While as efficient as it gets, there are some features and changes the Cupertino giant can introduce to make its walled garden even better for the users. I have used some of the Apple devices for a while now, and I think that there are some missing strings that the Apple can address.

Here, I am not asking for anything substantial that might take years to develop but rather small additions that can enhance the overall experience. At least, for me and my daily usage.

1. Improved Batteries widget

One of the ways you see the Apple ecosystem in action is the Batteries widget on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. For instance, the widget can display the battery level of your Apple Watch or AirPods on your iPhone. And on macOS, you can see the battery level of your MacBook and various connected accessories.

However, one downside of the Batteries widget is it doesn't work across platforms the way it should. You can't see the charging status of your Mac on your iPhone and vice versa. Despite being logged in with the same account, your Apple Watch charging status won't appear on your Mac.

When your Apple Watch finishes charging, you get a notification on your iPhone but not your Mac. It would be helpful if the Batteries widget starts showing the charging status across devices. In other words, you should be able to keep an eye on your MacBook charging in another room with the help of your iPhone or iPad.

Apple might have an explanation why it doesn't allow some devices to see each other's charging status, but it's certainly an inconvenience. Besides, there is a workaround: you can go to the Find My app to see the charging levels of your Apple devices, but it'll just give you an estimate.

2. A toggle to stop bigger iCloud uploads

iCloud and the Photos app let you access your media wherever you want, whenever you want. You can simply record videos on your Apple devices and upload them to the cloud without much difficulty. When you want to access that content, it's just a few taps away.

But you can't ignore that modern-day media consumes a lot of storage. A 4K 60fps video shot on an iPhone costs you around 400 MB of storage space per minute of recording. While you might be a fan of online storage, spending a lot on it every month isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Suppose you're on a long vacation trying to record as many videos as you can. Now, if you're on a lower-capacity iCloud plan, either the Photos app will upload everything, or you'll have to delete the videos that consume a lot of space, which creates another problem discussed below. You can also back up that content on a hard drive or your laptop, but it would make accessing the media slightly difficult and defeat the point of having iCloud.

Of course, Apple will be the first to recommend a higher storage plan to fill its deep pockets. However, it should provide an option to prevent the Photos app from uploading bigger videos to iCloud. If that happens, those videos will still show up on the Photos app on your iPhone, but they won't crush your cloud storage. And even if it's not about the file size or money, you should be able to control what goes into your cloud and what not. After all, you're paying for it, aren't you?

3. Sort media by size in the Photos app

Similarly, Apple should add some "real" filtering and sorting options to the Photos app. You should be able to sort videos by file size so you can remove the ones that eat a lot of space. Maybe you want to delete some old videos you don't need anymore.

This is important because the Photos app on iPhone has become a go-to replacement for traditional file managers when it comes to photos and videos. It's surprising to see that while the Photos app can put modern AI to work and recognize your pets, it doesn't give you basic sorting options. Giving users more control of their media is something many users will appreciate.

4. Show info about Emojis

Emojis are the new talking language on the internet, and you can find them on almost every platform out there. Of course, Apple is no stranger to Emojis, and you can use them on your iPhone, Mac, and even your Apple Watch.

But there are people, including me, who sometimes struggle with their limited emoji expertise. There are times when I find myself googling the description of an emoji so I can find it on the emoji keyboard.

If you have relatives who use the skull and flame emoji when talking about someone passing away, you know what I'm talking about. We need to improve our emoji literacy. Apple (and everyone else) can add emoji info cards to its keyboard. For instance, it can add an option to long-press on an emoji to see its name and some description of its use cases.

5. Better trackpad geatures for macOS apps

One of MacBook's unique selling points is the trackpad functionality Apple has baked into its laptops. But it's hard to digest that Apple's home-baked apps don't offer extensive support for it.

The two-finger swipe gesture used to go back and forth in a web browser doesn't seem to work inside built-in apps like Finder, Podcasts, Apple TV, etc. It does work in the Apple Music app and App Store for some reason.

So, in most cases, the option you're left with is to click on the Back button in the top-left corner of the screen to go back to the previous page. Whether Apple forgot to add the back gesture to these apps or did it on purpose remains a mystery.

6. AirDrop for games and apps

With iOS 17, Apple has added the ability to AirDrop files and share Contact Posters simply by bringing two devices close to each other. One thing that may not be a deal breaker but can be a fruitful addition to the Apple ecosystem is AirDrop for apps and games. Here, I'm not talking about sharing the App Store link of an app or game, which already exists.

Imagine you're on a vacation with your friends and want to fight against each other in a team death match. Now, cellular data is expensive, and if one or more people in your group don't have the game on their device, they'll miss out on the fun. Speaking of which, it's 2023, and even mobile game sizes can shoot up to several gigabytes.

Having the ability to AirDrop entire games between iPhones and iPads is something that can save the day here. Besides saving you on data bills, AirDrop could deliver files faster as it creates a direct Wi-Fi link to transfer data.

So, these are some of the features I wish should make it to Apple devices in future updates. Of course, the list can go on, but let's keep that for the future.

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Redesigned Replies

With the latest update, Telegram users can quote specific parts of any message to make responses more convenient and precise. Besides, you can quote messages in other chats, a handy feature if you want to reply to a public message in a private chat. To quote a part of a message, select the portion you need and tap "Quote." Message formatting now also includes citing.

Better Link Previews

Telegram now offers more flexibility when adding links and previews to your media. You can select the media size (make the attached photo smaller or larger), move the preview up or down, and pick which link shows a preview when sending a few

Account colours

Telegram Premium users can now add more flair and personalization to their accounts. The latest update lets you pick your name colour and select a reply background. Channel admins can apply the same customization to channels boosted to level 5 or higher.

Stories Improvements

Finally, Telegram Stories camera UI lets you use some sort of a front-facing camera flash for better selfies. The screen will go brighter to give your photo more light. Besides, you can adjust the intensity and warmth. Another stories-related improvement is the ability to fast-forward or rewind stories. However, Telegram Stories are still only available to Telegram Premium subscribers.

Telegram's latest update is now rolling out to all users on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Telegram desktop is available here (and from the Microsoft Store), Telegram for Android here, and Telegram for iOS here. You can learn more about the update in a blog post on the official website.

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Microsoft Teams - Archive old channels and more

Microsoft Teams had quite a few new entries on the roadmap this week. One of them will roll out in December and will give web and desktop users a way to save some unused content.

With Archive Channels, owners and administrators can archive channels that are no longer in use while preserving their content, including messages, files, and tabs. The archived channel is removed from the active teams and channels list and no more actions will be allowed. If needed, the channel can be restored.

Another new Teams feature coming in December for Windows and Mac users will give frontline managers some extra features:

In the Shifts app, we are rolling out the ability for frontline manager to control additional functionalities through our Shifts settings page. Frontline managers will gain the ability to enable and disable swap shift request, offer shift request and/or time off requests for their teams.

In February 2024, Microsoft Teams will be replacing its current "Recording & Transcription" tab on Windows, Mac, and the web:

Now, the “Recap” tab for scheduled meetings will include access to the recording and transcript. For meetings that have a “Recap” tab, the previous “Recording & Transcription” tab will be removed since the “Recap” tab will replace it. For meetings that don’t have a “Recap” tab, users can continue to access the recording and transcript from the “Recording & Transcription” tab.

Teams will also roll out a user interface update to its in-call user experience in December for its iOS and Android apps.

Microsoft Outlook - Sort emails by category and more

The Microsoft 365 roadmap states that in December, Outlook users on the web and desktop will gain new email sorting features:

This feature allows users to sort their emails by categories in inbox and other folders. It will help users stay focused and organized by allowing them to group related emails together directly in the message list. This update will be available in the new Outlook for Windows and web.

Later this month, Outlook web users will get a new feature related to Teams:

Teams embedded chat in Outlook web allows users to stay on top of their chats without leaving Outlook.

Come back next Sunday for yet another Microsoft 365 Roadmap weekly roundup.

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Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system was released in 2015 with a ten year support period. The operating system continues to be supported for the next 2 years. While it won't receive major feature updates anymore, it continues to receive security updates, bug fixes and the occasional new feature or change.

Microsoft released Windows 11 in 2021 as the successor of Windows 10. Users not familiar with the release may suggest to upgrade Windows 10 devices to Windows 11 to stay supported. This, however, is not possible in all cases.

The Windows system requirements changed significantly with the release of Windows 11. Microsoft did so for the first time in a long while. Windows 7, an operating system released back in 2009, had the same requirements as Windows 10, released in 2015.

The release of Windows 11 changed that and the ability for all Windows devices to upgrade to the new version. Microsoft decided to limit processors to those released in 2018 and later, and also added other requirements, such as a TPM chip.

Devices that do not meet these requirements can't be upgraded to Windows 11 using Windows Update.

PIRG's petition, Tell Microsoft: Don’t leave millions of computers behind, asks Microsoft to extend support for Windows 10. The organization claims that about 40% of Windows 10 and earlier PCs can't be upgraded to Windows 11 because of the new hardware requirements. This would leave millions of devices without support and has the potential of creating the "single biggest jump in junked computers ever".

While it is technically possible to upgrade Windows 10 devices to Windows 11, even if they do not meet the official system requirements, it is not something that most Windows 10 users may do. First, because it requires tinkering with the installation, and second, because Microsoft stated that it does not guarantee anything if a PC is not compatible. Even security updates might not be provided for these devices.

In reality, things have been less dramatic up to this point. The main issue that incompatible devices will run into is that some features are not available. Also, feature updates recheck compatibility, which means that tweaking is required once per year when these updates do get installed.

Extending Windows 10 support

Microsoft has not released a public statement regarding Windows 10's end of support. A likely scenario is that the company will copy what it did when Windows 7 reached end of support. Equally popular, Windows 7 reached end of support in January 2020.

Microsoft allowed Enterprise customers and businesses to extend support by up to three years for a price. Home owners on the other hand did not get such an offer.

Microsoft might extend Windows 10 support for three years or even longer using the same program. It is likely, however, that it will be limited to Enterprise and business customers once again.

This leaves Windows 10 Home owners with just a few options. Some may upgrade to Windows 11, if the device meets the system requirements.

Others may continue to run Windows 10, but that is a security risk, as Microsoft won't release updates for the operating system anymore. Third-party micropatching service 0Patch might come to the rescue, as it has done the same in the past.

The last option, at least when it comes to keeping the current PC, is to migrate to Linux. This is a great opportunity for Linux, especially if someone creates a tool to make the migration as easy as possible.

Closing Words

Microsoft's focus is on Windows 11 and the rumored release of a new version of Windows, maybe Windows 12, in 2024. If true, system requirements would likely stay identical to those of Windows 11, which won't be helpful to Windows 10 and earlier customers.

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Even major content blockers such as uBlock Origin run into issues from time to time. These do get addressed quickly though, but it is still annoying when it happens.

There are alternatives to blocking ads on YouTube. One of them is to redirect videos to privacy friendly third-party sites.

Skip and fast-forward YouTube ads

Fadblock, Friendly Adblock for YouTube, is an open source extension for Firefox and Google Chrome that uses a different technique to avoid the massive number of ads that YouTube throws at you. Instead of trying to block advertisement, it is loading ads and then skipping or fast-forwarding them automatically.

The developer explains that video ads do get loaded, but that they get either skipped, if the option is available, or fast-forwarded instead. The effect is the same: this process happens in less than 50ms usually, which means that these ads can't annoy you as they blaze by quickly.

Tests in Firefox and Google Chrome on YouTube confirmed this. You may get a glimpse of an ad when you load a video on YouTube, but it is skipped quickly so that the actual video is loaded. Note that the Chrome version of the extension will run in other Chromium-based browsers as well. You can install it in Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Brave, Opera and all other Chromium-based web browsers.

Another interesting aspect of the extension is that it can't be classified as an ad-blocker, as it does not block advertisement.

The extension works on YouTube and also on third-party sites that embed YouTube videos, according to the description. It skips pre-roll video ads, banner ads and other display ad formats on YouTube.

The developer lists all the different ad categories on YouTube that the extension skips. It includes the 10-second video ads that play without option to skip on YouTube, the 5-second video ads that can be skipped after 5 seconds, and even multiple ads shown in a row before the video starts to play.

Firefox users may download and install the extension from Mozilla's Add-ons repository.

Chrome and Chromium-based browser users may install it from the Chrome Web Store.

Closing Words

Fadblock is an interesting extension that uses a different technique to make YouTube more enjoyable. While there is certainly the chance that it may be detected by YouTube's anti-adblocking measures or thrown out of the Google Chrome Web Store, it does work perfectly for now.

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Of course, one cannot make Windows 11 17GB lighter without notable sacrifices. According to the developer, the project required significant changes in Windows Component Store, Windows Defender, Microsoft Edge, Windows Update, and more. As a result, the OS has no built-in antivirus or browser, plus it cannot install updates (an attempt to open Windows Update will result in the Settings app crashing). Besides, there are no network drivers, so prepare one in advance (the recently introduced network driver install button during the OOBE would be handy).

Despite its slim size, tiny11 core still lets you install applications from the Microsoft Store or other sources, giving you a more or less properly working operating system. Here is a quick demo:

Sounds fishy? It is. Tiny11 core is not intended to replace the previous tiny11 releases, not to mention a "vanilla" installation. Instead, it aims to give you a "quick-and-dirty environment for testing" apps or drivers inside a virtual machine without downloading larger images and wasting dozens of gigabytes of disk space. Therefore, we strongly recommend not using it on a mission-critical computer.

If you think you can find a good use for a 2GB ISO based on Windows 11 Professional version 23H2 (build 22631.2361), download tiny11 core beta 1 from the Internet Archive and share your thoughts with the developer. As a reminder, modified Windows 11 images still require activation using a genuine Windows 10 or 11 key. Sadly, old Windows 7 and 8.1 keys no longer work.

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You can make Copilot open on startup in a new (also hidden) Settings app section. Microsoft has not announced the feature, so turning it on requires executing a command using a third-party app called ViVeTool. As of right now, that section has only one option, but you can expect more from Microsoft in future updates as it makes Copilot more capable and better integrated into Windows.

Caution: Unannounced features are often raw, unstable, or borderline unusable. Back up important data before enabling them with the ViVeTool app. Remember that using stable Windows 11 is the best way to ensure your system remains as bug-free as possible.

How to enable Copilot autostart in Windows 11 build 23575?

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

    

   
4. Navigate to the folder containing the ViveTool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:45690501 and press Enter.
6. Restart your computer.
7. Open the Settings app and go to Personalization > Copilot in Windows. Toggle on the Open Copilot when Windows starts option.

To revert the changes, replace /enable with /disable on step 5.

Full release notes for Windows 11 build 23575 are available here.

Credit for the finding goes to Twitter user @PhantomOfEarth.

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Recently, the OS received the new Windows Backup app and a fresh File Explorer button. Now it is time for the Start menu—KB5031445 introduces the recently announced "System" badge to indicate stock applications.

After installing KB5031445, an optional non-security update for Windows 10 version 22H2 (build number 19045.36.36), you will notice that some apps in the Start menu have an extra "System" badge. Microsoft officially unveiled this in release notes for Windows 11 build 23511, and the badge has yet to make it to the Stable Channel. It is interesting to see Microsoft bringing a change, albeit a small one, to Windows 10 first without and mentioning it in release notes.

Here is how Microsoft described it:

Under All apps in the Start menu, Windows 11 system components will now show a “system” label.

As for Windows 11, the Start menu is not the only place for the new "System" badge. The Settings apps received a new section for managing system components, plus the Microsoft Store app features the same indicators to help users understand the purpose of a specific app.

It is worth noting that the "System" badge does not mean you cannot uninstall applications with it. Most inbox programs are still user-removable with traditional methods (right-click > Uninstall) or winget in Terminal or PowerShell.

As a reminder, Windows 10 is poised to reach its lifecycle in October 2025. Although we do not expect it to receive significant updates or big new features, Microsoft might backport a few more minor things to improve or worsen (depending on who you ask) the experience for those sticking to good old Windows 10.

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Here is the changelog:

Changes and Improvements

 

[Start menu]

 

We’re trying out grouping recently added apps on your PC into a folder under the Recommended section of Start with some Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

 

Grouping of recently added apps under the Recommended section of the Start menu.

 

Fixes

 

[General]

 

• Fixed an issue which was causing certain games to fail to launch with a 0x1 error in the last 2 Dev Channel flights.

 

[Copilot in Windows*]

 

• Fixed an issue causing some Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel using the Home edition of Windows 11 Insider Preview builds to find Copilot in Windows has disappeared from the taskbar.

 

[File Explorer]

 

• Fixed an issue where hovering over the first picture in Gallery would make a tooltip appear that would never dismiss.
• Fixed an issue where closing File Explorer could cause an explorer.exe crash sometimes.
• Did some work to improve the performance of opening the context menu.
• Fixed an issue where the second time you opened dropdown menus in File Explorer, you wouldn’t be able to scroll it with touch.

 

[Settings]

 

• Fixed an issue where Settings Home might show a prompt to sign into your Microsoft account, and fail to sign in if you tried to use it, even though Settings itself showed you were already signed in.

 

[Task Manager]

 

• Fixed an issue where the dropdowns in settings would float up the screen if you scrolled.

 

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

 

Known issues

 

[Copilot in Windows*]

 

When first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

 

You can check out the full blog post here.

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What is new in Skype 8.107 Preview?

Microsoft published the changelog on its official forums:

Introducing the Message Replies UI Redesign

 

• Elevate your chat clarity! Dive into Skype's redesigned message replies UI, making every conversation flow seamlessly and coherently. 🗨️
• Distinctive Replies: Say goodbye to confusion. The new vertical line ensures you instantly spot message replies amidst the chatter.
• Themes that Adapt: Our reply lines are more than decorative; they sync effortlessly with your chosen message theme.
• Shadow & Depth: Experience a touch of finesse with the subtle shadow effects, ensuring replies stand out gracefully.
• Across All Message Types: Whether it's a witty text or a quirky GIF, our UI retains its charm, making sure replies are always on point.
• Accessibility Above All: Our commitment to inclusivity shines through, ensuring the UI works seamlessly for everyone, including users with visual impairments or those using screen readers.

 

 

Skype's Refreshed Audio Messages UI!

 

Elevate your audio messaging experience! Dive into Skype's newly polished audio messages UI, making every chat session melodious and engaging.

 

• Play on Demand: Simply tap the Play/Pause button or waveform, and dive into the voice message. No fuss, just pure audio delight.
• Visualize Your Voice: With our Audio Wave Indicator, watch the waveform come alive, changing colour as your message flows.
• Know Your Duration: A glance gives away the length of your audio. Plus, handy timestamps connected to the waveform guide you.
• Speedy Playback: Long messages? No worries! Adjust the playback speed and listen at your own pace.
• Pristine Interface: We keep it clean when there’s no message, but once you hit play, our UI leaps into action, guiding you every step of the way.

 

New Camera Experience in Skype Mobile enhancement - Media Preview in Skype Mobile Composer!

 

With our latest update to the Camera on Mobile improvements, you can now preview your selected media directly in the Skype mobile composer, just like you do on the desktop version. Every photo, every video, right where you type!

 

• See Before Sending: Whether you pick a single photo or multiple, view them all in the composer before hitting send.
• Consistency Across Platforms: Enjoy a unified experience, mirroring the desktop's media preview capability.
• Simplified Media Handling: Deselected a media? The preview vanishes, keeping your composer neat and organized.
• Send With Confidence: Media only gets sent once you tap 'Send', allowing you to curate your message perfectly.
• Flexible Canceling: Easily remove a media from the preview with a single tap.
• Mixed Media Mastery: Preview both photos and videos together seamlessly.
• Never Overload: Get notified if you exceed the 10-media selection limit.

 

Stability improvements & Bug fixes:

 

• Universal Call End: Now everyone on Android can seamlessly conclude calls.
• Seamless Link Integration: Bing links in Skype now open effortlessly with our in-app browser on Windows.
• Dark Mode Refinement: Improved text visibility in calls and contacts tab for Windows users enjoying dark mode.

You can download the latest Skype Insider build from the official website. The program is available on Windows 10 and 11, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS (closed beta).

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Alongside the codename, Canonical also gave us the full release schedule which reveals that a beta will drop on April 4 and the final release will be with us on April 25. Of course, these dates would change if there are any delays but it’s pretty unlikely; unlike Fedora, Ubuntu usually arrives on time.

Ubuntu 24.04 is a biggy because it’s a long-term support release. This means that it will be supported for a long five years meaning you can install it and forget about it for years so you can just focus on working and playing.

It’s also a significant update for people running Ubuntu 22.04 LTS because this will likely be the first Ubuntu version to be offered to them as an upgrade. You can go to the interim Ubuntu versions from 22.04 but by default only the long-term upgrades are shown.

Just last month, Canonical released Ubuntu 23.10 with preview support for hardware-backed full-disk encryption. With the upcoming LTS, it’s expected to deliver broader hardware support for this feature and more configuration and management options.

Other than that, users should expect a more up-to-date version of GNOME heavily modified by Canonical as well as a newer kernel with more newer hardware supported. It’s unclear what else is coming in Ubuntu 24.04 right now but over the coming months we should learn more.

In terms of planning future upgrades, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS users may want to consider moving to 24.04 when the first point release update is pushed out around July or August 2024. This will have given Canonical time to work out any serious bugs and it’s still before May 2025 when Ubuntu 20.04 LTS loses mainstream support.

If you’re on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, there is no immediate need to upgrade. If you do decide to upgrade, you won’t be presented the option until 22.04.1 is released either for stability reasons.

Source: Ubuntu

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The blog post shows just one thing changed in this release, for people who have installed Windows 11, version 23H2. You may remember that Release Preview users got that big feature update for Windows 11 on September 26.

Today, they get the following change, according to the blog post:

• Under All apps in the Start menu, Windows 11 system components will now show a “system” label.

This same update for Windows 11, version 23H2 users, also has all of the new features, improvements, and bug fixes that Microsoft is rolling out for Windows 11, version 22H2, users, as part of its non-security preview release that went live today as well.

That update, of course, includes features like Copilot in Windows, updates to the Start menu, Taskbar, File Explorer, and much more.

Since this is a Release Preview build, all of these new features are still considered to be optional. However, we expect that the Windows 11, version 23H2 update will become a mandatory software upgrade for all Windows 11 users in November. Specifically, the Moment 4 update should go live as part of the monthly "Patch Tuesday" event, which should happen on November 14.

Microsoft also released the Windows 10, version 22H2, non-security preview update today. That update for those users was almost completely about bug fixes for that version of the OS and contains no new features.

Stay tuned as it will likely be a very busy next few weeks on the Windows update news front. We also expect Microsoft 365 Copilot to launch for enterprise users, with its many generative AI productivity features, in less than a week on November 1.

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Check out our Windows 11 Moment 4 update here.

If you are slightly confused or having a deja vu moment, do not worry. Microsoft launched the Moment 4 update in September 2023 as a staggered rollout, delivering new features to select users. Now, the update is available to all users with the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" option toggled on. It is still optional, though—Microsoft plans to make it mandatory and push it to all users in November 2023. Therefore, expect another "Moment 4 update is now available to all" article on the second Tuesday of November.

Here are quick links you can use to jump to a specific part of the update:

• Copilot in Windows preview
• Start menu
• Taskbar, system tray, and notifications
• File Explorer
• Windows Share
• Backup and restore
• Emoji
• Windows Spotlight
• Narrator
• Voice Access
• Security
• Graphics and Windows Mixed Reality
• Settings and Bluetooth
• Windows 365 Switch
• Input
• Other changes

What is new in Windows 11 build 22621.2506 KB5031455

Here is the massive changelog accompanying KB5031455.

Copilot in Windows preview

 

• New! This update adds a preview of centralized AI assistance, called Copilot in Windows. This makes Windows 11 the first PC platform to add centralized AI assistance to help you get things done. This first preview focuses on the integrated UI.

 

Start menu

 

• New! This update gives a richer preview when you hover over files under Recommended on the Start menu. For this first release, thumbnails will not be available for all files. Also, when you right-click cloud file recommendations, you have the option to quickly share these files.
• New! In the coming weeks, you might see a new ranking of the most recently used files in the Recommended section of the Start menu. This ranking considers when you last used the file, the file extension, and more. This means that you might not see the files in a purely reverse chronological order of when you last used them.

 

Taskbar, system tray, and notifications

 

• New! This update adds an enhanced volume mixer to Quick Settings. Using it, you can customize audio for each app separately. You can also swap audio devices whenever you want. The new keyboard shortcut (WIN + CTRL + V) gets you to the volume mixer fast.
• It is also easier to turn on the Windows Spatial Audio experience. A new quick access list shows you all the spatial audio technology installed on your device. To find more spatial sound technology, such as Dolby and DTS, go to the Microsoft Store.
• New! This update adds “never combined” mode. In this mode, you can view application windows and their labels on the taskbar separately. To find this feature, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors.Set Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels to Never. Also, there is a separate setting for turning this on for other taskbars when you use multiple monitors.
• New! Starting in this update, desktop labels appear when you move between desktops in Task View (WIN + CTRL + left or right arrows). New sliding animations will also show when you change your desktops using trackpad gestures, touch gestures, hot keys, and by clicking the Task View flyout box.
• New! You can now hide the time and date in the system tray. To turn this on, right-click the system tray clock and choose Adjust date and time.
• New! Notifications now show as a bell icon in the system tray. When new notifications appear, the icon will have a fill colour based on your system’s accent colour. When there are no notifications and the clock is visible, the icon will have no fill colour. The number of notifications will not show.
• New! This update adds a “view notification” button for urgent or important notifications that you receive when you turn on do not disturb. Select the button to view the content of the notification. This button appears when you use an app in full screen.
• New! To minimize distractions from notification toasts, Windows now detects if you are interacting with toasts from an app. If not, a suggestion to turn off the toast banner for that app appears. This will only stop the banner from appearing. You can still find the toasts in the notification center.
• New! You can now right-click an app on the taskbar and end the task. This update adds a new setting in Settings > System > For developers to turn on this capability.
• New! This update adds the option to start diagnosing network problems from the system tray. To view this option, right-click the network icon in the system tray.
• New! This update affects the search highlight gleam in the search box. When you select the gleam, a Bing.com page will appear for the daily search highlight. This is available to a small audience initially and deploys more broadly in the months that follow.
• This update addresses an issue that affects search on the taskbar. When you choose the "Search icon and label" taskbar setting option, the search icon and search label overlap.

 

File Explorer

 

• New! This update adds a modernized File Explorer Home that is powered by WinUI. Recommended files display as a carousel. That carousel only appears if you are signed in to Windows using an Azure AD account. To turn this off and show pinned folders instead, select the ellipses. To open theFolder Options dialog, select Options. In the Privacy section, select the new checkbox next to Show recommended section.
• New! File Explorer’s newly designed address bar recognizes local and cloud folders. It also shows your file’s status. For Microsoft OneDrive users, the address bar now contains your OneDrive sync status and a quota flyout box.
• New! A new details pane in File Explorer (ALT + Shift + P) helps you access related content, stay up to date with file activity, and collaborate without opening a file. When you select a file in File Explorer and turn on the pane, the pane displays contextual information about the file. This includes a file thumbnail, its sharing status and button, emails, and more. To turn it on, select the View menu and choose Details pane. Then use the button located on the right side of the command bar to turn on the pane.
• New! This update introduces Gallery in File Explorer. Gallery makes it easy to access your photo collection. The content in Gallery is the same as what you see in the All Photos view in the Photos app. Your most recently taken photos appear at the top of Gallery. This includes photos from your phone if you have OneDrive Camera Roll Backup set up.
• You can choose the folders that show in Gallery using the Collection dropdown menu. You can also add subfolders of existing sources to filter to a subset of your content. This includes desktop backgrounds, SD cards, and camera imports.
• Gallery also works from the file picking dialog. This makes it easy to insert attachments, build PowerPoint slides, or craft social media posts.
• A new button, called Add Phone Photos, is in the command bar. Use it to make your PC ready to show photos from your phone in Gallery. When you select this button, a URL appears that has a QR code that you can scan with your phone to get started.
• New! This update adds native support for reading additional archive file formats using the libarchive open-source project, such as:

 

TAR	TAR GZ	RAR BZ2
TAR ZST	TAR XZ	TGZ
TBZ2	TZST	TXZ
RAR	7Z

 

Note This features does not support password encrypted files.

 

• New! You can now tear off and merge tabs with an existing File Explorer window.
• New! This update improves the performance of the calculating phase when you send a large number of files at the same time to the recycle bin in File Explorer.

 

Windows Share

 

• New! You can email your files using Outlook directly within the Windows share window. Select the Outlook icon in the “Share using” section of the Windows share window.
• New! The Windows share window now has a search box. So, you can now search for contacts across Outlook to share a file. The Windows share window also displays 8-10 suggested contacts to quickly share to–including emailing yourself a file.
• New! Instead of a dropdown menu in the Windows share window, there is a button to turn on nearby sharing.
• New! For nearby sharing, your own PCs appear at the top of discovered devices under “Nearby Share.”
• New! Sharing files from one PC to another is faster when you use Wi-Fi Direct.
• Note These experiences will work for apps that use the built-in Windows share window. These include sharing local files from the desktop, File Explorer, Photos, Snipping Tool, and Microsoft Xbox.

 

Backup and restore

 

• New! This update introduces the Windows Backup app. Use it to quickly get your current PC backed up and ready to move to a new PC.
• New! The Microsoft Store apps from your previous PC are pinned where you left them on the taskbar and the Start menu. Desktop apps that you did not install from the Microsoft Store are also where you left them.
• New! Settings from your previous device will restore to your new PC. This helps you get back into your workflow as quickly as possible.
• Note This update does not support all settings and app types for Windows Backup. Backing up a Work or School account is not supported.

 

Emoji

 

• New! This update adds support for Unicode Emoji 15. You can now see, search for, and insert new emoji from the emoji panel. To open the emoji panel, press the Windows logo key + . (period).
• New! With the update of our colour font format to COLRv1, Windows now displays emoji with a 3D like appearance. You will only see this feature if an app supports it.

 

Windows Spotlight

 

• New! This update improves the Windows Spotlight experience. You can preview images in full screen using the Learn more button. This update also provides a minimized Windows Spotlight experience. There are many ways to learn more about each image. To open the Windows Spotlight flyout box, right-click the Spotlight icon on the desktop. To learn more about each image, double-click its icon to open a Bing landing page.

 

Narrator

 

• New! This update adds new natural voices for Narrator. These voices use modern, on-device text-to-speech. Once you download it, it works without an internet connection. The new natural voices are:

 

Chinese	Japanese
Korean	Portuguese
Spanish (Spain, Mexico)	English (United Kingdom, India)
French	German

 

• New! When Narrator opens, it will get updates to its Outlook support. After the download is complete, you will get a notification. Currently, Narrator’s Outlook support is only for U.S. English.
• New! In Microsoft Excel, Narrator gives a more succinct and efficient reading experience. It prioritizes announcements based on what you need to skim a workbook. You can use keyboard shortcuts to customize them. To learn more, see the Enhanced Narrator support in Excel documentation. This new experience is available from the Microsoft Store. So, it might take a few minutes to be available on your device.
• New! This update improves how well Narrator reads Traditional Chinese characters and words when you use the Input Method Editor’s (IME) candidate window. This is only available for the Taiwan language pack. It is not available for the Hong Kong language pack.

 

Voice Access

 

• New! This update adds commands to correct words that voice access fails to recognize. You can say “correct [text]” to correct specific text. Use “correct that” to correct text you last dictated. The correction window appears with a list of words labelled with numbers. You can say “click [number]” to select any word from the list. If you choose a word from the window, that word replaces the text you want to correct. You can also say “spell that” or “spell out” to dictate the correct spelling of text. You get suggestions as you spell out the text. All the words and phrases that you spell are added to the Windows dictionary. They will appear as suggestions when you try to spell the text again.
• New! Voice access now works right when you start your PC. You can turn on voice access from the accessibility flyout box on the Lock screen. To turn it on automatically, go to Settings > Accessibility > Speech. Choose the setting to “Start voice access before you sign in to your PC.” Then you can use voice access to sign in to your PC and access other areas on the Lock screen.
• Follow the instructions on the voice access bar to get your focus on the password field. Use your voice to dictate your password or PIN. You can say “show keyboard” to bring up the touch keyboard with number labels on it. Say the number on the key to enter the letter associated with it. This will mask the password you enter from being heard by anyone in your vicinity. You can also use other commands, such as “show numbers” or “click [element name]” to access other elements on the touch keyboard.
• New! Voice access now works for apps that run with Microsoft Defender Application Guard turned on.

 

Security

 

• New! Passkeys are a simple and more secure replacement for passwords when you sign in to a website or application that supports them. You can now go to any app or website that supports passkeys to create a passkey that uses Windows Hello. Once you create a passkey, you can use Windows Hello (face, fingerprint, or PIN) to sign in. In addition, you can use your phone or tablet to sign in.
• New ! View and delete passkeys saved for your favorite apps and websites in Windows Settings. Go to Settings > Accounts > Passkeys. The passkey list appears. You can search for and delete any passkey from the device.
• Note On Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, when you see the browser’s passkey UI, choose “Windows Hello or external security key.”
• New! This update adds Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. It helps to protect school and work passwords from phishing and unsafe use on websites and in apps. This works if you have turned on the warning options for Windows Security. Go to App & browser control > Reputation-based protection > Phishing protection. When it is on, a dialog appears that warns you about using a password in a way that is not safe. For example, reusing a password is not safe.
• New! Enterprise customers can now set theEnablePasswordlessExperience policy. Once you set the policy, it hides passwords for some Windows authentication scenarios. This is true for signing in to a device and for in-session authentication scenarios. These include web browser password managers, “Run as” admin, and User Account Control (UAC). This policy applies to machines that are joined to AAD. Users can recover their passwords using a Windows Hello for Business PIN reset or by signing in on the web. They can do this without help from the IT helpdesk.

 

Graphics and Windows Mixed Reality

 

• New! You can turn on Auto colour Management (ACM) on your Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) display. ACM makes all the colours on all your Windows apps appear accurately and consistently on every supported display. This is true even if the apps are not colour managed. To turn ACM on, go to Settings > Display > Advanced display. Choose theSDR display and turn on Automatically manage colour for apps. See the requirements to use ACM in the table below.

 

Driver	Supported GPU
WDDM driver version 3.0 or greater	AMD:   AMD RX 400 Series or later AMD Ryzen processors with Radeon Graphics
	Intel:   Integrated: Intel 12th Gen (Alder Lake) or later Discrete: Intel DG1 or later
	NVIDIA:   NVIDIA GTX 10XX or later (Pascal+)

 

There are no hard requirements for the display or connection. ACM can provide benefits even on 8-bit sRGB panels. However, we strongly recommend ACM devices to have panels with a wider-than-sRGB gamut. Ten-bits (10-bits) per colour channel or greater is also advised as an option.

 

• This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Mixed Reality. Microsoft Store stops responding when you try to access it using Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

 

Settings and Bluetooth

 

• New! This update adds a new Settings home page. It has interactive cards that represent devices and account related settings. As you use your device, the page and cards adjust to give you the most relevant and useful information. In this release, there are up to seven cards (see below). More are coming soon.
  • Recommended settings: It gives you options that help save you time.
  • Cloud storage: This shows your cloud storage use and lets you know when you are nearing capacity.
  • Account recovery: It helps you add more recovery information. This stops you from being locked out of your account.
  • Personalization: With just one click, you can change your background theme or colour mode.
  • Microsoft 365: View a quick glimpse of your subscription status and benefits. Here, you can also perform some key actions instead of going to the web.
  • Xbox: Here, you can view your subscription status and manage the subscription.
  • Bluetooth Devices: You can quickly access and connect to your favorite Bluetooth devices.
  • Note This experience is only available on Windows 11 Home and Pro editions. It is not on devices that companies manage.
• New! Dev Drive is a new form of storage volume. It gives developers what they need to host source code, working folders, and package caches. Dev Drive is built on Resilient File System (ReFS) technology. Dev Drive also has Performance mode. It is a new Microsoft Defender Antivirus capability. Performance mode minimizes the impact on developer workloads. You can create a Dev Drive using free space on an existing drive or create a VHD/VHDX. Go to the Settings app within System > System > For developers. You can also set it up using the command-line. A Dev Drive must be at least 50 GB or higher in size. We recommend that you have 8 GB or higher of RAM on your device. To learn more, see Set up a Dev Drive on Windows 11 (Public Preview).
• New! This update adds Dynamic Lighting. It gives you control of lighting devices that implement the open HID LampArray standard. These devices can create millions of colour combinations using red, green, and blue (RGB). This update includes APIs for Windows apps to control background and foreground devices. To change how your devices behave, go to Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting. Some of the things you can do using Dynamic Lighting include:
  • You can instantly sync your Windows accent colour with the devices around it. Use the “Match my Windows accent colour” toggle under “Effects.”
  • You can choose a custom colour to light up your devices.
• For a list of the compatible in-market devices, see Dynamic lighting devices. You must use the latest firmware with these devices.
• New! The update adds Adaptive Dimming. This works for PCs that have presence sensors that support attention detection. Now your device can dim your screen when you look away and undim it when you look back. To turn it on, go to Settings > Privacy & security > Presence sensing. You can also turn on Presence Sensing when you are setting up a new device. It is an option for your privacy settings.
• New! The “For Developers” settings page is now in Settings > System. It is no longer in Settings > Privacy& security.
• New! This update adds two new energy recommendations in Settings > System > Power & battery > Energy recommendations. One turns on dark mode. The second adjusts the refresh rate.
• New! You can now stop Windows from communicating with your mobile devices. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Phone Link. There you will find an option to turn off Phone Link.
• New! You can now join Bluetooth Personal Area networks. This option is for paired devices, like phones, that share an internet connection over Bluetooth. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices.
• New! This update adds a new cellular toggle. It makes it easier to control whether to use cellular when Wi-Fi is available, but it is poor. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Cellular.
• New! You have more options on the Data Usage page. They support daily and weekly data limits. Also, the page shows how far the data limit has been exceeded.
• New! You can quickly get to Settings to uninstall an app from a context menu. Right-click a Win32 app on the Start menu or search for the app and choose “Uninstall.”
• New! This update improves the design of the Settings page for wheel devices, like the Surface Dial.
• New! This update changes the design of a few lists to be more consistent with other Settings pages. The lists are for Settings > Apps > Startup Apps and Settings > Apps > Advanced App Settings > App Execution Alias. The new design also makes it easier to view more information about the apps you have.
• New! You can now get to advanced properties for network adapters and internet properties from Settings. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings.
• New! You can now view Wi-Fi passwords for your known networks in Settings. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi and “Manage known networks.”
• New! This update improves your experience when you change time zones. This change considers scenarios in which the location data might not be accurate. A notification appears that prompts you to confirm the time zone before Windows adjusts it for you.
• New! This update also improves your experience when you change the time zone in Settings > Time & language > Date & time. If location settings are turned off, a warning appears. It tells you to turn on location settings to ensure accurate time zone adjustments. This warning helps you to understand why a time zone might not be correct so you can address the issue.
• New! This update improves the design of the Task Manager dialogs and its Settings page. It now matches the look and feel of other Settings pages. The new design also separates categories into different sections for a cleaner UI.
• New! Windows now detects camera streaming issues. If your camera does not start or its shutter is closed, a notification appears. It recommends that you open the automated Get Help troubleshooter to address the issue.
• New! The network flyout box on the Lock screen now aligns with Windows 11 design principles.
• New! This update changes the design of the firewall notification dialogs for Windows Security. They now match the look of Windows 11.
• New! This update brings Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) Audio support to more PC platforms. It also improves audio fidelity and battery life when you pair your PC with Bluetooth LE Audio earbuds and headphones.
• New! System Components has its own page in Settings > System > System Components. Its current location is in Settings > Apps > Installed Apps.
• This update addresses an issue that occurs when you use Universal Print to add a printer using its location. When you browse the tree view structure, the tree nodes do not work as you expect.

 

Windows 365 Switch

 

• New! Using Windows 365 Switch, you can sign in to and connect your Windows 365 Cloud PC to your local desktop. Then you can move between them using familiar keyboard commands, mouse clicks, or a swipe gesture. For easy access from your desktop, you can add Windows 365 Switch to Task view.

   

Input

 

• New! This update starts the roll out of digital handwriting (inking) in some edit boxes for Windows Ink. Also, the recognition technology is more accurate. There are gestures to delete, select, join, and split words. You can also gesture to insert a new line.
• Note These improvements support English (U.S.) only. Broader language support is coming soon. To manage this feature, go to Settings > Bluetooth and devices > Pen and Windows Ink.
• This update addresses an issue that affects touchscreens. They do not work properly when you use more than one display.

And here are other changes included in the update:

• New! This update adds new customization options for Dynamic Lighting OEMs. You can now customize OS images for new PCs. This includes setting up Dynamic Lighting defaults.
• This update changes the English name of the former Republic of Turkey. The new, official name is the Republic of Türkiye.
• This update supports the currency change in Croatia from the Kuna to the Euro.
• This update supports daylight saving time (DST) changes in Syria. To learn more, see Interim guidance for Syria DST changes 2022.
• This update addresses an issue that affects fontdrvhost.exe. It stops responding when you use Compact Font Format version 2 (CFF2) fonts.
• This update addresses a memory leak in ctfmon.exe.
• This update addresses a memory leak in TextInputHost.exe.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Dynamic Lighting. The default provider is not applied as expected. This occurs when you set it up using Unattend files.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Firewall Profile. When you are on a domain authenticated network, it detects a public domain. This is wrong.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Outlook. It stops responding. This occurs when you print to an Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) printer that has a slow response time.
• This update addresses an error that occurs when you print using v4 print drivers.
• This update addresses an issue that affects cellular settings. The name of the mobile operator is wrong.
• This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• This update addresses an issue that blocks external connections. This occurs when you set up a Kubernetes load balanced service and turn on session affinity.
• This update addresses a Firewall configuration service provider (CSP) issue. It stops a device from syncing.
• This update addresses an issue that affects devices on which you have defined Windows Information Protection (WIP) policies and set up a proxy. A stop error occurs. This happens on devices that use Microsoft Defender Application Guard. In the past, WIP was known as enterprise data protection (EDP).
• This update addresses an issue that occurs after you run a Push-button reset. You cannot set up Windows Hello facial recognition. This affects devices that have Windows Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) turned on.
• This update addresses an issue that affects PowerShell versions greater than 7.3.1. It might block scripts and not let them run in Constrained Language Mode. This occurs when you turn on a WDAC policy.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Automatically Hide the Taskbar setting. You cannot set it using the SHAppBarMessage() API.
• This update improves the performance of the search box experience.
• This update addresses an issue that affects robocopy. The /efsraw switch stops it from copying data properly.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Device Management (DM) client. The sync session takes longer than you expect for the enrollment status page (ESP).

To download KB5031455 and get all the new Moment 4 features, head to Settings > Windows Update and toggle on the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" option. You can also download and install KB5031455 manually using this link to the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Source

Here is the changelog:

Highlights

 

• This update addresses an issue that affects touchscreens. They do not work properly when you use more than one display.

 

Improvements

 

Important: Use EKB KB5015684 to update to Windows 10, version 22H2.

 

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

 

• This update supports daylight saving time (DST) changes in Syria. To learn more, see Interim guidance for Syria DST changes 2022.
• This update addresses a memory leak in ctfmon.exe.
• This update addresses a memory leak in TextInputHost.exe.
• This update addresses an error that occurs when you print using v4 print drivers.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Outlook. It stops responding. This occurs when you print to an Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) printer that has a slow response time.
• This update addresses an issue that affects connectivity. It is lost. This occurs when you add a second network interface card (NIC) that has no default gateway.
• This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). Its “allow” policies might block some binaries from running.
• This update addresses an issue that affects robocopy. The /efsraw switch stops it from copying data properly.

 

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

 

Windows 10 servicing stack update - 19045.3634

 

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

 

Symptom

 

Using the FixedDrivesEncryptionType or SystemDrivesEncryptionType policy settings in the BitLocker configuration service provider (CSP) node in mobile device management (MDM) apps might incorrectly show a 65000 error in the "Require Device Encryption" setting for some devices in your environment. Affected environments are those with the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or "Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives" policies set to enabled and selecting either "full encryption" or "used space only". Microsoft Intune is affected by this issue but third-party MDMs might also be affected.

 

Important This issue is a reporting issue only and does not affect drive encryption or the reporting of other issues on the device, including other BitLocker issues.

 

Workaround

 

To mitigate this issue in Microsoft Intune, you can set the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or "Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives" policies to not configured.

 

We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.

You can find the full support article for the update here, with instructions on how to download the update.

Source

Here is the changelog:

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

 

[Settings]

 

• System Components currently listed in Settings > Apps > Installed Apps page, have moved to its own page under Settings > System > System Components.

 

 

New System Components Settings page.

 

• Xbox Game Bar is now Game Bar under Settings > Gaming.

 

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

 

• New! This update adds new customization options for Dynamic Lighting OEMs. You can now customize OS images for new PCs. This includes setting up Dynamic Lighting defaults.
• This update supports the currency change in Croatia from the Kuna to the Euro.
• This update addresses an issue that affects cellular settings. The name of the mobile operator is wrong.
• This update addresses an issue that occurs after you run a Push-button reset. You cannot set up Windows Hello facial recognition. This affects devices that have Windows Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) turned on.
• This update addresses an issue that affects fontdrvhost.exe. It stops responding when you use Compact Font Format version 2 (CFF2) fonts.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Mixed Reality. Microsoft Store stops responding when you try to access it using Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Widgets notification badge. It is in the wrong position on the taskbar.
• This update addresses an issue that affects PowerShell versions greater than 7.3.1. It might block scripts and not let them run in Constrained Language Mode. This occurs when you turn on a WDAC policy.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Automatically Hide the Taskbar setting. You cannot set it using the SHAppBarMessage()
• 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 devices on which you have defined Windows Information Protection (WIP) policies and set up a proxy. A stop error occurs. This happens on devices that use Microsoft Defender Application Guard. In the past, WIP was known as enterprise data protection (EDP).
• This update addresses a memory leak in ctfmon.exe.
• This update addresses an issue that occurs when you use Universal Print to add a printer using its location. When you browse the tree view structure, the tree nodes do not work as you expect.
• This update supports daylight saving time (DST) changes in To learn more, see Interim guidance for Syria DST changes 2022.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Device Management (DM) client. The sync session takes longer than you expect for the enrollment status page (ESP).
• This update addresses an issue that affects touchscreens. They do not work properly when you use more than one display.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Firewall Profile. When you are on a domain authenticated network, it detects a public domain. This is wrong.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Outlook. It stops responding. This occurs when you print to an Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) printer that has a slow response time.
• This update addresses a memory leak in TextInputHost.exe.
• This update addresses an issue that affects robocopy. The /efsraw switch stops it from copying data properly.
• This update addresses an error that occurs when you print using v4 print drivers.
• This update improves the performance of the search box experience.
• This update addresses a Firewall configuration service provider (CSP) issue. It stops a device from syncing.
• This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• This update addresses an issue that blocks external connections. This occurs when you set up a Kubernetes load balanced service and turn on session affinity.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Dynamic Lighting. The default provider is not applied as expected. This occurs when you set it up using Unattend files.
• This update addresses an issue that affects File Explorer. It stops responding. This occurs when you use Microsoft OneDrive.
• This update addresses an issue which could cause explorer.exe to crash when snapping or moving windows which were part of snap groups.
• This update addresses an issue which causes File Explorer to go unresponsive when using the option to browse for an app from the Open With dialog. The hang occurred if you tried to use the search box in the window while an IME was active.

You can check out the full blog post here.

Source

It said that it’s exciting to be heading to the conference to get "the opportunity to experience first-hand new cutting-edge technologies and engage with the open-source community." A full list of the events Microsoft will be participating in is as follows:

• Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) - Make an awesome Linux environment directly on Windows

Nov 4, 2023, 9:30AM | Speaker: Craig Loewen (Microsoft)

 

• Hands-on containerisation: chiseling .NET 8 applications with Ubuntu

Nov 4, 2023, 10:00AM | Speaker: Cristovao Corderio (Canonical), Richard Lander (Microsoft)

 

• Lightning Talks: .NET 8 LTS: a sneak peek before the big launch

Nov 4, 2023, 5:30 PM | Speaker: Richard Lander (Microsoft)

 

• Roundtable discussion: Skynet or Star Trek, what’s the future of AI?

Nov 5, 2023, 9:00 AM | Speakers: Andreea Munteanu (Canonical), Craig Loewen (Microsoft), Frank Karlitschek (Nextcloud), Graham Morrison (Canonical), Juan Luis Cano Rodríguez (QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey)

 

Please share any questions that you want to hear answered live in the panel discussion!

 

• Go live with confidence: enhancing security with .NET on chiseled Ubuntu containers

Nov 5, 2023, 10:30 AM | Speaker: Richard Lander (Microsoft)

 

• Using Ubuntu’s new snapshot service at scale with Azure and AKS

Nov 5, 2023, 4:00PM | Speakers: Colin Watson (Canonical), David Duffey (Microsoft), Koshy John (Microsoft), Ye Wang (Microsoft)

Historically, there has been some animosity between Microsoft and the Linux community, a popular example is when former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer described Linux as ‘a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches.’ Presently, there are still rivalries between fanboys in both camps too.

It’s nice to see that Microsoft and Canonical have been able to develop a more mature attitude and better integrate their products and services so they’re easier to use for everyone.

Source: Microsoft

Source

New with Start11 v2 are three new Start menu styles that seamlessly blend with Windows 10 and 11. Each new style is customizable from top to bottom with a focus on a different theme: Apps, Professional, and Launcher.

Start11 v2 is also enhancing the taskbar with new functionality that makes it faster to access your files and folders. With this release, you can now pin a file or folder directly to the taskbar without having to open File Explorer. And if you want to build your own quick access menu, you can turn a folder into a popup menu for quick access to frequently used files directly from the taskbar.

"This is a significant update and ships with more than two dozen new features," said Brad Sams, General Manager of Stardock Software. "And we are also introducing new enterprise features as well, including the ability to load a Start menu configuration on login, kiosk functionality that lets you lock components of the Start menu, and improved tooling for advanced deployments."

Also, new with Start11 v2 is an updated search experience with native integration with the Everything search engine. Additionally, Start11 v2 introduces the ability to backup and restore your settings from a file, improved animations when navigating within the Start menus, tinting
for a unified icon experience, options for removing folders from the 'all apps list,' and many more.

Start11 v2 is available today for $5.99 during the release preview period and is also included in the award-winning Object Desktop suite. For more information, visit the Start11 v2 website here.

Gallery: Start11 v2 Release Preview

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

Disclaimer: Neowin's relationship to Stardock

Source

The option sits in the Appearance > Themesection. Click the first theme with a colour picker and specify your desired colour. You can use a colour palette or HEX, RGB, or HSL codes. Clicking outside the selector will apply the selected colour to the tab strip, toolbar, and sidebar. Note that using a custom theme will turn off the Mica material.

The ability to create a custom theme in Microsoft Edge Canary is available to a subset of Edge Insiders. Here is how to force-enable it using the enable-features command if you do not have access to the feature without tinkering:

1. Update Microsoft Edge Canary to version 120.0.2183.0 by navigating to edge://settings/help.
2. Close the browser, right-click its shortcut, and select Properties.
3. Click the Target field and place one space after the path.
4. Paste the following command: --enable-features=msSettingsThemescolourPicker
5. Click OK to save the changes, then launch Microsoft Edge using the modified shortcut.
6. Go to Settings > Appearance or use the edge://settings/appearance link.
7. Click the Pick a colour button.

    

   

Other changes and features Microsoft is testing for its browser include improvements for the Split Screen feature, password manager enhancements, better inking, and more. If you are tempted to try using Edge Canary, keep in mind that the channel is extremely bug-prone, and its updates often break Edge or render it borderline unusable.

You can download Microsoft Edge Canary from the official website. It is available on Windows 10 and 11 (older versions are no longer supported), macOS, Linux, and Android.

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Fast forward to today, all 24 processors removed in August are back on the list of officially supported CPUs in Windows 11. Those models include the following (via Deskmodder😞

Like in August 2023, Microsoft has not officially commented on Windows 11's CPU requirement changes. It might be a mistake that took two months to fix or some technical reasons that required Microsoft to ditch 24 Xeon processors for a short period. Whatever the case, if you own one or several processors listed above, rest assured that they now officially support Microsoft's latest operating system.

For those curious, here are quick links to complete lists of supported CPUs:

• Windows 11 list of supported AMD processors
• Windows 11 list of supported Intel processors
• Windows 11 list of supported Qualcomm processors

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Alan Wake 2, a sequel to the critically acclaimed horror from Remedy Entertainment, launches on PC (an Epic Games Store exclusive), Xbox, and PlayStation on October 27, 2023. The game tells the story of Alan Wake, a writer who went missing, and an FBI agent investigating a series of ritualistic murders.

If you plan to play Alan Wake 2 on your computer, be sure to check out the game's hardware requirements.

What is new in NVIDIA 545.92 WHQL?

What is new

 

This new Game Ready Driver provides the best gaming experience for the latest new games supporting DLSS 3.5 technology and DLSS Ray Reconstruction including Alan Wake 2. Additionally, this Game Ready Driver supports the launch of titles supporting NVIDIA DLSS 3 technology including Ghostrunner 2.

 

 

 

 

Fixed issues

 

• [VR] Desktop colours turn overexposed after closing VR app.

And here is the list of known issues in NVIDIA 545.29 WHQL:

Open issues:

 

• [Halo Infinite] Significant performance drop is observed on Maxwell-based GPUs.
• A new NVIDIA icon is created in the system tray each time a user switch takes place in Windows.

Issues not caused by NVIDIA drivers

 

• [Windows 10 Fall Creators Update][HDTV]: 12 bpc is automatically applied even on
  HDTVs that support only 8 bpc, resulting in a scrambled display. [2007663]
  To work around, open the NVIDIA Control Panel -> Change Resolution page, select “Use NVIDIA colour settings,” then set the Output colour depth to 8 bpc.
• Some games and applications are designed to run at a fixed frame rate, and consequently do not take advantage of NVIDIA G-Sync. To prevent issues, G-Sync may be disabled for those applications.

You can download NVIDIA's latest graphics driver from the official website or update your NVIDIA-powered PC from the GeForce Experience app. Full release notes are available via this link (PDF).

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What is new in Vivaldi 6.4?

• Pop-out video improvements. Pop-out videos (picture-in-picture) now have a volume slider, allowing you to adjust the volume level on the fly. Available controls include a close button, a "back to tab button," scrubbing, and a volume slider. You can enable picture-in-picture by clicking the button on the playing video when hovering the cursor over it.
• Calendar Templates. Vivaldi's built-in Calendar now lets you create templates for frequently occurring events, such as meetings, birthdays, doctor's appointments, etc. Templates will help you set up events much quicker and effortlessly.

In addition to picture-in-picture and Calendar upgrades, Vivaldi 6.4 delivers multiple fixes for the address bar, bookmarks, tabs, feeds, history, menus, Mail, and other parts of the browser. You can find the complete changelog in a blog post on the official Vivaldi website.

Vivaldi 6.4 is available on Windows 10 and 11, macOS, Linux, Android, Android Automotive, Raspberry Pi, and iOS. Vivaldi Technologies recently launched the browser on iPhone and iPad, allowing Apple users to continue using Vivaldi on mobile devices with safe passwords, favorites, history, and other types of content sync.

Keeping your data safe is our priority. That is why we store the Sync data on our own servers in Iceland. Even though we are using the Sync engine from Chromium, we have modified it to use our own server instead of Google’s servers. This means you do not need to trust Google with your data. We have also added encryption to the data, using an encryption password that we do not have access to on our servers so that only you can access it.

You can download Vivaldi from the official website.

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Monterrey, California: At the Linux Foundation Members Summit, Jonathan Corbet, Linux kernel developer and executive editor of Linux Weekly News, explained where the pain points are for Linux kernel maintainers and why it's getting to be a bit much for all of Linux's cooks.

Indeed, many Linux code maintainers are burning out. Why? There are many reasons. First, though, you need to understand what Linux kernel maintainers actually do. 

They're the people who take the code from thousands of developers, check it for errors, make sure there are no regressions, coordinate the code with the patches from other maintainers from further up and down the tree, and finally herd the patches toward the mainline. Oh, and manage backports. That's a lot of work, but it's only the "fun" code part. 

Maintainers must also mediate developer disagreements and interact with vendors and users. The latter can range from talking to hardware companies to try to get them to open-source their drivers, and assisting developers on how to build a driver, to helping a user having trouble with his laptop touchpad -- quite possibly because the aforementioned vendor never cooperated when the touchpad driver was first built.

The result? Well, as Darrick Wong, the former maintainer of the XFS file system, put it in his recent resignation note, "I burned out years ago trying to juggle the roles senior developer, reviewer, tester, triager (crappily), release manager, and (at times) manager liaison. … I thought if I could hold on just a bit longer, I could help to maintain the focus on long-term development to improve the experience for users. I was wrong."

Wong added:  

Most of my friends work for small companies, nonprofits, and local governments. They report the same problems with overwork, pervasive fear, and anger, and struggle to understand and adapt to new ideas that I observe here. They see the direct connection between their org's lack of revenue and resources. They don't understand why the hell the same happens to me and my workplace proximity associates when we all work for companies that clear hundreds of billions of dollars.

Before diving into this, let me point out that the maintainer burnout problem is not because the Linux Foundation isn't paying for maintainers. The Linux Foundation only has three maintainers: Linus Torvalds, Greg Kroah-Hartman, and Shuah Khan. That's it.

That's because the Linux Foundation is not a programming company. It's an open-source foundation that provides resources for businesses, organizations, and developers to build open-source projects. It's corporations for the most part that hire maintainers. 

But, as Corbet mentioned, almost no one -- no one -- pays people to be maintainers. Maintenance is extra work they do on top of their day job. Companies want their programmers to produce new code. They're not interested in paying them to help manage the entire Linux, or any other open-source project, fundamental infrastructure. 

The result? Cobet quoted Steve Rostedt, a Google software engineer and maintainer of several Linux kernel projects "Being a maintainer myself with a full-time job that is not to do my maintainership I'm struggling to find time to work on this."

Who wouldn't? I stand in awe of maintainers. I'm known as an extremely productive writer -- over 10 thousand articles published and counting -- but I couldn't possibly handle their workload.

But, wait! There's more. While Corbet welcomes the arrival of the Rust language into Linux, it will also add another burden to maintainers. "If you are a kernel maintainer, and you're going to start receiving submissions written in the Rust language, you have to understand the language at a very deep level. … This is a lot to ask a maintainer to learn this new language when they're already busy and overwhelmed with the work that they're doing, so this is gonna be a problem going forward."

Another problem is the increased use of fuzzers. These test programs inject semi-random data into a program/stack to detect bugs. It's a great technique for finding mistakes and potential security holes. 

But, recently, people without a clue are using fuzzers to find "bugs." So, Corbet observed, "Fuzzers generate thousands of reports. And even if all of these reports were good, somebody has to go through them or somebody has to understand them all. That task falls on the maintainer Add to this the fact that many of these reports are bad or duplicates and you have a huge waste of time." Worse still, "we have lots of people running fuzzers and cranking out reports without really verifying they found a real problem or helping in any way to solve these problems."

Just what maintainers need, more, and often pointless, work.

So, what's the answer? Address the maintainer understaffing problem. 

Corbet said: 

In a world where we have 5 thousand people contributing to the kernel every year, understaffing might seem like a strange thing to complain about. But maintainers are overworked. We're working for companies bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars a year in revenue, but companies that like to hire kernel maintainers don't always like to give them time to actually be kernel maintainers. They need to be evaluated for their maintainer work.

In short, "let maintainers do maintenance as part of their job, give them credit for it, because this is not happening and it's what we really need."

Companies need to recognize the value of maintaining not just Linux, but other important open-source projects. Successful development is not all about producing new lines of code. It's about making sure the entire codebase works well as a whole, and that means giving people the time and resources.

It's not just corporations that need to step up. Corbet added that developers need to review patches. 

Corbet explained, "If you are submitting patches to the kernel, you should be reviewing patches submitted to the kernel. If all you're doing is suspending code, then you're putting a load on the maintainer side of the equation without doing your part to help them."

So, with more support from both programmers and corporations, the great Linux maintainer burnout can be mediated before it becomes an even bigger problem than it already is. 

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While it was expected that the update would have been out by now as we reach the end of October, - since this has been the norm with the past two features, ie, 21H2 and 22H2 - much of the groundwork to ensure compatibility and reliability is still being deployed. So in a way, it is good that Microsoft did not rush it out. However, we did get a bunch of supposed 23H2 features early via the 22H2 Moment 4 update. (We had an in-depth look at all such features back in early September).

So far in the case of 23H2, Microsoft, towards the end of September, announced the WHCP certification for the feature update. This is to ensure that the system requirements are validated. In case you were not aware, the tech giant reassured users that there would be no change in "device compatibility" between 22H2 and 23H2. Aside from that, Microsoft also made improvements to Microsoft 365 testing.

Following those, Microsoft has now released an updated Windows Driver Kit (WDK) for Windows 11 23H2. If you are not familiar with it, the WDK is used for developing "efficient, high-quality drivers" for Windows. Alongside that, the tech giant has also released an updated Windows SDK (software development kit) to help in the process. It is based on the build 22621.2428 or October 2023 Patch Tuesday that arrived alongside the Moment 4 changes.

Microsoft has explained that developers will require Visual Studio 2022 as well as the latest Windows SDK for Windows 11, version 23H2 WDK. You can find all the details on this documentation page on the official Microsoft website.

Now that much of the work is close to being completed, it is easy to see why ISO download links for Windows 11 23H2 are starting to appear online. The links are not live yet but it shouldn't be too long. Microsoft has already confirmed that the update is coming this quarter.

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This week, Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon X Elite, its next generation PC chip that takes aim at Apple Silicon and is able to beat an Intel Core i9 and AMD Ryzen 7 in various benchmarks. It's a world-class chip that finally puts Windows on ARM on the map, and unsurprisingly plays a larger role in some of the functionality coming to the next version of Windows.

In fact, Microsoft was even on stage with Qualcomm, with both CEO Satya Nadella and CVP Windows + Devices Pavan Davuluri there to talk about what the Snapdragon X Elite, and NPUs in general means for the future of Windows. While much of their conversations were vague, with no demos or specific mentions of "Windows 12," both executives did tease some of the features that are in the works for the next version of Windows. 

So, what exactly did we learn? Let's start with Satya Nadella's comments and break down exactly what he means.

"Gen AI has the potential to be as big as the mobile revolution, the cloud revolution, the web and PC, that class. I think fundamentally if you think about what the dream of computing always was, can you make interfaces much more human-friendly, much more natural? Can you augment human capability with computing? It starts with language, but it's quickly going beyond that. That will fundamentally change what an OS is, what a UI looks like, how application interaction goes. So UI change is always big, and this is a big UI change."

Here, Nadella claims that generative AI integration in Windows will change how we interact with our computers. He's teasing this idea of a revolutionary new interface that becomes possible when the OS uses AI to do things for you. He continues:

"The other one is we now have a new reasoning engine. Anytime you use something like Github Copilot, it gives you a completely new thing to have an assistant you can reason about and help you create. So with these two things, a reasoning engine and a new natural UI, pretty much all software categories can be changed."

Nadella then mentions hybrid computing, which I mentioned previously, will play a critical role in the next version of Windows. Microsoft foresees many experiences utilizing a hybrid approach, where some functionality is processed locally while also reaching out to the cloud for additional compute power and capabilities.

"If we look at the innovation that's coming, on [devices where] you have very powerful NPUs, how do you compose an application that's built using local compute and cloud inferencing together? That's what we're enabling with our Windows AI ecosystem. So I think we're literally going to have lots of applications that have local models, hybrid models, and that is the future of AI going forward."

Hybrid is vital because not all PCs can render AI workloads locally. This next-generation wave of computers with NPUs will be able to handle many more aspects of AI locally, but not everything can be done on device. This will be how features like the Microsoft Copilot function, where much of what you'll use it for is rendered in the cloud but with a mixture of on-device processing where it makes sense.

"There is a new generation of AI PCs that are being created, so the work we're doing together is going to bring together these experiences that cannot be done without a new system architecture. And the marquee experience for us is going to be Copilot. When Windows first came together, we had the Start button. The Copilot is like the Start button. So, for example, I go there and express my intent, and it either navigates me to an application or it brings the application to the copilot. So it helps me learn, query, create, and completely changes the user's habits."

This is our first real hint at the experiences Microsoft wants to build out with AI integration in the next version of Windows. Nadella mentions the Start button and gives an example of how Copilot can jump into an activity or workflow based on a user's intent.

Instead of clicking Start, finding the app you want, opening a project file, and getting to work, AI will allow you to type what you want to be doing, and Windows will bring everything to you. I know Microsoft is working on being able to use natural language to search for files or restore previous workflows, and this is one example of how that might be implemented. 

Let's move on to Pavan Davuluri's comments, which echo the same sentiment that hybrid experiences will be a key part of the future of Windows:

"I would say it's all about the synergy between the cloud and client. For us, powerful NPUs like the one we're building will work well in the Windows 11 AI ecosystem that we are creating for developers to build and create what we think of as hybrid apps. Hybrid AI applications that take advantage of local computing and Azure compute. To me, this has many advantages: enhanced privacy, cost savings, latency benefits, performance optimizations, and this notion of this extended personalization. "

Davuluri helpfully outlines why hybrid computing benefits the end user and companies like Microsoft. For the end user, it means the capabilities of the AI are endless. If your PC cannot render a specific AI function locally, it can reach out to the cloud for help.

For Microsoft, this is beneficial because it reduces server costs and carbon footprint. We all know running AI workloads on Azure server farms isn't very energy efficient, so PCs that can render at least some AI functions locally will reduce the load on Microsoft's servers.

"We are building Windows to be the destination for the best AI experiences. Moving forward, this will require an OS that simply blurs the lines between the cloud and the edge, and using the right silicon in the right place is foundational for us."

This further highlights Mictosoft's focus on hybrid experiences. Some AI features will be capable of running locally using next-generation NPUs, while others will depend on the cloud for full functionality. 

Davuluri also teases some of the experiences that will be possible with some of the AI features it's building into the next version of Windows:

"As we think about the future of these Windows devices, you will be able to personalize every interaction. The AI is going to be able to orchestrate across multiple apps, services, and devices, functioning as an agent in your life that can connect and keep context across entire workflows."

This sounds a lot like Cortana and is likely hinting at a future version of Microsoft Copilot that is more personal and able to remember you as a user, learn your habits, and become more valuable based on how it understands you. Using an app, it will function across devices, whether multiple Windows PCs or phones.

I also think this hints at a capability that will allow the Copilot to understand what you're doing on your computer and use that information to make the OS more productive for the user. Windows could identify content on screen at any given time and offer suggestions, shortcuts, and other quick ways to jump into a project or workflow based on what’s currently on display.

Next, let's look at Davuluri's comments on Windows on ARM and how the platform handles app-emulation:

"As we look forward to future generations of the platform, Snapdragon X Elite and Windows 11 will deliver faster performance, better performance for sure, with emulation becoming more efficient ... Our engineering teams have been working to optimize performance and compatibility of this platform. We're excited that the vast majority of top-tier applications will run natively or via seamless emulation efficiently and in a performant manner."

It's unclear if Davuluri is teasing improvements to the emulation engine or is simply touting performance gains thanks to the more powerful Snapdragon X Elite. He does mention a more efficient emulation layer, which might suggest some improvements on the OS side.

So here's what we've learned about the next version of Windows:

• The next version of Windows will have context aware AI integration.
• Many AI features and apps will utilize hybrid computing.
• AI will enable new UI experiences not previously feasible.

Without specifically announcing anything, Microsoft has done an excellent job at teasing some of the stuff it's working on for the next version of Windows coming in 2024. Nadella mentioned the possibility of an all-new UI built around AI, Davuluri mentioned context-aware AI functionality, and both highlighted the importance of hybrid computing scenarios. 

How this all shakes out remains to be seen, but it's clear that whatever Microsoft is cooking up internally will be a big deal for the PC space in 2024 and beyond. Microsoft is racing to make Windows the first AI-powered OS. Will it be able to pull it off? Only time will tell. 

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