"Outlook blocks opening FQDN and IP address hyperlinks after installing protections for Microsoft Outlook Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability released July 11, 2023," the company says.

On affected systems, Outlook for Microsoft 365 users will see silent failures, be warned that the location may be unsafe, or see "Something unexpected went wrong with this URL" errors.

This happens only when clicking on links in emails within Outlook Desktop if the path leads to an FQDN, an IP address, or a hostname path.

More information can be found in the knowledgebase articles published by Microsoft with details on the CVE-2023-33151 Outlook Spoofing Vulnerability and the CVE-2023-35311 Outlook Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability.

Outlook silent failure (Microsoft)

Redmond also provides impacted customers with a temporary fix to work around this known issue and allow all hyperlinks to work as expected.

However, the company warns that applying the workaround might increase the attack surface on affected systems.

"This workaround may make a computer or a network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses," Microsoft warned,

"Make sure the FQDN or IP address you add to Trusted Sites is a valid URL path for your company or network."

To temporarily ensure that links to files hosted on FQDN or IP address paths are still accessible after installing the Outlook Desktop July 11th security updates, affected users have to go through the following steps to add the URLs to the Trusted Sites zone:

1. Go to Windows Settings.
2. Search for and open Internet Options.
3. Click the Security tab, then select Trusted Sites.
4. Add the URL, UNC, or FQDN path that you want to allow to "Add this website to the zone" (For example, add file://server.usa.corp.com)

This workaround can also be deployed using the Site to Zone Assignment List group policy, but admins are advised to ensure that all values are valid before deploying.

Last month, Redmond shared another temporary fix for a known issue affecting Outlook for Microsoft 365 customers and causing slow starts and freezes.

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I should note that the method I’ll outline below requires you to store your Ubuntu password in a text file. While it’s probably OK for most personal users, I definitely advise against doing this on corporate machines or anywhere you have very sensitive data.

You may remember from the last guide that the main command chain that was outlined checked for updates, installed available software updates in the repositories, and then any Snap updates; it was as follows:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y && sudo snap refresh

The command chain does what it’s supposed to but requires the user to open up the Terminal to run it and type in their password.

To use the same command chain to automatically update the computer in the background, it requires a new section at the start containing your user password and it needs to be placed in a file that can be executed from the Startup Applications tool on each login.

To get started, we want to create a new file which can be placed somewhere in your local directory, the Home directory is as good as anywhere. Name it update.sh then right-click, head to Properties > Permissions > and check Allow executing file as program.

Now open up the update.sh file in Gedit and on line 1 enter:

#!/bin/bash

Then on line 3, enter:

echo "YourPasswordHere" | sudo -S apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y && sudo snap refresh

You need to replace YourPasswordHere with your actual Ubuntu password. The new portions in this command chain are the echo, the pipe (|) and the standard input (-S) - on a none technical level you’ve given the computer your password to remember and when this script is run it takes the password and feeds it through so that sudo can be used without manually typing your password.

Obviously, keeping your password stored like this could be a security risk, especially on sensitive computers so think carefully about whether you want to do this and definitely make sure it’s not the same password you use for online accounts.

Once you have the commands above in the update.sh file, you need to save it and close Gedit. Next, press the Windows Key and search for Startup Applications and open that.

Now, you'll want to add a new startup program with the Add button, give it a relevant name like 'Autoupdate', then under Command press Browse… and find the update.sh file you created, then put in a short comment like ‘Autoupdate on startup’ to help you remember what it is.

Having added that you’re all finished. Each time you log in, that script will be run and your system will grab all the latest updates available and install them.

I have been using this on my own computer for about a month or so and haven't noticed any performance degradation in the first few minutes that it takes to install the updates. As the computer is now grabbing updates at every login, it tends to only have a couple to do whenever there are new ones available.

One of the things you might want to do is check whether everything is working properly as the updates are installed silently. Just enter the following command into the Terminal and press the End Key, you should be able to the latest updates that have been installed and when they were installed, from this you can infer whether the script is working.

less /var/log/apt/history.log

That’s all for this guide, it’s a nice little set-up to have if you’re too lazy to mess around updating your system manually. Just be careful where you use this as the password does need to be stored in a file and it could potentially be accessed by someone malicious either remotely or with physical access to your computer.

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Apple released its first public beta for macOS Sonoma (among other operating systems) this month, and per usual, headlining features like desktop widgets have gotten a lot of coverage. We'll take a more comprehensive look at the big-ticket items in our review later this fall, but there are always some features and changes worth discussing that get buried or lost in the shuffle. Here are a few deeper cuts we've played with so far.

Better screen sharing

Apple first added basic screen sharing support to macOS back in 2007, with version 10.5 (Leopard). Screen sharing did use a dedicated app, but it was hidden in macOS' system folders rather than in the Applications or Utilities folders—it was really only intended to be launched indirectly, either using the Finder or the Connect to Server menu. If you did launch it directly, its interface was a simple "connect to" dialog where you could enter your desired hostname or IP address. Functional, but minimalist.

 

Screen Sharing in Sonoma revamps the app itself, as well as how the underlying technology works. You'll now find a Screen Sharing app in the Utilities folder (the same place as Terminal, Disk Utility, and others), signaling that Apple has made it a full-fledged app. The new Screen Sharing app looks a bit like a (very) light, feature-limited version of the Remote Desktop management software, with a list of all computers you've connected to in the past, the ability to see all computers on your local network with screen sharing enabled, and the option to create groups of computers so you can easily sort systems based on how you use them.

 

In the Settings of this new app, you're able to block specific users you don't want sharing your screen. By default, anyone can request control of your screen if they're on the same network as you and know your hostname or IP address—you can allow or refuse access or allow them to connect in a view-only mode—but you can limit those requests to only people in your contacts list if you want to.

 

Screen Sharing remains compatible with the VNC protocol, so it will still provide basic functionality when connected to Windows or Linux PCs with VNC servers installed and enabled. But the app remains at its most capable when connecting to other Macs, and it has gotten several upgrades (a few of which only work with two Sonoma Macs connected to each other).

 

Sonoma-to-Sonoma connections get a new High Performance connection mode—note that High Performance mode and all related features only work on Apple Silicon Macs, not Intel machines. High Performance mode mainly reduces latency and improves image quality when the connection between the two Macs is fast enough. But it also enables a couple of different display-related modes.

 

The first is Dynamic Resolution, which allows you to use the native resolution of the host computer's display with the remotely connected Mac. Say you connected to an iMac or Mac mini with a 4K or 5K screen from a MacBook Air. Normally, you'd see that 4K or 5K image resized to whatever resolution your MacBook was using, resulting in a loss of detail and quality. With Dynamic Resolution on, you could use that Mac at your MacBook Air's native resolution instead, more like the way it works in Microsoft's Remote Desktop app for Windows PCs. That said, this feature seems super flaky in the Sonoma public beta and consistently either didn't resize properly or totally crashed on my test Macs.

 

The other is High Dynamic Range over screen sharing, which will render a host Mac's content using HDR if your remotely connected Mac has an HDR screen. If you don't, this button will be grayed out.

 

The other buttons across the top of the Screen Sharing window work when you're connected to older versions of macOS, too. Three of them offer shortcuts to the Launchpad, Mission Control, and Show Desktop functions, since pressing any of those keys or using the trackpad gestures will activate those features on your host Mac, not the one you're connecting to. There's also a toggle for switching between remote-control and view-only modes.

 

Finally, there are a bunch of multi-monitor improvements. Connecting to a remote Mac with multiple monitors using Screen Sharing has always been a bit of a pain, since you're locked into whatever monitor configuration the remote Mac is using. This could mean trying to juggle the contents of two 4K or 5K displays on a single MacBook display; the app gives you the option of viewing one screen at a time, but both screens would still be there.

 

For starters, the Sonoma version of Screen Sharing will let you split all of those remote displays out into separate windows; now, swapping between displays is as quick and easy as switching between app windows. For Sonoma-to-Sonoma Macs in High Performance mode, you also get up to two "virtual displays," no matter how many physical screens are connected to the host or guest Mac. If you're connected to a host Mac that has one screen (or no screens!) and you want to use it with a Mac that has multiple monitors connected, you can do that.

 

On a local Wi-Fi network, a High Performance connection between two Macs did look visibly better than a standard connection, and the remote Mac tracked my cursor well and responded to clicks and other inputs promptly. But animations were still choppy enough that you can tell it's a remote connection, and work remains to be done on the stability of the Dynamic Resolution feature. Still, assuming Apple can get everything working as intended, it's a nice batch of upgrades for people who regularly work with remote Macs.

 

There are other under-the-hood changes to the way that screen and window sharing works in Sonoma that we'll cover in our full review, but one to be aware of is a new menu bar icon that pops up to tell you when third-party apps are sharing or recording your screen.

New Apple TV-style wallpapers and screensavers

The coolest-looking thing in Sonoma is probably its collection of wallpaper-turned-screensavers, mostly a collection of high-definition videos of cities or nature that smoothly and continuously zoom around their subjects.

 

These videos aren't new—they're the same videos that Apple TV boxes use as screensavers—but the way Apple is using them in Sonoma looks undeniably cool. You get the best effect when you use the same video as your wallpaper and screensaver, which you can do with an easy toggle in the Settings app.

 

With this toggle turned on, your desktop wallpaper looks like a still image. But when the screensaver turns on, your icons and app windows fade away, and your wallpaper starts to move. Nudge the keyboard or trackpad to exit the screensaver, and your icons and app windows come back, but your wallpaper continues to move for a bit before slowing down and becoming a static image again. Same deal when you wake the computer up—you'll see the video version on the login screen, and once you log in, your icons and apps fade in, and the video slowly comes to a stop.

 

Like some of Ventura's wallpapers, these new screensaver/wallpaper videos are downloaded on first use to save disk space. If you don't want to use them, regular wallpapers and screensavers in Sonoma work like they used to but with a more graceful transition to and from screensavers—a gentle fade instead of a cut to black.

More built-in password-manager features

Over the last few releases, Apple has slowly built many of the most useful password manager features into iOS and macOS, including sync between devices, automatic password generation, warnings about reused and potentially breached passwords, and more. It doesn't fully replace a dedicated password manager for advanced users who make extensive use of multiple password vaults, for people who want a password manager with a 2FA code generator included, for Android users, or for IT people who need to be able to centrally manage passwords for a large group of users, but for people at home it's considerably better than "using the same six passwords for every single site you visit."

 

Sonoma (and iOS 17) expands Apple's password-manager capabilities by adding password sharing—essentially separate password vaults that can be shared with other people who have a compatible device tied to their iCloud account. The area where you get this up in Settings is a bit misleading, implying that people need to be in your iCloud Family Sharing group to have access to passwords, but once you set it up, the only limitation is that people you share passwords with must be in your Contacts somewhere.

 

Upon setup, each group member can decide which of their passwords to share with everyone else in the group, ideal for sites or apps (daycare/school, banking, utilities, health care, and so on) where you share access with one or more people. It clears that same "good enough for lots of people, considerably better than nothing" bar that the other password management features have cleared, and the addition of shared password groups might even help it replace a paid password manager for people whose families and friends mostly live within Apple's ecosystem.

Safari web apps

It's not as though you've never been able to create web apps like this on the Mac before; Chromium-based browsers can very easily create new web apps that are installed in the dock and run as their own separate windows, where they can be accessed separately by Command-tabbing or however you choose to manage your windows normally. This was a solved problem.

 

But the feature could still be worth a look specifically because it's part of Safari 17, which has generally, historically been a bit easier on MacBook batteries than Chrome has been (though Google claims it has made significant improvements this year). One could choose to replace Chrome and an entire universe of Chromium-based Electron apps with Safari web apps instead, theoretically netting some small power-efficiency gains.

 

It's also the first time dedicated Safari users will be able to use this feature, which is notable (the same goes for user profiles, also new to Safari). It doesn't matter if Chrome and Edge already have a feature if you don't use Chrome or Edge and have no desire to.

 

Apple does release versions of Safari for three versions of macOS at once—Safari 17 will cover Ventura and Monterey as well as Sonoma. On older macOS versions, you don't get access to Safari web apps, though according to Apple's release notes (PDF) it seems like most of the other features will work on all supported macOS versions. This is frequently the case with new Safari updates; only the newest macOS gets all the features, though older OSes benefit from many feature additions and all the rendering engine and security patches.

Caps lock indicator

When you push the Caps Lock button on any Sonoma Mac, in any text field, a new blue icon shows up next to your cursor to tell you that your caps lock is on. Arguably redundant with the Caps Lock light that's built into most keyboards, it's also useful for the times when you hit the Caps Lock key by acciDENT WHEN YOU ARE TYPING SOMETHING.

 

The indicator goes away once you actually start typing, at which point the text you're suddenly yelling will clue you into the fact that Caps Lock is engaged; pause your typing for a second and it will pop back up. The indicator can show up in any text field in any app—you won't need an app to be targeted to Sonoma to benefit.

The weird thing: New desktop behaviors to get used to

Coming from Ventura, very little about Sonoma has been different or disruptive. But I was puzzled by one big change about how the desktop works.

 

Click an empty spot on the desktop in Sonoma, and suddenly all of your windows will fly away, exposing the desktop (and, more relevantly, any desktop widgets you've enabled). This is the same behavior you get when pressing Command+F3 on your keyboard or swiping outward with a thumb and three fingers on your trackpad.

 

Initially, I found this behavior disorienting, mostly because I wasn't expecting it. If you truly don't like it, you can revert to the old behavior in the Desktop & Dock settings. But I ended up leaving it enabled, even though I still normally expose my desktop and widgets with a trackpad gesture rather than clicking the desktop. The only reason I would click the desktop under normal circumstances is if I wanted to bring up the Finder menu in the menu bar without opening a new window or selecting a specific file, and that still works whether my windows go flying everywhere or not.

 

In keeping with the more iPadOS-y flavor you can give a Mac with lots of desktop widgets, the new Desktop & Dock settings can hide all files, folders, and other icons entirely. They'll reappear whenever you show your desktop, whether by clicking on it or using a trackpad gesture. This is how desktop icons behave when using Stage Manager in Ventura; they're still there, and the Desktop folder still exists as a place where files can go, but the visual clutter goes away unless you're specifically interacting with your desktop.

 

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Initially developed for Windows 10, Windows Mail and Calendar are built-in Windows applications that provide an easy-to-use application for retrieving your email and scheduling events, tasks, and appointments.

With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft continued to bundle the Mail and Calendar apps with the operating, even though it is not considered a modern email application.

However, this is about to change, with Microsoft confirming that they are moving forward with plans to retire both apps and transition users to a new Outlook for Windows app already available for testing.

Mail and Calendar retired at the end of year

Microsoft began alerting consumers and enterprise customers that they are retiring the Windows Mail and Calendar apps in 2024, recommending they start testing the new Outlook app.

Windows users can test the new app by enabling a toggle in the upper right-hand corner of Windows Mail to automatically install the new Outlook app and import your settings from the Mail application.

At the same time, Microsoft issued a Microsoft 365 MC590123 advisory warning customers that they would automatically begin replacing the Mail and Calendar with the Outlook app in September 2024.

Microsoft also said that users will begin seeing "tips" alerting them of the change and prompting them to try the new Outlook app.

A day later, after an outcry from users, Microsoft said that they were reevaluating the timing of this change.

"We are reevaluating the timing and implementation of this change and will provide updated information shortly. Thank you for your patience," said Microsoft in an update to the advisory.

In a new Microsoft 365 MC650424 advisory, Microsoft is now alerting customers that they are moving forward with the migration.

"The Mail and Calendar apps for Windows are being replaced with the new Outlook for Windows," reads the advisory seen by BleepingComputer.

"At the end of 2024 we will be ending support for the Mail and Calendar apps for Windows. The new Outlook for Windows helps people be more productive and in control of their inbox."

This new message also moves up the timeline, stating that Microsoft will start transitioning Mail and Calendar users to the new Outlook app in August 2023.

"In late August of 2023, we will also begin a process of auto-migrating Mail & Calendar app users to the new Outlook for Windows with an option to go back if they choose," reads the MC650424 bulletin.

"Users can go back to the current Mail and Calendar apps by clicking the toggle in the new Outlook for Windows."

Regardless of whether you decide to test the new Outlook app now or wait, users will automatically be migrated at the end of the year.

At that time, Windows Mail and Calendar will no longer be supported or available for download. Furthermore, all new Windows 11 devices will come with Outlook for Windows as the default mailbox application free.

Microsoft reiterated that these changes will not affect regular Outlook desktop application users but only Windows Mail and Calendar users.

For those users who decide to switch to the Outlook app, it does come with additional features, such as better integration with other email providers, the ability to personalize the interface, new calendar features, and automatic support for package delivery and airplane reservation tracking.

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In short: Firefox users who do not run the ESR version, Firefox ESR users who don't use Windows, and Firefox ESR users who use Windows, but don't use Qihoo 360 Antivirus, do not need the update.

The third point update for Firefox 115 ESR is exclusively available for that version. Firefox users who run the stable channel of the web browser don't get an update to Firefox 115.0.3 at this time.

Firefox ESR installations may be upgraded to the new version by selecting Menu > Help > About Firefox. This opens a small popup that displays the current version. Firefox checks for updates whenever the page is opened and the new Firefox 115.0.3 ESR update should be downloaded and installed.

Qihoo claims that it has more than 1 billion active users. Besides Qihoo 360 Antivirus, Qihoo is known for a wide range of computer and mobile software products, Enterprise products, and its investment in Opera Software.

Qihoo 360 was placed on the Bureau of Industry and Security's Entity List in 2020 due to "national security concerns" and on the Chinese military companies operating in the U.S. list in 2022 by the United States Department of Defense.

In 2015, Qihoo was accused by antivirus testing companies to equip their antivirus solution with Bitdefender's engine for testing, while shipping the consumer version with the company's own, weaker, QVM engine.

The official Firefox 115.0.3 ESR changelog lists just one entry: Fixed a startup crash for Windows users with Qihoo 360 Antivirus software installed (bug 1843977)

The linked bug report claims that most crashes happen on Windows 7 devices running Firefox 115.0.2 ESR with Qihoo 360 Antivirus installed. Almost two-thirds of the crashes have zh-cn as the locale, which stands for mainland China.

Firefox 115.0.1 and 115.0.1 ESR addressed a startup crash as well that has been caused by antivirus products on Windows machines. Mozilla published a fix shortly after the official Firefox 115 release to address startup crashes caused by Kingsoft Antivirus products. Kingsoft is also a China-based company.

Now You: which antivirus software do you use, if any, and how satisfied are you with the product?

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Chromium makes the core of Microsoft Edge, which it shares with Google Chrome, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera and other web browsers.

Google released an update for its Chrome web browser just a day earlier that addressed a total of 20 different security issues.

The update is available already. Edge users may select Menu > Help > About Microsoft Edge to display the current version of the browser that is installed on the device. Microsoft Edge runs an automatic update check when the help page is opened and will download and install any update that it finds.

The browser should display the version 115.0.1901.183 (Microsoft Edge Stable) or 114.0.1823.90 (Microsoft Edge Extended Stable) after the latest update has been installed.

Microsoft reveals here that it addressed three Edge-specific vulnerabilities and eleven vulnerabilities affecting all Chromium-based web browsers.

One of the Edge-specific vulnerabilities affects the Android version of the browser only. The three vulnerabilities have severity ratings of moderate and low.

• Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability -- CVE-2023-38187
• Microsoft Edge for Android Spoofing Vulnerability -- CVE-2023-38173
• Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) Spoofing Vulnerability -- CVE-2023-35392

The eleven Chromium-specific security issues are listed on the Microsoft Update Guide website.

Microsoft Edge 115 introduces a handful of new policies and just a single new feature. Microsoft Edge management service is a new area in the Microsoft 365 admin center that gives administrators management control over the browser.

Administrators may configure all Edge policies there according to Microsoft. A newly published support page provides additional details on the functionality. Availability is limited to Microsoft Edge 115 or newer on Windows 10, Windows 11 or Windows Server 2016 or newer.

Microsoft lists the following new policies that it added in Edge 115:

• ComposeInlineEnabled - Compose is enabled for writing on the web
• EdgeManagementEnabled - Microsoft Edge management enabled
• EdgeManagementEnrollmentToken - Microsoft Edge management enrollment token
• EdgeManagementExtensionsFeedbackEnabled - Microsoft Edge management extensions feedback enabled
• EnhanceSecurityModeIndicatorUIEnabled - Manage the indicator UI of the Enhanced Security Mode (ESM) feature in Microsoft Edge
• EnhanceSecurityModeOptOutUXEnabled - Manage opt-out user experience for Enhanced Security Mode (ESM) in Microsoft Edge
• SearchForImageEnabled - Search for image enabled
• WalletDonationEnabled - Wallet Donation Enabled

Administrators should upgrade the browser as soon as possible to protect the browser against potential attacks targeting the closed security vulnerabilities.

Now You: do you use Microsoft Edge?

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One of Microsoft's features in its Edge web browser is the Sidebar. When you enable it on the right side of the browser, you can find some extra functions like searching on the web page you are viewing, opening and using Office apps, or more recently, accessing the Bing Chat sidebar for a conversation with an AI chatbot.

This week, Microsoft announced it is allowing third-party developers to create Edge extensions that will allow them to make their own Sidebar extensions. The blog post states Microsoft has added three new extension functions for this new feature:

• Default sidebar on every site: Set a default sidebar to display consistent content or extensions across all opened tabs. Default values persist across sessions, ensuring a seamless experience. Find the sample code available here.
• Sidebar enablement on specific sites: Make your extension to open in the sidebar on a specific site using sidepanel.setOptions(). Customize the experience for your users based on their preferred websites.
• Switching to a different sidebar: Welcome your users with a dedicated sidebar using runtime.onInstalled(). Seamlessly transition to the main side panel when they navigate to a different tab. It’s all about providing a personalized touch.

Microsoft says that the current Edge extensions can still be found and downloaded from the Edge Add-ons store.

In addition, Microsoft says that developers of progressive web apps can adapt them so they can run next to browser tabs "for a side-by-side co-browsing experience." It adds:

We plan to help users discover and install sidebar apps as they browse the web, providing great discoverability for your app with just a simple change to your web application manifest file. This is a great option if you want to reuse your existing web app for the sidebar in Microsoft Edge and make full use of the web capabilities that are available to PWAs.

Developers can offer feedback on these new Edge Sidebar extension features at Microsoft's Edge Extensions Github forum.

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Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2050 and Build 22631.2050 (KB5028256) to the Beta Channel.

• Build 22631.2050 = New features rolling out.
• Build 22621.2050 = New features off by default.

This is another huge Inside release for the Beta channel with a lot of new features some of which were made available in earlier Dev and Canary builds. They include a new File Explore Home. a new Address bar, and a new Details Pane. There are also improvements to Windows Ink, support for various accessories with Dynamic Lighting, and more.

Here is the changelog

What’s new in Build 22631.2050

Modernized File Explorer Home, Address Bar, and Details Pane

Now that File Explorer is powered by Windows App SDK, we are introducing a modernized File Explorer Home powered by WinUI. Recommended files for users signed into Windows with an Azure Active Directory (AAD) account will be displayed as a carousel and support file thumbnails which is coming soon. Quick Access folders (available by default for users signed into Windows with a Microsoft account), Favorites, and Recent also bring in an updated experience with WinUI.

We are also introducing a modernized address bar and search box to File Explorer. The new address bar intelligently recognizes local vs. cloud folders with built-in status. For OneDrive users, you’ll notice the address bar now contains your OneDrive sync status and quota flyout.

And we are introducing a modernized details pane in File Explorer (ALT + Shift + P) designed to help you easily access related content, stay up to date with file activity, and collaborate without even opening a file.

When a user selects a file in File Explorer and enables the pane, a modern pane will display contextual information about the file including file thumbnail, share status and button, file activity, related files and e-mails, and other information. To enable the pane, choose ‘Details pane’ in View menu and then toggle the pane with an easy-access button located on right side of the command bar. The View menu/toggle button in the command bar can similarly be used for accessing the preview pane. This modernized pane will replace the legacy details pane in File Explorer.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Files, Folders, and Online Storage > File Explorer.

Dynamic Lighting

Dynamic Lighting provides Windows users and developers with native control of Lighting Devices implementing the open HID LampArray standard. By adopting an open standard, and by working with our OEM and ODM partners, Microsoft seeks to improve the RGB device and software ecosystem for users by increasing interoperability of devices and apps. Included are APIs for Windows apps to control devices from the background and foreground, as well as a page in Windows Settings for users to customize how their devices behave.

Several device manufacturers including Acer, ASUS, HP, HyperX, Logitech, Razer, and Twinkly have partnered with Microsoft on Dynamic Lighting.

As of the publication of this post, a list of current, in-market compatible devices is below. Review the Dynamic Lighting Hardware MS Learn page for a more current list of compatible in-market devices. The latest firmware should be used with these devices. While all the devices below support wired connections, some devices don’t support wireless (USB dongle and Bluetooth) connections. And check out the known issues below in this post for other issues that may impact this experience.

Note: Many of the devices listed below have not yet been verified for compatibility by Microsoft. In case of issues, contact the device manufacturer.

Keyboards:

• Coming soon: ASUS ROG Scope II Wireless 96 Gaming Keyboard
• Razer BlackWidow V3
• Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro
• Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini
• Razer BlackWidow V3 Tenkeyless
• Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro
• Razer DeathStalker V2
• Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro
• Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro TKL
• Razer Huntsman Mini
• Razer Huntsman Mini Analog
• Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
• Razer Huntsman V2
• Razer Huntsman V2 Analog
• Razer Huntsman V2 Tenkeyless
• Razer Ornata V2
• Razer Ornata V3
• Razer Ornata V3 TKL
• Razer Turret Keyboard Xbox One Edition

Mice:

• Coming soon: ASUS ROG Harpe Ace AimLab Edition Gaming Mouse
• Microsoft Pro IntelliMouse
• Razer Turret Mouse Xbox One
• Razer DeathAdder V2
• Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro
• Razer Naga Left-Handed
• Razer Naga Pro

To control and configure a HID LampArray device at both the per-device and all-device level, navigate to the new Dynamic Lighting page in Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting.

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

Improvements for Windows Ink

Windows Ink is being modernized to allow users to enable inking directly onto edit fields. In addition, we are improving the accuracy from the recognition technology and a scratch out gesture for when users need to make edits. The goal with Windows Ink is to let users use their pen and handwrite anywhere they can type on their Windows device.

Currently, these new Windows Ink improvements support English (U.S.) only but stay tuned for broader language support. This new experience can be managed via Settings > Bluetooth and devices > Pen and Windows Ink under “Shell Handwriting”. And please check out some of the known issues for Windows Ink below.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Input and Language > Pen input.

New volume mixer experience in Quick Settings

We’re introducing a new enhanced volume mixer into Quick Settings! The updated audio quick settings experience brings a modern volume mixer that allows for quick customization of audio on a per-app basis, with additional control to swap devices on the fly. We’ve also added a new keyboard shortcut (WIN + CTRL + V) to bring you directly to the volume mixer for faster control of the experience. With this change, you can now tailor your audio experience better with more control and fewer clicks to better manage your favorite apps.

In addition, we’ve made it easier for users to enable their Windows Sonic experience with a quick access list of installed spatial sound technology. You can visit the Microsoft Store to find additional spatial sound technology to choose from such as Dolby and DTS.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Quick Settings.

Improving Windows Spotlight

We are rolling out improvements to the Windows Spotlight experience including preview images to , full screen, multiple opportunities to learn more about each image and a minimized experience. To open the Windows Spotlight experience, right-click on the Spotlight icon on the desktop. You can also double click on the icon to directly launch a Bing landing page for more info on each image.

To enable Windows Spotlight on your PC today, right-click on your desktop and choose “Personalize” and then choose the new Spotlight theme. Alternatively, you can directly enable Windows Spotlight by going to Settings > Personalization > Background and choosing the option under the “Personalize your background” dropdown.

[We are beginning to roll this out, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders in the Beta Channel just yet as we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.]

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Windows Spotlight.

Passwordless Improvements

Microsoft believes that the future is passwordless. Passkeys are a simple and more secure replacement for passwords when you sign into a web site or application that supports them. Passkeys represent a future where bad actors will have a much harder time stealing and using your credentials when signing into a web site or application. Passkeys are phish-resistant, recoverable, and faster for users.

Enroll and use passkey to sign into apps and websites: We are improving the passkey experience for Windows users. You can now go to any app or website that supports passkeys to create and sign in using passkeys with the Windows Hello native experience. Once a passkey is created, you can use Windows Hello (face, fingerprint, PIN) to sign in. In addition, you can use your phone or tablet to sign in.

Create and sign in using passkeys saved on your Windows device:

• Go to a website that supports passkeys (Examples include bestbuy.com, google.com and GitHub.com).
• Create a passkey from your account settings.
• Sign out of your account and sign in using your passkey.

Sign in using passkeys saved on your phone:

• Go to a website that supports passkeys (Examples include bestbuy.com, google.com and GitHub.com).
• Create a passkey from your account settings.
• Go to the website on Windows and sign in using your passkey saved on your mobile device.

Manage passkeys saved to your Windows device: We are giving you control over how you can manage the passkeys saved to your Windows device. You can now view and delete passkeys saved for your favorite apps/websites from Windows settings.

• Navigate to Settings > Accounts > Passkeys.
• You are presented with a list of all passkeys saved to your Windows device.
• You can now search and delete any passkey from the device.

Special Instructions:

• On Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, if you see the browser’s passkey UI, choose “Windows Hello or external security key” to get the Windows native experience. Try Microsoft Edge Canary or Google Chrome Canary for the latest experience there.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Security and Privacy > Passkey.

Unsafe password copy and paste warnings

Starting in Windows 11, version 22H2, Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen helps protect Microsoft school or work passwords against phishing and unsafe usage on sites and apps. We are trying out a change starting with this build where users who have enabled warning options for Windows Security under App & browser control > Reputation-based protection > Phishing protection will see a UI warning on unsafe password copy and paste, just as they currently see when they type in their password.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Security and Privacy > Microsoft.

Narrator Natural Voices

We are introducing new natural voices in Chinese, Spanish (Spain and Mexico), Japanese and English (United Kingdom) that allow Narrator users to comfortably browse the web, read, and write mail, and do more. Natural Narrator voices use modern, on-device text to speech and once downloaded are supported without an internet connection.

To use one of the natural voices, add it to your PC by following these steps:

Open Narrator Settings by pressing the WIN + Ctrl + N hotkey.

Under Narrator’s voice, select the Add button next to Add natural voices.

Select the voice you want to install. You can install all voices, but you must install them separately.

• The new Chinese voices are Microsoft Xiaoxiao (Female) and Microsoft Yunxi (Male)
• The new Spanish (Spain) voices are Microsoft Elvira (Female) and Microsoft Alvaro (Male)
• The new Spanish (Mexico) voices are Microsoft Dalia (Female) and Microsoft Jorge (Male)
• The new Japanese voices are Microsoft Nanami(Female) and Microsoft Keita (Male)
• The new English (United Kingdom) voices are Microsoft Sonia(Female) and Microsoft Ryan (Male)

To start the download of the selected voice, select Install. The new voice will download and be ready for use in a few minutes, depending on your internet download speed.

When the new voice has downloaded, in Narrator settings select your preferred voice from the drop-down menu in Narrator’s voice > Choose a voice.

Note: If your display language is not set to any of the above languages, then in step 3 you will first need to select “Choose a different language” and then select the appropriate language followed by the specific voice.

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

Local File Sharing Improvements

We have made some improvements to the built-in Windows share window and nearby sharing for sharing local files from your PC.

Those improvements include:

• We have redesigned the Windows share window to better match the Windows 11 design principles.
• Everyone will now be able to email their files through Outlook directly within the Windows share window. Just click on the Outlook icon under the “Share using” section of the Windows share window.
• The Windows share window now has a search box so you can now search for contacts across Outlook to share a file and the Windows share window will now display 8-10 suggested contacts to quickly share to – including emailing yourself a file.
• Instead of a dropdown, you will see a button to turn on nearby sharing.
• For nearby sharing, you will find your own PCs at the top of discovered devices under “Nearby Share”.
• Files will share faster from one PC to another using Wi-Fi Direct.

As a reminder, these experiences will work for sharing local files from the desktop, File Explorer, Photos, Snipping Tool, Xbox, and other apps that use the built-in Windows share window.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Share for the Windows share window and under Desktop Environment > Nearby Sharing for nearby sharing.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22631.2050

[General]

If a camera streaming issue is detected such as a camera failing to start or a closed camera shutter, a pop-up dialog will appear with the recommendation to launch the automated Get Help troubleshooter to resolve the issue.

Pop-up dialog with the recommendation to launch the automated Get Help troubleshooter to resolve camera issues.

Urgent or important notifications that break through when do not disturb is turned on while using apps at full screen will now display a “view notification” button to view the content of the notification for privacy.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The settings for never combined mode for the taskbar are showing up under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors in this build however they currently do not enable the experience. This will be fixed in a future Beta Channel flight soon.

The ability to end task when right-clicking an app on the taskbar should be working correctly in this build and can be managed under Settings > System > For developers.

[Emoji]

The Unicode Emoji 15is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel. Users will now be able to see, search for and insert new emoji from the emoji panel. Here are a few of our Emoji 15 designs which include more hearts, animals and one new smiley face.

[Task View & Desktops]

When navigating between desktops in Task View (WIN + CTRL + left or right arrows), labels will be shown. New sliding animations will also show when you change your desktops using trackpad gestures, touch gestures, hotkeys and by clicking on the Task View flyout.

[Voice Access]

Voice access is now available via the accessibility flyout on the Lock screen.

[Settings]

• We’ve added an additional energy recommendation under Settings > System > Power & battery > Energy recommendations for adjusting refresh rate to conserve energy.
• Updated the design of the lists displayed under Settings > Apps > Startup Apps and Settings > Apps > Advanced App Settings > App Execution Alias pages to be more consistent with other Settings pages.

Fixes in Build 22631.2050

[File Explorer]

Fixed an issue which was causing the context menu (in file explorer or on the desktop) to draw in the wrong position (off screen or on the other monitor).

[Task Manager]

Right clicking the empty space in the Details page (aka so no process is actually selected) will no longer show the option to create live kernel memory dumps.

Known issues

[Taskbar]

[NEW] We’re investigating reports that the safely remove hardware icon isn’t appearing when expected in the system tray.

[Narrator]

[NEW] You may see some of the strings are NOT localized to the selected language. This will be fixed in a future flight.

You can check out the full blog post here.

Source

According to Microsoft itself, for users who were still on Windows 8.1, the best path forward was to get a new PC that was eligible for Windows 11 and upgrade to the latest OS. The company explained that Windows 11 was the "most secure Windows ever built" as a rationale for the upgrade. Microsoft stated:

How is Windows 11 security better than Windows 8.1?

Windows 11 is the most secure Windows ever built, with comprehensive end-to-end security that covers antivirus, firewall, internet protections, and more. This means more security features, dashboard displays, and ongoing updates to help safeguard against future threats—all built-in at no extra cost.

Why should I consider a new computer?

PCs originally built with Windows 8.1 are designed with technology that is about 10 years old. Once you move to a new PC, there will be many aspects of Windows that you will find familiar, but also with important software and hardware innovations and capabilities that were not available a decade ago.

Interestingly enough, prior to these, Microsoft had apparently blocked in-place upgrading from Windows 8.1 to Windows 11 via setup media with Dev Channel build 25131, something which worked flawlessly up until the previous build 25126. The Setup Host would simply crash and display the common "Modern Setup Host has stopped working" error.

Twitter user and Windows enthusiast XenoPanther discovered that the working .WIM (Windows Image) file of build 25126 works on the latest Canary build 25905.

We are not exactly sure why Microsoft made such a change in the first place, though, it is good to see that the issue has somehow been seemingly resolved by some silent under-the-hood change the company made.

Source

Mica is a distinctive design feature that doesn't just stay opaque but fuses with the user's desktop theme and wallpaper.

As users navigate windows across the screen, Mica adjusts in real-time, creating a visually appealing effect by utilizing the wallpaper underneath. Plus, it seamlessly shifts to a neutral hue when the app goes inactive to aid user concentration.

How to enable Mica in Chrome

Windows 11 22H2 users can access Mica in version 115 of the browser by following these steps:

1. Update Chrome to 115.

2. Search for "Windows 11 Mica" in Chrome://flags.

3. Enable the flag.

4. Relaunch the browser.

For users who prefer using high-contrast modes, Mica doesn't interfere. These users will still view their chosen background color.

Also, in certain scenarios, Mica will revert to a solid fallback color. These include situations like:

• When users disable transparency via Settings > Personalization > Color
• When Battery Saver mode is turned on
• When the app operates on hardware with lower specifications
• When a desktop app window becomes inactive
• When the Windows app is used on Xbox or HoloLens
• When the operating Windows version is less than 22000

With this update, Google Chrome continues improving user interaction, making it functionally and aesthetically more engaging.

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On July 19th, 2023, Microsoft PowerPoint product manager Jess Kwok announced that a new Office theme is coming to Microsoft 365 applications. Kwok notes that the PowerPoint team worked hand in hand with the Word, Excel and Outlook teams to create a new Office theme for use in all of those applications.

The new Office theme as a "default font, color palette, style, and line weight" to modernize documents and improve their accessibility.

The new default font Aptos was picked by Microsoft over four other fonts. The selection process involved users and their feedback. Aptos, which was called Bierstadt initially, replaces the font Calibri, which has been the standard font in Office applications for 15 years. Aptos supports "a variety of weights and includes variants such as narrow, serif, and monospace".

The teams researched color palettes and design trends to create a new default color palette for all Office applications. The default outline weights have increased in Office and Microsoft says that it has improved "consistency between shapes and lines, and added better contrast" as well.

Last but not least, Microsoft is refreshing the default Word and Outlook styles to "make them easy to read, look more professional, and easy to navigate".

The company posted the following comparison to visualize the classic and new Office theme.

Right now, the new theme is only available to Microsoft 365 Insiders.

How to continue using the classic Office theme and styles

The classic theme and font remain available in future versions of Microsoft Office. While the defaults have changed, Office users and Microsoft 365 administrators may continue using the classic font, theme and formatting.

The previous Office theme is available as Office Theme 2013-2022. Calibri remains available as a font, which users may select from the available font listing for individual documents, or by resetting it as the default font in Office applications.

The changes will be applied to Office apps automatically. The new theme will be used automatically once it is released by Microsoft.

Microsoft published guides for users to restore the original functionality. Here are the main guides:

Default Office font

• Learn more about Cloud fonts in Office
• Change your default font in Word
• Change a theme and make it the default in Word or Excel
• Change your default font in PowerPoint
• Change your default font in Outlook
• Administrators: How to set the default font for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Default Office theme colors

• Change a theme and make it the default in Word or Excel
• Remove or change the current theme in PowerPoint
• Change the appearance of your Excel worksheet
• Create or delete a custom theme color in PowerPoint
• Set a default theme for your presentations in PowerPoint
• Change a theme and make it the default in Outlook or Access

Source

Proton announced its password manager Proton Pass in April 2023 and released the first stable version of it at the end of June 2023.

Son Nguyen, the founder of SimpleLogin, which Proton acquired some time ago, has been working on Proton Pass since the acquisition. Nguyen notes that the open source release of all Proton Pass applications gives all users and third-parties the opportunity to analyze the code.

He writes: "Given the sensitive information you protect with your password manager, it’s crucial that you know exactly what’s happening inside it. Because Proton Pass is open source, anyone can inspect our code and ensure that the apps work as described."

The source code of the Android and iOS applications, as well as the source code of all official Proton Pass browser extensions is now available.

Interested developers and users find the Proton Pass source code repositories here:

• Proton Pass browser extensions
• Proton Pass iOS/iPadOS app
• Proton Pass Android app

Independent Security Audit of Proton Pass

At the same time, Proton announced that it has asked Cure53, a German company known for security audits, to audit the Proton Pass applications independently. The audit covered all Proton Pass applications, the Proton Pass browser extensions, and the Proton API.

Proton published the Cure53 Proton Pass report here. The audit was the first conducted and Cure53 notes that did not detect many issues. The researchers did find a security issue, which they rated high, which could result in a "potential leakage of user-credentials".

Proton addressed all but one of the issues mentioned in the report. The last standing issue can't be resolved at this time according to Proton, as the solution is caused by a "platform limitation in Android".

Cure53 posted the following conclusion: "Cure53 can conclude that the Proton Pass apps and components leave a rather positive impression in terms of security. Even though there are multiple areas, which require some more attention and work, it is hoped that fixing all ten issues spotted during this May-June 2023 project will elevate the already existing resilience against a multitude of severe attacks and threats.".

Closing Words

Proton addressed the security issues swiftly, except for the platform-specific issue that it claims can't be fixed at the time. The release of the password manager's applications and extensions as open source and the first security audit should strengthen trust in the solution further.

Proton Pass is a cloud-based password manager that utilizes Proton's infrastructure.

Source

More than 2 billion documents and emails are added to Microsoft 365 each day, according to Microsoft. The two products help administrators and organizations protect the data "throughout its lifecycle".

Microsoft 365 Backup

Microsoft 365 Backup backs up OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange data at "unprecedented speeds" while keeping it "within the Microsoft 365 security boundary".

Microsoft highlights that administrators may configure the new feature to back up all or select SharePoint sites, OneDrive accounts, and Exchange mailboxes. The solution supports the restoration of files, sites and mailbox items "to a prior point-in-time in a granular manner or at a massive scale".

Microsoft 365 Backup supports search and filtering functionality to find data in backups using metadata, such as item or site names.

The solution is available in the Microsoft 365 admin center and administrators may use partner applications, which customers may do if they need to back up non-Microsoft 365 data or want to use a different partner. Partners include Veeam, Veritas, Barracuda, Rubrik, Commvault and AvePoint according to Microsoft.

Microsoft plans to launch Microsoft 365 Backup as a preview in the fourth quarter of 2023. Interested organizations may sign-up for the preview on this website.

Microsoft 365 Archive

Microsoft 365 Archive is a cold storage solution designed to help organizations reduce storage costs. Regulations may require that businesses keep data, even though it may not be used actively anymore.

Microsoft 365 Archive adds a cold storage tier "to keep inactive or aging data within SharePoint at a cost-effective price point matching the value of that data's lifecycle stage".

The new archiving solution supports full site archiving and will also get support for file level archiving in the second half of 2024 according to Microsoft.

Interested organizations may apply for the public preview here.

Closing Words

Both new backup products will launch as a preview later this year. Microsoft has not revealed the price of the two products yet. One of the main appeals of Microsoft 365 Backup and Archive is that the two products run inside the same secure boundaries of Microsoft's infrastructure.

Microsoft is previewing a new consumer-grade backup solution for Windows as well, which Ashwin reviewed back in May 2023. Its main purpose is to allow users to restore personal data when they migrate to a new Windows PC or set up a Windows PC. The new tool supports Windows Store apps next to documents and media.

Source

The new version has quite a few new small but nice features and improvements, including a new hove taskbar for when it is in fullscreen mode, new user interface buttons when it is in picture-in-picture mode, and more:

Here is the changelog;

• Camera compatibility improvements.
• Fullscreen mode with F11 now displays hover taskbar to improve mouse and touch experience.
• Local networking (under Advanced settings – Experimental features) now replacing “Advanced networking”. Android apps can connect to devices on the same network, on all versions of Windows 11, respect Windows firewall rules, and work with VPNs.
• Share user folders (under Advanced settings – Experimental features) now gives users the option to change their default shared folder.
• The subsystem will now prompt if an app is trying to use a permission that the subsystem does not have.
• The subsystem has switched from EROFS to EXT4 for read-only disks.
• Fix for OneDrive folders not showing up in Android apps.
• Support for drag and drop for more file types.
• Improvements to picture-in-picture (new UI buttons when in PIP).
• Partially running mode now enabled by default for devices with at least 16 GB of memory.
• Stability fixes for Arm devices.
• Linux kernel updated to 5.15.104.
• Android 13 security updates.

You can check out the full blog post for this new Android subsystem release here. Windows Insiders who want to offer up some feedback on the Windows Subsystem for Android can do so in the Feedback Hub under Apps, and then Windows Subsystem for Android. You can also check out the Troubleshooting and FAQ for mobile apps info on the Microsoft Windows support page

Source

Microsoft allegedly wants to make power stats available on devices without batteries, such as traditional desktop PCs.

The updated Settings page allows customers with battery-powered Windows computers to toggle between energy usage and battery level. In addition, Microsoft wants to provide you with insights about total energy consumed and potential emissions.

It is currently unknown how the feature works—the "Total Energy" and "Emissions" fields display placeholders without actual data.

Aside from displaying the overall energy consumption, Windows 11 will provide in-depth details for every running app. This applies to both energy usage and battery level sections.

Since Microsoft has not announced the updated Power & Battery section yet, enabling it requires using a third-party app called ViVeTool. Digging up hidden and raw features always involves risks, so be sure to back up important data before proceeding.

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:44663396,44663406 and press Enter.
6. Restart your computer.

You can check out other new features in Windows 11 build 23506, such as 3D Fluent Emoji, Windows Hello improvements, the out-of-box experience enhancements, and the new Outlook app, in our dedicated coverage.

Credit for the finding goes to @PhantomOfEarth on Twitter.

Source

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The driver also contains a couple of other game-related bug fixes, which means this is one of the most boring Intel Arc driver launches we have had as we have now come to expect massive gains in performance with almost every driver update. For example, recently Intel's graphics team delivered a driver which fixed the terrible Assassins' Creed Unity performance.

The full changelog is given below:

GAMING HIGHLIGHTS:

Intel® Game On Driver support on Intel® Arc™ A-series Graphics for:

• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart*
• Remnant II*

FIXED ISSUES:

Intel® Arc™ Graphics Products:

• Halo Infinite* (DX12) may experience application freeze or crash after loading to game menu.
• Streaming Dota 2* (DX11) using XSplit Broadcaster* may exhibit corruption in Game Capture mode.

KNOWN ISSUES:

Intel® Arc™ Graphics Products:

• Shadow of The Tomb Raider* (DX11) may experience an application crash after loading to game menu.
• System may hang while waking up from sleep. May need to power cycle the system for recovery.
• GPU hardware acceleration may not be available for media playback and encode with some versions of Adobe Premiere Pro*.
• Topaz Video AI* may experience errors when using some models for video enhancement.
• Blender* 3.6 may experience an application crash during render operations when Hardware Ray Tracing is enabled.
• Adobe After Effects* may experience an application crash during render operations.

Intel® Iris™ X e MAX Graphics Products:

• Driver installation may not complete successfully on certain notebook systems with both Intel® Iris™ Xe + Iris™ Xe MAX devices. A system reboot and re-installation of the graphics driver may be required for successful installation.

Intel® Core™ Processor Products:

• Call of Duty Warzone 2.0* (DX12) may exhibit corruption on certain light sources such as fire.

INTEL® ARC™ CONTROL FIXED ISSUES:

• Arc Control may become unresponsive after a driver upgrade. A workaround is to perform a clean driver installation using Display Driver Uninstaller.

INTEL® ARC™ CONTROL KNOWN ISSUES:

• Using Arc Control Studio capture with certain games may incorrectly generate multiple video files.
• With Intel® Arc Control installed, systems may experience slightly higher than expected power consumption during system sleep or hibernate.
• The Camera on-screen preview may incorrectly persist when switching between Desktop and Overlay modes.
• The “Connector” type in the Display page may incorrectly show DP* when using an HDMI* display connection.
• May observe “stream has already ended” pop-up after the power events with Capture/Highlights/Broadcast toggle on.

To download the new 31.0.101.4575 driver, head over to Intel's official website via this link.

Source

The release channel version made a jump from 1.53 to 1.56. Brave Software notes that it used the version bump to address an error it encountered.

The update is pushed to user devices automatically, thanks to the built-in updating functionality of the browser. Brave users may select Menu > Help > About Brave to display the current version and have the browser run a manual check for updates. The browser should pick up the update automatically at this point.

Brave 1.56: the changes

One of the main new features of Brave 1.56 is its new Off The Record mode. The new browsing mode allows users of the browser to access certain sites with sensitive information without leaving a record on the device.

Brave notes that this mode has advantages over other options, such as using private browsing mode. One argument for Off The Record is that it is automatic, but it also means that it will work only on sites that are supported.

The mode is applied automatically on sites that use a flag and a premade list of sites.  Users see a prompt when the mode is supported on a site to either use Off The Record mode or access the site normally.

Another new feature of Brave 1.56 is support for custom keyboard shortcuts. Brave users may load brave://settings/system/shortcuts to display the list of shortcuts.

There, they find options to remove existing keyboard shortcuts and to add their own shortcuts. Available actions are quite extension, ranging from common operations such as Back, Forward and Reload to closing tabs, selecting the last tab, or exiting the browser.

Actions may be mapped to a single-key or key combinations. Brave warns if a keyboard shortcut is mapped to another action already.

Another new feature of the latest Brave browser release is support for Certificate Transparency. The feature is supported by other browsers already, including Google Chrome and Apple Safari.

Certificate Transparency is an Internet security standard that may reveal certificates that "were given out without them being requested by the genuine owner, such as malicious certificates by a compromised certificate authority".

Brave Software showcased a number of additional features in the past that it planned to include in Brave 1.54, but these are not included in this release. Missing features include the new Forgetful Browsing feature and the Localhost protection.

Software engineers addressed several issues in Brave 1.56, such as a login issue on Live.com, crashes when using side panel extensions or opening a private window under certain circumstances, and more.

You can check out the full changelog of Brave 1.56 here. The page lists the latest downloads as well.

Now you: have you tried Brave browser recently?

Source

The full changelog is given below:

What’s new in Build 23506

Passwordless experience with Windows Hello for Business

With Windows Hello for Business (WHFB), Windows provides organizations with a strong, phish-resistant credential, helping customers move to a passwordless future. Enterprise customers can now set the EnablePasswordlessExperience policy that promotes a user experience on AAD joined machines for core authentication scenarios without requiring a password. This new experience hides passwords from certain Windows authentication scenarios and leverages passwordless recovery mechanisms, such as WHFB PIN reset, if necessary.

Once the policy is set, it removes passwords from the user experience, both for device logon as well as in-session auth scenarios like password managers in a web browser, “Run as” admin or as a different user scenarios, and User Account Control (UAC). Users will navigate through their core authentication scenarios using WHFB in place of passwords. If the user fails to sign in, recovery mechanisms such as PIN reset or web sign-in can be used to help the user recover their credentials without IT helpdesk engagement.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Security and Privacy > Windows Hello PIN.

Unsafe password copy and paste warnings

Starting in Windows 11, version 22H2, Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen helps protect Microsoft school or work passwords against phishing and unsafe usage on sites and apps. We are trying out a change starting with this build where users who have enabled warning options for Windows Security under App & browser control > Reputation-based protection > Phishing protection will see a UI warning on unsafe password copy and paste, just as they currently see when they type in their password.

Example warning dialog on unsafe password copy and paste.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Security and Privacy > Microsoft Defender SmartScreen.

Local File Sharing Improvements

We have made some improvements to the built-in Windows share window and nearby sharing for sharing local files from your PC.

Updated Windows share window with new search box, more suggestion contacts, and Outlook share.

Those improvements include:

• We have redesigned the Windows share window to better match the Windows 11 design principles.
• Everyone will now be able to email their files through Outlook directly within the Windows share window. Just click on the Outlook icon under the “Share using” section of the Windows share window.
• The Windows share window now has a search box so you can now search for contacts across Outlook to share a file and the Windows share window will now display 8-10 suggested contacts to quickly share to – including emailing yourself a file.
• Instead of a dropdown, you will see a button to turn on nearby sharing.
• For nearby sharing, you will find your own PCs at the top of discovered devices under “Nearby Share”.
• Files will share faster from one PC to another using Wi-Fi Direct.
• And we’ve added “Share” to the context menu in File Explorer in addition to having the share icon at the top of the context menu.

As a reminder, these experiences will work for sharing local files from the desktop, File Explorer, Photos, Snipping Tool, Xbox, and other apps that use the built-in Windows share window.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Share for the Windows share window and under Desktop Environment > Nearby Sharing for nearby sharing.

The New Outlook for Windows now an inbox app

Starting with this build, the new Outlook for Windows Preview is now an inbox app. With the new Outlook for Windows, you can connect work and personal emails, calendars, and contacts in one secure place. Learn about the new Outlook for Windows here and the most recent set of updates for Insiders here. You can click here to learn more about the future of Mail and Calendar in Windows.

The new Outlook for Windows.

Post-OOBE Experiences

We are trying out several new experiences for after completing OOBE (“out of box experience”) starting with this build. You may see one of these three experiences launched automatically on your device after completing OOBE.

• If you choose ‘Development Intent’ within the ‘Let’s Customize Your Experience’ page during OOBE, Dev Home will be automatically launched on your device after logging in and reaching the desktop for the first time after OOBE setup.
• If you choose ‘Development Intent’ within the ‘Let’s Customize Your Experience’ page during OOBE, the Get Started app will be automatically launched on your device after logging in and reaching the desktop for the first time after OOBE setup. The Get Started app will show you a personalized flow that will help you learn more about Dev Home and give you the opportunity to open Dev Home.
• If you choose to ‘Restore’ your device during OOBE, the Get Started app will be automatically launched on your device after you log into your device for the second time after completing OOBE. The Get Started app will show you a personalized flow that will help you learn about key apps and settings, tell you that Windows has restored on your device and show you how to access your restored apps on Start menu or taskbar.

These experiences will help you learn about new features in Windows 11 and help you complete your device setup. These experiences will only be available to a small subset of Insiders in the Dev Channel at first and you may see different variations of these experiences.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Install and Update > Initial out of box setup.

Changes and Improvements

[Windows Copilot]

• The Windows Copilot Preview, which began rolling out with Build 23493, is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Insiders may need to reboot to have it show up.

[Emoji]

• With the update of our colour font format to COLRv1, Windows is now able to display richer emoji with a 3D like appearance with support coming soon to some apps and browsers. These emoji use gradients to bring the design style that our customers have been asking for. The new emoji will bring more expression to your communications.

[Voice Access]

• Voice access is now available via the accessibility flyout on the Lock screen.

[Backup and Restore]

• In addition to the new Windows Backup app, now you can configure your backup preferences in second-chance out of box experience (SCOOBE), so your apps, settings, creds, and files are backed up in the cloud just the way you want them. You’ll have peace of mind knowing the data you care about is protected and ready for you to restore from any PC.

Configure your backup preferences in second-chance out of box experience (SCOOBE).

[Settings]

• We have temporarily disabled the new Settings homepage that began rolling out with Build 23493 due to a bug that could cause some instability on Insider’s PCs. We plan to re-enable and roll this back out once that bug is fixed in a future flight.
• We’ve added 2 additional energy recommendations under Settings > System > Power & battery > Energy recommendations for turning on dark mode and adjusting refresh rate to conserve energy.

2 additional energy recommendations for turning on dark mode and adjusting refresh rate to conserve energy.

Fixes

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue where explorer.exe might crash when dragging tabs.
• Fixed an issue which could cause explorer.exe to crash when opening Gallery.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders who have the modernized File Explorer address bar that began rolling out with Build 23475:

• Fixed an issue which was causing explorer.exe to crash when trying to access an FTP address.
• Fixed an issue where selecting the dropdown arrows in the address bar was opening a blank menu in the last flight.
• ALT + D, CTRL + L, and F4 should all now set focus to the address bar again now.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders who have the modernized File Explorer Home that began rolling out with Build 23475:

• Fixed an issue where File Type icons are displayed in place of file thumbnails for ‘Recommended’ section (applicable to Enterprise users).
• Fixed an issue where Insiders signed in with an AAD account who tried to navigate the Recommended section on File Explorer Home with the tab key on the keyboard may have experienced an explorer.exe crash.
• Fixed an issue where if you navigated from another group to the Recommended section using a keyboard, focus will not appear on the group header or files appropriately.
• Fixed an issue where opening Home was crashing for some Insiders.

We fixed the following issue with commands on recommended files in File Explorer that began rolling out with Build 23403:

• Fixed an issue where if you clicked on the Share command, it would bring up the Windows share sheet instead of the OneDrive share experience.
• Fixed an underlying issue believed to be the cause of certain apps hanging when trying to use the open file dialog.

[Notifications]

• Fixed an issue where the copy button for quickly copying two-factor authentication (2FA) codes in notification toasts was not working as expected.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed an issue where the notification badge on the widgets icon in the taskbar could get out of place.

[Search on the Taskbar]

• We fixed the issue causing text scaling to not work in the search flyout.

[Dynamic Lighting]

• Fixed an underlying ctfmon.exe crash (which could impact the ability to type) related to the Dynamic Lighting work.
• Fixed an issue where all-device settings changes were not propagating to per-device settings.

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

[Windows Copilot]

• You can use Alt + Tab to switch out of Windows Copilot, but not back into it. Windows + C will move focus back to Windows Copilot
• When first launching or after refreshing Copilot while using Voice Access you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

[Dev Drive]

• There might be variable performance on different hardware. If you notice slower performance on your machine, please file feedback!

[File Explorer]

• In some cases, the context menu background in File Explorer may appear transparent.
• Insiders may experience a File Explorer crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process.
• Copying files out of large archives or using “Extract All” might be slower than expected for “solid” .7Z or .rar archives.
• Thumbnail loading performance in Gallery for dehydrated cloud files and memory usage in large collections are known issues we are focused on improving. Please capture Performance traces in Feedback Hub for any performance-related issues. Rebuilding your Indexer can help if thumbnails are missing for cloud files; Search for “Indexing Options” and look in Advanced settings to find the rebuild tool.

Insiders who have the modernized File Explorer address bar that began rolling out with Build 23475:

• Windows Insiders may notice missing craftmanship polish with the modernized address bar and search box. The team greatly appreciates the use of Feedback Hub to help call out important details to address.

[Dynamic Lighting]

• Switching user accounts can turn off device LEDs.

[Windows Ink]

• The address box in Microsoft Edge might not work correctly.
• Windows Ink does not convert handwriting to text into the main content (e.g., Word documents and Excel spreadsheets) in Microsoft 365 applications.
• Search boxes in Microsoft 365 applications (e.g., Microsoft Word) might not work correctly.
• Comment fields in Microsoft 365 applications (e.g., Microsoft Word) might not work correctly.

You can find the official blog post here.

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The Set Tab Aside feature is no longer with us, Reading List is gone, and EPUB support was nowhere to be found. Although Microsoft has already confirmed multiple times it would not bring the first two features, EPUB support is making a surprising comeback.

The latest Microsoft Edge Canary release, version 117.0.1989.0, adds EPUB support, allowing customers to open and read EPUB documents in Microsoft Edge. The initial EPUB support is raw and limited, hardly surprising to those using Canary builds. You can open and browse books, check their tables of contents, and bookmark pages.

The old Microsoft Edge had a more impressive set of EPUB-related tools, but you should not give Microsoft a hard time for shipping an early version of a feature—it should get better with time and get the missing parts.

How to read EPUB in Microsoft Edge?

You can try EPUB support in Microsoft Edge by downloading the latest Canary release from the official website (we recommend using it side-by-side with the Stable Release).

1. Launch Microsoft Edge Canary and install the latest updates on edge://settings/help.
2. Close the browser, right-click its shortcut, and select Properties.
3. Add the following to the path: --enable-features=msEdgeEpubReaderEnabled.
4. Launch the browser using the modified shortcut and try opening any EPUB file. You can also customize EPUB-related permissions and set the browser to download EPUB files or open them right away.

Microsoft has yet to announce the return of EPUB support in Edge, so at this point, it is anybody's guess what features developers plan to implement.

The company abandoned its plans to sell e-books in the Microsoft Store long ago, but customers liked the ability to read books in Microsoft Edge with no need to download third-party apps. Therefore, EPUB support in Chromium-based Edge will make many users happy, just like the recent announcement of native support for rar, tar, and more compressing formats.

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What is new in Dev Home Preview 0.3?

The main highlight of the update is rearrangeable widgets. Users can now rearrange the Dev Home dashboard by clicking and dragging widgets. In addition, Microsoft says it fixes a bug causing random widget shuffle and rearrangement.

Other improvements in Dev Home 0.3 include the following:

• The GitHub query is now displayed when adding an issue or pull request widget with a URL containing filters.
• Empty widgets show a message rather than nothing.
• In the repository review and repository tool dialogs, long names are now truncated. The tooltip will show the whole name.
• We’ve added progress rings for when Dev Home is fetching repositories.
• The terms checkbox in the setup tool review page should only be shown if apps are selected to be installed.

And here is the list of bugfixes:

• Our localization should be improved.
• The speed on the CPU widget should now show the actual CPU speed.
• Times shown in GitHub widgets should now align to the times displayed on GitHub.
• Clicking the Add widget button shouldn’t crash Dev Home anymore.

You can install the Microsoft Dev Home app from the Microsoft Store. Keep in mind that the program does not work on Windows 10 (it requires Windows 11 build 22000 and newer), plus it is still in preview, so bugs, rough surfaces, instabilities, and other sorts of issues are expected. Developers with the necessary skills can also contribute to the project's development in its official GitHub repository.

You can also learn more about the Microsoft Dev Home app from its documentation on the Microsfot Learn portal.

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Nearby Share uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to create a peer-to-peer connection between devices, so there's no need for a network connection. To share a file, open the Nearby Share app on your Android device and select the file you want to share.

The app will then scan for nearby Windows PCs and display a list of devices that are compatible with Nearby Share. Once you've selected a device, the file is automatically transferred.

Google is also working with several OEMs to pre-install Nearby Share on their devices. The HP Dragonfly Pro will be the first to get this support. This means that users of the devices will be able to start using Nearby Share straight away, without having to download the app.

It should be noted that Nearby Share requires a 64-bit version of Windows 10 or higher, and does not support ARM.

The launch of Nearby Share for Windows is a significant step forward in Google's efforts to make it easier for users to share files between their Android devices and Windows PCs. The app is simple to use and works quickly, making it a convenient way to share photos, videos, documents, and other files.

Meanwhile, Samsung has updated its in-house file-sharing app Quick Share for Windows to work with non-Samsung laptops. The app already allows Samsung users to transfer photos, videos, and documents between their smartphones, Galaxy Tablets, and Galaxy Book laptops.

On the other hand, the Windows Subsystem for Android added file sharing and more last month. You can also download Windows Subsystem for Android with the Amazon App Store from the Microsoft Store on compatible PCs running Windows 11.

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According to reports on Reddit, Windows 10 users have reportedly noticed a system slowdown after installing the latest update. The issue extends to apps in general, including Microsoft's own apps as well as games with users reporting a drop in frame rates.

Unfortunately, that's not all as reports also suggest KB5028166 causing network issues for Windows 10 users. These issues include problems connecting to the internet and missing Bluetooth drivers after installing the latest update.

If that was not all, Microsoft's latest update seems to have hit enterprise customers as well. As pointed out by u/luckman212 on Synology's subreddit, users are facing issues establishing a secure channel after upgrading their system, causing them to lose connection with their Network Attached Storage (NAS).

Long story short, Microsoft released some updates for Win10/11 this month that destroyed the ability for our fully patched Win10 22H2 clients to establish a secure channel with the domain controller running on our Synology. The reason I even discovered this was users complaining about not being able to connect via Remote Desktop (RDP) anymore (NLA errors).

The usual fixes (unjoin/rejoin, or running Test-ComputerSecureChannel -Repair -Verbose failed. As did all sorts of monkeying around with the Registry, DNS settings, updating NIC drivers, manual editing of smb.conf and mustache files, staring at Wireshark packet dumps, etc...

Unfortunately, the issue forced Synology to release an emergency patch to fix the issue. According to the company, the issues impacts users who have Synology Directory Server package installed and have domains created by Synology Directory Server. If a user meets these conditions and installs the Windows 10 KB5028166 update, they will not be able to establish a Remote Desktop session or open specific RSAT management tools. Synology has released a patch to address the issue and the company is recommending users to manually download and install the patch from the Package Center.

Microsoft is yet to acknowledge any of the issues that have been raised by users, so we don't know the exact reason or the extent of the impact.

We here at Neowin recommend enabling System Restore on the Windows install disk (usually C:\) and doing a System Restore Point before installing Patch Tuesday updates, but also before installing 3rd party software on your system.

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On the Windows side of things, graphics bugs pertaining to Windows 11 guests are fixed, and a crash-fix related to TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 1.2 has also been added. Meanwhile, Linux kernel 6.5 and 6.4 support is here.

For those that have never used it, VirtualBox is a free tool you can install on your computer to run other operating systems. For example, if you run Windows but want to use Ubuntu, VirtualBox lets you use Ubuntu within a window on Windows.

The full release notes are given below:

This is a maintenance release. The following items were fixed and/or added:

• OCI: Introduced general improvements
• VMM: Fixed sluggish performance starting with macOS Ventura 13.3 (bug #21563, bug#21596)
• VMM: Fixed a bug while walking page tables while executing nested VMs causing flooding of the release log as a consequence (Intel hosts only, bug #21551)
• GUI: Added general improvements
• TPM: Fixed a crash when a VM has a TPM version 1.2 configured (bug #21136, #21515)
• Guest Control/VBoxManage: Fixed parameter "--ignore-orphaned-processes"
• Guest Control/VBoxManage: Fixed behavior of how handling argument 0 for a started guest process works: One can now explicitly specify it with the newly added option "--arg0". This will effectively restore the behavior of former VirtualBox versions
• Audio: Also use the PulseAudio backend when pipewire-pulse is running instead of falling back to ALSA (bug #21575)
• NAT: Adjusted UDP proxy timeout from 18-21 to 21-24 range to respect intended 20 second timeout (bug #21560)
• Linux Host: Added initial support for Indirect Branch Tracking (bug #21435)
• Linux Host: Added initial support for kernel 6.5 (NOTE: Guest Additions do not support kernel 6.5 yet)
• Solaris Host: Introduced general improvements in the installer area
• Linux Host and Guest: Improved condition check when kernel modules need to be signed
• Linux Host and Guest: Added initial support for RHEL 8.8 (bug #21692), 8.9 (bug #21621)
• Linux Guest Additions: Fixed issue when kernel modules were rebuilt on each boot when guest system has no X11 installed
• Linux Guest Additions: Added initial support for kernel 6.4
• Linux Guest Additions: Fixed issue when vboxvideo module reloading caused kernel panic in some guests (bug #21740)
• Linux Guest Additions: Introduced general improvements in the installer area
• Windows Guest Additions: Introduced general improvements in graphics drivers area

You can download the latest VirtualBox 7.0.10 update via Neowin or by visiting the official website itself.

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