It's the end of another week, and as usual, the KDE team spent the last few days working on different parts of the KDE ecosystem, with a bulk of the work going to Plasma.

Starting with Plasma 6.7, the team added a new feature that lets you record yourself with your microphone and then play it back. This will come in handy in situations where you need to check if your recording level is too high or low, so you can get it just right. The screen chooser UI has also been improved with fancier visualizations that show your actual wallpapers in the background when screen sharing.

System Monitor now correctly gathers I/O statistics for encrypted disks and RAID elements, accurately names CPU cores on multi-socket systems, and is now better at detecting multiple GPUs.

Plasma 6.6.4 will drop early next month, bringing changes like a better-looking bouncy app launch animation when using fractional scaling. Keyboard selection for a weather station in the Weather Report widget is now faster, and you can now drag recent items from launcher menus directly onto the desktop.

Here are the bugs that were fixed in Plasma 6.6.4:

• Plasma crashing when connecting a new screen.
• Plasma crashing when services for apps with system tray icons disappeared.
• Spectacle crashing under certain circumstances when using multiple screens.
• OBS crashing on quit in some scenarios.
• The Digital Clock widget's copy feature using UTC time instead of the correct local time.
• Missing transparency for some icons in the System Tray.
• The window snapping overlay using the wrong color after an update to Qt 6.11.

The Wayland session restore protocol has finally been merged after six years in development, and KWin already has a draft implementation. What this means for KDE users is apps will be able to restore their windows to their last known positions and sizes, right down to the correct monitor and virtual desktop.

This will eventually provide benefits for users of tiling window managers. Before the completion of the protocol, KDE used a workaround that simply kept a list of all the apps that are running and relaunched them at the next login. The result was often a mess, with all your windows losing their placement and getting dumped onto one desktop.

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Posted Sunday 29 March 2026 at 5:46 am AEST (my time).

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Over ten years ago, when Windows 10 was launched, Microsoft published a video detailing the story of making the operating system's stock wallpaper. Despite looking like a render, the wallpaper was actually a photo taken on a set with glass, lights, lasers, and other practical effects. The result turned out to be a beautiful background that looks great even ten years later (check out some of the other variants here).

As for Windows 11, its stock wallpapers do not have such a rich lore behind them, so one user on Reddit decided to recreate the original Windows 10 wallpaper with a Windows 11 logo. Despite lacking a dedicated studio and a professional team, the result still looks very authentic and beautiful, with matching colors, transparent Windows squares, lasers, and more. The author adds that they made the wallpaper from scratch using GIMP and Photoshop, which gives the effort extra points for not using AI:

The original Windows 10 "Hero" wallpaper was created by GMUNK as a photo using practical effects. Unfortunately, I don't exactly have the same resources or skills to do that, so we'll have to settle for this computer-generated version. This was created from scratch using GIMP and Photoshop.

You can download the wallpaper in the original 4K resolution by opening the image above and saving it to your device. If you want more fresh backgrounds for your PC, check out this interesting fusion of the legendary Windows XP "Bliss" wallpaper mixed with Windows 11's stock "Bloom" background. [or use this link]

What do you think about this remake of the original Windows 10 desktop background? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Posted Saturday 28 March 2026 at 6:01 am AEST (my time).

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Microsoft Teams is set to retire CAPTCHAs for joining meetings from August 2026, replacing it with a default-on bot detector that will require organizer approval for bots. This should make Teams a whole lot less annoying to use due to the reduced friction.

Microsoft says that this measure will improve the accessibility of Teams, reduce friction, and modernize protection. It comes after the Redmond giant introduced a default-on capability that detects external meeting assistant bots and provides organizers with more visibility and control during the meeting join process.

The new bot detection feature will be made available before the CAPTCHA is retired, giving you time to switch over and ensuring there is no gap where meetings are left without baseline protection.

With regards to the removal of CAPTCHA, Microsoft is planning to lock the Require verification by participants (CAPTCHA) policy in early May, preventing it from being enabled. In late July, the CAPTCHA policy will be removed from PowerShell. Then, in late August, the CAPTCHA policy will be removed from the Teams Admin Center UI. It does note, however, that these dates are subject to change based on the release of bot identification.

Administrations do not need to take any action immediately, but they will need to review the new meeting after it becomes available in the Teams Admin Center. Microsoft also recommends keeping the default setting that requires the organizer’s approval for detected bots. To smooth the transition, you should also update internal documentation and help desk guidance related to meeting join and lobby controls.

You can find out more about this change in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under Message ID MC1262588.

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Posted Saturday 28 March 2026 at 5:59 am AEST (my time).

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The popular grammar-checking tool LanguageTool has decided to make its browser extension available only to premium users. Until now, premium subscribers have made it possible to cover the costs of free users using the extension. The company says it needs to stay competitive with the likes of Grammarly and offer generative AI features, which cost money.

For this reason, it says it cannot give users access to the extension for free anymore and is not willing to introduce ads or sell user data to keep the service free. The company said that it has six million browser extension users who use the service for free, and just a minority pay for the premium service.

If you use the website version of LanguageTool, then you can continue to use it, as this change only affects the browser extension. To ease the transition, it seems that LanguageTool has given users a 14-day trial of premium so that the extension continues to work. After it runs out, you will either need to upgrade or lose functionality.

The company also said that developers can still host and run their own instance of LanguageTool’s server to keep the browser extension working.

LanguageTool premium can be paid for on a 2-year, annual, quarterly, or monthly basis. The longer you choose to subscribe, the lower the monthly fee will be. Right now, they have a 50% discount on all tiers, so you can grab it for as low as $2.50 a month.

For users who don’t want to pay, it is pushing its sister brand, QuillBot, which offers free grammar-checking and paraphrasing via a browser extension. Other free alternatives available as Chrome extensions include Harper, ProWritingAid, and DeepL Write.

Were you using LanguageTool? How do you feel about this change, let us know in the comments what you plan to do.

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Posted Saturday 28 March 2026 at 5:58 am AEST (my time).

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Microsoft is assembling its version of The Avengers to fix Windows 11. In response to years of negative feedback that bubbled over with "Microslop" trending on social media, Microsoft has announced major improvements to Windows 11.

Microsoft EVP of Windows & Devices, Pavan Davuluri, is a big part of the effort but is far from the only person involved. Some well-known names are working to restore people's faith in Windows 11 and improve the operating system.

Microsoft VP Scott Hanselman is working on improving Windows quality. Those who have followed Microsoft for a long time understand that's only a good thing.

Clint Rutkas, a product manager at Microsoft who leads Windows Terminal, PowerToys, Windows Subsystem for Linux, WinGet, WinAppSDK, and WinSDK, is on X asking for developers to get in touch.

You can add another big name to the list; Rudy Huyn is building a new team to work on Windows apps.

Huyn was a staple in the developer community for years before joining Microsoft. Huyn made third-party apps for Windows Phone and Windows for several popular services that refused to develop for Windows Phone. He then worked at Dropbox until he started his role at Microsoft in 2019.

Huyn reached out, asking for DMs on X about the new team:

"I’m building a new team to work on Windows apps! You don’t need prior experience with the platform, what matters most is strong product thinking and a deep focus on the customer.

If you’ve built great apps on any platform and care about crafting meaningful user experiences, I’d love to hear from you. Send me your portfolio via DM.

If you know someone looking for their next opportunity, feel free to share this with them!"

Huyn did not call the team The Avengers, but I recommend he does.

Windows 11 needs a lot of work. While I'm excited to see Microsoft committed to improving the OS, the right people need to be put into place to make that happen. Huyn is on the short list of people you'd want to be part of the effort.

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Posted Friday 27 March 2026 at 12:30 pm AEST (my time).

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Microsoft has released this month's non-security update for supported Windows 11 versions, including 26H1, 25H2, and 24H2. As usual, the updates deliver new features and improvements across the operating system, such as support for 1000Hz+ displays, more File Explorer improvements, changes to Smart App Control (you can now re-enable it without clean-installing the operating system), new accessibility features, and more.

Here are the features that Microsoft is rolling out gradually:

• [Narrator] New! 1 Narrator provides rich image descriptions on Copilot+ PCs and now works with Copilot on all Windows 11 devices. Press Narrator key + Ctrl + D to describe the focused image or Narrator key + Ctrl + S to describe the full screen. Copilot opens with the image ready, allowing you to enter a prompt for a customized description. The image is shared only after you choose to describe it. On Copilot+ PCs, Narrator gives instant, on‑device descriptions, and you can select Ask Copilot for more detail.
• [Smart App Control] New! You can turn Smart App Control (SAC) on or off without needing a clean install. To make changes, go to Settings > Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Smart App Control settings. When turned on, SAC helps block untrusted or potentially harmful apps. To learn more, see App & Browser Control in the Windows Security App. This feature was previously disclosed in January 2026 (KB5074105) and is now beginning to roll out.
• [Account Settings]
  • New! Microsoft 365 Family subscribers can upgrade to a different Microsoft 365 plan from Settings > Accounts. To remove the upgrade option, turn off Suggested content in Settings.
  • New! This update improves the design of the dialog boxes in Settings > Accounts > Other users to match the modern Windows look and support dark mode. The visibility of the dialog box option depends on whether the device has a domain joined work or school account.
• [Input] New! The Pen settings page includes refinements to the pen tail button options. The new “Same as Copilot key” option enables the pen tail button to open the same app as the Copilot key.
• [Settings]
  • New! The Settings About page (Settings > About) has been improved to provide a more structured and intuitive experience, offering clearer device specifications and easier navigation to related device components, including quick access to Storage settings.
  • New! 2 The device information card on the Settings Home page simplifies key device specifications and improves consistency across the end-to-end flow from the Home Card to the Settings > System > About page, making information easier to scan and understand.
  • This update improves the reliability and performance of opening the Home in Settings.
  • This update improves the reliability of downloading required updates when you’re prompted in Settings > System > Advanced.
• [File Explorer] This update improves the File Explorer experience.
  • You can more reliability unblock files downloaded from the internet in order to preview them in File Explorer.
  • You can use Voice Typing (Windows logo key + H) when renaming a file in File Explorer.
  • You can now sort the permissions entries in the Advanced Security Settings window for a folder in File Explorer by Principal.
• [Display] This update includes Display reliability improvements.
  • Monitors can now report refresh rates higher than 1000 Hz.
  • When you use a native USB4 monitor connection, the USB controller can now enter its lowest power level while the PC is sleeping, which helps save battery life.
  • Auto rotation reliability has improved after resuming from sleep.
  • HDR reliability has improved for displays with non-compliant DisplayID 2.0 blocks.
  • Monitors with DisplayID now report a more accurate size when the WMI monitor APIs are used.
• [Printing] Updated downlevel baseline support for printer connections to be Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server 2016 (Build 14393).
• [Safe mode] This update improves the reliability of loading taskbar components in safe mode.
• [Voice Access] This update improves how numbers are detected and written when using Voice Access in English.
• [Start menu] This update improves the reliability of applying the Start menu layout through Group Policy when desktopAppLink is present in the JSON.
• [Remote Desktop] The Set-RDSessionCollectionConfiguration PowerShell command now recognizes DisableSeamlessLanguageBar.
• [Audio] This update improves how short MIDI messages are handled in cases where an application is initialized without providing long message buffers.
• [System File Checker] This update removes an extraneous error message you might unexpectedly see when running sfc /scannow.
• [Windows Hello] This update improves Windows Hello Fingerprint reliability for certain devices.

And here are the features available to all users after installing the update:

• [Application Control for Business] Improved: This update improves Application ID tagging in Application Control for Business policies. With this update, the system identifies which apps should receive tags more accurately and behaves more reliably.
• [Narrator] This update improves the Natural Voices experience in Narrator. It also makes Natural Voices setup more reliable.
• [Performance & Reliability] This update improves stability in Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) when you run x64 apps on ARM64 devices. These apps run more smoothly and respond as expected.
• [Windows Update Deployment (known issue)] Fixed: This update addresses an issue in Windows 11, version 25H2, where updates installed using the Windows Update Standalone Installer (WUSA) might fail with error code ERROR_BAD_PATHNAME. This issue can occur when you double-click a .msu file or run WUSA from a network share that contains multiple .msu files.

You can download KB5079391 in Settings > Windows Update or from the Microsoft Update Catalog. The update is optional, so feel free to skip it if you do not need any of the changes mentioned in the release notes.

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Posted Friday 27 March 2026 at 12:29 pm AEST (my time).

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Microsoft has released PowerToys 0.98.1, a bug-fixing update for the recently released version 0.98, which introduced a new Command Palette tool and plenty of other changes. In today's release, Microsoft has delivered further improvements for Always on Top, Shortcut Manager, Command Palette, and Settings.

Here is the changelog:

• Always On Top
  • Added support for configuring the increase/decrease opacity hotkeys independently from the main pin hotkey
• Command Palette
  • Fixed context menu actions not appearing for app search results on the main page
  • Fixed missing primary context command for items where the extension provides the command after initial load
  • Fixed a crash caused by a negative array size when calculating callback counts with disabled providers
  • Restored scrolling in the scroll container and updated the scroll-down button to use the correct caret glyph
  • Fixed DockWindow resource cleanup to properly dispose its ViewModel and unregister from the messenger when destroyed
  • Fixed dock popup crashes caused by accessing unparented popups before XamlRoot is set
  • Reduced visual "blinking" artifacts in the dock when Command Palette settings change by avoiding unnecessary backdrop recreation
• Keyboard Shortcut Manager
  • Temporarily removed the ability to toggle the Keyboard Manager Service separate from the module for stability improvements
  • Added support for whitespace-only shortcuts in new editor
• Settings
  • Fixed a PowerToys Run crash caused by a missing PowerDisplay.Lib.dll dependency by decoupling Settings.UI.Library from PowerDisplay.Lib
  • Fixed the Settings button on the What's New page opening a blank page instead of the Home page

If PowerToys is already installed on your PC, you can go to Settings > General and click Check for updates. Alternatively, you can download the installer for version 0.98.1 from the official GitHub repository here. Release notes for version 0.98, the latest major update, are available in our dedicated article.

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Posted Friday 27 March 2026 at 12:27 pm AEST (my time).

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Microsoft has committed to addressing top user complaints regarding Windows 11 and improving the operating system's performance this year. This isn't surprising, especially considering the findings from a recent report which indicated that Windows isn't doing particularly well in the enterprise space in terms of stability and reliability. Now, Microsoft has decided to take another step in advancing the security and overall robustness of Windows 11.

The company has announced that it will soon remove the ability for kernel drivers signed by the legacy cross-signed root program to be loaded by default. This is a deprecated program that was introduced in the early 2000s that allowed the provisioning of Windows-trusted code signing certificates after vetting from third-party partners. Microsoft retired this program in 2021, and all certificates issued through this process have since expired, but are still trusted by the kernel and persist in some scenarios.

However, this is changing soon. Starting from April 2026, the Windows kernel will only accept drivers that have been signed through its Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP). However, for compatibility reasons, Microsoft will still maintain an explicit allow list that will allow the kernel to load old, but reputable, drivers vetted through the cross-signed root program. This new implementation will apply to Windows 11 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, Windows Server 2025, and all future client and server versions of Windows.

However, Microsoft understands that some environments may rely on legacy drivers for compatibility reasons. This is why the new kernel trust policy will initially launch in evaluation mode, which will monitor and audit your system hours and boots over a period of time. In the same vein, the Redmond tech firm will also allow you to configure the Application Control for Business  (formerly WDAC) policy to override the default kernel policy. This is particularly useful in scenarios where an organization wants to load custom drivers built for internal use.

Microsoft has noted that it will continue rolling out this new kernel policy from April 2026, but it has emphasized that it will continue monitoring feedback from customers to refine the experience. For now, its latest kernel trust policy has been curated based on billions of telemetry signals procured from Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025 devices over the past couple of years.

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Posted Friday 27 March 2026 at 12:26 pm AEST (my time).

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Today, Meta announced a couple of new features coming to WhatsApp, including photo editing tools and the ability to use AI to generate a response to incoming messages.

Starting with the update to "Writing Help," the feature can now draft a suggested response based on your conversation, so you can get your message "just right," all while keeping your messages "completely private," according to Meta. Writing Help was launched last August, and it originally gave users a way to rephrase their own drafted messages.

The feature uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to analyze what you have written and suggest different ways to say it. There is a variety of tones to choose from, including professional or funny. The feature is opt-in, so you would have to hunt it down in the settings menu to enable it.

Still on the topic of generative AI, Meta AI on WhatsApp can now "touch up" photos directly in the chat composer. Before you hit send, you can use the AI to edit the image by removing a distracting object from the frame or swapping in a new background entirely. It can also apply different artistic styles to a picture. Meta notes that these AI features may not be available to everyone at launch.

For several years now, Android users have enjoyed the ability to switch between different accounts on a single device. Now, WhatsApp is bringing that capability over to iOS. This finally lets iPhone owners run two accounts simultaneously on one phone. To set it up, you would obviously need a compatible phone and a second number. You then just head to Settings, tap the arrow by your name, and select "Add account."

Other changes Meta announced include a simplified chat transfer process that now supports moving your history from iOS to Android. The company also added new storage management options, letting you find and get rid of large files within a specific chat without deleting the entire conversation. Finally, the app will now suggest relevant stickers when you type an emoji.

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Posted Friday 27 March 2026 at 12:25 pm AEST (my time).

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Microsoft's head of Windows Design and Research, Marcus Ash, has provided a much needed update on the progress of Windows 11's dark mode, which to this day is still incomplete. In a new post on X, Ash confirms that Microsoft is continuing to work on dark mode, bringing it more more areas of the OS, including legacy UI interfaces.

"We are pushing to get our tools/techniques to the point where we can get dark theme into more areas across Windows," Ash says. "As we make progress in various legacy system panels/dialogs, we will keep improving consistency." His post comes in response to myself and others discussing dark mode in Regedit, to which Ash says there's "No timelines to commit to yet for Regedit."

While there may not be a timeline, it's clear the company wants to deliver dark mode to Regedit and other legacy areas of the interface eventually, which makes total sense. Windows is never going to escape the "feels unfinished" allegations for as long as dark mode is incomplete in the way it currently is.

It's so refreshing to see Microsoft executives be so open and honest about plans and roadmaps for features and improvements that the company is considering and working on for Windows 11. This is the first update we've had on the progress of dark mode on Windows 11 in a very long time, and I'm so glad to see it.

It's clear Microsoft is taking its promise to fix Windows 11 seriously, even if some of the improvements are still far out, such as a total completed system wide dark mode. It is unfortunate that it has taken Microsoft this long to get to this point, and even more unfortunate that it's going to take more time to complete, but it's good to hear that the company is working on the tooling to speed up this process for future UI elements.

Right now, Windows 11's dark mode looks like this:

Microsoft has announced major upgrades coming soon to the Taskbar on Windows 11 that will enable new capabilities that users have been requesting since Windows 11's debut in 2021. With these updates, the Taskbar will be more customizable, with users being able to change the size and position of it.

"Repositioning the taskbar is one of the top asks we’ve heard from you. We are introducing the ability to reposition it to the top or sides of your screen, making it easier to personalize your workspace," says Microsoft EVP of Windows & Devices, Pavan Davuluri.

In a blog post, Davuluri confirmed that the company is working on both the ability to move the Taskbar and change its size to a smaller Taskbar: "Expanded taskbar personalization options, including alternate taskbar positions and a smaller taskbar, giving you greater control over how this core surface fits your workflow."

As part of a broader push to fix long-standing pain points on Windows 11, Microsoft is rolling out a redesigned Feedback Hub app alongside upcoming platform changes expected later this year.

The new experience is more than a visual refresh. It introduces meaningful usability improvements to make feedback easier to submit, track, and act on. Something users have been asking for since the early days of the operating system.

What's new in the Feedback Hub app

The updated Feedback Hub brings a modern interface aligned with Windows 11's design language, but the most important changes focus on simplifying user interaction with the platform.

One of the biggest updates is the new "Give Feedback" page, which replaces the traditional Home experience. Instead of navigating multiple sections, users now submit feedback through a unified template that works for bug reports, feature requests, and even positive feedback.

After many years of being exclusive to mobile, Samsung has decided that it's time to bring its browser to Windows, aiming to give Google Chrome a run for its money by creating a more complete ecosystem for Galaxy users with "new agentic AI capabilities" and "cross-device continuity." This comes several months after the company launched a beta version of the desktop browser for testing in the US and South Korea.

Samsung Browser for Windows comes with the usual set of features that you'd expect from a desktop browser, including the ability to synchronize your bookmarks and browsing history between your phone and PC. You can also pick up browsing on one device exactly where you left off on another. There's also exclusive Samsung stuff like Samsung Pass that helps you securely store login information and autofill personal data.

The browser also comes with an AI-powered assistant built in partnership with Perplexity that understands the context of the webpage you're on and even what's happening in your currently open tabs. For example, if you are looking at a travel blog about Seoul, you can ask the assistant to create a four-day itinerary based on the article's content, which it will then generate for you. It can even summarize and compare information across multiple open tabs at once.

The AI is also smart enough to help you find a part of a video without you needing to scrub through it manually. It understands the video's content and can jump directly to the moment you ask for. You can also search your browsing history using natural language. Instead of trying to remember keywords, you can just ask it to find "the smartwatch I was looking at last week," and it will pull up the correct page.

As with the beta, Samsung Browser for Windows is available for devices running Windows 11 and Windows 10 (version 1809 and above). The Agentic AI features, however, are currently limited to users in the US and South Korea for now, though Samsung has stated that it plans an expansion to additional markets in the future. You can download it directly from the Samsung Browser website.

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Posted Friday 27 March 2026 at 5:17 am AEST (my time).

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The first major update to JetBrains WebStorm, version 2026.1, is here, bringing support for TypeScript 6, better Svelte support, and several AI-related features.

Starting with TypeScript 6, which was released a few days back, WebStorm 2026.1 now properly handles the new compiler defaults that ship with the language update. For instance, TypeScript no longer infers your project's rootDir automatically, so if your project relied on that old behavior, you'd have to specify your root path manually in your config file.

In large codebases, TypeScript can become sluggish, so 2026.1 fixes that by defaulting to the service-powered TypeScript engine. This just means WebStorm now directly uses the official TypeScript Language Service built by Microsoft to analyze your code. This offloads a ton of processing from the IDE itself, resulting in faster navigation, more responsive refactoring, and error highlighting.

In Svelte codebases, WebStorm now supports the generics attributes in script tags. This update means you get proper usage search, navigation, and refactoring for your type parameters. The IDE also adds support for the new @attach directive and bundles the latest versions of the Svelte language server packages.

Still on the topic of web frameworks, WebStorm 2026.1 now supports arrow functions, the instanceof operator, regular expressions, and spread syntax in Angular templates. This catches the IDE up with syntax additions from Angular 21.

On Linux, WebStorm now runs using Wayland by default. This change should provide better high-resolution display scaling and more reliable input handling. The IDE will fall back to X11 if your environment is not supported.

Next Edit suggestions will no longer consume the AI quota of your JetBrains AI Pro, Ultimate, and Enterprise subscriptions and, in JetBrains' words, "go beyond traditional code completion for JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, and CSS."

Other changes version 2026.1 brings include in-terminal completion for PowerShell, which suggests commands and parameters as you type. It also integrates more AI agents like Claude Agent and Codex directly into the IDE's chat window.

Modern CSS color functions and spaces like oklab and hwb are now recognized and have color previews. The update also officially unbundles Code With Me, which is being sunsetted and moved to a plugin before its complete deactivation in Q1 2027.

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Posted Friday 27 March 2026 at 5:12 am AEST (my time).

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Microsoft's latest pledge to refocus Windows 11 around performance, reliability, and user control should have been an easy win. After years of criticism around bloat, intrusive features, and inconsistent updates, the company is finally acknowledging what many users have been saying all along.

However, if early community reactions are any indication, this isn't a redemption moment. It's a trust test.

Across forums and enthusiast circles, responses are split between cautious optimism and deep skepticism, with one theme dominating: words are no longer enough.

The optimistic take: "This is what we've been asking for"

A number of users see this as a long-overdue course correction. The company bringing back practical features like Taskbar repositioning and a renewed focus on core performance is being interpreted as Microsoft finally prioritizing fundamentals over experimentation.

One user, OnlyEnderMax, : "I'm really glad Microsoft finally understands that all we want is a system that works."

Others are encouraged by the shift in tone, especially the idea of reducing unnecessary AI integrations and improving update control. For power users and testers, the revamped Feedback Hub and promises of clearer communication are also meaningful.

As Charis_Cheng put it in the same thread: "This is the moment we have all been waiting for. Congrats, Microsoft and thank you for finally listening!"

Even critics acknowledge that some of the changes (like quieter widgets, fewer interruptions, and better update controls) move Windows 11 in the right direction.

There's also a growing sense that Microsoft is finally responding to competitive pressure and user loss, which could ultimately benefit the platform.

The skeptical view: "We’ve heard this before"

Bugs being discovered in Windows environments isn't surprising for many at this point. In the past week or so alone, Microsoft has fixed Bluetooth issues, along with sign-in and internet access problems with many enterprise apps. Although Microsoft has vowed to address user complaints and improve the performance of Windows in 2026, it remains to be seen how it will actually achieve these goals. Now, a new report has revealed some statistics about how unstable the OS can be in enterprise environments.

According to a new report from Omnissa, also shared with Neowin via email, even small disruptions in workflows lead up to 24 minutes of lost productivity as employees need time to refocus on their work again. While compiling its report, Omnissa analyed Windows and macOS endpoints, and discovered the following:

• Windows devices exhibited 3.1 times more total forced shutdowns than macOS.
• Windows experienced 2.2 times more total application crashes than macOS.
• Windows experienced 7.5 times more app hangs than macOS.
• More than 50% of the Windows and Android devices in regulated industries such as healthcare and pharma were five major OS updates behind
• More than 50% of education desktops and mobile devices are unencrypted

All of these are particularly troubling statistics, especially with regards to Windows deployments.

Omnissa believes that there are four trends that emphasize the need for real-time observability. These include the rise of shadow AI, the hidden cost of poor digital employee experience (DEX), poor security hygeine, and the total cost of ownership while maintaining hardware assets.

The firm also shared several other interesting statistics, such as the fact that Copilot was installed on 97.5% of enterprise-managed mobile devices, but that employee-installed alternatives like ChatGPT (91% of iOS devices) and Gemini (61% of Android devices) are popular too. In addition, organizations which purchase Macs generally consider them to be an asset investment with a life of six years while Windows devies have a lifespan of three years. In a similar vein, the "DEX good score" for macOS is 120% higher than that of Windows. However, despite most of these statistics not really doing Windows a favor, the OS is heavily used in government environments, where growth was 2x year over year (YoY).

It is worth noting that Omnissa's report is based on anonymized telemetry data aggregated from millions of endpoint devices throughout 2025. The firm's tools are leveraged by 26,000 enterprise customers worldwide across 17 industries. It used to be a subdivision of VMware before being spun off as an independent company in 2024. As such, while it may not present a truly "100% accurate" representation of the current enterprise landscape, its findings are still based off of a sizeable sample size.

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Posted Thursday 26 March 2026 at 12:33 pm AEST (my time).

News posts: 2023 5,800+ | 2024 5,700+ | 2025 5,700+ | 2026 (to end of February) 854

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NVIDIA just released an unscheduled update that targets a very specific issue. The new GeForce Hotfix Display Driver 596.02 is officially out, and it builds directly on the foundation of the recent 595.97 WHQL release.

NVIDIA released the 595.97 WHQL driver just yesterday, and we're already seeing the first Hotfix, just roughly 24 hours later. However, the update doesn't address any problems NVIDIA users have been complaining about, but instead introduces a niche solution for a problem inside a single game.

The only change in Hotfix 596.02 is a fix for annoying stuttering issues that players have been running into while playing Arknights: Endfield.

The official changelog has just one entry:

• [Arknights: Endfield] Stutter may be observed during gameplay [5950402]

Since this is an out-of-band fix, you will not find it inside the new NVIDIA App or the older GeForce Experience software. You have to download the installation package directly from the official customer support website.

If your system is running fine right now, and you don't play Arknights: Endfield, you can easily skip this one. All of these specific performance tweaks will be baked into the next official Game Ready driver anyway.

This is the second hotfix driver update NVIDIA is releasing this month, after the one that fixed various bugs in Resident Evil Requiem and Star Citizen. It's becoming a trend for NVIDIA to release hotfixes that target specific games, instead of tackling general issues that users have constantly been reporting. NVIDIA's shaky relationship with its users was put to the test even more when the company showcased DLSS5, which many fans characterized as AI slop.

The driver is available for download right now and is compatible with both Windows 11 and Windows 10 x64. You can download the GeForce Hotfix Display Driver 596.02 update from NVIDIA's official page.

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Posted Thursday 26 March 2026 at 5:12 am AEST (my time).

News posts: 2023 5,800+ | 2024 5,700+ | 2025 5,700+ | 2026 (to end of February) 854

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A new version of Files, a popular third-party file manager for Windows 11 and 10, is now available for everyone to download from the Microsoft Store. Version 4.0.37 brings additional optimizations to the app's package size (down by over 180 MB), new features for the context menus, tab improvements, better compression workflow, and more.

With updated context menus, you can right-click on the Home page and select which widgets you want to see there, such as Quick access, drives, network locations, tags, or recent files. For tabs, Files can now display path hints to help you identify similarly named folders from different locations.

Files' built-in compression tools now support 7z dictionary and word size for more control over archive sizes, plus you can apply compression attributes to multiple selected files.

Other improvements include middle-click support for scrolling, a new sidebar toggle, the ability to drag sidebar items into other apps, and a storage overview for cloud drives in the details pane.

Additional fixes include the following:

• Fixed the wrong scroll position when switching out of semantic zoom.
• Fixed the issue with opening images in Microsoft Photos.
• Fixed an issue where git remotes pointing to a local bare repository were not displaying.
• Fixed an issue where thumbnails didn’t load for MTP devices.
• Fixed an issue where the Third Party Libraries section was cut off.
• Fixed the Status Center display when canceling the extraction.
• Fixed an issue with opening the Control Panel from the desktop.
• Fixed the size of the Settings dialog close button.
• Fixed an issue where the Run With PowerShell action wasn’t disabled in the Recycle Bin.
• Fixed tooltip labels on the Tags settings page

You can download Files for free from the official website. If you want to support the developer, you can purchase the app in the Microsoft Store using this link.

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Posted Thursday 26 March 2026 at 5:11 am AEST (my time).

News posts: 2023 5,800+ | 2024 5,700+ | 2025 5,700+ | 2026 (to end of February) 854

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If your computer has an Intel network card inside, it may be time to download a new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth driver. Intel has released a pair of fresh network drivers with performance and connectivity improvements for supported network cards.

Starting with the Wi-Fi driver, version 24.30.1 is now available for download from the official website. The changelog for the update does not contain much, and the only meaningful update is improved stability and connectivity performance. Additionally, there are regulatory updates for Oman, Brazil, and Pakistan and "functional and security updates" and "other minor issues addressed which will impact performance, stability, or vendor-specific functionality."

The update also delivers one important change for users with the Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 network adapter. Starting with version 24.30.1, the package no longer includes drivers for the now-discontinued Intel AX200 adapter.

Intel Bluetooth driver 24.30.1 has no specific changes, and the release notes only say that the driver "has been updated to include functional updates."

You can download the latest Intel Wi-Fi driver from the official website here and Bluetooth driver here. Supported platforms include 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. The driver is compatible with the following network cards:

Release notes for the Wi-Fi driver are available here (PDF) and Bluetooth driver here (PDF).

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Posted Thursday 26 March 2026 at 5:09 am AEST (my time).

News posts: 2023 5,800+ | 2024 5,700+ | 2025 5,700+ | 2026 (to end of February) 854

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Google has announced an update to Meet that should make it easier for admins to manage who gets let into a meeting. This specifically targets the "knocking" feature, which can be a pain for hosts, especially when there's a huge amount of people waiting to be admitted at once.

The new update introduces two separate queues for people waiting to join. The first is for connections Google thinks "pose a potential risk", like a bot or something. These are the guests the host needs to take "a closer look before deciding to approve them into the meeting."

The default action for anyone landing in this queue is to automatically deny their entry, forcing the host to manually override the decision. The second queue is for "confirmed users" who are already on the calendar invite or are part of the host's organization, and the default action here is to admit them.

Google maintains that the meeting host still has the option to bulk admit participants in a meeting if they get slammed with requests. When multiple participants are waiting, a host can click "View all" to see the complete list. From there, they can click "Admit all" or "Deny all" to clear a queue instantly.

The new update has started rolling out to Google Workspace customers in the Rapid Release domain. If you're in the Scheduled Release domain, you'd have to wait till April 7, 2026, to see the changes appear in your account.

To check whether your Google Workspace account is on the Scheduled Release or Rapid Release track, first head over to admin.google.com and sign in with your Google Workspace administrator account.

From the main menu, navigate to Account, then Account settings, and find the Preferences section. Your current track will be listed under "New features". You can also change your track by clicking on that row, selecting either "Rapid release" or "Scheduled release", and hitting save.

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Posted Thursday 26 March 2026 at 5:08 am AEST (my time).

News posts: 2023 5,800+ | 2024 5,700+ | 2025 5,700+ | 2026 (to end of February) 854

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Microsoft has announced that it will be rolling out “Catch up” in Microsoft Teams mobile, first as a targeted release in April and then for general availability (Worldwide tenants) in early May. “Catch up” provides users with a summary of what’s going on across their chats so they can respond more quickly. The feature will pull in information from across chats, meeting chats, and followed channels or threads.

Anyone included in the targeted release will be able to experience this feature from early April, but for most people, it will become available in early May. This feature will also only affect you if you’re using Microsoft Teams on mobile. Admins do not need to take any action as the feature is enabled by default for everyone.

Once the feature lands, you will see a new card-based view in the Chat section of Teams mobile. Tap the “Catch up” button to see your latest messages on cards, which you can swipe right to “Mark as read” or swipe left to “Keep unread”.

While users may find this feature annoying and gimmicky if they didn’t know about it, and it appeared by surprise, those who get comfortable using it can ensure they do not miss anybody’s messages. This is super useful if an important message gets sent while you are away, and then you don’t end up missing it.

To this end, Microsoft recommends that admins inform users about the new “Catch up” mobile view and how it can assist them day-to-day. It is also recommended that internal helpdesk or user-support documentation be updated if it references existing Teams mobile views. You can learn more in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under Message ID MC1260707.

Let us know in the comments what you think of this feature. Will it make you more productive, or is it going to be a waste of space for you?

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Posted Thursday 26 March 2026 at 5:08 am AEST (my time).

News posts: 2023 5,800+ | 2024 5,700+ | 2025 5,700+ | 2026 (to end of February) 854

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Over the past few years, we have heard a lot of stories about Windows' history, such as the reasons behind its fragmented GUI strategy, how the Windows 95 CD packed a lot of fun stuff, details about a cool trick that helped PCs restart faster, and a lot more. Now, a Microsoft veteran has shared some interesting details about Windows 95.

According to Windows engineer Raymond Chen, installers would include copies of redistributable components of Windows 95 that were required to make the software work. Microsoft's guidance regarding this process was that an installer should check if a system component exists in Windows 95 and only introduce it if the OS does not contain it or has an older version.

However, naturally, some developers didn't follow these mandates, and ended up replacing existing system components regardless of their version number. This resulted in older system components being present on Windows 95, which caused chaos for other software that relied on those components.

Microsoft eventually worked around this by maintaining a C:\Windows\SYSBCKUP directory. This contained copies of components that were commonly overwritten by installers. The way this worked was that after an installer completed its process, Windows 95 would effectively check the system's "new" component versions against those present in SYSBCKUP. If the installer had added an old version, it would get quietly replaced by the one present in SYSBCKUP, but if it was indeed a newer version, the replacement copy in SYSBCKUP would get updated.

Chen explains that while this was a fairly primitive approach, it was better than the initial rudimentary attempt which simply blocked installers from overwriting system component files. In that case, installers would simply fail and even begin showing error messages to users, which usually couldn't be handled by regular consumers. Similarly, an implementation that wrote to a dummy file didn't work in practice either because installers would often perform a checksum to ensure that the system component in Windows was the correct one, and threw an error when it wasn't. As such, the SYSBCKUP approach was ideal in reaching a balance between reliability and flexibility.

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Posted Wednesday 25 March 2026 at 5:21 pm AEST (my time).

News posts: 2023 5,800+ | 2024 5,700+ | 2025 5,700+ | 2026 (to end of February) 854

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Apple has released the 26.4 updates to all of its major software platforms today, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and the HomePod. The most important reason to install each update is the big pile of included security fixes—you can see the ones Apple is disclosing for iOS/iPadOS and macOS on its security website—but the updates also include a few significant new features, a change from the mostly quiet 26.3 release last month.

We covered many of the most notable features when the first versions of these updates were released through Apple’s beta testing channels. Those include charging limits for MacBooks, for those who don’t want to allow their batteries to charge to their full capacities; the return of the “compact” tab view for Safari running on macOS Tahoe and iPadOS 26; and enabled-by-default Stolen Device Protection.

Other features include the handful of new emoji from the Unicode 17.0 release (see Emojipedia for more); AI-generated Apple Music playlists; new Creator Studio features for the built-in Freeform app; and the ability for adults in a Family Sharing group to use different payment methods from one another when making purchases.

One feature that Apple is publicly testing but which isn’t in the final version of the 26.4 release is end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging. For now, texting with Android users will continue to use the unencrypted version of RCS that Apple began rolling out in 2024 (or, in some cases depending on carrier compatibility, SMS). The version of the RCS standard that supports end-to-end encryption (version 3.0, for the record) also supports things like inline replies and editing or unsending texts—Apple supports these features in iMessage, but it’s unclear whether the RCS update will add them for green-bubble text threads.

The “more intelligent Siri” backed by Google’s Gemini language models also isn’t launching in this release. Apple committed to releasing the update in 2026, but that means it could drop in an update for iOS 26 or in the iOS 27 update that Apple will likely announce at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8.

Apple also released a few other security-focused updates for older operating systems. The iOS and iPadOS 18.7.7 updates are available for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, as well as the 7th-gen iPad, all devices that don’t support iOS or iPadOS 26. At this point, if you’re using a device that can be upgraded to version 26, Apple is no longer releasing iOS 18 updates for your phone or tablet.

The macOS Sequoia 15.7.5 and macOS Sonoma 14.8.5 updates are also available to Macs that can’t be (or haven’t been) upgraded to macOS Tahoe. Those older macOS versions should also get a separate Safari 26.4 update, though it’s not listed on Apple’s security page yet.

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Posted Wednesday 25 March 2026 at 1:02 pm AEST (my time).

News posts: 2023 5,800+ | 2024 5,700+ | 2025 5,700+ | 2026 (to end of February) 854

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Microsoft is preparing a new wave of changes for Windows 11, and this time, the focus is finally shifting to what users have been asking for all along.

While the company shared its long list of upcoming improvements, a few stand out because they fix some of the most common frustrations with the operating system.

Taskbar repositioning

On Windows 11, one of the most controversial decisions was rebuilding the Taskbar from the ground up while removing key customization options, such as the ability to resize it or move it to different edges of the screen.

Last week, Microsoft unveiled a major set of sweeping changes that it's planning to make to Windows 11 this year that are designed to address top feedback from users who have become frustrated with the platform over the last two years. Most of the changes are very good, with a big focus on fixing fundamental problems and ensuring the OS is fast, fluid, and stable for power users and professionals.

However, Microsoft didn't address all of Windows 11's top issues. While it's certainly tackling a large majority of them, there are a few big outliers from the announcement that appear to not be getting addressed as part of Microsoft's big plan. Here's a rundown of those issues:

• Forced internet and Microsoft accounts during setup
• Unable to disable telemetry data collection
• Confusing feature rollouts
• Unable to uninstall Edge
• Low quality in-box WebView apps

The first big issue that isn't being addressed is telemetry on Windows 11, specifically how much telemetry data the OS collects. It wouldn't be that big of a deal if Microsoft let you turn it all off, but they don't, and there's seemingly no plan to change this. Windows 11's telemetry collection will continue to operate as it always has.

For those who may not know, you can reduce the amount of telemetry that Windows collects and sends, but you can't outright disable it, not easily at least. It would be awesome to see Microsoft give users the choice of turning off telemetry where reasonable to do so.

The next big issue that isn't being addressed, at least not yet, is Windows 11's forced internet and Microsoft Account requirements. Windows 11 won't let you set up a device without first connecting to the internet, and on Windows 11 Home, signing into a Microsoft Account. This is an issue that has bugged power users for years, but Microsoft isn't addressing it.

The good news is there appears to be an effort internally to change this, but nothing has come of it as of yet. If Microsoft is able to push this change forward, I think this change alone would go a long way toward convincing some Linux users to switch back to Windows.