snapdragon-based Copilot+ PCs, this new Vulkan SDK empowers developers to create high-performance graphics applications optimized for this emerging platform.

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In a post on the official Windows blog, Microsoft says Windows App SDK 1.6 adds native support for Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) compilation. AOT apps are compiled ahead of time (hence the name) to native code before they are published. This should allow the app to start faster and also use less memory.

Microsoft even shows a demo of how a native AOT app performs against one that is not an native AOT app:

In our sample Contoso Camera app, we measured a 50% reduction in start time, an ~8x reduction in package size when using a framework package and a ~2x reduction in package size when using Windows App SDK in self-contained mode.

Some of the other new features and improvements in the Windows App SDK 1.6 release include enhancements for its package management APIs and it has also decoupled the WinAppSDK from the Edge WebView2 API.

Developers can also try out a new CanTearOutTabs mode for dragging tabs out of an app. Microsoft says:

In the new mode, dragging a tab out of your app’s TabView is very similar to the tab drag experience in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome where a new window is immediately created during the drag. This allows users to visually see feedback of their action right away and it lets them drag the new window to the edge of the screen to maximize or snap it in one continuous motion.

The new 1.6 version of the Windows App SDK includes even more improvements and new APIs as well which you can check out in the blog post. You can also check out the Windows App SDK page on GitHub along with the Windows UI library.

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Switching to the "Gamepad" layout will let you select letters with a stick and press modifier (or accelerator) buttons using other gamepad buttons. For example, the Backspace key is by default mapped to X, Spacebar to Y, Enter to the menu button, shift to the left stick button, and numbers and special symbols to the right trigger. There is also quick cursor navigation with RB and LB buttons on your controller.

The layout feels surprisingly intuitive and allows for quite fast typing after a brief learning curve. True, it is not as fast as the Xbox Chatpad or a standard keyboard, but it is still a great and convenient addition, especially if all you need to type is a quick message in Xbox Live when playing on a sofa.

The new controller keyboard is rolling out to Insiders on build 22635.4145. Since the rollout is gradual, you may not have it after updating to the latest version. If that is the case, use the ViVeTool app to force-enable the new gamepad layout for the on-screen keyboard:

1. Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder.
2. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin).
3. Switch Windows Terminal to the Command Prompt profile with the Ctrl + Shift + 2 shortcut or by clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window. Alternatively, press Win + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Enter.

    

   
4. Navigate to the folder containing the ViveTool files with the CD command. For example, CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:50692135,48433719,50557073 and press Enter.
6. Restart your computer.

Now, launch the on-screen keyboard, click the settings icon, and select Keyboard Layout > Gamepad.

Credit for the feature IDs goes to PhantomOfEarth on X.

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[Start menu]

 

[ADDED 9/3] Based on feedback, we’ve made some updates to the new account manager on the Start menu making the sign out option directly visible, and adding a list of signed in users under “…” so it’s faster to switch accounts.

 

[Input]

 

[ADDED 9/3] We’re beginning to roll out a new Gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 that supports the ability to use your Xbox controller to navigate and type. This includes button accelerators (example: X button for backspace, Y button for spacebar) additionally the keyboard keys have been vertically aligned for better controller navigation patterns.

 

You can check out the original blog post below:

Original story - August 30 - Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 build for members of the Windows Insider Program in the Beta Channel. The new build number is 22635.4145 under KB5041881. It includes some changes to the Windows Spotlight, a way to share content from the Windows share window to the Notepad and Clipchamp apps and more.

Here is the changelog:

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

 

[General]

 

For new PCs or new user accounts on managed commercial devices (PCs running Windows 11 Enterprise, Education, or Pro logged in with an Entra ID (or domain), the Microsoft 365 app will be pinned to the taskbar for quick access to Copilot for Microsoft 365.

 

[Input]

 

• We have updated Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Mouse to now include the option to turn off enhanced mouse pointer precision for those that would prefer to not use it and have added a new option for changing mouse scrolling direction.

• We have updated Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touch to have a new section for touch screen edge gestures, where you can choose if you would like to disable the left or right screen edge touch gesture.

 

[Desktop Spotlight]

 

We are trying out some adjustments to the Windows Spotlight experience on the desktop to include hotspots when users right-click on the Windows Spotlight icon. In addition, these changes will include two different UX treatments that Insiders will notice.

 

There is no change to the interaction model where right click opens the experience in full screen and double clicking launches the Bing landing page. When in full screen, you will now see two hotspots which will be animated to aid discovery, and which will reveal additional information on hover. Clicking on a hotspot will close the full screen experience and launch the Bing landing page.

 

[Windows Share]

 

We’re adding the ability to share content to Notepad and Clipchamp directly from the Windows share window.

 

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

 

[File Explorer]

 

• Fixed an issue causing File Explorer to crash when navigating to Home for some Insiders with the two flights. This also led File Explorer to crash on launch if it opened directly to Home.
• Fixed an issue causing explorer.exe to crash when interacting with archive files in the last few flights.

 

[Start menu]

 

Fixed an issue where the text might be unreadable in the section of the Start menu with Phone Link features shown on the side.

 

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

 

[Other]

 

This update includes fixes for the following issues:

 

• [File Explorer] The navigation pane does not update when you browse folders that are in a shell namespace extension.
• [Hibernate stop error] Your laptop stops responding after you resume it from hibernate. This occurs if you have closed and opened the lid many times.
• [Windows Hello for Business] PIN reset does not work when you select the “I forgot my PIN’ link on the credentials screen.
• [Bind Filter Driver] Your system might stop responding when it accesses symbolic links.
• [Bluetooth] External devices lose their connection when you deploy certain Bluetooth policies.
• [Microsoft Entra single sign-on (SSO)] The SSO notice that the European Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires prompts too often. This occurs when you authenticate using a certificate. To learn more, see Upcoming changes to Windows single sign-on.
• [Unified Write Filter (UWF) and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)] An SCCM task to re-enable UWF fails because of a deadlock in UWF. This stops the device from restarting when you expect it.
• [Country and Operator Settings Asset] This update brings COSA profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• [Input Method Editor (IME)] When a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might occur when you close that window.
• [BitLocker] You might not be able to decrypt a BitLocker data drive. This occurs when you move that drive from a newer version of Windows to an older version.

 

Known issues

 

[Start menu]

 

[NEW] If you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, please try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

You can check out the full blog post here.

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Settings

 

[ADDED 9/3] We’ve updated the dialog when viewing your Wi-Fi password under Settings > Network & internet to match the Windows 11 visuals.

Original Story August 30 - Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 build for members of the Windows Insider program in the Canary Channel. for members of the Insider program in the Canary Channel. This is the first Canary Channel build release since August 15.

The new build number is 27695. It includes some Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) improvements, along with other additions, improvements, bug fixes and known issues. It also mentions that starting with build 27691, the expiration date for Canary Channel builds will now be on September 15, 2025.

Here is the changelog:

What’s new with Build 27695

 

New position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars

 

We’re beginning to roll out a new position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars. The taskbar entry-point will move to the left of the systems tray and will be wider so you can see richer content from Widgets on your taskbar. When you launch the Widgets board, it will fly out from the right side instead of the left side.

 

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

 

Windows LAPS: Retrieve encrypted passwords during Active Directory recovery situations

 

Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) has been improved with a new ability to recover encrypted passwords from Active Directory (AD) backup media even when there are zero AD domain controllers running.

 

Windows LAPS encrypted passwords offer much better security over the traditional approach of storing clear-text passwords in Active Directory. Windows LAPS password encryption is based on Cryptography API: Next Generation Data Protection API (CNG DPAPI). Under normal operating conditions, the decryption keys are always retrieved from a running AD domain controller. When an unexpected disaster occurs, there may be no AD domain controllers running.

 

You can now use the Get-LapsADPassword PowerShell cmdlet to retrieve and decrypt Windows LAPS encrypted passwords from Active Directory backup media (mounted using the AD snapshot browser, aka dsamain.exe) with zero network interaction with any AD domain controller. In fact, this operation is now possible even when running on a non-domain-joined, workgroup machine. If you still have access to your AD backup media, all Windows LAPS encrypted passwords will now be recoverable regardless of the situation.

 

This new improvement is implemented in the existing Get-LapsADPassword PowerShell cmdlet. When the -Port and -RecoveryMode parameters are both specified, any retrieved passwords will be automatically decrypted in a purely local operation using the decryption keys found in the snapshot browser.

 

Step 1: Mount the Active Directory backup media database:

 

Step 2: Recover the Windows LAPS passwords from the mounted AD backup media database:

 

Step 3: This step is informative only; the screenshot below demonstrates that the above operations were executed on a workgroup machine:

 

In summary this improvement resolves a key Windows LAPS concern of how to recover Windows LAPS passwords in a disaster scenario where no AD domain controllers are running. For more information see: Retrieving passwords during AD disaster recovery scenarios.

 

Changes and Improvements

 

[General]

 

Insider Preview Build Expiration: The expiration date for Insider Preview builds flighted to the Canary Channel has been updated to 9/15/2025 starting with Build 27691. Please make sure you are updated to the latest build in the Canary Channel.

 

Some Insiders in the Canary Channel will begin to see an estimated time for how long their PC will be offline to install Build 27695. This estimate will be shown on the Windows Update settings page and via the Start menu power button.

 

[Notifications]

 

If desired, there’s now an option to turn off the suggestions to disable notifications from certain apps. You can now press the “…” within the notification to disable the notification, as you can with other notifications, or you can go to the list of notification senders in Settings > System > Notifications and turn it off from there (called “Notification Suggestions” in the list). Note – this entry will only appear in the senders list after you have received one.

 

[Windows Share]

 

We are rolling out the ability to easily share content to an Android device from Windows share window. The feature requires you to pair your Android device to your Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and Phone Link on your PC.

 

[Widgets]

 

We are rolling out an update to the Widgets Board to improve security and the APIs for creating widgets and feeds for users in EEA regions. As part of this update, the Microsoft Start Experiences app will power the Microsoft Start widget and feed experiences. Also, as part of this update, some existing widgets will be removed and others will be modified, temporarily affecting their functionality. This update sets the foundation for new widgets and other features in development, set to roll out soon.

 

Fixes

 

[File Explorer]

 

• Fixed an issue where when pressing WIN + E, a screen reader might unexpectedly say a pane had focus, or focus may not be set within File Explorer at all.
• Fixed an issue which was causing CTRL + F to sometimes not start a search in File Explorer.
• Fixed an issue where keyboard focus might get lost sometimes when doing Shift + Tab in File Explorer.
• Fixed an issue causing screen readers to not announce when you were opening or navigating items in the breadcrumb flyouts of the open or save dialog.
• Fixed an issue causing screen readers to not announce anything when opening or navigating items in the column header flyout in File Explorer.

 

[Task Manager]

 

Fixed an issue where the colors in the Performance section weren’t displayed correctly in dark mode.

 

[Windows Sandbox]

 

Fixed an underlying issue which could cause Windows Sandbox to fail to launch with error 0x80070005 sometimes.

 

[Other]

 

• Fixed an issue where when installing Windows by booting from recent install media, it wouldn’t make itself the default partition if another version of Windows was installed.
• Fixed an issue underlying issue causing dfrgui.exe (Defrag and Optimize drives) to fail in the previous flight with a pop up saying SXSHARED_UCRT.dll was not found. This is also believed to be the cause of seeing an error saying “the specified module could not be found” errors in that flight when trying to use the backup options in Control Panel.

 

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”.

 

[Input]

 

We are working on the fix for an issue causing the emoji panel to close when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.

You can check out the full blog post here.

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