Microsoft Teams - Intelligent message translation in chats and more.

In April, the desktop version of Microsoft Teams will include a new translation feature for chats:

When you get a message in a different language, you will see translation suggested to help you understand it better. In the settings, you can select which languages you don't want to translate, and whether to translate messages automatically.

A related feature for Microsoft OneNote on the desktop will add some new Teams integration with its Meeting Details feature in April.

In addition to basic information about a meeting such as date, description, and attendees, Meeting Details will now add content from Teams’ intelligent meeting recap. This includes AI-generated meeting notes, AI-suggested tasks, and any documents shared during the Teams meeting.

Both Windows and Mac users can also access a new collaboration feature with Teams in May:

Collaborative annotations, available now, enable meeting participants with the Presenter role to enable annotations after sharing their screen. This allows everyone in the meeting to draw, add a note, react, highlight text, and more to share their thoughts right on the content, live with everyone else. Now, participants sharing their screen will have the ability to save content with collaborative annotations as a Whiteboard, enabling all meeting participants to revisit this content and continue collaborating after the meeting.

The Mac and Windows Teams apps will get a new meeting information feature in April:

Available for in-tenant participants, the meeting pre-join screen will now include contextual information about the meeting like meeting title, scheduled start time, scheduled end time, and number of participants who have joined the call

Other Microsoft 365 apps and services - OneDrive on the web to add recurring meetings feature and more

The recently revamped OneDrive cloud file storage service is adding a feature to the web version in April:

The upcoming update to the OneDrive Meetings view will display your recurring meetings in chronological order, providing easy access to all related files, past recordings, and details like the meeting owner, attendees, time, and location. This feature helps you prepare for future meetings by allowing you to quickly access pre-read materials and review recordings or content from past meetings.

The Microsoft 365 file viewer on the web will add Copilot for OneDrive in April:

Copilot in OneDrive will soon be available from the file viewer in Microsoft 365 for customers with a Copilot for Microsoft 365 license. Clicking on the Copilot icon in the file viewer will open the Copilot chat panel which will allow you to summarize or get information from your files in OneDrive or SharePoint.

The Clipchamp video editor on the Windows, Mac and web versions will add a way to remove the background from an image, with a preview in April and a full release in July. Also the desktop Clipchamp app will add a way to sign in from a work account in May.

That's it for this week's look back at the Microsoft 365 roadmap site. We will be back next Sunday for another look at the coming week's new entries.

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YouTuber Addy Visuals published a video a couple of days ago where they imagine the next-gen "Windows 12" as "the Windows you love".

While concepts are mostly based on ideas, this one seems to borrow much from Windows 11 itself and hence might actually end up being somewhat similar to the real next-generation OS. It certainly appears a bit less flashy than some of the previous ones we covered. Regardless, though, do keep in mind that this is unofficial, and in fact, at this moment, it is not clear if a real "Windows 12" is even coming.

One thing that is not different is that this concept, too, opens up with a view of the Start menu, and that makes sense, given that it is probably the first on-screen button plenty of Windows users click on. There is also a view of File Explorer, and in both instances, the floating Taskbar is the common denominator, since it is believed that it is a figment of early Windows 12 development efforts.

Windows 12 | First Look [This YouTube video can't be embedded]

The YouTuber also published another concept a couple of weeks ago which shows how Windows "12" could be if it were designed as a gaming-focused OS. The idea is simple as it imagines the OS with minimal apps and little or no bloatware, which means gaming performance should not be affected much by background apps.

In this regard, it goes above and beyond providing users with three settings to help enhance their system's gaming performance. The first option is called "isolated gameplay" that will disable all background activities and telemetry. The second option is called "virtual VRAM" that will use free disk space as VRAM for your GPU, and is a bit similar to the uniquely designed Radeon Pro SSG. The third one lets you choose between multiple GPUs. Remember DirectX 12 explicit multi-GPU anyone?

Gamers value hardware monitoring and hence there is an option for adding such widgets to the desktop.

Windows 12: The Ultimate Gaming Experience [This YouTube video can't be embedded]

In case you are interested in the previous Windows concepts we have covered, you can read them here.

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On Windows 11 (and 10), you can create a new folder through File Explorer in multiple ways, but the only caveat is that you can only create one item at a time. However, if you're working on a project or organizing files, it's possible to create multiple folders in bulk.

You can complete this task without resourcing to third-party tools using PowerShell and Command Prompt. It's also possible to create folders in different ways. For example, you can create folders with specific names, using a base name structure, and you can generate different folders extracting the names from a text file.

In this how-to guide, I'll walk you through different ways to create multiple folders at once on Windows 11. (You can also use these instructions on Windows 10.)

How to create folders with PowerShell on Windows 11

You can leverage PowerShell in many ways to create multiple folder at once, and here are three ways to complete this task.

Using specific names

To create folders with specific names through PowerShell, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to open a specific location and press Enter: cd c:/path/to/folder 

In the command, specify the path to the location where you want to create the folders. 

4. Type the following command to create multiple folders on a specific location and press Enter: "folder-1", "folder-2", "folder-3" | %{New-Item -Name "$_" -ItemType "Directory"} 

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

In the command, change "folder-X" for names of the folders you want to create.

Here's a breakdown of the command:

• "folder-1", "folder-2", "folder-3": This part of the command specifies an array of strings, each representing a folder name you intend to create.
•  "|": The pipeline operator takes the output from the command on its left and passes it as input to the command on its right. 
• %{ }: This is a shorthand alias for the "ForEach-Object" cmdlet, which performs an operation for each item in a collection.
• New-Item: This cmdlet creates a new item with the specified properties.
• -Name "$_": Dynamically specifies the name of the new item, where "$_" is a variable that represents the current object in the pipeline.
• -ItemType "Directory": This part specifies that the item to be created is a directory (commonly known as a "folder").

Using structure name

To create multiple folders with the same name structure, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to open a specific location and press Enter: cd c:/path/to/folder

In the command, specify the path to the location where you want to create the folders. 

4. Type the following command to create multiple folders with the same name structure and press Enter: for ($wc=1;$wc -le 3;$wc++){MD ".\folder-$wc"}

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

In the command, change "3" for the number of folders to create and "folder-" for the base of the folder.

Here's a breakdown of the command:

• for: Runs the "for" loop to control the flow statement to execute a repetitive condition.
• $wc=1: Initializes the variable "$wc" to 1.
• $wc -le 3: The condition for continuing the loop. "-le" stands for "less than or equal to," meaning that as long as "$wc" is less than or equal to "3," the loop will continue to execute.
• $wc++: This increases the value of "$wc" variable by "1" with each iteration of the loop.
• { MD ".\folder-$wc" }: Includes the command to create a folder on each loop iteration.

Using text file 

Before proceeding with these steps, create a file called "name-list.txt" with Notepad and make sure to create a list of the folders' names (one entry per line). 

To create folders based on a list inside of a text file, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to open a specific location and press Enter: cd c:/path/to/folder

In the command, specify the path to the location where you want to create the folders. 

4. Type the following command to grab the text file with the list of names and create folders automatically and press Enter: get-content C:\path\to\folders.txt | %{ if($_ -match $pattern) { mkdir "C:\path\to\folder\$_"; }} 

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

In the command, update the paths to match the locations of the text file and the folder to create the subfolders.

Here's a breakdown of the command:

• Get-Content C:\path\to\name-list.txt: This part of the command locates and reads the txt file.
•  "|": The pipeline operator takes the output from the command on its left and passes it as input to the command on its right. 
• %{ }: This is a shorthand alias for the "ForEach-Object" cmdlet, which performs an operation for each item in a collection.
• if($_ -match $pattern) { }: This "if" statement checks if the current line "$_" matches a pattern defined by the variable "$pattern." 
• mkdir "C:\path\to\folder\$_": This part of the command creates folders in the specified path.

Once you complete the steps, the command will run, and the folders will be created according to your configuration.

How to create folders with Command Prompt on Windows 11

On Command Prompt, similar to PowerShell, you have many different ways to create multiple folders at once, and here are three useful ways to complete this task.

Using specific names

To create multiple folders through Command Prompt with specific names, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to open a specific location and press Enter: cd c:/path/to/folder

In the command, specify the path to the location where you want to create the folders. 

4. Type the following command to create multiple folders with specific names and press Enter: md folder-1 folder-2 folder-3

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

Here's a breakdown of the command:

• md: This is short for "make directory." It's the command used to create a new directory on Windows.
• folder-1 folder-2 folder-3: These are the names of the directories you want to create. 

Using structure name

To create multiple folders at once with the same based name and appending an identifier, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to open a specific location and press Enter: cd c:/path/to/folder

In the command, specify the path to the location where you want to create the folders. 

4. Type the following command to create multiple folders with the same name structure and press Enter: for /L %w in (1,1,10) do mkdir folder-%w

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

In the command, change "10" for the number of folders you want to create. Also, in Command Prompt, for the variable, use a single letter as shown in the command example above.

Here's a breakdown of the command:

1. for:  Runs the "for" loop to control the flow statement to execute a repetitive condition.
2. /L: This option specifies that the loop will repeat over multiple times.
3. %wc: This is a variable that will hold each value.
4. in (1,1,10): This part of the command specifies the number of folders to create. It starts at "1," increments by "1," and ends at "10."
5. do mkdir folder-%wc: This part of the command creates folders in the specified path. 

Using text file 

Before proceeding with these steps, create a file called "name-list.txt" with Notepad and make sure to create a list of the folders' names (one entry per line). 

To leverage Command Prompt to create multiple folders from a list on a text file, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to open a specific location and press Enter: cd c:/path/to/folder

In the command, specify the path to the location where you want to create the folders. 

1. Type the following command to create multiple folders from a list in a text file and press Enter: for /f "tokens=*" %w in (folders.txt) do mkdir "%w"

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

In the command, change "folders.txt" for the name of the text file with names you want to use.

Here's a breakdown of the command:

• for:  Runs the "for" loop to control the flow statement to execute a repetitive condition.
• /f: This option means that the loop will process the output of a command or the contents of a file.
• "tokens=*": This part of the command specifies that the entire line should be treated as a single token.
• %wc: This is the variable that will hold each line of the file name-list.txt.
• in (name-list.txt): This specifies the file from which to read the lines.
• do mkdir "%wc": This part of the command creates a folder with the name specified by each line in the file.

After you complete the steps, the command will create the folders according to your configuration.

It's important to note that these commands are meant to be run inside the console. If you're trying to create a batch file, the variables should be written as "%%wc," not "%wc."

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Why to use Android as a webcam on Windows 11?

There are several reasons why someone might want to use their Android phone as a webcam:

1. Many modern smartphones have high-quality cameras to capture better video than a built-in webcam on a laptop or desktop computer.
2. Using an Android phone as a webcam allows for more flexible positioning and angles, as the phone can be moved around and placed in different locations. This can be especially useful for video conferencing, streaming, or recording video content.
3. Instead of purchasing a separate webcam, using an Android phone as a webcam can be a cost-effective alternative, especially if the phone is already owned.
4. Some apps that enable Android phones to be used as webcams offer additional features, such as the ability to use the phone’s microphone, adjust camera settings, or add filters and effects to the video.

Prerequisites:

• Android phone running Android 14 or newer OS.
• The original USB cable is for connecting your phone to your PC.
• Windows 11 PC with Insider access.

Method 1: Using Android’s built-in webcam feature

You will be requiring a USB cable for this step. Make sure that both the ports of your mobile and your PC are functioning, including the cable.

1. Connect your Android phone to your PC

• Use the USB cable to connect your Android phone to your Windows 11 PC.

2. Enable Webcam Mode on your Android phone:

• If you want to use your Android phone as a webcam, simply tap on the USB connection notification when prompted. Then select Manage to access USB Preferences and choose the Webcam feature.

3. Configure your phone as a webcam:

• To begin, your phone must disconnect and reconnect with your PC. 
• Once you have reconnected, open the Camera app on your PC. 
• Finally, click the Switch button in the Camera app to change your phone’s camera input.

Your Android phone is now acting as a webcam on your Windows 11 PC, providing superior video quality compared to most built-in laptop webcams.

Method 2: Using a third-party app (DroidCam)

If you don’t want to use the previous method and want to go to the third-party app, have a go at this.

1. Download and Install DroidCam:

• Install the DroidCam app on your Android phone from Google Play Store.
• Install the DroidCam Windows client on your PC from the developer’s website.

2. Connect your devices:

• Launch the DroidCam app on your Android phone and note the Wi-Fi IP.

• Open the DroidCam Windows client on your PC and enter the Wi-Fi IP.
• Start the connection.

3. Adjust settings for HD quality (optional):

• Upgrade to DroidCam’s paid version for HD resolution.
• Ensure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Method 3: Using Phone Link and Link to Windows apps (currently only available for Windows Insiders)

1. Install Phone Link and Link to Windows Apps

• Make sure your Windows 11 PC has the Phone Link app installed. You should be a Windows Insider.
• Install the Link to Windows app from the Google Play Store on your Android phone.

2. Connect your devices

• Allow your PC to access your Android phone in Bluetooth & device settings.
• Enable the Phone Link on your PC.
• Click Start on your Windows 11 computer, then navigate to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices. Choose Manage Devices and grant access to your Android phone.
• You need to activate Phone Link in Bluetooth & devices > Phone Link.

3. Utilize both cameras for web conferencing

• Once connected, you can switch between your phone’s front and back cameras for video conferencing.

Conclusion

With your Android phone now serving as a webcam for your Windows 11 PC, you’ve upgraded your video conferencing. Whether you’ve chosen Android’s native webcam feature, a third-party app like DroidCam, or the Phone Link and Link to Windows apps for Windows Insiders, the setup is simple.

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The blog post states:

We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 26080.1201 (KB5037135) to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline.

This is, of course, not the first time this has happened. Microsoft occasionally releases these service updates to test its Insider update system.

This has been a very busy week for Windows updates. It began on March 12 with new Patch Tuesday releases for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

On March 13. Microsoft released a joint Windows 11 update for Dev and Canary channel users with the build number 26080. This was a huge update that offered the first public preview release of the unified Microsoft Teams app for Windows, which will allow users to seamlessly switch between personal and business Teams accounts. This new version will even let users access both their personal and work Team accounts at the same time via new icons on the taskbar.

The new Dev-Canary build also includes some more Copilot additions and improvements, including Power Automate. There was also a new Windows Server Insider Preview 26080 build released the same day, but it only removed one known issue from previous versions.

On March 13, a new Windows Insider Beta channel build, with the number 22635.3350, was also dropped. This was a fairly small update that added a feature that puts the most frequently used app in the Windows 11 Start menu.

Finally, on March 14, a new Windows 10 Release Preview build, with the number 19045.4233, was released. It added the Windows Spotlight feature for the desktop background, more content to the lock screen, and a number of bug fixes.

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For those of you who are unfamiliar with the CSV format, it stands for Comma-separated values. As the name suggests, this is a text file format that separates the information in that file with commas. It's used and supported quite a bit in a number of spreadsheet programs.

In a post on the Microsoft 365 Insider blog, the company says that Excel web users can launch a new spreadsheet, or open an existing one, and then click on the File menu. They can then click on the Export option, and then they can click on Download this sheet as CSV (.csv) to complete the export process. This new feature is now live for all Excel web users:

Microsoft also offers some possible uses for Excel files that are exported into CSV files:

• Store structured data in a simple, human-readable format that can be easily backed up and retrieved.
• Transfer data between a spreadsheet app and a database management system.
• Exchange simple structured data between different apps that might not be directly compatible, such as a CRM.

The company recently announced that it had added support for syncing up data from Microsoft Forms quizzes and polls over to Excel on the web. It also added improvements to the Catch Up feature in the recent past for the Excel web app, along with its Word and PowerPoint web versions.

In October 2023, Microsoft announced a number of new additions to the Excel web app. They included a new Insert Function Dialog, along with Parentheses Coupling, Value Preview, and support for monospaced font for editing formulas.

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What is new in Microsoft Edge Dev 124.0.2450.2?

Added features:  

 

• Implemented a Bing search box on the error message page.

 

Improved Reliability:

 

• Fixed an issue where the browser would crash after logging in and synchronizing with the AAD account upon accessing a URL for the first time.
• Fixed an issue that triggered a browser crash when clicking profile in private mode.
• iOS: Fixed an issue that caused browser to crash when signing out from AAD account.

 

Changed behavior:

 

• Resolved a problem with layout distortion when expanding or collapsing a tab group in vertical tabs.
• Resolved a voice launch issue with the mic button in the search box in NTP.
• Updated the title of "Microsoft Office" pin site to "Microsoft 365" in the Pinning Soft FRE screen.
• Resolved the problem of a red box appearing next to the Magnify Image option in the context menu.
• Fixed an issue that caused Copilot to malfunction when switching back and forth between MSA and AAD accounts.
• Fixed an issue that made browser copilot display a red dot in a different tab.
• Resolved a problem with the “Open in sidebar” feature not working in the tab’s menu.
• Fixed an issue where white margins appeared on the QR code on the continuity dialog of Desktop.
• Fixed an issue that caused the font size to remain unchanged on a few FRE Screens after increasing the font size to the maximum.
• Restarting and refreshing the edge://settings/splitScreen page resulted in a blank page. This problem has been resolved.
• iOS: Fixed an issue that adjusted the cursor position to avoid overlapping with the delete icon for long queries.

 

Android:

 

• Resolved an issue where Copilot Chat failed to open when users clicked on the “Try It Now” or “Try Free” image creation buttons, causing the browser to freeze.
• Fixed an issue where the icon was not visible on the Manage Extensions page in private browsing mode.
• Fixed an issue where the “Terms of Use” and “Privacy Policy” links did not respond to clicks.

The Microsoft Edge Insider program is open to everyone using Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS, Linux, and Android. You can download the latest release from the official website.

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Microsoft is back to its classic tactics of harassing users to make them switch from competing services. Multiple posts on Reddit and other social media report that the company is once pedaling malware-like popup banners asking Chrome users to set Bing as the default search engine in exchange for free access to GPT-4.

The concept is not new. In 2023, Microsoft promoted Bing and Microsoft Rewards using the same tactic but pulled it shortly after, claiming it was unintended. The same "unintended" banner is now back in the same form. Totally intended this time.

Adware like this is pretty common on Windows, which is why affected customers worry if their PCs are exposed to malware. In a statement to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the banner is legit and that it is a "one-time notification" that offers people "the choice to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome." Caitlin Roulston, Microsoft's director of communication, highlighted that the company "values providing its customers with choice," so there is a generously provided dismiss button. Yay, the choice!

Despite constant assurances that it values users and their feedback, Microsoft does not show any signs of willingness to take a step back. Microsoft Edge still injects massive banners on the official Chrome website, and it was even caught red-handed stealing user data from Chrome. Microsoft, however, said the latter was a bug that the company later fixed in a Microsoft Edge update.

After investing billions into OpenAI and creating Copilot, Microsoft is trying hard to make customers use it. Besides full-blown Copilot Pro ads (even on the lock screen), the company is testing questionable practices like opening Copilot when your system starts or when you hover the cursor over the Copilot icon.

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In a blog post, Microsoft announced that it will launch a preview of Office LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) 2024 sometime in April for businesses and organizations. It stated:

New features for Office LTSC 2024 include: new meeting creation options and search enhancements in Outlook, dozens of new Excel features and functions including Dynamic Charts and Arrays; and improved performance, security, and accessibility.

The blog post added that the new Office LTSC 2024 will not include the Microsoft Teams app. It also won't include Microsoft Publisher. The company had already announced that it would shut down support for Publisher in 2026.

Office LTSC 2024 will enter general availability sometime later in the year. The blog post added that when that happens, users can expect five years of support. It also said that prices for Office LTSC Professional Plus, Office LTSC Standard, Office LTSC Embedded, and the individual Office apps will be going up by up to 10 percent compared to the previous Office release.

Microsoft also confirmed plans for a consumer version of Office 2024, which will launch later this year. It will get the same five-year lifecycle, but there will be no price increases.

Microsoft did confirm that Office 2024 will support both Windows 10 and 11, and that there will be both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. A Mac version will also be released. More info on the consumer Office 2024 will be revealed in the coming months. However, the company did confirm it does plan to release another stand alone Office version after the 2024 edition.

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For those unfamiliar, Visual Studio App Center is a set of cloud tools and services that help developers create, test, distribute, monitor, and maintain applications on Windows, iOS, Android, and other platforms.

Besides warning about the upcoming end of support, Microsoft published a list of alternatives for different parts of Visual Studio App Center. They include the following:

You can find more information about Visual Studio App Center on its official website, which does not mention any discontinuation plans.

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Here are the release notes:

Release Highlights

 

• Bug fixes.

 

Known Issues

 

• Some driver names on a non-English OS may appear in English.
• The Uninstall Summary may incorrectly display the uninstall status as Failed.
• Occasionally, Ryzen PPKG may not install/upgrade.

AMD Ryzen Chipset drivers include over 20 different drivers for various parts of compatible motherboards. In version 6.02.07.2300, the following drivers have been updated:

AMD Ryzen Chipset driver 6.02.07.2300 is available to all users with motherboards based on the AM4 and AM5 sockets:

Processor support includes the 7th Gen AMD A-Series, all existing Ryzen desktop and mobile chips (including APUs and the Ryzen 8000 series), and Ryzen Threadripper/Threadripper PRO processors.

Note that even though all AM4/AM5 motherboards support Windows 11, the operating system is not compatible with the first-gen Ryzen and Threadripper chips, the Ryzen 2000G and 2000U series, and the seventh-gen AMD A-Series APUs.

You can download AMD Ryzen Chipset Driver 6.02.07.2300 from the official website. Full release notes are available here.

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Here is the changelog:

• New! This update adds Windows Spotlight to your desktop background. This feature displays new images as your desktop wallpaper. If you want to know more about an image, click or tap the Learn More button, which takes you to Bing. To turn on this feature, go to Settings > Personalization > Background > Personalize your background. Choose Windows spotlight. Note this feature might not be available to all users because it will roll out gradually.
• New! This update adds more content to your lock screen. In addition to weather, sports, traffic, and finance content will appear. To turn on this feature, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. Note this feature might not be available to all users because it will roll out gradually.
• New! This update affects Windows Hello for Business. IT admins can now use mobile device management (MDM) to turn off the prompt that appears when users sign in to an Entra-joined machine. To do this, they can turn on the “DisablePostLogonProvisioning” policy setting. After a user signs in, provisioning is off for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.
• When you sign in, you might see a message that invites you to upgrade to Windows 11. This message only appears if your device is eligible for an upgrade. Note this feature might not be available to all users because it will roll out gradually.
• This update supports daylight saving time (DST) changes in Palestine. To learn more, see Interim guidance for DST changes announced by Palestinian Authority for 2024, 2025.
• This update supports daylight saving time (DST) changes in Kazakhstan. To learn more, see Interim guidance for Kazakhstan time zone changes 2024.
• This update supports daylight saving time (DST) changes in Samoa. To learn more, see Interim guidance for Samoa DST changes 2021.
• This update changes the English name of the former Republic of Turkey. The new, official name is the Republic of Türkiye.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the COM+ component. Some applications that depend on it stop responding.
• This update addresses an issue that stops some apps and features from being available. This occurs after you upgrade to Windows 11.
• This update addresses a deadlock issue in CloudAP. It occurs when different users sign in and sign out at the same time on virtual machines.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a network resource. You cannot access it from a Remote Desktop session. This occurs when you turn on the Remote Credential Guard feature and the client is Windows 11, version 22H2 or higher.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge. It fails to open on Surface Hub (Team OS).
• This update affects the Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) AmsiUtil class. It helps to detect the bypass of the AMSI scan. This update also addresses some long-term issues that expose your device to threats.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the time service. You can configure it using mobile device management (MDM) or a Group Policy Object (GPO). But the Windows Settings app does not match what you have configured.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard. It does not open sometimes.
• This update addresses an issue that occurs when you use LoadImage() to load a top-down bitmap. If the bitmap has a negative height, the image does not load and the function returns NULL.
• This update addresses an issue that affects scanners. They stop responding when you connect to them using eSCL over USB.
• This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for some mobile operators.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the existing AppLocker rule collection enforcement mode. It is not overwritten when rules merge with a collection that has no rules. This occurs when the enforcement mode is set to “Not Configured.”
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Group Policy service. It fails after you use LGPO.exe to apply an audit policy to the system.
• This update addresses a reliability issue. It affects a Virtual Remote App product when you use a custom shell to open it.

You can check out the full blog post here.

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But is that true?

I’ve decided to look into this matter and explore the service’s features, customer support, pricing, interface, and more. Let’s see what it’s made of!

Features

I’ve been familiar with Ashampoo WinOptimizer for many years. Recently, I’ve tested its latest version (v26) and noticed a lot of improved and fresh new features. Among them, these are the most notable ones:

One-click Optimization

The one-click optimizer is the tool you’ll probably use the most. After a brief analysis, you can click the Optimize button. This makes it similar to CCleaner and IObit Advanced SystemCare.

By hitting that button, you’ll apply all the optimizations instantly. However, you can also choose to apply optimization on specific parts if you want to play safe. The One-click option may overoptimize and delete files you might want to keep.

Even though in my test it worked great, the result may not be the same for all cases. For example, it can clear the browsing data which isn’t ideal for all users.

System Analysis and Scan

Like other PC cleaner tools, WinOptimizer features a powerful system analysis function. Although it can analyze the entire system with a single click, you can be specific as well.

I noticed options to check or uncheck the things you don’t want to scan on your system. Also, you can exclude browsing data for analysis, so the One-Click optimization doesn’t clear them.

However, unlike CCleaner, it offers fewer options to tick and untick. Apart from this, the analysis and scan feature works pretty well. Also, it’s surprisingly fast.

Find and Delete Sensitive Data

You can select which files should be deleted permanently and make them unrecoverable.

On top of that, its browser cleaner can delete browsing traces permanently. You can also use its dedicated Privacy Traces Cleaner.

I’ve also found a file recovery feature on this app. It works for basic cases. However, you can’t expect the same level of performance compared to dedicated data recovery tools like Stellar Data Recovery.

Drive Cleaner

Drive Cleaner lets you remove unnecessary items from any disk drive, not just the system drive.

Overall, Ashampoo has done a good job here. This feature helps free up disk space on a Windows machine.

Built-in Uninstaller

If you need to uninstall any program, you can do it directly from WinOptimizer. Its built-in uninstaller works for both desktop and store apps. However, it’s very basic.

So, unlike Revo Uninstaller, IObit Uninstaller, or even the Ashampoo Uninstaller, you won’t get significant benefits here. The only advantage you’ll get is the unified system from where you can uninstall all types of apps on Windows 11 and 10.

Registry Optimizer

Unlike CCleaner, this feature is only available on the paid edition of Ashampoo WinOptimizer. On the brighter side, it groups and shows the registry entries based on categories. So, if you choose to delete a specific type of data from there, this grouping will help.

On CCleaner, I saw an option for manual backup of registry entries. But, here, it happens automatically.

Boot Process Optimizer

One of the most significant features of WinOptimizer is the boot process optimizer. It basically detects which services are loaded during the boot process, what configuration your system is using, etc. You can disable or enable features and make some tweaks to speed up the overall boot process.

It didn’t bring a very noticeable difference to my system, as it’s already pretty fast. For a slower system, the improvement may be more visible.

Backups

While reviewing WinOptimizer, I wasn’t sure what this feature’s purpose was at first. Then I realized that every time you apply any optimizations, this app backs up the most vital files first. As a result, if required, you can restore from here.

No matter what, backup will always work and there’s no way to disable it. However, you can configure the auto-delete option to back up files within certain intervals.

Additional Features

WinOptimizer has a dedicated section called All Modules.

There, you can see Maintain system, Improve performance, Customize Windows, Analyze system, File tools, and Administrative tools categories.

Under each of these groups, there are multiple tools such as:

• Duplicate files finder
• Display system information
• Speed benchmark
• Defragment drives
• Managing Windows services
• System restore points.

However, Unlike IObit Advanced SystemCare, it doesn’t offer a software updater. Though it’s not an essential tool, this could still make it more appealing.

Another thing I should mention is even if you install its free version, you’ll need to sign up for an Ashampoo Account. I’ve not seen this on CCleaner or System Mechanic. Even though it’s free to sign up, it’s still extra work.

Interface

The Ashampoo WinOptimizer features a very well-balanced, modern, and playful user interface. Most importantly, it’ll look intuitive even to a non-technical user.

You can use this tool in both light and dark modes. However, I’ve not seen any option to sync the modes with Windows 11’s system preference.

Customer Support

In my experience, the customer support team is pretty responsive. Whether it’s for a refund or a technical issue, they’ll come up with help.

During the review period, I contacted the Ashampoo WinOptimizer support team using the proper channel. They didn’t know it was for review. Surprisingly, I got an accurate response within 17 minutes. That was fast!

Nevertheless, you may encounter delays if you approach them with serious technical problems.

Moreover, the support portal is also full of helpful content.

However, there’s no live chat and phone call option. As a result, it’s hard to get an instant response. You’ll need to wait for their email response after you initiate a support request.

Pricing

Ashampoo uses a freemium model for WinOptimizer’s pricing. This means it has a free version with basic features and a paid version with all advanced features.

Overall, the pricing seems very flexible to me. To understand it clearly, have a look at the following table:

The paid version also comes with a 30-day free trial with no payment information requirement.

You can get a 30-day money-back guarantee for WinOptimizer purchases. The refund policy is also clear. If you aren’t satisfied or have purchased it by mistake, you can issue a refund.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer Review – Verdict

All things considered, most of my findings were positive. In my eyes, Ashampoo’s one is well-balanced featurewise.

However, there are some areas where you might find it lacking. For example, system analysis, file recovery, and the built-in uninstaller aren’t that impressive.

I suggest you try its trial version first and decide whether you should upgrade or try something different. Hopefully, this Ashampoo WinOptimizer review has satisfied your curiosity!

Source

WinOptimizer 25 Giveaway (the above review is of 26)

To comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple introduced a new feature in iOS 17.4 that asks EU users to pick a default web browser from a list that includes Brave, among other options.

This new screen will prompt users to select a default browser from browsers that are popular in their country when they open Safari for the first time after installing the update.

For a browser to be listed as a choice, it must meet specific requirements, like having over 5,000 downloads in the EU App Store the year before. Also, if a company offers several browser apps, only its most downloaded app can appear on the list.

The choice screen will show up to 11 of the most downloaded browsers from the previous year in a randomized order, including Safari.

Apple plans to update this list yearly based on the most recent metrics.

Brave pointed out that, after the update, there was a noticeable jump in the number of people installing Brave on their iOS devices in the EU.

"Why did Apple and Google make it hard to switch default browsers for so many years? Because it's a powerful way to block competitors," tweeted Brave. 

"Just look at what happened to Brave installs on iPhone in the EU when Apple rolled out a new default browser choice screen on March 6th:"

On X, Brave shared an image of a line graph showing the number of Brave browser installations on iOS from mid-January to early March.

The daily installs fluctuate around 7,500 to 10,000 for most of the period. However, on March 6th, after the iOS update was released, there was a sharp increase in installations, soaring to just over 11,000.

This spike in installations coincides with Apple's introduction of a new choice screen for default browsers on iOS devices in the EU.

Brave claims that this significant increase in users choosing Brave as their default browser is due to the new feature introduced by Apple to comply with the EU DMA.

"Monopoly defenders argue that the monopolies simply offer better products. But as you can see, when consumers get a clear choice of iOS browsers, they're choosing alternatives to Safari," noted in their Twitter thread.

"Maybe that's why Google still hasn't implemented a browser choice screen on Android."

In a follow-up post, Brave asked Google to give users an easy choice to change the default browser.

In December 2023, Proton announced that it had launched beta versions of a new Mail desktop app for Windows and Mac platforms. Today, the company revealed those desktop apps are now officially available in non-beta versions.

In a blog post, Proton stated the new Windows and Mac desktop apps still contain the same high-security features found in the Mail apps on the web and on mobile devices. That includes things like "zero-access encryption and end-to-end encryption, protection against trackers and phishing attempts" and Proton Sentinel, which is Proton's even higher security account protection system.

If you are using another email app or service like Outlook or Gmail, the new desktop Proton Mail apps have a feature called Easy Switch. It will import older emails from Outlook or Gmail and will forward any new Gmail messages to the Proton Mail app.

The desktop apps also support the recently released feature that generates random email addresses for users who want to keep their identity a secret.

In addition to the official launches of the Proton Mail desktop apps for Windows and Mac, the company has also launched a version of the app for Linux users. That app is currently labeled as a beta version. All three desktop apps can be downloaded from Proton's web site.

The Windows and Mac Proton Mail desktop apps can be used for free for 14 days. After that, users must purchase a Proton Mail plan to continue using those apps. Pricing for those plans begins at $4.99 a month.

The company recently launched a Windows desktop app for its Proton Pass password manager. The company says it will release Proton Pass apps for macOS and Linux platforms sometime later in 2024. It also launched a Windows app for its Proton Drive encrypted cloud file storage service in July 2023.

Source

This is a pretty minor Beta channel release. It includes a small but new feature that will put your most frequently used app in the Windows 11 Start menu in the Recommended section. It also fixes a couple of issues from previous builds.

Here is the change log:

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

 

[Taskbar]

 

• Fixed an issue where uncombined taskbar icons were cutting off the title instead of adjusting 0with the title length.

 

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to everyone in the Beta Channel

 

[Start menu]

 

• We are beginning to try out a change where we will show your most frequently used app under the Recommended section in the Start menu. This will apply for most frequently used apps that are not already pinned to the Start menu (or taskbar).

 

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

 

• Fixed an issue in File Explorer where hovering over the first picture in Gallery would make a tooltip appear that would never dismiss.

You can check out the full blog post here.

Microsoft has been busy releasing new Beta Channel builds every few days for the last few releases. Previous builds have included a new badging experience for Widgets, along with a new hover experience for the Copilot logo on the Windows 11 taskbar. The last Beta Channel update before today added a way to show users some actions they can do in Copilot if they copied a piece of text, such as summarizing that text, explain it or just send it off to Copilot Chat. It will be interesting to see what other small features will be included in the next Beta release.

Source

The new build is a major update as it brings a new single Teams app, and fixes several bugs and issues across multiple applications. These are related to the Taskbar, Task Manager, File Explorer, as well as the Windows Update, and more. The full changelog is given below:

Two important notes:

 

• If you’re experiencing an issue with Settings crashing or not loading the Windows Update settings page to download and install Build 26080 – you may have to reboot to correct the issue.
• Insiders on Build 26080 and higher who have Dev Drives should no longer see their Dev Drives breaking when rolling back as long as you roll back to Build 26063 and higher. (Insiders in the Dev Channel will need to wait for another new build to get released to ensure rollback happens to build that has this issue fixed.)

 

The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the times in which the Canary and Dev Channels are on the same builds (e.g. Build 26080), the window is open for Insiders in the Canary Channel to switch to the Dev Channel. At some point in the future, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed.

 

NOTE: Some features may begin rolling out to the Canary Channel first before the Dev Channel even if the two channels have the same build.

What’s new in Build 26080

Updates to Microsoft Teams in Windows 11

 

Starting with Windows 11, version 24H2, Teams users will get access to a preview experience of the new, unified Microsoft Teams experience on Windows. In this preview, Microsoft Teams will be available as a single application, enabling users to seamlessly switch between multiple cloud environments, tenants, and account types across personal and work. This new, unified application will soon be rolled out to commercial customers as well, through the normal update process. To add or access additional accounts, select your profile picture at the upper right corner of Teams when you sign into Teams.

 

Teams work user interface showing the Me control open with both work and personal account.

 

We received consistent feedback from personal and work users: you prefer a single Teams app that allows you to easily access and switch between personal and work accounts. This update lets you use one app for all kinds of Teams accounts.

 

Teams personal account user interface over Teams work user interface.

 

You can join any Teams meeting with ease. In upcoming builds, when you are joining a meeting, you can select the account you want to use. You will also be able to join a meeting without signing in.

 

Teams user selecting which account to use to join a meeting.

 

Notifications have been improved, showing which Teams account they belong to. In addition, personal notifications have more details, giving clear and easy actions from the notification banner.

 

A Teams notification that someone is calling.

 

You can now launch personal and work accounts simultaneously with separate icons on the taskbar. We listened to users about their communication needs in various aspects of their lives and how they want to use Teams. The feedback was clear that a multi-window experience is preferred.

 

Other things to know:

 

• This unified preview app experience is labeled “Microsoft Teams (work or school)”. The app name will be automatically updated to “Microsoft Teams” in future releases.
• This is a preview release, and you will notice some changes from your current experience using Microsoft Teams (free) and Microsoft Teams (work or school). These changes and more updates will continue until we reach general availability. Notably in this release, Teams will launch into a separate icon for single accounts.
• We will remove the standalone consumer app, “Microsoft Teams (free)”, in future releases.
• If you lose access to either Teams applications through use of the Windows Insiders Program, you can access your preferred Teams application from this download page.
• For Enterprise Admins, the ability to sign in with Microsoft accounts will be part of a normal monthly update, there is no new app to install if you have new Teams. The functionality is targeted for preview in April and general availability in May. The ability for users to sign in with Microsoft accounts will follow all sign in restriction polices as it has for all versions of Teams. Admins can learn more in Message Center (MC719659).

 

Improvements to Copilot in Windows* now rolling out to more Windows Insiders

 

We have been trying out a new runtime for Copilot in Windows* that allows you to manage more settings via Copilot, including accessibility-focused settings, and use Power Automate Desktop through Copilot! We are now rolling out these Copilot in Windows improvements to more Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel (which first began rolling out on 2/20) and beginning to roll these improvements out to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

 

More built-in capabilities via Copilot in Windows

 

Try asking Copilot to turn on Narrator or Live Captions, turn on battery saver, show you available networks, even empty your recycle bin or clean up your storage. Here’s the full list of things you can ask Copilot to do!

 

New with this update:

 

• Ask for available wireless networks.
• Ask for system or device information.
• Ask for battery information.
• Ask to clean storage.
• Ask to empty recycle bin.
• Ask to toggle battery saver.
• Ask to show startup apps.
• Ask for your IP address.
• Ask for system, device, or storage information.

 

Try accessibility features:

 

• Ask to turn on narrator.
• Ask to open voice access.
• Ask to turn on magnifier.
• Ask to change text size.
• Ask to start live captions.
• Ask to turn on high-contrast.
• Ask to start voice typing.

 

Already live, now on the new runtime:

 

• Ask to toggle dark/light theme.
• Ask to toggle Bluetooth.
• Ask to toggle do not disturb.
• Ask to add a device.
• Ask to take a screenshot.
• Ask to cast your screen to another monitor.
• Ask to change your background image.
• Ask to set volume, change volume, or mute/unmute volume.
• Ask to launch an application.
• State that certain parts of your PC aren’t working: Audio, Windows Update, Camera, Bluetooth, Printer, Network, others.
• Ask to snap a window.
• Ask to start a focus session.

 

Introducing Power Automate via Copilot in Windows

 

Power Automate is a low-code automation solution that is part of the Power Platform. We’re excited to introduce the Power Automate plugin in Copilot in Windows. This first release of the plugin offers automation features for Excel, PDF manipulation and file management.

 

To use the plugin, download or update Power Automate Desktop to the latest version from the Microsoft Store. Currently plugins are only accessible if you are signed in to Copilot in Windows with a Microsoft account.

 

After you have Power Automate installed and you activate the plugin in the plugins section in Copilot in Windows, you can ask for tasks such as:

 

• Write an email to my team wishing everyone a happy weekend.
• List the top 5 highest mountains in the world in an Excel file.
• Rename all PDF files in a folder to add the word final at the end.
• Move all word documents to another folder.
• I need to split a PDF by the first page. Can you help?

 

Do you want to share your feedback on the Power Automate plugin or do you have other automation scenarios that you would like us to support? Feel free to contact us: [email protected].

 

[The rollout continues for these Copilot in Windows improvements to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels today, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet.]

 

FEEDBACK: Because of an issue with our feedback pipeline, please do not use the in-line feedback form that opens from thumbs up/down for these actions right now, and instead file feedback about using these in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Copilot in Windows.

Changes and Improvements

[Copilot in Windows*]

 

• We are beginning to roll-out an updated Copilot in Windows experience that adds the ability to switch between the existing “docked” behavior that attaches Copilot to the side of your desktop, and a new mode where it acts like a normal application window which you can resize and move around your screen. As part of this change, we’re also introducing some under-the-hood improvements as well. This experience is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel As always, please report any issues you experience to us via Feedback Hub.

 

Copilot in Windows undocked and shown next to Notepad like a normal application window.

 

[Taskbar & System Tray]

 

• You can turn on live captions more quickly by using the new quick setting. Just open quick settings from the system tray, scroll down, then select the live captions quick setting.

 

The new live captions quick setting highlighted with a red box in the quick settings flyout from the system on the taskbar.

 

• Updated the design of the progress bar under app icons to help make it easier to see. This will appear on the taskbar as well as the Start menu.

 

 

Design of progress bar under app icons has been updated to show a thin line under the colored progress bar to make it easier to see.

 

[File Explorer]

 

• When extracting files, if there is a file name conflict you can now choose to apply your selected action (skip, replace) for all conflicts.

 

New option highlighted for choosing to apply your selected action (skip, replace) for all conflicts when extracting files in File Explorer.

 

[Windows Update]

 

• Removed the What’s New link in Windows Update history for Windows Insiders – it will only show now for retail (released) versions of Windows. To check what’s new in Insider builds, please follow this blog.

 

Fixes for known issues

 

[General]

 

• IMPORTANT NOTE FOR DEV DRIVE USERS: Insiders on Build 26068 and higher who have Dev Drives should no longer see their Dev Drives breaking when rolling back as long as you roll back to Build 26063 and higher. Rolling back to earlier builds may still result in issues with Dev Drives.
• IMPORTANT NOTE: Fixed an issue causing Windows Update in Settings to not load or crash in Build 26063. If you are still on Build 26063 and encounter this, rebooting may resolve the issue. If it doesn’t, the update should still eventually download on its own – appreciate your patience.
• Fixed an issue for Narrator not working when setting up a device or in Advanced Startup.

 

[Copilot in Windows*]

 

• Fixed an issue where if you turned the Copilot icon off and back on in Settings never showed it on your taskbar again.

 

[Taskbar & System Tray]

 

• Fixed a memory leak related to showing the tooltip for the date and time in the taskbar when you had enabled additional clocks.

 

[File Explorer]

 

• Fixed an underlying issue believed to be the cause of some Insiders finding File Explorer had started freezing and using unexpectedly high CPU in the last couple builds. Please file feedback in the Feedback Hub if you continue experiencing this after upgrading.
• Fixed an issue where your preference for “Show extracted files when complete” when extracting files in File Explorer wasn’t persisting across upgrades.
• Fixed a timing issue where when you start a search from Home in File Explorer, it might unexpectedly show no results the first time you tried.
• Fixed an issue causing the Details view in File Explorer to be unexpectedly cramped in recent builds when using compact mode.
• Made a change to help address an issue where after a DWM crash, when you opened File Explorer it could just show a blank area on top instead of rendering the area correctly.
• Fixed an issue where the 7zip and ZIP compression options weren’t displaying correctly for Insiders with the English (United Kingdom) display language.

 

[Task Manager]

 

• Fixed an issue which could lead to your GPU showing as -1 in Task Manager.
• Fixed an issue where Task Manager may unexpectedly show no GPU % used (when that was not the case).
• Fixed an issue impacting Task Manager reliability.

 

[Audio]

 

• Fixed an issue causing HDMI connected devices to not have audio in the last few builds.

 

[Input]

 

• Fixed an issue causing the input switcher (WIN + Space) design to revert to an older style and draw in the wrong location.
• Fixed an issue where DWM could hang when writing with pen in Snipping Tool.
• Fixed a high hitting ctfmon.exe crash, which could impact the ability to input text.
• Fixed an issue where magnifier wasn’t following the mouse cursor when centered on screen in recent builds.
• Fixed an issue where mouse cursor shadows (if enabled) were not rendered correctly with large cursors.
• Fixed an issue where the mouse cursor was unexpectedly leaving a trail of mice on the screen.
• Fixed an issue which could lead to some mice and keyboards not working in safe mode.
• Fixed an issue where when waking your PC from sleep in Build 26063 the touchpad might be banged out in Device Manager, resulting in the mouse cursor not showing when you tried to use it.

 

[Settings]

 

• Fixed an issue where a Display Connection section was incorrectly showing up under Settings > System > Display > Graphics that when clicked, would crash Settings.
• Fixed an issue where a brightness slider might not show in Settings > System > Display in recent builds even though a brightness slider was available for you to use in Quick Settings.

 

[Other]

 

• Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to Snipping Tool hanging.
• Fixed an underlying dxgi.dll issue which led to some app and game crashes in Build 26058+.
• Fixed an underlying issue with winmmbase.dll which could lead to app crashes in Build 26058+.
• Fixed an issue related to tcpip.sys which was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP in the last few builds.
• Fixed an issue which was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION in the last few builds.
• Fixed an issue which was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION in the last few builds.
• Fixed an issue where if you attempted to use the Windows Update troubleshooter, it would show error 0x803C010A.

 

Known issues

 

[General]

 

• [IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GAMERS – UPDATED!] Most popular games should work correctly again in the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary and Dev Channels. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on the latest builds.
• [UPDATED] We’ve made some more changes to help reduce the number of rollbacks (with error code 0xC1900101) when installing the latest builds and are continuing to investigate reports. If your PC rolls back trying to install this build, please file feedback in Feedback Hub.
• In some cases, the File Explorer context menu no longer has the acrylic effect. This will be fixed in a future flight.
• We’re investigating reports of mouse cursor issues after installing Build 26058+, including that the cursor is disappearing in some apps. If you’re experiencing issues, please file feedback describing exactly what you’re seeing under Input and Language > Mouse in the Feedback Hub. This build includes a number of fixes to help with recent reports.
• When opening the context menu in File Explorer, the icons may appear out of place and overlapping text.
• [NEW] Running the command “sudo pwsh” won’t work properly in this build.

 

[Copilot in Windows*]

 

• [NEW] Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window noted in the above blog post.
• [NEW] Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window noted in the above blog post.
• [NEW] When Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot to less than half of the width of your screen usually fixes this issue.

Source

This big, weathered box contains an oddball piece of PC history: one of the last builds of IBM's OS/2 that

Microsoft worked on before pivoting all of its attention to Windows.

Neozeed

 

In the annals of PC history, IBM’s OS/2 represents a road not taken. Developed in the waning days of IBM’s partnership with Microsoft—the same partnership that had given us a decade or so of MS-DOS and PC-DOS—OS/2 was meant to improve on areas where DOS was falling short on modern systems. Better memory management, multitasking capabilities, and a usable GUI were all among the features introduced in version 1.x.

 

But Microsoft was frustrated with some of IBM’s goals and demands, and the company continued to develop an operating system called Windows on its own. Where IBM wanted OS/2 to be used mainly to boost IBM-made PCs and designed it around the limitations of Intel's 80286 CPU, Windows was being created with the booming market for PC-compatible clones in mind. Windows 1.x and 2.x failed to make much of a dent, but 1990’s Windows 3.0 was a hit, and it came preinstalled on many consumer PCs; Microsoft and IBM broke off their partnership shortly afterward, making OS/2 version 1.2 the last one publicly released and sold with Microsoft’s involvement.

 

But Microsoft had done a lot of work on version 2.0 of OS/2 at the same time as it was developing Windows. It was far enough along that preview screenshots appeared in PC Magazine, and early builds were shipped to developers who could pay for them, but it was never formally released to the public.

 

But software archaeologist Neozeed recently published a stable internal preview of Microsoft’s OS/2 2.0 to the Internet Archive, along with working virtual machine disk images for VMware and 86Box. The preview, bought by Brian Ledbetter on eBay for $650 plus $15.26 in shipping, dates to July 1990 and would have cost developers who wanted it a whopping $2,600. A lot to pay for a version of an operating system that would never see the light of day!

 

The Microsoft-developed build of OS/2 2.0 bears only a passing resemblance to the 32-bit version of OS/2 2.0 that IBM finally shipped on its own in April 1992. Neozeed has published a more thorough exploration of Microsoft's version, digging around in its guts and getting some early Windows software running (the ability to run DOS and Windows apps was simultaneously a selling point of OS/2 and a reason for developers not to create OS/2-specific apps, one of the things that helped to doom OS/2 in the end). It's a fascinating detail from a turning point in the history of the PC as we know it today, but as a usable desktop operating system, it leaves something to be desired.

 

This unreleased Microsoft-developed OS/2 build isn’t the first piece of Microsoft-related software history that has been excavated in the last few months. In January, an Internet Archive user discovered and uploaded an early build of 86-DOS, the software that Microsoft bought and turned into MS-DOS/PC-DOS for the original IBM PC 5150. Funnily enough, these unreleased previews serve as bookends for IBM and Microsoft's often-contentious partnership.

 

As part of the "divorce settlement" between Microsoft and IBM, IBM would take over the development and maintenance of OS/2 1.x and 2.x while Microsoft continued to work on a more advanced far-future version 3.0 of OS/2. This operating system was never released as OS/2, but it would eventually become Windows NT, Microsoft’s more stable business-centric version of Windows. Windows NT merged with the consumer versions of Windows in the early 2000s with Windows 2000 and Windows XP, and those versions gradually evolved into Windows as we know it today.

 

It has been 18 years since IBM formally discontinued its last release of OS/2, but as so often happens in computing, the software has found a way to live on. ArcaOS is a semi-modernized, intermittently updated branch of OS/2 updated to run on modern hardware while still supporting the ability to run MS-DOS and 16-bit Windows apps.

 

Source

The Sidebar in Microsoft Edge is one of my favorite features in the browser. I use it like a phone within my browser that syncs to all my services, such as Telegram, Spotify, and Instagram. It's also handy for other things, such as searching the web without leaving your current window and sending files to yourself through the Edge Drop feature (which is arguably the best Edge feature you aren't using). But while I like the Edge Sidebar, it has some flaws that need to be taken care of.

I fear that the Edge Sidebar has been placed on the back burner in favor of Copilot, likely due in part to the fact that Copilot takes up the same space within Edge as the Sidebar. A few small changes to the Sidebar could go a long way to improve it and, in one case, restore it to its former glory.

1. Allow Edge's Sidebar in one window

You can only have the Sidebar on or off within Edge; it can't appear within a single window. (Image credit: Future)

Maybe I'm just misusing Edge's Sidebar, but I can't imagine a time when I'd want the Sidebar open within two Edge windows simultaneously. Even if there are people who like having the Sidebar appear on every window, it doesn't make sense for that to be the only option.

Microsoft added the option to show vertical tabs for all current browser windows or vertical tabs in a specific window, so the company is clearly okay with letting people have different Edge windows appear differently. Adding the same option for having the Sidebar appear in all windows, or just one, would go a long way.

2. Let us detach the Sidebar on Windows

Microsoft Edge used to let you detach the Sidebar from the browser, allowing you to summon the Sidebar

from your desktop. (Image credit: Future)

For a brief period, Microsoft allowed users to detach the Sidebar on Microsoft Edge. This gave instant access to any web apps, websites, or tools within your personalized Sidebar straight on the desktop. It was a glorious period, as I could open up my favorite sites with a keyboard shortcut regardless of where I was on my PC.

Sadly, the detach Sidebar from Edge feature appears to have been eaten by Copilot. Opening Copilot from the desktop summons the AI tool in the same space as where the Edge Sidebar used to appear when detached. I imagine Microsoft doesn't want apps competing for that space, so it has leaned toward Copilot.

As far as I can tell, Microsoft has scrapped any plans to let you detach the Sidebar from Edge. It's no longer available on my system, at least on Edge Canary or Edge Dev. There also don't appear to be any flags about that option.

3. Let us rearrange sites and tools freely

Customization of the Edge Sidebar is limited and clunky. (Image credit: Future)

It's possible to change which tools and websites appear with the Edge Sidebar, but you don't have full control over their order. Even getting the sites you want within the Sidebar is a bit clunky. You need to add an item to quick access and pin it to the Sidebar. Doing so places the most recently pinned site at the top of your websites, and you can't drag and drop the sites into a customized order.

On top of your sites, quite literally, Edge places its own tools above any website you have pinned. However, the tools appear in a predetermined order in contrast to how you control your sites. There's a hierarchy of Edge Sidebar tools, which is the order they appear within Edge's settings page.

Combine those two setups, and you will end up with a list of sites that can only be below any tools you have pinned and can't appear in your preferred order. Plus, changing the site's order is entirely different from how arranging tools works, but neither of the setups is intuitive.

May I suggest Microsoft takes a page from its own playbook and makes the Edge Sidebar work like the Start menu on Windows? The Start menu has been around for a few decades, so I bet Microsoft could use its drag-and-drop expertise from there to improve the Sidebar in Edge.

Update: March 13, 2024 at 9:35 AM: Microsoft is testing the option to rearrange items in the Sidebar. Leo Varela highlighted the feature and shared a video of it in action.

Microsoft, please don't sideline Sidebar

Microsoft's Copilot uses the same space on the Windows 11 desktop as the Edge Sidebar. (Image credit: Windows Central)

The Sidebar is one of my favorite features within Edge, and I'm not alone. Our Managing Editor Richard Devine said the Edge Sidebar changed how he works every day. I've watched the development of the Edge Sidebar closely and like many of the choices Microsoft made regarding the feature. But with Copilot in the limelight, I worry that Microsoft will leave the Edge Sidebar behind. I hope that's not the case and that Microsoft continues to improve Sidebar, which provides a unique experience and enhances web browsing.

By giving users more control over the Sidebar in Edge, Microsoft will make the feature feel more like an extension of the browsing experience rather than a placeholder until the company figures out how to fully integrate Copilot.

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With the latter, aside from security patches, Microsoft has fixed an issue which was causing installation problems with the previous Windows 11 Patch Tuesday release (KB5034765). On affected systems, it would display a "0x800F0922" error message and fail at around 96%. At the time, Microsoft could not quite get to the bottom of the issue but did provide a detailed workaround.

On the patch notes, the company says:

This update addresses a known issue that might affect the February 2024 security and preview updates. They might not install, and your device might stop responding at 96%. The error code is "0x800F0922.” The error message is, “Something did not go as planned. No need to worry – undoing changes. Please keep your computer on.”

And in case you miss that, the company has also updated its Windows health dashboard website that tracks known bugs and issues.

Windows 11 devices attempting to install the February 2024 security update, released February 13, 2024 ( KB5034765), and the non-security preview update, released February 29, 2024 (KB5034848), might face issues during the update process. The installation might fail when the update's download reaches 96% of completion, and the device might roll back to the previous update installed.

 

Resulting from this error, the following message might be displayed:

 

“Something didn’t go as planned. No need to worry – undoing changes. Please keep your computer on”.
This issue might be reflected in the Windows Event Viewer with error code ‘0x800F0922’.

 

Resolution: This issue was resolved in updates released March 12, 2024 ( KB5035853) and later. We recommend you install the latest security update for your device. It contains important improvements and issue resolutions, including this one.

In case you have not installed the February Patch yet, Microsoft has added that you can still use the workaround until you are ready to install KB5035853.

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Here's what's new:

Highlights

• This update addresses security issues for your Windows operating system.

Improvements

Note: To view the list of addressed issues, click or tap the OS name to expand the collapsible section.

 

 

Windows 11, version 23H2

 

Important: Use EKB KB5027397 to update to Windows 11, version 23H2.

 

This security update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:

 

• This build includes all the improvements in Windows 11, version 22H2.

   

• No additional issues are documented for this release.

   

Windows 11, version 22H2

 

This security update includes improvements that were a part of update KB5034848 (released February 27, 2024). When you install this KB:

• This update addresses a known issue that might affect the February 2024 security and preview updates. They might not install, and your device might stop responding at 96%. The error code is "0x800F0922.” The error message is, “Something did not go as planned. No need to worry – undoing changes. Please keep your computer on.”

   

If you installed earlier updates, only the new updates contained in this package will be downloaded and installed on your device.

 

For more information about security vulnerabilities, please refer to the Security Update Guide website and the March 2024 Security Updates.

 

Windows 11, version 21H2

 

This security update includes improvements. When you install this KB:

 

• This update addresses an issue that makes the troubleshooting process fail. This occurs when you use the Get Help app.

   

• This update addresses an issue that affects Remote Desktop Web Authentication. You might not be able to connect to sovereign cloud endpoints.

   

If you installed earlier updates, only the new updates contained in this package will be downloaded and installed on your device.

 

For more information about security vulnerabilities, please refer to the Security Update Guide website and the March 2024 Security Updates.

Windows 11 servicing stack update - 22621.3294 and 22631.329s4 (22000.2830 for 21H2)

This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates.

Known issues in this update

Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues with this update.

These updates will be available from Windows Update and should install automatically in most cases. If you would like to download these updates for offline install then you can get them from the Microsoft Catalog website. You can find the updates for 23H2 and 22H2 here and the update for 21H2 here.

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The major highlight of the release as usual is security updates for Windows 10.

Highlights

 

This update addresses security issues for your Windows operating system.

After a couple of weeks without any, known issues are back:

Known issues in this update

Some of the older Windows 10 versions have also received updates today which have been listed below with their respective release notes (KB) linked as well as links to download them at Microsoft's Update Catalog:

It is noteworthy here that Windows 10 20H2 and Windows 10 1909 reached the end of servicing. Some editions of 21H2 have also reached the end of servicing.

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Ready or not, here comes the March updates for Windows.

Windows 10 22H2 gets KB5035845

Known issues include:  “Copilot in Windows (in preview) is not currently supported when your taskbar is located vertically on the right or left of your screen.  To access Copilot in Windows, make sure your taskbar is positioned horizontally on the top or bottom of your screen. We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.”  This also removes the backup app from domain machines.

Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2 get KB5035853.  This fixes the issue seen in earlier updates: “This update addresses a known issue that might affect the February 2024 security and preview updates. They might not install, and your device might stop responding at 96%. The error code is “0x800F0922.” The error message is, “Something did not go as planned. No need to worry – undoing changes. Please keep your computer on.””

61 CVEs – see https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2024-Mar 

Exchange needs updating see – https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/exchange-team-blog/released-march-2024-exchange-server-security-updates/ba-p/4075348

If you are running Sonoma – remember 14.4 came out last week – https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214084

Zero day blog indicates it’s a mild March – now let’s see if it is in deploying these updates. Already got an early report that KB5035849 on Server 2019 is failing to download with an 0xd000034 error.

Can repro personally:

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The end of support means Microsoft will no longer release security updates and critical patches to keep Windows 10 version 21H2 customers safe from vulnerabilities and other threats. Also, the official Microsoft Support will direct users to update to the latest Windows 10 version before assisting.

These editions will no longer receive security updates after June 11, 2024. Customers who contact Microsoft Support after this date will be directed to update their device to the latest version of Windows 10 or upgrade to Windows 11 to remain supported.

Microsoft quit supporting consumer editions of Windows 10 version 21H2 in June 2023. However, commercial editions usually get one extra year of additional patches, which gives businesses more time to upgrade to something more recent.

After June 11, 2024, Windows 10 will only have one supported version, 22H2, which is scheduled to reach its end of life in October 2025. However, Microsoft plans to allow everyone to get two years of additional support via the paid Extended Security Program. It used to be enterprise-only, but now, Microsoft is willing to let regular customers make use of it, which is probably because Windows 10 is still the dominant operating system, with over 60% on the market.

As for Windows 11, its latest version recently entered a new rollout phase, which means Microsoft is now force-upgrading supported devices to version 23H2. Currently, Microsoft supports both Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2. However, in June 2024, Microsoft will end optional updates for version 22H2. Every Windows 11 version has a two-year lifecycle, so Home and Pro editions of version 22H2 will reach their end of life on October 8, 2024.

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