Here is the official changelog:

Customize organizational branding using the Microsoft Edge management service. Admins can customize their organization's branding assets onto Edge for Business through the Microsoft Edge management service. This branding can help users signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID more easily differentiate between multiple profiles and browser windows through visual cues on the profile pill, profile flyout, and Edge for Business taskbar icon.

 

This Microsoft Edge management service feature gives admins an enhanced experience to configure, preview, and customize how Edge for Business shows the following organization brand assets:

 

• Organization name
• Accent color
• Organization logo
• Edge for Business taskbar icon overlay

IT admins can find more information about organizational branding in Microsoft Edge 127 in the official documentation.

As for security updates, version 127.0.2651.86 fixed the following:

• CVE-2024-6990 Uninitialized Use in Dawn (severity level critical): Uninitialized Use in Dawn in Google Chrome on Android prior to 127.0.6533.88 allowed a remote attacker to potentially perform out-of-bounds memory access via a crafted HTML page.
• CVE-2024-7255 Out of bounds read in WebTransport (severity level high): Out of bounds read in WebTransport in Google Chrome prior to 127.0.6533.88 allowed a remote attacker to potentially perform out-of-bounds memory access via a crafted HTML page.

• CVE-2024-7256 Insufficient data validation in Dawn (severity high): Insufficient data validation in Dawn in Google Chrome on Android prior to 127.0.6533.88 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML page.

   

The same security updates are also available in Microsoft Edge Extended Stable Channel (version 126.0.2592.132), which receives updates every eight weeks instead of four.

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Since BSOD is currently a hot topic these days with various articles going around the internet, Raymond Chen, a veteran Microsoft Windows developer, this week, penned a new blog post titled "There is no mystery over who wrote the Blue Screen of Death, despite what some may want you to believe" in his 'The Old New Thing' column on Microsoft's DevBlogs site, shedding light on the apparent shroud of mystery about the origin of the Windows' Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).

Chen writes:

Somehow, there is a claim of a 30-year mystery surrounding Microsoft’s Blue Screen of Death. The argument goes that there are three conflicting sources of authorship: Steve Ballmer, John Vert, and me.

 

But really, there is no conflict. There are three different blue-colored screens, and each has a different author.

Interestingly, it looks like the initial blue screen of death was not about death at all, but as Chen puts it humorously, a "blue screen of unhappiness." This was invoked when one pressed the CTRL + ATL + DEL keys together (called the "three finger salute"), which helps pause a Windows session when a user is not quite happy with how their PC behaves.

Chen notes that the text portion, not the underlying code, of the above BSOU message was written by Steve Ballmer for Windows 3.1.

As for the BSOD, you may be surprised to know that the black BSOD that the tech giant temporarily tested on Windows 11 was originally there in Windows 3.1 as well, though it did not really say much. So those who are not satisfied with the amount of information given on the current BSOD screen may have hated Microsoft even more back then.

Up next, a year later in 1993, we had the Windows NT 3.1 BSOD which was the first true blue screen of death kernel error and was implemented by John Vert. Windows NT 3.1 was also the first true 32-bit Windows OS which is how it differed from Windows 3.1 and thus the name NT or New Technology.

Windows 95 also had its BSOD and was different from the one in NT 3.1 as it allowed the user to ignore and skip the error message. Raymond Chen was the one who designed this one.

If you recall, this was also the famous, or rather the infamous Windows 98 BSOD that happened during a keynote address at the annual COMDEX trade show in 1998.

Source: Microsoft

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Towards the end of March, when Microsoft began releasing Windows 11 24H2 on the Insider channels for testing, StartAllBack users noticed that there was some sort of compatibility block on the upgrade with the message that read:

This app can't run because it causes security or performance issues on Windows. A new version may be available. Check with your software provider for an updated version that runs on this version of Windows.

As such, a workaround update was published by the StartAllBack developer in May, which disabled the classic Taskbar on 24H2 systems.

Version 3.7.9 1 May 2024

 

• Disabled classic taskbar on 24H2 by default for now

Otherwise, renaming the executable worked.

With the latest version of StartAllBack, 3.8, the support for Windows 11 24H2 has been added. The developer notes that this version will be necessary for the upcoming August Windows 11 updates. In fact, Microsoft just released one today under KB5040529 as the optional 24H2 update for July.

The new update also brings a performance boost with reduced system resource usage, and as such, the dev notes that users can expect improved responsiveness. While it has not been specified, there could be CPU and/or RAM usage reductions, thus leading to lower processing latency.

The full changelog of the update is given below:

Version 3.8 31 Jul 2024

 

• Fully reimplemented taskbar!
• Shy autohide taskbar perk
• Never, hide labels combine button setting
• Reorder task thumbnails by drag&drop
• Reduced taskbar resource usage, improved responsiveness
• Pixel-perfect task icons
• All-new taskbar animations
• Support for latest 23H2/24H2 builds. Requred for August Windows updates!

You can download the app from its official website here, though, as always, remember that it is a third-party application and not an official Windows software.

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As of today, Microsoft’s new Outlook for Windows app is generally available to the masses. That means Microsoft thinks the app is ready for prime-time use and is removing the “new” badge from the app’s icon and name. It’s now just Outlook, the definitive article.

Confusingly, this doesn’t mean the new Outlook is replacing the old Outlook just yet. That will happen, but for now, the new Outlook (which is now just Outlook) is still an opt-in experience that you can enable within the old Outlook (which is still just Outlook.) So what does general availability even mean for Outlook… the new one, that is?

It appears general availability for Outlook means it’s ready to replace the built-in Windows Mail & Calendar apps. Starting with Windows 11 version 24H2, the older Mail & Calendar apps are no longer installed by default. Instead, the new Outlook is pre-installed and is the default email and calendar experience on Windows PCs with version 24H2.

Just as Windows 11 climbs, Windows 10 loses its market share. It is now below 65%, or 64.99%, to be precise, or -1.06 points in one month. Year-over-year change is 11.15 points (it was at 71.14% in July 2023). The operating system will reach its end of life in about a year, so expect its market share to start dropping faster in a few months. However, the Extended Security Update program and third-party services like 0patch will help the OS stick around for many more years.

The launch of Copilot+ PCs generated quite a lot of buzz on the Windows market, but it is too early to say whether the well-received Windows 11 computers with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processors will help Windows 11 get more users. However, Qualcomm and its partners plan more ARM-powered devices, including business focus models, plus the approaching back-to-school season should speed up the adoption of Windows 11 PCs.

Other Windows versions, which are now long unsupported, still have a fair share of customers who refuse to jump-ship. Windows 7, for one, is the third most popular Windows with a 3.04% market share (+0.08 points). Windows 8.1 is fourth with 0.42% (+0.02 points), and Windows XP is fifth with 0.38% (-0.01 points).

Keep in mind that Statcounter's reports are not 100% accurate, and only Microsoft can give as true-to-life numbers as possible. However, the company does not publish any information about the market segmentation, so customers and developers have to rely on third-party analytic services. You can learn how Statcounter prepares its data in the FAQ section on the official website.

More information about the Windows market is available here.

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After updating to 128.0.2739.1, you may notice that many pages crash with the error code Status Access Violation. Therefore, if you use Microsoft Edge Dev as your main browser, you better switch to a more stable channel for now.

Here is the changelog:

Added Features:

 

• Included string for ongoing pinning message.

 

Improved Reliability:

 

• Fixed an issue where the app would crash when opened in another window from the history page on android.
• Fixed an issue where installing a new theme in gamer mode would cause a crash.
• Resolved an issue where browser would crash when the last tab was closed on android.
• Fixed an issue where browser would crash when printing via an extension.

 

Changed Behavior:

 

• Fixed an issue where the ‘More options’ menu couldn’t be focused on using a shortcut key in the Recently Closed Hub.
• Fixed an issue where the Zoom menu item was missing color in the browser's 'Settings and more' menu.
• Fixed an issue where the gradient in vertical tabs was incorrectly positioned in the middle.
• Fixed an issue where text resizing only occurred when hovering over the corners of elements in the browser history pane.
• Fixed an issue where folders wouldn’t auto-expand when clicking the ‘Add Folder’ button in Favorites hub.
• Fixed an issue where the screen reader did not announce the labels for radio buttons in a PDF form.
• Fixed an issue when clicking the ‘Open sidebar search’ button after installing the site as an app caused the search box to appear at the bottom.
• Fixed an issue where the site icon was misaligned with the site name when hovering over the tab.

 

Android:

 

• Fixed an issue where authenticated pages wouldn’t open in AAD’s new page on Android.
• Resolved an issue where the Name field was not defined for photos in the Recent tab on Android.

 

iOS:

 

• Resolved an issue when clicking on a new tab in landscape mode caused the page animation to shrink on iOS.
• Resolved an issue where the switch position was incorrectly displayed in the account panel on iOS.
• Fixed an issue where the search icon disappeared on the reward page when switching to dark mode on iOS.

You can download Microsoft Edge Insider Channel installers from the official Edge Insider website. Supported platforms include Windows 10, 11, macOS, Linux, and Android.

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Behind the scenes, we’ve been crafting, developing, dreaming, and all the other -ings to make Arc work seamlessly with Windows 10. Now, your friends and family (anyone you know on Windows 10) can also experience a cleaner, more personal internet all over again, with the same delight you’ve come to expect from us at Browser HQ.

You can download the Arc Browser on your Windows 10 computer if it runs version 1901 or newer. Since Windows 10 is pretty much omnivore when it comes to hardware, users should note that the app requires a processor with the BMI2 instruction set. That means Arc will not work on Intel chips older than Haswell and pre-Excavator AMD processors.

For now, Arc does not support computers with ARM processors, so no luck for your fancy new Surface Pro 11 or Surface Laptop 7. Fortunately, developers are working on an ARM-native variant of the Arc browser, so stay tuned.

For those unfamiliar, Arc is a browser that was conceived first on macOS and then ported to Windows. It offers an extremely minimalistic UI with vertical-only tabs, spaces, some interesting AI integrations, and more. It is an interesting alternative for customers who are tired of modern browsers that may feel slightly bloated.

The Arc browser is available for free for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows 11, and now Windows 10 users. Future updates promise a built-in ad blocker, tracking prevention, and other interesting bonuses. You can download Arc from the official website.

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Windows 11 has a slew of features designed to enhance your productivity, creativity, and overall computer experience. While many of these features are well-known, there are hidden gems that most users overlook. 

In this guide, I will uncover (or remind you of) some lesser-used but handy features to help you get the most out of the operating system. From the enhanced version of the clipboard that can sync content across devices to writing tools that probably forgot existed to new security features, to features that make your experience a little easier, such as "End Task."

In this how-to guide, I will highlight a number of less common features you should be using on Windows 11.

Windows 11 lesser features you should try out on your computer

Check out these 20 features you probably didn't know or knew about but then forgot about (not shown in any particular order.)

1. Clipboard history

Although you have been able to cut (and copy) and paste text and images for a long time, this has been a limited experience since you can only store one piece of content at a time and without an interface to view the content of the clipboard.

The clipboard history is another take to the clipboard feature that allows you to upload multiple pieces of content to the clipboard, as well as an interface to view the contents and choose the item you want to paste. You can even pin those pieces of content you paste more frequently. 

In addition, this feature works with your Microsoft account, meaning that the contents in the clipboard can sync across devices. 

I've been using Linux as my go-to operating system for decades, and I've never regretted it for a second. Why? The list is long but includes things like security, reliability, and flexibility, all three of which have been constants from day one.

In all the years I've used Linux, I've watched the market share for the open-source operating system linger in the single digits, rarely reaching the 5% range. I expect we'll see a significant shift in that number over the coming years, until Linux finally overtakes both Windows and MacOS.

That's crazy talk, right?

Maybe, but consider these three significant points:

•     The majority of people use a phone.

•     Android and ChromeOS run the Linux kernel.

•     Almost everything is done via a web browser or web app.

Because of these three factors, the traditional OS isn't nearly as necessary as it once was. This also means that Linux has made serious inroads in expanding its market share. But how? What about this current moment makes it a viable launching pad for that coveted number one spot we Linux fans have been waiting for since the late 90s?

Let me offer five reasons why this could become reality.

1. Growing frustration with Windows

On a daily basis, I hear (or read) about more users growing frustrated with Windows, and rightfully so.

Windows 11 suffers from intrusive ads, that annoying "Let's finish setting up your PC" screen prompt, taskbar widgets, search highlights, web results in the Windows search function, the TPM 2.0 check, the missing Windows 10 context menu, slow network speeds, insane hardware requirements, difficulty in changing default apps, the Microsoft account sign-in requirement, and much more.

The list of annoyances and issues is quite long and probably won't go away until the next release of Windows (which will most likely either neglect to address these issues or add even more). For me, however, it's the ads that really churn my butter. The amount of ads thrown at us on websites is bad enough, but desktop ads only add insult to that injury.

2. The rising cost of Apple hardware

While I do love my MacBook Pro, I'll admit upgrading from the original M1 device has not been feasible, mostly because of the cost. The low-end MacBook Pro now starts at $1,599 and the high starts at $3,199. To get an M3 Pro with 36GB of RAM, we're talking nearly $2,800.

That's a lot of scratch for a laptop.

The only saving grace is that Apple hardware does tend to outlast the competition. Even so, dropping nearly $3,000 every two or three years is a bit much, and that cost is only going to continue to rise. At some point, consumers are going to look for more cost-effective alternatives. Apple users aren't going to want to hop over to an OS that is constantly under the threat of viruses, malware, and ransomware, which means one thing… using Linux.

3. The lack of built-in AI

Windows already has Copilot baked in and Apple will soon be adding its own flavor of AI into MacOS. Android has Gemini and iOS will soon follow in the footsteps of its sibling. That leaves Linux as the AI holdout, and I see that as a bright spot.

I use AI for one thing… research. Even then, it's rare that I make use of either Aria (Opera) or Gemini. AI has its role in an OS, but I do not believe it should be so tightly embedded. There is no guarantee that the OS's AI isn't using everything we type or view to either create a profile on us or train its LLM. If I want to use AI, it should be my choice, not forced on me by the operating system I use. I believe this will be a growing concern amongst consumers and eventually, they will start turning to the only OS that doesn't force AI on them. That's Linux.

4. Privacy and freedom

In the same vein, privacy and freedom are two important tenets of the Linux operating system. You can even download and install Linux distributions geared specifically toward privacy, such as Kodachi, Qubes OS, Tails, and Septor. If you're serious about your privacy (and you should be), it's getting harder and harder to trust the likes of Windows (especially as AI continues to take on an increasingly essential role in the OS).

And then you add a cookie-collecting web browser into the mix, and your privacy is in no way guaranteed. In the coming years, more and more consumers are going to place a premium on their privacy and will eventually turn to the only OS they know they can trust. Again… that's Linux.

5. Performance

The Linux kernel is under constant and heavy development. With each new release, the performance of the open-source operating system improves greatly. With the combination of newer Linux kernels and lightweight desktop environments, Linux almost has an unfair advantage over Windows.

My current Linux desktop runs circles around my MacOS machines and the lone Windows machine I have in the house (and it's not even close). As Linux continues to improve performance (on both Intel and AMD CPUs) at an exponential rate, Windows can't keep up.

I predict that within the next five years, Linux will far outpace Windows in the performance category. Not only that, but Linux on older hardware will outperform Windows on new hardware. That's a big selling point because it means consumers can use their computers for considerably longer periods without having to upgrade. That's a substantive, cost-effective benefit you cannot deny.

Mark my words: Linux will eventually surpass both Windows and MacOS. It won't happen overnight, but it's coming, thanks to the above reasons (and more).

Source

For a long time, Linux received a bad rap for not just being difficult to use, but for not having the software necessary to be productive.

Those concerns were reasonable during the early days of Linux (I started using the operating system in 1997). Not only was Linux complicated to get up and running, but installing software generally required a nightmare mix of dependency installations and manually compiling software.

On top of that, a lot of the software I depended on was unavailable. However, this situation was long before the web browser became the primary tool for productivity and entertainment.

Today, Linux is easy to use and offers hundreds of thousands of applications that can be installed using package managers. For example, Ubuntu has apt, which makes installing software from the command line as easy as:

sudo apt install firefox -y

RHEL-based distributions have dnf, which is equally as simple:

sudo dnf install firefox -y

With these package managers, the software is installed from repositories and sometimes you'll find installing one piece of software requires you to install another tool first. Now, package managers like apt are very good at picking up and installing dependencies for you.

And on the off-chance that fails, you can always go back and issue the command:

sudo apt install -f

The above command will fix any missing dependencies. It's quite handy and something I have to depend on regularly.

That's where Flatpak and Snap come into play. These universal package managers are distribution agnostic, meaning you can use them on just about any Linux distribution. They also make installing software as easy (if not easier) than using the built-in package manager.

What makes Snap and Flatpak packages so special?

One of the reasons why Snap and Flatpak were developed was to remove the dependency issues found with traditional package managers. Snap and Flatpak packages contain all the software necessary to install the package in question, including dependencies.

So, when you go to install a certain piece of software via either Snap or Flatpak, you don't have to worry about installing dependencies because the Snap or Flatpak package has taken care of that issue for you.

Ease of use isn't the only appeal to Snap and Flatpak. The other plus point, which can be a sticky issue with open-source purists, is that you gain access to plenty of proprietary software.

For example, you can't simply install Zoom or Spotify using apt or dnf (not without first locating and adding repositories and even that route might cause problems). With Snap and Flatpak, a whole other world of software is opened to the Linux user.

For example, I can open a terminal window and install Zoom with:

sudo snap install zoom-client

I can also visit the Snapcraft store or Flathub and find software I might not otherwise have access to.

So, Snap and Flatpak make installing software much easier on Linux and open the floodgates to software that would otherwise be challenging or impossible to install on Linux. Some distributions roll Snap or Flatpak support into the GUI app store. For example, I can search for Zoom in the Pop!_OS Pop Shop and find an entry.

This Zoom install is brought to you by Flatpak.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

The differences between Snap and Flatpak

As far as differences are concerned, let's have a look:

Taking off my rose-colored glasses

As you navigate the waters of Linux, you'll find it's not all plain sailing for Snap and Flatpak. Within the Linux community, there's been debate about the best option and why these tools aren't necessarily good for Linux.

However, I'm all for anything that makes Linux easier for the average user, and Snap and Flatpak do just that. So, from my perspective, both Snap and Flatpak have done a world of good for the open-source operating system and end-users in general.

Because of that success, I highly recommend new Linux users don't bother listening to the bickering on either side of the fence. Although both camps have valid reasons for why their package format is best, both approaches offer significant benefits to Linux and those who use it.

Source

It’s time to check whether your boot drive is encrypted.

As I predicted, Microsoft’s July 2024 security update may trigger a request for recovery keys among those who enabled BitLocker or drive encryption. That’s because the update included a change to Secure Boot.

This is problematic enough that I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level to just 3, rather than the more common level 4 I usually suggest at the end of the month. I think you should install updates, but don’t install and then review. Instead, understand this problem ahead of time, prepare as needed, and then update.

In the Learn post Devices might boot into BitLocker recovery with the July 2024 security update, Microsoft acknowledges that the condition might occur. It adds:

You are more likely to face this issue if you have the Device Encryption option enabled in Settings under Privacy & Security -> Device encryption. Resulting from this issue, you might be prompted to enter the recovery key from your Microsoft account to unlock your drive.

There is also a Windows 10 version of the Learn post.

Before installing the July updates on either Windows 10 or 11, perform a few preventive steps:

I will say this once again: If you want BitLocker or encryption, that’s fine. But it should be an explicit choice on your part, and you must know where your recovery keys are.

There are rumors that Windows 11 24H2 will enable encryption by default, to increase security. In business settings, I can understand the need. In a consumer setting, where BitLocker and recovery keys may not be understood, I’m not convinced this should be mandated. I’ll be testing to see whether Microsoft pushes this out to existing machines or merely mandates it in new releases.

Once again, I strongly recommend that you disable BitLocker (in the case of Windows Professional edition), or Drive encryption (in the case of Home Edition) unless you really want it. Follow those linked instructions to disable encryption.

I, for one, am glad to see this issue bubbling up on Microsoft’s radar. Since BitLocker first was introduced, I’ve used it (especially on my Surface devices). At times I’ve been asked for the recovery key. So you must have another computer or phone to get into the recovery screen. It can be stressful if you aren’t aware of where the recovery key is located.

Microsoft indicates it will be following up with a fix, but I want Redmond to understand that this is not the first time that asking for the key has occurred. It is very disruptive. If you don’t have the recovery key, or don’t have a backup, you will be reinstalling your complete system. Therefore, make sure you know where your recovery key is — or turn off encryption.

I urge you to install updates, but make sure that you review your encryption status as noted above before installing the July updates.

Looking forward to next month’s updates, Microsoft will be fixing issues with desktop icons, as noted in the preview release KB5040527 for Windows 11 23H2. It will include a fix for an issue with desktop icons where “Spacing between them might become very wide.” I have not seen this behavior — but then again, I tend to use third-party menu options such as Fences to corral my icons.

The upcoming update will also fix the following issues:

The Windows 10 22H2 preview release (KB5040525) includes a fix for printers connected via USB. As noted:

When you use the app with a USB device, the app stops responding and does not print. This issue also limits the functions of the user interface.

Remember, I do not recommend installing these updates now. I am just letting you know they are coming next month.

This month, the CrowdStrike issue made more headlines than anything else. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t seen other issues here and there. Some users have reported the following issues, which we are tracking:

For the latter, Microsoft issued the following warning in a Health release bulletin mailed to Microsoft 365 administrators:

Windows Servers which have installed Windows security updates released July 9, 2024 ([ImpactstartKB]) might affect Remote Desktop Connectivity across an organization if legacy protocol (Remote Procedure Call over HTTP) is used in Remote Desktop Gateway. This can affect Remote Desktop (RD) Connectivity if the connection is going through an RD Gateway. Resulting from this, remote desktop connections might be interrupted. This issue might occur intermittently, such as repeating every 30 minutes. At this interval, logon sessions are lost and users will need to reconnect to the server. IT admins can track this as a termination of the TSGateway service which becomes unresponsive with exception code 0xc0000005.

Two options can be used to mitigate this issue ahead of a future Microsoft update.

The first is to disallow connections over pipe, and port \pipe\RpcProxy\3388 through the RD Gateway.

This process will require the use of connection applications, such as firewall software. Consult the documentation for your connection and firewall software for guidance on disallowing and porting connections.

The second is to edit the registry of client devices by removing a key related to RDGClientTransport.

Secure Boot is starting to become known as, well, not so secure. In its recent research report PKfail: Untrusted Platform Keys Undermine Secure Boot on UEFI Ecosystem, supply-chain security firm Binarly reported:

Earlier this year, we noticed that the private key from American Megatrends International (AMI) related to the Secure Boot “master key”, called Platform Key (PK), was publicly exposed in a data leak. The incident occurred at an ODM responsible for firmware development for multiple device vendors, including US-based enterprise device manufacturers. The devices corresponding to this key are still deployed in the field, and the key is also being used in recently released enterprise devices.

An attacker with access to the private part of the PK can easily bypass Secure Boot by manipulating the Key Exchange Key database, the Signature Database, and the Forbidden Signature Database. Binarly has provided a tool that scans an uploaded firmware binary and reports whether it is vulnerable.

If you haven’t updated your firmware on computer systems since you deployed them, you may want to review your firmware code, using that tool.

Resources

Source

Here are the details:

• Available as part of Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions.
• Supports the platforms Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
• Requires the Microsoft Defender app.
• Limited to the countries United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada.

Microsoft Defender Privacy Protection

All that is required to use the service is to download the Microsoft Defender app on a supported device and enable its privacy protection feature.

Toggling VPN to on connects to a Microsoft VPN server. Microsoft is giving customers 50 gigabytes of traffic per month. Microsoft displays the time until the next reset in the interface.

Note that the app may display in a different language than the system default. Mine was set to German automatically with no option to change it.

The interface is bare bones. It lists the total and remaining data, the days till the next reset, and whether your location is publicly visible. Microsoft Defender Privacy Protection will also notify you by default if the device is connected to an insecure wireless network. Last but not least, you may add networks to the list of trusted networks.

Compared to top-of-the-class VPN services, Microsoft's solution is fairly limited. There is no option to pick a server or configure advanced features, such as kill switch functionality or split tunneling support.

While split tunneling is not offered as a customizable option, it is enabled automatically for certain services. Microsoft lists the following:

• Video: YouTube, TikTok, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime
• Social: Facebook video, Instagram, Snapchat
• Music: Spotify, YouTube music
• Messaging: Whatsapp

The main purpose of the VPN solution baked into Microsoft Defender is therefore the securing of insecure connections. Ideal when connecting to public wireless networks in hotels, at airports or coffee shops.

Microsoft's solution offers similar functionality to what Google offered for some time to Google One customers. I called Google's solution the most basic VPN that you could get. Google is limiting its service now to Pixel devices.

Microsoft Defender VPN collects "a minimum set of service data" according to Microsoft. The following data is collected and anonymized, according to Microsoft:

• The duration the VPN is used.
• The bandwidth that is used while the connection is active.
• Wi-Fi hotspot names detected as malicious.

Closing Words

Microsoft Defender Privacy Protection is a welcome addition to Microsoft 365. While the VPN is limited in many regards, subscribers may still find it useful, provided that they do not have access to a better VPN service already.

The main purpose of the VPN is to protect the Internet connection. The monthly bandwidth should be enough for most users, especially since some popular media and social sites bypass the VPN.

Do you use free or commercial VPN services? What is your take on Microsoft's offer? Feel free to leave a comment below.

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There is also some good news for those wanting something new for PowerToys. According to Clint Rutkas from the PowerToys team, some "bigger items" are currently in Microsoft's ovens for 0.84 and 0.85 releases, so stay tuned for those. Meanwhile, check out what is new in PowerToys 0.83:

0.83 - July 2024 Update

 

In this release, we focused on stability and improvements.

 

Highlights

 

• Awake Quality of Life changes, including changing the tray icon to reflect the current mode.
• Changes to general GPO policies and new policies for Mouse Without Borders. The names for some intune policy configuration sets might need to be updated as seen in https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/windows-dev-docs/pull/5045/files.

 

General

 

• Reordered GPO policies, making it easier to find some policies. Thanks @htcfreek!

 

Advanced Paste

 

• Fixed CSV parser to support double quotes and escape delimiters when pasting as JSON.
• Improved double quote handling in the CSV parser when pasting as JSON.

 

Awake

 

• Different modes will now show different icons in the system tray.
• Removed the dependency on Windows Forms and used native Win32 APIs instead for the tray icon.
• Fixed an issue where the UI would become non-responsive after selecting no time for the timed mode.
• Refactored code for easier maintenance.
• The tray icon will now be shown when running Awake standalone to signal mode.
• The tray icon tooltip shows how much time is left on the timer.
• Added DPI awareness to the tray icon context menu.

 

Color Picker

 

• Added support to using the mouse wheel to scroll through the color history.

 

File Explorer add-ons

 

• Allow copying from the right-click menu in Monaco and Markdown previewers.

 

File Locksmith

 

• Fixed a crash when there were a big number of entries being shown by moving the opened files of a process to another dialog.

 

Installer

 

• Fixed the path where DSC module files were installed for the user-scope installer. (This was a hotfix for 0.82)

 

Mouse Without Borders

 

• Disabled non supported options in the old Mouse Without Borders UI.
• Added new GPO policies to control the use of some features.

 

Peek

 

• Allow copying from the right-click menu in Dev files and Markdown previews.

 

PowerToys Run

 

• Fixed a crash on Windows 11 build 22000.
• Blocked a transparency fix code from running on Windows 10, since it was causing graphical glitches.
• Accept speed abbreviations like kilometers per hour (kmph) in the Unit Converter plugin.
• Added settings to configure behavior of the "First week of year" and "First day of week" calculations in the DateTime plugin.
• Fixed wrong initial position of the PowerToys Run when switching between monitors with different dpi values.
• Started allowing interchangeable use of / and \ in the registry plugin paths.
• Added support to automatic sign-in after rebooting with the System plugin.
• Added suggested use example results to the Value Generator plugin.

 

Quick Accent

 

• Added support for the Bulgarian character set.

 

Runner

 

• Add code to handle release tags with an upper V when trying to detect new updates.

 

Settings

 

• Fixed the UI spacing in the "update available" card.
• Fixed the information bars in the Mouse Without Borders settings page to hide when the module is disabled.
• Improved consistency of the icons used in the Mouse Without Borders settings page.
• Improved action keyword information bar padding in the PowerToys Run plugins section.
• Fixed a crash in the dashboard when Keyboard Manager Editor settings file became locked.

As usual, you can get PowerToys from the Microsoft Store, GitHub, or winget. Existing installations can be updated on the Settings > General page. The app will also send you a notification that a new version is available for download.

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The team released the new major version of the Thunderbird email client earlier this month. Thunderbird 128 is a major release that does not really look that different from the previous version. Highlights of the new version are improved theme and customization options, use of the Windows notification system on Windows devices, or improvements to the OpenPGP implementation.

The team is still working on core functionality, including Exchange support and native synchronization of data, among other things.

The current release version is Thunderbird 128.0.1 ESR, which fixed just a few minor issues.

Tip: if you run add-ons, you may want to make sure that they are compatible with the new version. If not, they get disabled automatically after the upgrade.

Thunderbird 115 to 128 upgrades

The upgrade to Thunderbird 128 is now available. Previously, users had to download the installer from the Thunderbird website to upgrade manually.

This is no longer necessary, as Thunderbird will inform users about the new version. The new Thunderbird 128 will also be offered when you click on Help > About Thunderbird.

Thunderbird users who do not want the update at this time have two main options:

1. Disable the automatic check for updates on startup under Settings > General.
2. Configure a policy to disable updates.

The policy requires a bit of work. You need to create a policies.json file and place it in the Distribution folder of the Thunderbird installation. You can download a very simple policies file with a click on the following link: policies

Download and extract the file. All that is left then is to place it into the Distribution folder of the Thunderbird installation. You should now see "Updates disabled by your system administrator" when you open Help > About Thunderbird.

If you want to upgrade, you need to disable the policy in the polices file first, e.g., by moving the entire policies.json file out of the distribution folder.

Pro Tip: You can use winget to upgrade Thunderbird, even if updates are disabled. Just run winget upgrade mozilla.thunderbird from the command line to do so.

Do you use Thunderbird as your main client for emails? Have you upgraded already? If yes, how do you like the new version? If no, what is keeping you? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

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Here are the update highlights:

Intel Game On Driver support on Intel Arc A-series Graphics GPUs and Intel Core Ultra with built-in Intel Arc GPUs for:

 

• Stormgate

Performance improvements in the latest driver include the following:

Game performance improvements on Intel Arc A-Series Graphics Products versus Intel 31.0.101.5762 software driver for:

 

Yakuza: Like a Dragon (DX11):

 

• Up to 91% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
• Up to 35% average FPS uplift at 1440p with Ultra settings

 

Metro: Last Light Complete Edition (DX11):

 

• Up to 20% average FPS uplift at 1080p with High settings
• Up to 23% average FPS uplift at 1440p with Very High settings

 

Game performance improvements on Intel Core Ultra with built-in Intel Arc GPUs versus Intel 31.0.101.5762 software driver for :

 

Stormgate (DX11)

 

• Up to 12% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Medium settings with Temporal Super Resolution enabled

Intel 32.0.101.5768 WHQL also fixes the following bugs:

Intel Arc A-Series Graphics Products:

 

• Dirt Rally (DX11) may exhibit corruptions on water bodies while running the benchmark.
• Sid Meier’s Civilization V (DX11) may experience an application crash during gameplay.
• Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (DX12) may experience application instability on the first launch of the game.
• Blender 4.2 may exhibit corruptions and incomplete scenes while rendering.

 

Intel Core Ultra with built-in Intel Arc GPUs:

 

• Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (DX12) may experience application instability on the first launch of the game.

Intel 32.0.101.5768 WHQL is available for systems with the following processors and graphics cards running 64-bit Windows 10 and 11:

Download the 32.0.101.5768 WHQL driver here. Full release notes are available here (PDF).

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The VPN includes 50 GB of bandwidth per user for secure and anonymous browsing, which resets each month but is only available in four countries. A splash screen in the Microsoft Defender app pitches the VPN as a privacy protection feature. But unless you live in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, or Canada, you will not see the new Privacy Protection tile in the Defender app. Don't sweat; Microsoft has confirmed in an updated Defender FAQ that it will bring the VPN to other countries over time.

There are legitimate VPNs and so-called VPNs that exist purely to snoop on your internet traffic and steal your data. Thankfully, this debate is unnecessary here because Microsoft is a trusted vendor. It's worth noting that Microsoft's VPN primarily protects your web browsing, given the 50 GB/month bandwidth quota. "If you exceed your data limit, you'll still be able to use privacy protection, however, at a reduced speed of 256 Kbps," Microsoft acknowledges. "On the first day of every calendar month, the usage limit is reset to 50 GB for that month."

A VPN, or a virtual private network, is a special tunnel using encryption and secure protocols to protect your internet traffic from eavesdropping. You'd want to use a VPN to bypass regional restrictions on streaming services, access features unavailable in your country, mask your IP address, and so on. Microsoft's feature is similar to the now-defunct Google One VPN, as something mostly intended for secure browsing on sketchy or locked-down networks.

Microsoft's VPN routes internet traffic through the company's servers in different countries worldwide instead of those from third-party vendors. On the downside, you cannot choose a specific country because the VPN automatically selects the fastest and closest Microsoft server. But most importantly, it cannot bypass geographic and regional-restricted content. To do so, you'll need to use third-party VPNs such as NordVPN or ClearVPN from Readdle.

Actually, Defender's VPN doesn't protect traffic to and from streaming and social media apps. YouTube, TikTok, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Facebook Video, Instagram, Snapchat, Spotify, YouTube Music, and WhatsApp all automatically excluded.

The VPN was first released on Android in the United States in September 2021 on the Microsoft Community forum, and another post confirms Microsoft 365 subscriptions came with an Android-only VPN months ago. Microsoft officially announced the feature's expansion in an April 22 follow-up post. It seems like the Windows maker first debuted VPN functionality in a limited fashion, but has only recently begun expanding the feature to all platforms via a staggered rollout.

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Quietly and without any public announcements, Microsoft updated the recent Windows 11 Insider Preview build notes. Multiple posts now have a new change that notifies users about a new place for the "Show seconds in system tray clock" option. Stable Windows 11 builds have it under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors, but the recent preview builds moved it to Settings > Time & Language > Time & date under "Show time and date" dropdown, which arguably makes more sense. Also, you can always use Settings search to find the needed option.

Here is what Microsoft added to the release notes:

[ADDED 7/29] The setting to show seconds in the system tray clock has moved to Settings > Time & language > Time & date under “Show time and date in the system tray”.

Despite the new home, the feature still warns users that toggling on tray clock seconds causes the operating system to consume more power. About a year ago, we ran a small experiment, which proved the claim to be true—turning the feature on results in about a 1.9% battery time reduction.

The tray clock seconds feature is one of those capabilities that previously required messing around with the registry to turn it on. In Windows 11, Microsoft finally made it much simpler and user-friendly. Now, the company is doing the same with the ability to disable mouse acceleration and change the scroll direction. Those options are finally available in the Settings app in the recently released Windows 11 preview builds. It should not take too much for those things to show up in stable builds.

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Windows 11 users, take note: there’s a hidden feature which was recently introduced by Microsoft that allows you to kill an app that has become unresponsive (or isn’t working in some way) in a far quicker manner than the normal route.

The new piece of functionality is an option to directly right-click on the icon of any app in the taskbar and select End Task to kill it, there and then - in the same way you can nuke an app in Task Manager, but with much less hassle.

This traditional method of dismissing a crashed or unresponsive app in Windows 11 (or Windows 10) is to open Task Manager (pressing Ctrl + Shift + Escape is the quickest way), then you must scroll through to find the misbehaving software process. It’s then a case of clicking on the app and pressing the Delete key (or you can right-click and select End Task from the flyout menu).

I find myself having to quit apps forcibly from time to time, and having to do it this way, via Task Manager, is rather cumbersome. Just clicking on the unresponsive app on the taskbar and killing it directly makes life a lot easier, but while this option is present in Windows 11 now, it’s not enabled by default. However, if you don’t mind delving into the menus of Windows 11 a bit, it’s easy enough to turn the feature on (or off) in the Settings app.

How to enable the new task killer feature

Here’s how you can enable this ‘End Task’ right-click option on the taskbar - just follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app - you can do this by pressing the Win + I keys at the same time, or search for it in the search box on the taskbar.

2. In the left-hand side menu, select System.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

3. Scroll down to and click on the ‘For Developers’ section. (Bear in mind that these settings are intended for developers, but we’re only going to apply a slight tweak here - don’t be tempted to change anything else here, though).

(Image credit: Microsoft)

4. Navigate to the End Task setting and switch it On by clicking the toggle.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

5. Try the newly enabled option on an app running in your taskbar.

6. Right-click the app icon and select End Task - this should kill the app.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

To turn off this feature, just follow the above steps, but switch the slider in step 4 to Off.

You might run into problems if you try this on larger apps or games because, as Tom’s Hardware points out, these can take a while to load - and they might lock up and freeze before the icon actually appears on the taskbar. In this case, there’s nothing to right-click on the taskbar, and you’ll be forced to head into Task Manager and find the relevant ‘background process’ to kill that.

All in all, this is a useful shortcut and I can see it saving me a good few moments of frustration in the future, plus it’s easy to turn it on or off. It’s a commendable introduction from Microsoft, and I hope to see more timesavers like this in the future.

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In a truly stunning and unexpected move for the company, which became infamous for shoving ads in almost every product it makes, Microsoft removed ads from Skype Channels and "the entire Skype platform" for a "smoother, decluttered, and more enjoyable user experience."

In addition to making Skype free from ads, Microsoft implemented other changes in version 8.125.76.201. The messenger now features a revamped image generation experience with the following improvements:

• Streamlined Access: Easily access the AI image creator from the chat window or the top bar.

• Enhanced UI: Enjoy a more intuitive and visually appealing interface for creating AI images.

• Improved Image Expansion: Images now expand on click, making it easier to view your creations.

• Better Navigation: Navigate seamlessly with the new back button for the ideas page.

• Optimized Menu Options: The image creator option is now more conveniently placed after the forward option in the message context menu.

• Consistent Margins: Fixed margin inconsistencies in the image creator on macOS for a consistent design.

Also, Skype on iOS now features OneAuth integration, which makes it easier to sign into Skype. If you already have other Microsoft apps on your iPhone and iPad, Skype will automatically connect to your account.

Finally, Microsoft fixed the following bugs:

•         Fixed an issue where some users could not send media when connected to a 5G network.
•         Fixed the bug where users could hear the ringtone but were unable to pick up the call on iOS.

You can find the complete changelog on the official forum, where you can also leave your thoughts and feedback about the latest update. To join the Skype Insider platform, head to the official website.

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A version of Google's Circle to Search is coming to Chrome on the desktop.

Since being introduced with the Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24 lineups in January, Circle to Search has made its way to the Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, and older Samsung devices. Now, the visual search feature is being added to Chromebooks and Chrome on the desktop.

As 9to5Google reports, the desktop browser version is called “Drag to Search” since not all laptops feature a touch screen to circle things.

Like its mobile counterpart, Drag to Search is integrated with Google Lens. Chromebooks will see a Lens icon in the address bar. On Mac and Windows, Chrome users will have to click on the three-dot menu and pick the “Search with Google Lens” option to use Drag to Search.

Currently, this feature is available in ChromeOS 127 beta and Chrome 128 beta. Since the function is mentioned in the “What’s new in Chrome” page, it should be available in the stable version soon, 9to5Google notes.

Users can then select a portion of an image to search or drag and drop it in the search bar. Google will perform a visual search and provide related responses in the side panel. You can also pin the Drag to Search option to the side panel for quicker access.

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July 30, 2024

Video length: 20m 46s

Download link: Libre Hardware Monitor

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Microsoft recently highlighted that the latest Windows Package Manager (winget) 1.8 release allows users to download Microsoft Store apps. This feature will be especially helpful for IT teams within organizations, allowing them to download Microsoft Store apps for offline distribution in their network. This feature will replace the existing Enterprise Offline feature from the Microsoft Store for Business.

Here's how you can use WinGet to download Microsoft Store apps:

• Download and install the latest version of WinGet installed on your Windows PC.
• To download a Microsoft Store app, use the download command as below.
  • winget download Calculator -s msstore
• The above command will create a folder in Downloads directory and the downloaded app package will be available in it.
• To install the downloaded app in another Windows PC, copy the package and use the following command:
  • Add-AppxPackage -Path C:\Users\username\downloads\9WZDNCRFHVN5\Calculator.appx

• If you use winget tool without administrator privileges, during installation, Windows will prompt you to elevate to admin user. If you choose not to elevate, the application installation will not proceed further.

   

In addition to Microsoft Store apps, winget can also be used to install other types of installers on Windows PCs. The following installer types are supported:

• EXE (with Silent and SilentWithProgress flags)
• ZIP
• INNO
• NULLSOFT
• MSI
• WIX
• APPX
• MSIX
• BURN
• PORTABLE

Furthermore, the winget tool is available as open-source software on GitHub. Developers and enterprises can download the source code and customize the winget tool according to their needs.

With its expanding capabilities and open-source nature, winget is becoming an indispensable tool for streamlining software management on Windows.

Source: Microsoft

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As reported on the official Stardock blog, Fences 5.80 includes a change to its right-click menu on the desktop. The new version now lets users launch the Fences configuration panel via the top layer of the desktop right-click menu. In addition, the Backup option has been moved under Layouts with a new collapsible section.

Perhaps more importantly, Fences 5.80 has been updated so it will work with the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update. Microsoft has already made the next major update for Windows 11 available for Windows Insiders who are in the Release Preview channel. The final version is expected to become generally available in the near future.

In its Fences 5.80 announcement, Stardock states:

This release also highlights our ongoing efforts to keep the highest level of compatibility across our product suite with each new version of Windows. While the Windows 11 24H2 release that will ship later this year may appear to be another incremental improvement to the OS, there are some fundamental changes that require us to keep validating and testing our products to maintain the highest levels of quality and reliability.

If you already use Fences 5 on your computer, you can get to the latest 5.80 version by going to Settings > About and clicking "Check for Updates."

You can find out more about Fences 5 on Stardock's website. You can get it as a stand-alone app from Stardock for $9.99 for a one-year license or $29.99 for a permanent license. It's also available on Valve's Steam service.

You can also download the entire Object Desktop package from Stardock. Object Desktop includes programs such as Fences, Start11, Groupy, SoundPackager, DeskScapes and Multiplicity.

Disclaimer: Neowin's relationship to Stardock

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Microsoft has reportedly added a new full-screen pop-up that’s effectively an advert (or as the company puts it, a ‘recommendation’) urging Windows 11 users to back up their PC with OneDrive, its cloud storage service. We’ve seen a similar full-screen nag panel that pushed Windows 11 users to switch to Edge, Microsoft’s default browser for Windows devices, and Microsoft 365 in the recent past.

Windows Latest observed that this new full-screen promo appeared following a Windows update, after restarting the PC to complete the update. As mentioned, the pop-up attempts to get you to use OneDrive, and looks like the out-of-box-experience for Windows 11 (the process when you first set up the OS on a PC). So, it’s quite jarring in that respect.

Windows Latest provided a screenshot of the pop-up, which is entitled ‘Let’s back up your files,’ and it talks about having “peace of mind” knowing that your files and folders are backed up in the cloud, in the event that something happens to your PC.

This is followed by a list of reasons that opting in for OneDrive will be beneficial for Windows 11 users, which runs as follows:

• Protect a lifetime of memories: Your files and photos will stay secured with OneDrive cloud storage.
• Easily collaborate with friends and family: Share files and seamlessly edit together so you’re all on the same page.
• All your information, when and where you need it: Your documents, desktop, and pictures folders will back up to OneDrive, so they’re available everywhere.
• File changes automatically update: Files automatically sync in the background, so you always have the latest version on your PC.

At the bottom of the notification screen, there are two options: ‘Next’ which takes you through to OneDrive setup, and ‘Skip for now’ to opt out (at least temporarily).

If you press Next, you’ll be taken to the Windows Backup app and the syncing of your files to your Microsoft Account’s OneDrive storage locker will start automatically. If you’re not aware, OneDrive is a subscription-based cloud storage service, though you do get 5GB for free. That won’t go very far for the vast majority of users, though, so they’ll be looking at paying to increase the basic amount of storage.

If you don’t want to go through this process, you can click Skip for now to continue to your desktop. As the option suggests, this probably won’t dismiss the notification permanently and you can expect it to reappear at some point in the future. Windows Latest reports that if you skip this pop-up, you may also get another notification (in the notifications center, on the right side of the desktop) that warns you about your PC not being fully backed up.

(Image credit: IB Photography via Shutterstock)

Evaluating your options

Suppose the notification does persuade you to use OneDrive (and you probably decide to subscribe and buy some more storage space).

In fairness, if this is the case, OneDrive is actually a pretty solid cloud storage service - you can check out our full review for more details. OneDrive along with Windows Backup enables you to sync files pretty smoothly and seamlessly, and to restore your old device’s settings and contents to a new Windows device or a clean Windows installation.

If you’re not going to take up Microsoft’s offer, and you don’t want to see this OneDrive notification again, well - you’re probably out of luck. Odds are you will see the pop-up in the future - though we can but hope Microsoft changes its tune. As Windows Latest noted, it’s not possible to dispense with these pop-ups if you live outside of the EU.

It’s easy enough to guess that moves like this are only going to add to the growing frustration with Microsoft’s persistent advertising in Windows 11. Sadly, that isn’t likely to make much difference to the software giant’s tactics in the foreseeable future - not unless people start turning away from Windows in meaningful numbers.

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