After installing version 2.05, Start11 users can right-click their Start menus and select New > Pin Website. Your favorite websites can now sit alongside pinned apps and folders, keeping your important stuff just one click away. Here is how Stardock describes what made this feature possible:

The way we use this feature at Stardock, is that we create web-links to many of our key dashboards on Jira and PowerBI. It’s a small enhancement but one that continues to make Start11 v2 the most advanced Start menu experience for Windows 10 and 11.

In addition to the ability to pin websites to the Start menu, Start11 2.05 delivers plenty of various bug fixes and minor improvements for layouts and the user interface, fixes potential resource leaks, compatibility issues with GeForce Experience, and more.

Start11 2.05 is now available for download from the official website as a free update for existing users. The app is also available on Steam, where version 2.05 should arrive shortly. To update an existing installation, right-click your taskbar, select "Configure Start11," and then go to the "About" section. If you have a suggestion or feedback, visit the project's official forum.

You can purchase Start11 for your computer and fix its stock and underwhelming Start menu for only $6.99. A free 30-day trial is also available, allowing you to check out all the app has to offer without paying anything. Start11 is also available as a part of Stardock's entire Object Desktop package. Object Desktop includes programs such as Fences, Start11, Groupy, SoundPackager, DeskScapes, and Multiplicity.

Disclaimer: Neowin's relationship to Stardock

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What is new in PowerToys 0.78?

Here are the update highlights:

• New languages added: Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Hebrew, Persian and Ukrainian. We are going to assume we have some bugs. We want to identify & fix them and are open for community help.

• Many dependencies updated, aiming for security and stability.

• Fixed commonly reported PowerToys Run startup crashes after an upgrade.

• New settings and GPO policies to help control behavior after an upgrade.

And here are the updates for existing utilities:

AlwaysOnTop

 

• Fixed an invisible border issue when the border colour was set to the black colour.
• Added the AlwayOnTop icon to the base application executable.

 

Command Not Found

 

• Signed the PowerShell scripts used by the Command Not Found installation process.

 

File Explorer add-ons

 

• Fixed an issue causing SVG Thumbnail generation to hang when trying to preview SVG files at the same time.

 

File Locksmith

 

• Improved the context menu entry caption.

 

Find My Mouse

 

• Added more settings to tune shake detection when activating through mouse shake.

 

Hosts File Editor

 

• Added a feature to duplicate an entry.

 

Installer

 

• Included the new languages localization files in the installer.

 

Image Resizer

 

• Improved the context menu entry caption.

 

Peek

 

• Added a missing tooltip for the file size.

 

PowerRename

 

• Improved and added localization to the context menu entry caption.

 

PowerToys Run

 

• Removed references to unused settings from the code, which were causing crashes on some machines.
• Fixed an issue causing a scrollbar to be out of view.
• Added logic to try and detect running games to full screen detection.
• Added support for converting negative values in the Unit Converter plugin.
• Fixed stale results in the Visual Studio Code Workspaces plugin by checking if files still exist.
• Fixed an activation crash that occurred after 0.77 on some configurations.
• Fixed a startup crash that occurred when saving the new version of settings after an upgrade.
• You can now calculate bigger hexadecimal numbers in the Calculator plugin.
• The "max results to show before scrolling" setting can now also be applied to the initial plugin hint listing.

 

Quick Accent

 

• Added the ellipses character to all languages.
• Added an option to not activate when playing a game.
• Added the E with breve and pilcrow characters to all languages.

 

Settings

 

• Removed the Command Not Found listing from the Settings dashboard and flyout, since it can't really be enabled or disabled from there.
• Added a settings and GPO rule to disable opening the What's New OOBE page after an update.
• Added a settings and GPO rule to disable toast notifications about new updates being available.
• Fixed an issue causing the Settings window to not be brought to the foreground after activating through the system tray icon.
• Standardized accent brush and corner radius on the dashboard page.
• Improved UI and messages for GPO locked settings.
• Fixed an issue causing the OOBE window to maximize and hide the system taskbar.
• Reworked the update settings in the General page.
• Tweaked UI for the update settings in the General page.
• Updated the modules images in the Settings and OOBE screens.
• Updated OOBE descriptions to take into account the changes in context menu captions.

You can download PowerToys 0.78 from GitHub or the Microsoft Store. To update an existing installation, launch PowerToys and click "Check for updates" on the "General" tab.

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The partition-sizing problem that emerged earlier this month is not yet fixed.

Fortunately, our deep examination of this bug has revealed nothing of a dangerous nature. Therefore, I am lowering the MS-DEFCON level to 3. It’s now time to carefully install the January updates.

We continue to monitor the problem, described in KB5034441 for Windows 10 22H2 and in KB5034440 for Windows 11. Some, but not all, Windows 10 PCs are affected. I have urged you to check your partitions for issues with installing this update. We have written extensively about the problems, and the forums have been very active (see the From the Forums article in yesterday’s newsletter).

But if you haven’t taken precautions, don’t worry. Even if the update fails to install, it will just give you an annoying error of 0x80070643. Then you can use the tools at BlockAPatch.com to hide the update. If you previously paused updates, you must resume them in order to hide this one. I’m still hopeful that Microsoft will come through with its promised “fix” of this issue. Going forward, I hope Microsoft greatly improves the update system so that it doesn’t push updates that are clearly not tested thoroughly.

The bulk of our attention has been on Windows 10, where I first noticed the problem. However, Windows 11 21H1 could have the same partition problem, as described in KB5034440. Nonetheless, I am not finding anyone experiencing side effects from this broken update on Windows 11. For Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, the update is in the background and installs silently as part of the cumulative update, rather than being a separate release.

Windows 11 22H2 and later handle updates differently than prior versions. The update is behind the scenes and is similar to the servicing-stack components that update in the background but aren’t seen as a listed update. Although KB5034234 indicates this patching is occurring, there is no separate and visible update.

Microsoft’s Knowledge Base posts on this matter state that a minimum of 250MB of free space is required in the active recovery partition. Via a few experiments, we discovered that the update was applied without error, even if that free space requirement had not been not met. You may recall that Windows 11 21H2 made updates smaller, but we do not yet know whether that is a factor in this case.

Naturally, I’m watching this update very closely and will keep you posted about how Windows 11 handles it.

This lack of clarity from Microsoft makes me more confused, not less. That said, and after reviewing and monitoring patching on Windows 11 22H2 and later machines, I do not believe you will see this issue on those machines.

To recap what we should worry about in regard to January patches:

First, a bit of background. As you know, I work and patch systems in an office — an office that likes nice and boring, reliable technology that doesn’t change much. When we are trying to get a project done, we don’t need moving toolbars, changing menus, new icons, and other things that make us question where something we use regularly has gone.

Even though I may be testing and playing with Copilot on a personal level, the impact and evaluation of the risk to my business means that I want to limit the number of options and software that will enable Copilot features. As a business that handles sensitive information, we are urged to put in place an artificial intelligence policy that sets forth what our employees can enter into such software. As a result, and prior to going into our busy season, I have explicitly blocked Windows 11 23H2 from deploying in my office. I don’t have the time to evaluate the risk and privacy impact and will deal with the full analysis at a later date.

Meanwhile, in my personal computing environment and on selected devices, I have purchased and fully enabled Microsoft 365 Copilot so I can evaluate its issues, privacy concerns, and how best to create the policy for the office going forward.

I have not been tracking any major side effects with the Windows 11 23H2 release, but I still object to having beta code on my production workstations. When even Microsoft still considers the various editions and releases of Copilot to be a work in progress and is aggressively badging and branding, I do not recommend its use in a business setting at this time — unless you are specifically in charge of testing and evaluation.

If you are a consumer who accepts that Copilot is still in beta, and if you want to see what the fuss is about or wish to play with the latest and greatest, going to 23H2 will speed up the process — you will quickly be offered Windows Copilot. If you are purchasing Microsoft 365 Copilot Pro for consumers (US $20 per month) or Microsoft 365 Copilot for business (US $30 per month per user, yearly amount due up front), then I would recommend also opting for Windows 11 23H2. This will ensure that the underlying infrastructure that Microsoft recommends for Copilot is present. Also be aware that you need to move to the current channel of Office and away from the slower semi-annual enterprise channel that I regularly recommend because it has fewer changes and is less disruptive.

See how much opting into Copilot changes patching decisions that I recommend?

Because Windows 11 22H2 is supported until October 8, 2024, there is more than enough time to roll out 23H2 and evaluate its release at a later date. Thus I’m still recommending Windows 11 22H2 for both consumers and business users, especially for anyone who wishes to stay a bit longer on the sidelines, watching what occurs with Copilot.

To keep from being offered Windows 11 23H2, use a tool such as GRC.com’s InControl (Figure 1). But remember: This does not control monthly updates, only feature releases. Download the tool and select Windows 11 22H2 to keep your PC on that version. If you prefer other blocking methods, never fear — we’ve got you covered with registry keys or Group Policy.

Figure 1. InControl from Gibson Research

Depending on which patching tool you use, you may have to deal with some of these issues manually. Microsoft still has not placed KB5034441 on either the Microsoft catalog site for easy download or on WSUS or Microsoft Endpoint Configuration manager. Nor has it made it easy to determine which Windows 10 computers may fail. You may have to run various scripts from the community to get your systems protected.

If you’d like to confirm that your WinRE partition is actually patched, Microsoft provides guidance on the process.

Run REAgentC from an elevated prompt to determine exactly where the recovery partition is located:

The result of that command will provide a path containing the disk and partition numbers of the partition containing WinRE. Then use the DISM command, with the provided path, to determine the WinRE build number:

In my case, it matched build 3000. Consult KB5034234: Compatibility update for installing and recovering Windows 11, version 22H2 and 23H2: January 9, 2024.

I normally hold back on recommending updates, but Apple has released an update I’ll urge you to get sooner versus later. iOS 17.3 includes Stolen Device protection for an iPhone and helps to protect you when your device is stolen and the attacker knows your passcode:

When Stolen Device Protection is turned on, more sensitive operations require a Security Delay: a successful Face ID or Touch ID, an hour wait, then an additional successful biometric authentication. Security Delay helps prevent someone from making changes to settings that can lock you out of your iPhone or Apple ID account.

You may want to test out enabling it and see how it impacts you if you travel quite a bit. It also requires you to enable Face ID or Touch ID first. If you are traveling and want to enable extra protection, consider using this feature.

Resources

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As reported by @XenoPanther (via Deskmodder), known for digging out stuff in Microsoft's operating system and spotting builds, the internal Canary Channel (the one Microsoft uses in its development labs) recently made a big jump from build 26047 to 27545.

Drastic build number increases usually indicate a new version or a brand-new release, as was the case with 19XXX builds in Windows 10 and the jump to 22XXX in Windows 11. Therefore, users already speculate that 27545 could be the first trace of Windows "12" or whatever Microsoft plans to release after Windows 11. Here is a brief recap of what is currently going on in the world of Windows:

The "Moment 5" update is expected as an optional update in February 2024, which opens the Dev and Beta Channels for version 24H2 (coming in the second half of this year), leaving the Canary Channel open for whatever is coming after Windows 11 version 24H2.

Of course, at this point, without any official acknowledgments or confirmations, we can only speculate about what is behind that build 27545. According to Microsoft, the Canary Channel is for "testing things" that are not necessarily connected to a specific Windows version. And with rumors about Microsoft delaying Windows "12," it could be quite a while before we can get our hands on 27XXX builds.

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Most modern web browsers support tab groups. Up until now, users had to create tab groups by themselves. Microsoft Edge users, for instance, need to right-click on a tab and select the "add tab to new group" option from the context menu to create one. Tab groups may have custom names and colours to improve identification further.

Drag & drop other tabs on the newly created tab group to add them to it. The system is simple and very effective, thanks to the ability to expand and collapse tab groups in the browser.

Vivaldi users have more options than any other browser user, thanks to an impressive array of tab related features. It supports two-level tab stacks, which display all tabs of a stack (group) in a second tab row, which improves management significantly.

Group Similar Tabs in Edge and privacy

Group Similar Tabs is a new AI feature in Edge Stable. Microsoft did test it for some time in development versions of the browser.

The main idea behind it is to improve the creation of tab groups for the user. The process is automated when the feature is used, which means that you do not have to create tab groups manually anymore and put tabs into them.

To use the feature, select the tab actions menu in Microsoft Edge's toolbar and select Group Similar Tabs (Preview).

Edge sends information about all open websites to a Microsoft server when the option is selected. The AI processes the request then on the server and returns its suggestions after a moment.

A click on the group tabs button creates the tab groups. Options to customize individual tab groups are provided. There is also an option to ungroup a suggested group to skip the creation of a specific group.

The option to group tabs automatically is useful, especially when lots of tabs are opened in the browser.

What Microsoft does not reveal is that the feature requires an active Internet connection and communication with Microsoft servers.

When you turn off your Internet connection, Group similar tabs returns "We were unable to group your tabs". In other words, the processing happens on Microsoft servers and not locally.

This is actually identical to how Google Chrome's Tab Organizer creates tab groups for Chrome users. It too communicates with Google servers to suggest tab groups and submits all URLs and titles of websites of the browser window to Google.

Microsoft announced the feature last year on the Windows Experience Blog: "Productivity and organization go hand in hand. Yesterday, we announced Tab Auto-grouping in Edge, which uses AI to group your tabs based on specific topics or categories. Simply navigate to the tab icon on the top left, and click on group similar tabs, and Copilot will group your tabs, leaving your browser window, and mind, less cluttered."

No word on data processing or privacy in the announcement. The feature in Edge provides no information either. It is unclear how the data is stored, processed and used.

Closing words

While the automatic tab group creation features of Edge and Chrome look useful, privacy conscious users may want to skip those and create tab groups manually instead.

Having your entire list of open websites submitted to a company server without really knowing what is done with it and how it is stored outweighs the convenience of the feature.

Now You: do you use tab groups and / or AI tools? (via Deskmodder)

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What you need to know

• Last week, Microsoft rolled out a new Windows 11 preview build with a brand new default installation UI, something that hasn't been touched in over a decade.
• However, keen eyed testers noticed that the new interface isn't actually new at all.
• In fact, it's been shipping as part of Windows for over 10 years, it just wasn't enabled by default until now.

It's been a very long time since Microsoft made any meaningful changes to the Windows installation UI. The last time it was seriously updated was with Windows 8, and before that was Windows Vista. With that in mind, just last week Microsoft unveiled a brand new installation UI for the next Windows OS update, expected to ship later this year.

Microsoft describes the new UI as "refreshing [the] Windows OS Media Setup with a much cleaner and more modern design. All of the same features will continue to be supported in the bare-metal (clean) OS Iinstallation experience, including unattended support, but will now be consistent with the current upgrade and installation experience available for the devices already running the Windows OS."

(Image credit: Windows Central)

 

(Image credit: Windows Central)

 

(Image credit: Windows Central)

 

However, keen eyed testers have noticed that the new interface doesn't really align with Windows 11's design aesthetic. It has a Windows Vista-era basic window theme, and the actual contents of the window look like they are from the Windows 8 era.

Turns out, that's because this UI isn't actually new. You can enable it on early Windows 11 builds from 2021, as was discovered by XenoPanther on X. In fact, you can go as far back as Windows 10 Technical Preview builds from 2014, 10 years ago, which ship with this same UI!

For whatever reason, this "new" UI has been shipping in Windows for a decade, but was never switched on to be the default offline setup experience until now.

Unfortunately, this does mean the new UI isn't consistent with Windows 11 at all. While not a huge deal, it is a little disappointing that after all these years, the best Microsoft could come up with is a UI that was actually completed a decade ago.

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What is new in the January 2024 firmware update for the Surface Laptop Studio

• Improves Graphics stability and streaming performance.

• Improves issue with Surface Pen inking.

• Resolves docked monitor issue when connected by USBC.

• Improves Thunderbolt performance on Surface Dock 3.

• Resolves Surface Dock 2 issue where second monitor does not restart.

Here is the list of new drivers:

Here is extra information about the release:

Microsoft is rolling out Surface firmware updates via Windows Update. To get the latest release, go to Settings > Windows Update and click "Check for updates." Keep in mind that you cannot uninstall firmware updates, so make sure to back up important data before proceeding.

The original Surface Laptop Studio has a lifespan of six years. Microsoft plans to stop issuing firmware and driver updates on October 5, 2027. The company recently ended support for the fifth-generation Surface Pro and its LTE variant.

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Outlook - New support for making and sending newsletters and more

The new Outlook for Windows and its web version will continue to add new features in 2024. The Microsoft 365 Roadmap states that later this year, both versions will get support for making newsletters. The listing states that "Newsletters in Outlook enable customers to create, distribute, and track success for their internal email newsletters." It will be offered as a public preview in April, and the plan is to make newsletters generally available in the new Outlook sometime in July.

In March 2024, the new Outlook for Windows will add support for some more file types:

EML, MSG, and OFT files type support will enable users to open "*,eml", "*.oft", and "*.msg" files in the new Outlook by dragging-and-dropping them onto the reading pane, or by double-clicking on them, or by using the Open With menu option in File Explorer.

The Mac Outlook app will get some improvements in March as well.

A new in-flow experience for searching contacts and the global address list while addressing mail and calendar events.

Microsoft Teams - View OneDrive transcripts and more

As usual for the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, there are lots of new additions for upcoming Teams features. One that's coming in March for all Teams platforms will center on transcripts stored in OneDrive.

We are simplifying the storage and management of meeting transcript files by focusing transcript actions such as view, download, and delete to source from one place (OneDrive for Business) instead of two places (OneDrive for Business and Exchange Online).

Teams for the Desktop and the Web will get a new feature in March to improve Virtual Appointments:

Admins can customize the privacy statement shown to attendees joining the appointment to address specific considerations and concerns for their online engagement. Admins can update the content for the privacy statement under the privacy profile in the Microsoft Admin Center.

The Teams Android app is scheduled to get several new features in April. The roadmap says Android Teams users will receive a new home screen that month:

The Teams Rooms on Android home screen matches the look and feel of Teams Rooms on Windows, enabling users to engage with a consistent Teams Rooms interface. The touch console features six action buttons and shows the room calendar on the right side of the home screen. A room tip appears at the bottom left corner of the front of room display for user education.

The Android Teams app will also add support for viewing 4K HDMI video for Teams Rooms in April, along with the ability to join meetings via a QR code. Finally, Android Teams users will be able to send feedback to Microsoft about Teams Rooms support in April as well.

Microsoft also plans to add support for Teams Rooms to the new Teams for Windows app in April, and the Copilot for Sales plug-in will be added to Teams on the Desktop and Mac in April as well. Finally, Teams for Desktop, Mac, and the web will be able to add meeting options in the town hall hub in February.

That's our look back at the last seven days for the Microsoft 365 Roadmap. Come back next week to check out new upcoming features.

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I think it is safe to say that what Windows 10 currently offers is more than enough for the vast majority of its customers. Those who do not share this sentiment can compensate for the lack of specific features with third-party apps. Still, Windows 10 is too big to ignore, so get ready for new stuff in your nine-year-old operating system.

Here are five features I would like to see Windows 10 getting from its successor for a better experience. And right off the bat, I am fully confident that none of those will come to fruition. For now, it looks like Microsoft is focusing on easy jobs that can boost its service numbers, clicks, and engagement. Copilot is self-explanatory—that is just a part of Microsoft Edge with barely any Windows integration. As for the lock screen, it is nothing but a shortcut to the MSN website. A proper widget would open the stock Weather app, but Microsoft apparently thinks that is for squares.

The following things might sound minor and insignificant, but so is the new weather widget. Who asked for it, except for maybe the MSN team? So, if we are back to upgrading Windows 10, maybe let's add something users will actually welcome and use.

1. Centered Taskbar

Hear me out: centered taskbar, but a properly made one. I am a big fan of the centered taskbar, especially on wide monitors. It is much easier to reach for apps both with your eyes and your cursor. The problem with what we have in Windows 11 is the Start menu button, which should be fixed in the bottom-left corner regardless of whether the taskbar is centered or left-aligned.

I can tolerate my apps shifting a few pixels to the left and right every now and then, but the Start menu should always sit in one place, where I can find it without thinking about it or re-training my muscle memory.

Third-party solution: TaskbarX from the Microsoft Store

2. The new Volume Mixer

Windows 11 finally has a decent stock volume mixer. Press Win + Ctrl + V, and you can switch the audio output device, turn spatial audio on or off, and adjust the volume for specific apps without navigating to the Settings app. Yes, Windows 10 still has the old volume slider from the Windows 7 era, but the one in Windows 11 is much more convenient.

Third-party solution: EarTrumpet from the Microsoft Store.

3. Decent Volume/Brightness sliders

That Windows 8 relic should be eradicated. Microsoft removed them from Windows 11 in version 22H2, and the same treatment should be applied to Windows 10. The old operating system has its distinct slider style, so Microsoft does not have to copy Windows 11's visuals as it did with the Microsoft Store app (it looks awful on Windows 10).

Not nice.

Third-party solution: Modern Flyouts from the Microsoft Store.

4. Tabbed File Explorer

Tabs make everything better, which is why Windows users have been asking Microsoft to add them to File Explorer for many years. It is great to have them in Windows 11, and it would also be great to have them in Windows 10. Only with fewer bugs and better performance, preferably.

Third-party solution: The Files app from the Microsoft Store or Groupy from Stardock.

5. Windows Subsystem for Android

Tinkerers have already proved that it is possible to run WSA on Windows 10. Heck, you can even install the Google Play Store using some third-party hacks. Microsoft clearly does not mind some of Windows 11-exclusive features on Windows 10 (Copilot and the Dev Home app are just two examples), so what stops Microsoft from making the OS more useful for Android users?

Yes, some old Windows 10 machines will not run Android apps well, but there are plenty of powerful devices running Windows 10 that are perfectly capable of virtualizing Android applications without issues.

Third-party solutions: Unofficial WSA ports or all sorts of Android emulators.

Bonus: Do nothing

It was interesting to see Windows 10 users reacting to the news about Microsoft resuming Windows 10's feature development. Many stay on Windows 10 on modern hardware because the OS is stable, snappy, and just works.

Now, some people think Microsoft will bloat Windows 10 with unnecessary and poorly made features. And let's be honest: the current Copilot implementation is exactly that. Maybe you can leave Windows 10 as is and call it a day?

What do you think? Is there something you would like Microsoft to port from Windows 11 to Windows 10? What new features do you want to see in the old operating system? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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A new feature has been spotted on Microsoft 365 roadmap site.

Key notes

• Microsoft Outlook introduces Newsletters feature for internal emails.
• Targeted release of Newsletters in April 2024, broader rollout in July.
• Recent Outlook updates include AI features, legacy email support, and improved folder organization.

Microsoft’s new rejuvenation of its Outlook app has been quite interesting so far. Besides the obvious AI features through Copilot, Outlook is getting another important feature: Newsletters.

As spotted in the Microsoft 365 roadmap site (Feature ID: 328282), the team over at Redmond is developing Newsletters that will allow you to create, send, and measure the effectiveness of your internal email newsletters.

The Newsletters feature is scheduled to enter a targeted release phase in April 2024, with a broader rollout beginning in July 2024. It will then be available in both the new Outlook for Windows and the web.

The Outlook app has been getting a few new features here and there in the past few weeks. Not too long ago, we reported that Microsoft is bringing native support for legacy email formats, a new context menu experience, and a new way to organize email folders.

You can try the new Outlook here, or by updating the Outlook app on your Windows 11 desktops through Settings. 

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Another OS that launched several years before Lindows also tried to challenge both Windows and Apple's Mac OS in the growing PC market. The nearly forgotten operating system was called BeOS, and it still has some fans today.

BeOS was the brainchild of former Apple executives Jean-Louis Gassée and Steve Sakoman. They left Apple along with a number of its former employees and formed Be Incorporated in 1990. At first, the company's goal was to create a new OS from scratch.

The BeUnited.org site says during the development of BeOS, the Hobbit processor that the company wanted to use for its device, the BeBox, was discontinued by its creator, AT&T. So the decision was made to port the OS to work on the PowerPC processor, which Apple's Macs were using at the time.

Be Inc. (2024, January 15). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_Inc.

In October 1995, just a couple of months after Microsoft launched Windows 95, Be Incorporated officially launched BeOS and the BeBox PC as well for developers to check out. The first version of the BeBox included two 66 MHz PowerPC 603 processors, according to Apple Fandom Wiki. In 1996, a second and final version of the BeBox was released, this time with two 133 MHz PowerPC 603e CPUs.

However, it was the BeOS that was perhaps the most interesting thing about the BeOS. Since the operating system was created with no older code bases, it could be used for multi-threading applications on multi-processor PCs.

The developers wanted to make an OS that could run media applications and internet apps better than other operating systems that had a lot of legacy code to deal with. HowToGeek mentions that BeOS was also designed to boot up from scratch quickly, in as little as 10 seconds, which was extremely impressive for a 1995 PC OS.

In 1996, Be Incorporated got a major opportunity. They had a chance to sell the company and BeOS to Apple, which at the time was looking to replace its old Mac OS. However, according to Welcome to Low End Mac, Be Incorporated was looking to sell the company for $300 million.

That offer was simply too much for Apple, and in the end, it decided to purchase another company, NeXT, and its operating system. NeXT was formed by former Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, and the purchase of NeXT was the start of Jobs' full return to Apple. The rest is truly one of the biggest tech comebacks in history.

Be Incorporated ended the development of the BeBox developer PCs in 1997 and concentrated on improving the BeOS. Later versions were made to work with Intel's x86 processors, and in 2000, the release of BeOS 5 supported booting the OS from within Microsoft's Windows.

However, Microsoft's OS was by then firmly cemented in the PC market, and even Mac clones with PowerPC were later banned by Apple. In August 2001, Be Incorporated and BeOS were purchased by Palm for $11 million.

However, less than a year in February 2002, in the middle of Be Incorporated's official dissolution, the company filed a lawsuit against Microsoft. CNN covered the filing of the lawsuit. The company claimed that Microsoft "used a series of illegal exclusionary and anticompetitive acts" to keep BeOS from being used by the major PC makers.

CNN's report stated:

In a 21-page complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, the company says that it had offered BeOS to PC manufacturers to make available in a "dual boot" configuration. That means the user would have the choice when starting the computer whether to run BeOS or Windows for any given session.

The company claims that some manufacturers, including Hitachi, had wanted to make such dual-boot systems available, but were unduly pressured by Microsoft not to do so.

In September 2003, The New York Times reported that Microsoft and Be Incorporated settled this case. Microsoft agreed to pay $23.3 million to the company but did not admit to any wrongdoing.

Today, the open-source OS known as Haiku continues to update its software, which it says "implements both the BeOS technologies as well as the end user experience," although most of Haiku is not actually based on the code for BeOS.

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We’ve seen significant improvements or full remediation in many of the Teams features affected by this incident. We're closely monitoring the fixes and workstreams to address any remaining impact scenarios associated with this event.

Update 3: 3:22 am ET January 27 - The Microsoft 365 Status X page has posted an update:

After extended monitoring and various optimizations and mitigation efforts, we’ve confirmed that our Microsoft Teams service and features have been restored or have returned to optimal health.

Original story: If you have been having issues signing onto or using your Microsoft Teams service, you are not alone. Teams is currently experiencing outages that have affected the online meeting and collaboration service worldwide.

Microsoft first announced Teams was having problems on its Microsoft 365 Status X (formerly Twitter) account at 11:45 am Eastern time today, saying "We're investigating an issue impacting multiple Microsoft Teams features." A follow-up X post at 12:17 pm Eastern time said that the company "identified a networking issue impacting a portion of the Teams service" and that it was "performing a failover to remediate impact."

The last post on the account, at 1:22 pm Eastern time, has this update from Microsoft:

We've completed the failover in the EMEA region and service telemetry is showing some improvement. The failovers for the North and South America regions are ongoing and we continue to monitor.

Meanwhile, Microsoft's Service Status page shows that Teams has quite a few problems at the moment:

Title: Some users may experience multiple issues with their Microsoft Teams

 

User impact: Users may experience multiple issues with their Microsoft Teams.

 

• More info: Affected scenarios include, but aren't limited to:
• Users performing a cold boot may not able to log into teams and will see an "oops" page.
• Users logging in or unlocking their devices after some time may see missing messages.
• Users may fail to load messages in channels and chats
• Users are unable to view or download their media (images, videos, audio, call recordings, code snippets)
• Some messages may experience delays being sent
• Call Recordings might take longer to appear in user's OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online
• Bots may be unable to download attachments
• Sending and receiving read receipt notifications may be delayed

The status page ended with this message:

Current status: Our monitoring systems alerted us to an issue where users may experience various impact scenarios in Microsoft Teams, outlined in the More info section above. We've identified that a portion of the Microsoft Teams service is experiencing a networking issue. We've completed a failover in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region and telemetry is showing improvement. We're continuing work to failover service traffic in all affected regions to remediate impact.

We will continue to keep an eye out on this ongoing Teams outage and will update this post as needed.

Update: 4 pm Eastern time - It looks like Teams features in some parts of the world are still down. The Microsoft Service Status page states:

Our failover operation did not provide the anticipated relief to end users in North and South America regions and we are now working to optimize traffic patterns as part of the mitigation effort. We’re applying configuration changes across the affected network infrastructure to reduce user impact as quickly as possible.

Source

Voice Clarity is a feature that runs in the background and improves your voice in real-time during calls. It uses "low complexity AI models" to suppress background noise, cancel echo, and reduce reverberation. As of right now, it is only available on Surface computers with ARM processors, such as the Surface Pro 9 5G and Surface Pro X. However, with Windows 11 Canary Channel build 26040, all users with "traditional" Intel and ARM processors can try it out.

Voice Clarity works on the system level with all apps that use Communications Signal Processing Mode, including voice chats in many popular games. That means you can benefit from Voice Access capabilities without waiting for developers to support it in their projects. However, app-makers can also implement a toggle to switch between AI models for voice communications.

The Voice Clarity feature is a part of Windows Studio Effects, a collection of enhancements that rely on machine algorithms and require a dedicated NPU (Neural Processing Unit). They include video background effects, eye contact, auto framing, and voice improvements. With Windows 11 build 26040, users without NPUs in their PCs can try some of those enhancements.

Microsoft, Qualcomm, AMD, and Intel are making a big push into AI-powered experiences in modern PCs. Later this year, customers will get a chance to select from a wave of new computers with chips featuring dedicated AI processors. Microsoft is also expected to release a new Windows version with "groundbreaking" AI capabilities. Some of them will be available on existing computers, while others will only work on new devices with the latest chips. Rumors also say that 16GB of RAM is now the baseline for AI PCs.

Source

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WMIC is a command-line interface for Windows Management Instrumentation, a method for IT Admins to manage their systems and retrieve information about hardware, software, services, and more. After deprecating WMIC in 2016, Microsoft turned the tool into a feature-on-demand, leaving it turned on by default and available when necessary. Now, Microsoft is ready to change that.

According to a post on the Tech Community forums, the software giant will turn off WMIC after January 29, 2024, starting with Windows 11 preview builds. The utility will ship disabled by default in the next Windows 11 release (likely version 24H2, which is coming later this year) and its successors. Eventually, Microsoft will remove WMIC from future Windows releases.

Microsoft replaced WMIC with Windows PowerShell for WMI (WMIC and WMI are different things), giving administrators a more efficient way to query Windows Management Instrumentation. Microsoft says removing deprecated features helps reduce code complexity and keep users "secure and productive."

If you are an admin or app developer whose project depends on WMIC, it is time to take action. The forum post published by Microsoft offers workarounds and different ways to deal with WMIC's deprecation and future removal.

Microsoft deprecated a lot of Windows features and components in 2023. We recently published a comprehensive list of all the capabilities Microsoft is no longer developing. They include Windows Mixed Reality, WordPad, Cortana, Steps Recorder, Windows Speech Recognition, and more. Some features may affect you directly, so be sure to check what is going on.

Source

Microsoft introduced 7zip, TAR, RAR, 7Z, and other archive formats last year. However, the ability to compress files into archives remained unchanged, leaving users with only one option. Windows 11 build 26040 changes that.

Customers with the latest Canary Channel build can right-click a file or a few and select Compress To > Additional Options. That will open the new wizard, where users can choose the following options:

• Archive format: 7zip, TAR, and ZIP (RAR is not available).
• Compression method: Store, Deflate, BZip2, LZMA1, LZMA2, PPMd. Available options depend on the selected archive format.
• Compression level: from 0 to 9.
• Additional options to retain symbolic links and hard links.

Unlike some other changes in build 26040, new compression features are available to all Canary users, and they do not require enabling any hidden features or IDs. Sadly, you still cannot protect compressed files with passwords or open protected archives.

It will be interesting to see how the upgraded archive options compare to third-party apps. When Microsoft introduced the initial RAR and other format support, we discovered that performance was notably slower than that of popular alternatives, such as WinRAR or 7Zip.

Other changes in Windows 11 build 26040 include a new Task Manager icon, 80Gbps USB support, improved screen casting, taskbar enhancements, bug fixes, and a new setup experience. We have already published our closer look, so you can check out what installing Windows 11 build 26040 looks like without downloading it to your machine.

Source

The new setup experience is now similar to the Media Creation Tool, the official app for making bootable Windows media. The violet backgrounds are now gone, replaced with black and white. In the first step, the setup prompts you to select your language, region, and input method. It looks like the big old "Install" button is no more.

The next step immediately presents the user with new options. You can choose to "Install Windows 11," "Repair my PC," or "Launch the legacy experience." The latter lets you fall back to the old setup screen if you need it for some reason. Another new thing is that the setup app prompts you to agree that "everything will be deleted" if you choose the first option. Better safe than sorry.

The "Product key" step is still here, and you can still click the "I don't have a product key" option. The only new thing is the reworked user interface.

The same applies to the edition selection screen.

Partition selection time. This is where you select where to install Windows 11. Despite the new coat of paint, all the traditional options are still here. You can refresh the list of partitions, load drivers, create, format, extend, and delete partitions.

Clicking "Next" gets you to the final screen, where Microsoft prompts you to review your choices. Interestingly, it also mentions that parts of the operating system depend on specific hardware, and your computer might not support all features.

Sadly, clicking the "Check device specifications" does not show your PC specs. Instead, the app displays a generic link to the official Windows 11 website, which is hardly useful when you install Windows (maybe the idea is that you can open it on your smartphone).

With all preparations behind, the setup app gets you to the install screen, which looks nothing like the old variant. You can also cancel the installation process using the only available button.

Finally, here is what the new experience shows you when you try to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Unfortunately, it does not provide any details, giving you only a generic "this PC does not meet the minimum system requirements" message and a link to Windows 11's website. Nothing new here.

The new setup experience is now available for public testing in Windows 11 build 26040. Microsoft also provided official ISO images so you can clean-install the latest build and test the redesigned setup app. You can download Windows 11 build 26040 ISOs on the Windows Insider website.

What do you think about the new Windows 11 setup screen? Do you like it, or is there something you want Microsoft to improve? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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As you might expect after a three-week wait, this build has a lot of features, including some, like the USB 80Gbps support and the new Android image access feature, that have been included in previous Beta and Dev builds. It does include some all-new features, such as Voice Clarity.

Here is the changelog:

What’s new in Build 26040

Instantly access new photos and screenshots from your mobile device

 

We are also beginning to gradually roll out a new feature for Windows that introduces the ability to effortlessly access and edit your most recent photos and screenshots from your Android mobile device in Snipping Tool on your PC. With this feature, you’ll receive instant notifications on your PC whenever a new photo or screenshot is captured on your Android device.

 

Windows notification prompting to open capture in Snipping Tool for markup.

 

To enable this experience, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices (this settings was updated with Build 26016 in the Canary Channel) and choose “Manage devices” and allow your PC to access your Android phone. Your PC will get a Cross Device Experience Host update in the Microsoft Store that is required for this experience to work.

 

New settings window for managing mobile devices that are allowed to connect to your PC.

 

This new experience replaces the remote capture with Phone Link experience that was announced back in September.

 

[We are beginning to roll this out to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet as we plan to monitor feedback before pushing it out to everyone.]

 

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers > Linked devices.

 

Experience crystal clear online communication with Voice Clarity

 

We are expanding Voice Clarity which has been available on Surface devices and making it available to more people. Voice Clarity is a feature that enhances your audio experience on Windows with state-of-the-art AI technology. Powered by low complexity AI models, Voice Clarity cancels echo, suppresses background noise, and reduces reverberation in real-time. This feature is enabled by default and can be utilized by applications using Communications Signal Processing Mode, such as Phone Link and WhatsApp. No additional hardware is required, as Voice Clarity is supported on x64 and Arm64 CPUs. Apps which use Communications Signal Processing Mode do not need any additional modifications and Voice Clarity will work for them automatically when the OEM device does not offer Communications Mode processing. Similarly, PC games that use Communications Signal Processing Mode for their online communications will also benefit from Voice Clarity. Applications can provide a toggle for the Deep Noise Suppression stream effect to switch between AI models for voice only communications (Deep Noise Suppression enabled, the default setting) and generic audio content (Deep Noise Suppression disabled). With Voice Clarity, you can have confidence that your voice will be clearly heard during online meetings and enjoy smoother and more effective online communications.

 

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers > Audio and sound.

 

Updated Windows Setup Experience

 

We are refreshing Windows OS Media Setup with a much cleaner and more modern design. All of the same features will continue to be supported in the bare-metal (clean) OS Iinstallation experience, including unattended support, but will now be consistent with the current upgrade and installation experience available for the devices already running the Windows OS.

 

Old Windows Setup design and new Windows Setup design.

 

Windows Insiders who want to try out this refreshed Windows Setup experience can download the ISOs for Build 26040 here and either do a clean install on their PC or do a clean install in a Virtual Machine (VM).

 

While this change does not affect the DISM OS deployment, it may affect some of your workflow. Please take the time to test these changes on your given scenarios and provide any feedback.

 

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Install and Update > Windows Installation. Please note that the Windows Setup experience is fully offline so take note of any issues you hit as you will not be able to submit feedback on that PC until either after the setup completes and you log into Windows, or you can file feedback on a separate PC. If you file feedback on a separate PC, be sure to include information such as build number and any error codes you experience.

 

USB 80Gbps

 

We are excited to announce support for the latest generation USB standard, USB 80Gbps, in this build of Windows. USB 80Gbps support will initially launch on select devices based on the Intel Core 14th Gen HX-series mobile processors, such as the new Razer Blade 18.

 

This is the first major version update of the USB4®standard and increases performance to 80Gbps from 40Gbps. It enables the next generation of high-performance displays, storage, and connectivity. It is fully backwards compatible with peripherals built for older generations of USB and Thunderbolt™ and works alongside all other USB Type-C features.

 

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers > Buses.

 

Enhanced image consumption experience in Narrator

 

We are improving the image consumption experience with Narrator. There are two major changes:

 

• We have introduced a new keyboard command for navigating between the images/graphics on a screen/page. Now, you can use the keys “G” or “Shift + G” to navigate forward or backwards between images in Scan mode (Narrator key + spacebar).
• Recognition of text in images, including handwriting, is improved along with improvements to overall image descriptions. You can try the enhanced experience by navigating to the image and pressing Narrator key + CTRL + D key combination when the focus is on an image. This feature requires an active internet connection, and the setting to get Image Descriptions must be enabled in Narrator Settings.

 

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (Win + F) under Accessibility > Narrator.

 

Improving discoverability of screen casting in Windows 11

 

Casting from your Windows PC allows you to wirelessly extend your display to another nearby PC, TV, or other external displays. We are introducing improvements that focus on educating users about the Cast feature and improving its discoverability in Windows 11. Those improvements include:

 

When doing multitasking activities on your PC such as often switching between windows to complete a task or using Snap Assist to organize your screen space, we will provide the suggestion to Cast via a notification toast.

 

We have updated the Cast flyout in Quick Settings with additional support for you in case you face any trouble discovering nearby displays, fixing connections, and more.

 

Cast flyout in Quick Settings now shows link for troubleshooting device discovery and other casting issues.

 

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Display and Graphics > Wireless Display and Casting.

 

Windows LAPS: New automatic account management feature

 

Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) has been improved with a new automatic account management feature. Using this feature, IT admins can now configure Windows LAPS to automatically create the managed local account. You can also configure the name of the account, enable, or disable the account, and optionally randomize the account name for improved security. Improved integration with existing Microsoft local account management policies has also been added.

 

Here is an image of the new Automatic account management setting:

 

Policy for configuring automatic account management

 

The Windows LAPS CSP offers full support for managing these settings. The Windows LAPS CSP documentation will be updated at a later date to reflect the new settings. You can learn more about these features here.

 

Windows LAPS: improved readability password dictionary (and improved password font)

 

Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) has been improved with a new PasswordComplexity setting. Using this feature, IT admins can now configure Windows LAPS to generate less confusing passwords. The new setting is similar to the existing complexity setting 4 in that all four character categories are used (upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and special characters). However when PasswordComplexity is configured with the new setting of 5, the most confusing characters are omitted to improve password readability and reduce confusion and wasted time. For example, the number “1” and the letter “I” are never used with the new setting.

 

When PasswordComplexity is configured to 5, the following changes are made to the default password dictionary character set:

 

• Don’t use these letters: ‘I’, ‘O’, ‘Q’, ‘l’, ‘o’
• Don’t use these numbers: ‘0’, ‘1’
• Don’t use these ‘special’ characters: ‘,’, ‘.’, ‘&’, ‘{‘, ‘}’, ‘[‘, ‘]’, ‘(‘, ‘)’, ‘;’
• Start using these ‘special’ characters: ‘:’, ‘=’, ‘?’, ‘*’

 

The Windows LAPS tab in the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in (via Microsoft Management Console) has also been improved. When the Windows LAPS password is displayed in the clear, the password now uses a new font for improving readability.

 

Windows LAPS displaying a password using the old and new fonts.

 

The Windows LAPS CSP also offers full support for configuring the new PasswordComplexity setting (5). The Windows LAPS documentation will be updated at a later date with additional information on this new setting.

 

Windows LAPS: New passphrase feature

 

Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) has been improved with a new passphrase feature. Using this feature, IT admins can now configure Windows LAPS to generate passphrases, for example: “EatsVeganYummyTasty”. Compare this to a more traditional style password like “q6Rgag667Pu23qA886?n:K” – the passphrase is clearly much easier to read, repeat, and type.

 

With this new feature, the existing PasswordComplexity policy setting can now be configured to select one of three different passphrase word lists. All three passphrase word lists are included as part of Windows, so no additional download is required. A new policy setting “PassphraseLength” is used to control the number of words in a new passphrase.

 

Construction of a passphrase is simple: the configured number of words are randomly selected from the configured word list and appended together. The first letter of each word is capitalized for easier readability.

 

Windows LAPS passphrase settings.

 

The new PassphraseLength policy setting:

 

Windows LAPS passphrase length setting.

 

The new passphrase feature is fully supported when backing passwords up to either Windows Server Active Directory or Microsoft Entra ID.

 

The passphrase word lists are taken from Deep Dive: EFF’s New Wordlists for Random Passphrases by Electronic Frontier Foundation, and are used under a CC-BY-3.0 Attribution license. You can download the word lists from https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2255471.

 

The three new PasswordComplexity passphrase settings each correspond to one of the original Electronic Fronter Foundation passphrase word lists.

 

Windows LAPS does not support either customer-configured word lists or customization of the built-in word lists.

 

The Windows LAPS CSP offers full support for managing these settings. The Windows LAPS CSP documentation will be updated at a later date to reflect the new settings.

 

You can learn more about the new Windows LAPS passphrase feature here.

 

Windows LAPS: New image rollback detection feature

 

Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) has been improved with a new image rollback detection feature. Using this feature, Windows LAPS will now detect when an image rollback has occurred. When a live OS image is rolled back (regardless of mechanism, for example Hyper-V snapshot reversion, or via image re-deployment products) the result is often a “torn state” situation where the password stored in Active Directory no longer matches the password (hash) stored locally on the device. When this happens the IT admin will be unable to sign into the device using the persisted Windows LAPS password. The problem is not resolved until Windows LAPS rotates the password per the normal password expiration timestamp, which might not happen for days or weeks.

 

The new feature adds an Active Directory attribute “msLAPS-CurrentPasswordVersion” to the Windows LAPS schema. This attribute contains a random GUID which is written by Windows LAPS every time a new password is persisted in Active Directory, followed by saving a local copy. During every processing cycle, the GUID stored in msLAPS-CurrentPasswordVersion will be queried and compared to the locally persisted copy; if they are different, the password will be immediately rotated.

 

To enable this feature, you must first run the latest version of the Update-LapsADSchema PowerShell cmdlet. Windows LAPS will note the presence of the new attribute and start using it.

 

Windows LAPS will log a specific new reason when a rollback is detected, for example:

 

Windows LAPS event log message when OS rollback is detected.

 

If you do not run the updated version of the Update-LapsADSchema PowerShell cmdlet Windows LAPS will log a 10108 warning event in the event log, but will continue to function normally in all other respects.

 

Note that no policy settings are used to enable or configure this feature. The feature is always enabled once the new schema attribute has been added. The Windows LAPS documentation will be updated at a later date with additional information on this new feature.

 

Changes and Improvements

 

[General]

 

As we mentioned with Build 26020, WordPad is removed when doing a clean install and now is also removed on upgrade starting with this build.

 

[Copilot in Windows]

 

We are making a change where the Copilot icon is shown on the right side of the system tray on the taskbar to make the entry point to Copilot more clear and easily accessible by being closer to where the Copilot pane opens. As part of this change, we have defaulted the “show the desktop” behavior for the far-right corner of the taskbar to off and this can be re-enabled in the taskbar behaviors section under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar (you can simply right-click on the taskbar to get to this). This is just beginning to roll out to Insiders in the Canary Channel so not every will see this change right away.

 

The Copilot on the right side of the system tray on the taskbar.

 

[Taskbar & System Tray]

 

When you hover over the date and time in the system tray, the tooltip will now always show a clock even when you only have a single clock added.

 

[File Explorer]

 

In addition to the new “Compress To” formats for 7Z and tar, we are adding a new compression wizard that lets you choose even more formats and specify even more details. You can compress individual files with gzip/bzip2 (and more,) or add multiple files to archives in different tar formats with different types of compression. You can also change the compression level and what types of data are stored in each archive.

 

[Windows Share]

 

For Microsoft Edge and other browsers that invoke the Windows share window, the Windows share window now supports the ability to share website links directly to WhatsApp, Gmail, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn. In Microsoft Edge, you can invoke the Windows share window by clicking the share icon at the top right in the toolbar and choosing the Windows share options.

 

New share targets for sharing links through the Windows share window.

 

If you’re signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID, in addition to being able to share to your Microsoft Teams (work or school) contacts, you can also now share directly to specific Microsoft Teams Channels and groups chats as well directly within the Windows share window.

 

We have significantly improved nearby share transfer speed for users on same network. Before these changes, users had to be on the same private network but now users just have to be on the same network, which could be public or private. You can quickly turn on nearby share via Quick Settings and simply right-click on a local file in File Explorer, choose “Share”, and choose to share to a device listed under Nearby Share in the Windows share window.

 

[Task Manager]

 

We have updated the Task Manager icon to match the design of other icons in Windows 11.

 

Behold! The new Task Manager icon.

 

[Narrator]

 

In Microsoft Word, Narrator will now announce the presence of a draft comment, a resolved comment, a bookmark, or the availability of accessibility suggestions when reading text in the document.

 

Narrator users can now use voice access to open applications, dictate text and interact with elements on the screen using their voice. Narrator users can use voice access to give Narrator commands using their voice. For e.g., “speak faster”, “read next line”, etc. To get started, search for “voice access” in Windows search and set it up.

 

[Input]

 

Added the Colemak keyboard layout. To use you can add it in Settings > Time & Language > Language & region > and select a Latin-script alphabet-based language like English, click on the three dots to open Language Options for that language and then add a keyboard.

 

Added a new Hebrew keyboard layout. To use you can add it in Settings > Time & Language > Language & region > and select Hebrew, click on the three dots to open Language Options for that language, then add a keyboard, and select Hebrew (Standard, 2018).

 

There are also some bug fixes in this new build

 

[Narrator]

 

• Fixed an issue where Narrator was not correctly announcing the selected item in combo boxes when users try to change the combo box value using key combination Control + up or down arrow.
• Fixed an issue where Narrator was announcing old dialog names even after users navigate to new dialog on few web pages.
• Fixed an issue where Narrator was not reading Role of a control in tables on the web while using table navigation commands CTRL + ALT + Arrow keys.
• Fixed an issue in Microsoft Excel where Narrator was not consistently reading any item in the auto-complete list that comes when writing a formula.
• Addressed an issue where Narrator was not announcing the selected state of menu items in few applications such as device manager.
• Fixed an issue where Narrator was announcing both the unselected value and the newly selected value in elements such as date fields or any elements that are formatted as tables.

 

[Magnifier]

 

• Fixed an issue in Magnifier settings page where the text below “voice speed” slider was not following the colour contrast guidelines.

 

Fixes for known issues

 

• Fixed an issue causing Settings to not launch for a small number of Insiders on Build 26010+. If you are impacted and aren’t yet on this build, please see this forum post for a workaround.
• Fixed a high hitting print spooler crash in the last 2 builds.
• Fixed an issue where hovering over the system tray area wasn’t bringing up the taskbar when set to autohide.
• Fixed an issue causing some users to see an increase in SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED bugchecks recently.
• Fixed an issue causing some insiders to see a bugcheck with BAD_POOL_CALLER in Build 26016+.
• Fixed an underlying issue related to scrollbars which was causing some app crashes in the last 2 builds.
• Made a change to help fix an issue which could cause the spacing between your desktop icons to become extremely wide.
• Fixed the issue in Widgets where announcements from the Microsoft Start feed are still shown on the taskbar after the feed is hidden.
• Fixed the issue in Widgets where spacing and fonts used in some settings pages were incorrect.

Known issues

[General]

 

• [IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GAMERS – UPDATED!] Some popular games may not work correctly and cause a bugcheck (green screen) when launched on the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary Channel. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on these builds.
• [NEW] In some multi-monitor configurations on Build 26040, a display may appear as frozen. If you hit this, you can try CTRL + WIN + Shift + B to restart DWM.
• [NEW] Content in some video streaming apps from the Microsoft Store may not play. As a workaround, try streaming from a browser.
• We’re investigating an issue where the print queue is showing a messaging saying it can’t find the app when opened. As a workaround, you can launch the print queue from the Run dialog (WIN + R) and entering: explorer.exe shell:appsFolder\Microsoft.Windows.PrintQueueActionCenter_cw5n1h2txyewy!App.

 

[Widgets]

 

• Keyboard navigation from settings subpages back to the top-level Settings page is broken.

You can check out the full blog post here:

Source

What you need to know

• Microsoft's new default font for Office apps, Aptos, is rolling out to more users.
• Multiple users have taken to social media platforms to express how much they dislike the change.
• Luckily, you can switch back to Calibri if you don't like the new font, though the old Office theme has been renamed to Office Theme 2013 – 2022.
• Some users have even made tutorials on TikTok showcasing how to switch back to Calibri as the default font on Office apps.

After what might have seemed like an eternity (15 years to be precise), Microsoft finally decided to change the default font for its Office apps from Calibri to Aptos (Bierstadt). The company made this announcement last year in July, and the change has been rolling out to users in waves.

The new default font for Office apps has seemingly shipped to more users, which has been received with a cocktail of mixed feelings. Several users have turned to social media platforms to express their feelings regarding the font change. It has also turned into an overnight sensation, and is currently trending on TikTok.

Users have shared videos highlighting their shock over the change, which could be an indication that not everyone was aware of Microsoft's plans to make this change. Some users have even created turorials showcasing steps to follow for those who'd like to revert to Calbri.

It's apparent that this change isn't welcome, at least by most users, if we're to go by the videos and posts shared online. According to Jim Earley, a seasoned life coach, most people are likely to resist change due to several reasons, including mistrust, insecurity, bad timing, and predisposition. 

He also pointed that forcing changes on people abruptly tends to be counterproductive and ineffective. This is why out of the targeted audience, only 20% embrace the change though with a lot of reservations, while the remaining 80% do nothing.

That said, Aptos will now be the default font across Office apps, including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel. The new Office theme also spots a refreshed colour palette, style, and line weights. Aptos also includes variants such as narrow, serif, and monospace.

Here are a few steps you can follow to switch back to Calibri if you're not a big fan of the new default font on Office apps:

HOW TO CHANGE THE DEFAULT FONT ON OFFICE BACK TO CALIBRI

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Users can still revert to the old Office theme, though it has been renamed to Office Theme 2013 – 2022. It's also worth noting that the change of the default font won't affect existing documents, just the new documents that you create after the change has rolled out.

For purposes of this guide, I'll use the New Outlook desktop client while switching back to Calibri as my default font from Aptos.

1. First, launch the New Outlook app on your PC and click on the Settings cogwheel button on the top-right just before the Tips icon.
2. Next, click on the Mail option on your right and select Compose and reply.
3. Click on the dropdown menu under Message format and change the default font to Calibri from Aptos.
4. Click on the Save button to apply the changes and restart the app.

select Calibri as your default font from the dropdown menu on the message format settings on the Outlook app(Image credit: Kevin Okemwa)

 

(Image credit: Kevin Okemwa)

The new Office theme also ships with increased default outline weights and enhanced consistency between shapes and lines. The new theme also features better contrast. It's in place to enhance readability while simultaneously promoting professionalism.

Source

Google has yet to make an official announcement or indicate specific timeframes on when it plans to release Chrome for Windows on ARM in the Stable Channel. As of right now, the only way to make Chrome run natively on your Surface Pro 9 5G, Surface Pro X, or another ARM-powered Windows computer is to download Chrome Canary from its official website.

Note that nightly builds are unstable, and they are often packed with bugs or instabilities, so you better wait a bit more before making ARM64-version of Google Chrome your main browser. As a reminder, Firefox and Edge already support Windows on ARM, so there are alternatives for those not wanting to use Chrome.

Google making its browser ARM-friendly on Windows is a big deal, considering the browser's dominant position in the desktop market. Although it can run "as-is" on Windows computers with ARM processors, emulated apps deliver inferior performance and energy efficiency. And with Microsoft, Qualcomm, and other manufacturers planning to push Windows on ARM to more devices, thanks to the recent Snapdragon X Elite announcement, Chrome optimized for ARM on Windows cannot come soon enough.

Here is how you can check whether you are running a native or emulated app on your computer:

1. Open Task Manager (you can right-click the taskbar in Windows 11).
2. On the Processes tab, right-click the app you want to check and select Go to details.
3. Check the Architecture column. Native apps will show up as Arm64.

Windows was the only ARM-supported platform without native Google Chrome. The company optimized Chrome for Apple Silicon Macs a long time ago, and it also has a dedicated ARM version for its Chromebooks.

Source

What you need to know

• NTDev never gives up on their pursuit of the tiniest Windows OS
• They have been releasing more and more small versions of Windows in the last few months.
• This newest OS is a mere 100MB and strips out most of everything in Windows including the GUI.

The main version of Tiny11 recently got a new update. However, in what seems to be a side project, NTDev has released a short video on YouTube showing just how great aspirations can end in small packages. The video shows a user loading up a Windows 11 operating system and running mininit.exe. 

I don't know the exact use case for something this small. Still, like so many human escapades, sometimes it's just the journey that provides the catalyst, whether setting a new world record for a speed run or being the first to break the 4-minute mile; there is always something endearing about doing something never done before. 

Time to brush up on our command line skills.

There isn't much information about MinWin besides what is highlighted in the video. I don't see an easy way to download the ISO for this text-only Windows 11 image, nor do I think anybody would want to. More than anything, this looks like a "holy crap, it works" type of video that the developer made after seeing just how extreme of cuts were possible and still having a functioning operating system.

The video shows that multi-tasking is still possible using nano and vim.exe. However, the operating system's speed is abysmal as it takes over 10 seconds to load the MinWin is Back image shown at the top of this article. 

(Image credit: NTDev)

 

(Image credit: NTDev)

 

While I don't think this version of Tiny11 is worth public adoption if it really is even a version of Tiny11. The actual Tiny11 is a great tool to get a modern operating system running on devices that aren't capable of running it. 

What is Tiny11?

Tiny 11 is a lightweight version of Windows 11 designed to run on old PCs that don't meet Windows 11's strict system requirements. Windows 11's install size is approximately 20GB; however, with Tiny11, running the operating system on a PC with less than 4GB of RAM is possible. 

The 100MB text-only version of Windows 11, called MinWin, can run with just 1.61 GB of space for its files, and the actual OS is only 100MB. Still, unless you want to be running in a Command Line Interface or CLI and have everything you do run at the speed of a tortoise, it's likely not worth installing on anything. 

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