On Windows 11, you can use a batch file to quickly make system changes, query system information, automate routines, and launch apps while reducing the steps, mistakes, and time it could take to type the commands or perform specific actions. 

Although you can always create more comprehensive scripts with PowerShell, batch files you can run on Command Prompt are still useful and easier to craft to perform an extended range of tasks.

This how-to guide will walk you through the different ways in which you can create and run a batch file on Windows 11.

How to create batch files on Windows 11

You can quickly write batch files with any text editor, such as Notepad or Visual Studio Code. You will only need some basic Command Prompt skills. 

This guide will show you three examples. The first one will help you build a basic batch file with three lines of code. The second example is a little more advanced, outlining the basics of running multiple commands. Finally, the third example demonstrates that you can perform different actions.

Compose basic batch file

To write a basic batch file on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Notepad and click the top result to open the text editor.
3. Type the following lines of code in the text file: 

@ECHO OFF

ECHO Hello World! This is my first batch file created on Windows 11. 

PAUSE

(Image credit: Future)

The above code will output the "Hello World! This is my first batch file created on Windows 11" message on the screen.

4. Click the File menu and select the Save as option.
5. Confirm a name for the script – for example, basic_batch.bat.

Once you complete the steps, double-click the file to run the script.

You will typically find batch files with the ".bat" extension, but it's also possible to use the ".cmd" or ".btm" file extensions.

Here's a break down of the commands:

• @ECHO OFF — Disables the display prompt and shows content in a clean line.
• ECHO — Prints the text after the space on the screen.
• PAUSE — Keeps the window open after running the commands. If you don't use this option, the prompt will close automatically after the script finishes. You can use this command at the end of the script or after a specific command to insert a break on each line.

Compose advanced batch file

To create an advanced batch script, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Notepad and click the top result to open the text editor.
3. Type the following lines in the text file to create an advanced script:

@ECHO OFF 

:: This batch file reveals Windows 11, hardware, and networking configuration.

TITLE My Computer Information

ECHO Checking system information...

:: Section 1: Windows 11 details

ECHO ==========================

ECHO WINDOWS 11 INFO

ECHO ============================

systeminfo | findstr /c:"OS Name"

systeminfo | findstr /c:"OS Version"

:: Section 2: Hardware details

ECHO ============================

ECHO HARDWARE INFO

ECHO ============================

systeminfo | findstr /c:"Total Physical Memory"

wmic cpu get name

wmic diskdrive get name,model,size

wmic path win32_videocontroller get name

wmic path win32_VideoController get CurrentHorizontalResolution,CurrentVerticalResolution

:: Section 3: Network details.

ECHO ============================

ECHO NETWORK INFO

ECHO ============================

ipconfig | findstr IPv4ipconfig | findstr IPv6

PAUSE

This script executes multiple system commands in sequence and outputs the computer information in three different categories, including "Windows details," "hardware details," and "network details."

(Image credit: Future)

4. Click the File menu and select the Save as option.
5. Type a name for the script — for example, advanced_batch.bat.

After you complete the steps, running the batch file will open a Command Prompt console outputting the results for each command. 

Here's a breakdown of the commands:

• @ECHO OFF — Disables the display prompt and shows content in a clean line.
• TITLE — Renders a custom name for the window title bar.
• :: — Ignores the contents of the line. Usually, it's used to write comments and documentation information.
• ECHO — Prints the text after the space on the screen.
• PAUSE — Keeps the window open after running the commands.

Compose actionable batch file

One of the most common reasons to use scripts is to automatize different tasks to make system changes, such as connecting a network drive, installing an application, or changing system settings.

To create a script to change system settings on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Notepad and click the top result to open the app.
3. Type the following command in the text editor: net use z: \\PATH-NETWORK-SHARE\FOLDER-NAME /user:USERNAME PASSWORD

In the command, replace the "\\PATH-NETWORK-SHARE\FOLDER-NAME" for the folder network path to mount on the device and "USERNAME PASSWORD" with the username and password that authenticates access to the network share. This example maps a network folder using "Z" as the drive letter: net use z: \\10.1.4.57\ShareFiles

(Image credit: Future)

4. Click the File menu and select the Save as option.
5. Confirm a name for the script — for example, network-drive-batch.bat.

Once you complete the steps, this particular batch file will map a network on File Explorer.

How to run batch files on Windows 11

On Windows 11, you can run batch files in at least three ways from Command Prompt, File Explorer, or automatically during startup.

Run script from Command Prompt

To run a batch file from Command Prompt on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to run a Windows 11 batch file and press Enter: C:\PATH\TO\FOLDER\BATCH.bat

In the command, specify the path and name for your script. This example runs the batch file located in the "scripts" folder inside the "Downloads" folder: C:\Users\ACCOUNT\Downloads\basic_batch.bat

(Image credit: Future)

After you complete the steps, the batch file will run and display the results in the console. Since you opened Command Prompt manually, it won't close automatically if the script doesn't include the "Pause" option.

Run script from File Explorer

To run a script file from File Explorer on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Browse to the folder with the batch file.
3. Right-click the file and select the Open option to run it.
4. (Optional) Right-click the file and select the Run as administrator option if elevation is required.

(Image credit: Future)

Once you complete the steps, the batch file will run and execute every command. If you have specified the "Pause" option, the window will remain open. Otherwise, it'll close immediately after completing the sequence of commands.

Run script from Startup

To run a batch file on startup, use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Open the folder with the batch file.
3. Right-click the file and select the Copy option.
4. Type the following command in the address bar and press Enter: shell:startup
5. Click the Paste button from the command bar in the Startup folder.

(Image credit: Future)

After you complete the steps, Windows 11 will run the script every time the computer starts, and the user logs in to the account.

How to create batch script files on Windows 11

The newly introduced offline activation tool, xp_activate32.exe, offers a compact executable package designed as a "phone activation utility" for Windows XP. This tool allows users to activate the operating system entirely offline, eliminating the need to connect to potentially risky online environments.

With a file size of only 18 KB, "Windows XP Activation: GAME OVER" provides a convenient means for tinkerers to activate their Windows XP systems without internet connectivity.

As Microsoft discontinued support and deactivated the Windows XP activation servers, attempting to activate the operating system online poses significant risks. The offline activation tool ensures safer activation and protects XP systems from potential flaws and vulnerabilities in the outdated operating system.

Windows XP can expose systems to potential threats. As a result, many users prefer to keep their Windows XP installations offline, limiting their usage to software and hardware that resides in their archives. Online essentials such as secure browsers and antivirus software may be difficult to obtain for Windows XP, further emphasizing the importance of offline usage.

Numerous tools were available in the past for generating keys that Windows XP would accept, predating the creation of this self-contained offline program. These tools often took the form of software hacks or brute-force decryption utilities.

On the other hand, some users may be interested in exploring even older Windows operating systems beyond Windows XP. These systems often require specific serial keys for activation, but their simpler algorithms can make finding valid keys relatively easier.

Windows XP activation algorithm cracked after 21 years, what now?

Mozilla launched its VPN service in 2020 officially. It is using the infrastructure of Mullvad, a VPN service known for its focus on privacy. It is an optional service that users may subscribe to.

The advertisement that users saw in Firefox came out of the blue for users. Some noted that their browser windows became unresponsive for a time before the popup ad was shown to them.

The advertisement itself promoted Mozilla VPN with a 20% discount code. The ad did not include a close option that would permanently shut it down, only a "not now" option, which many companies seem to favor these days to give their users no option to say "no, thanks".

A bug report was created on Bugzilla, Mozilla's official bug tracking site. Several threads on Mozilla's official support site were also created, see here and here as examples.

User ben153 wrote: "Today Firefox stopped altogether and dimmed the entire window and popped up a "Try the Firefox VPN" message. I use Firefox specifically to get away from disruptive, intrusive violations like that. This needs to be removed immediately and never ever happen again. It's completely antithetical to the core values of Firefox."

A forum moderator replied to the threads, stating "Firefox is committed to creating an online experience that puts people first, as such we quickly stopped running the ad experience, and are reviewing internally".

The answer infuriated some users even further. They said that "an online experience that puts people first" should never show ads in this way or use the "not now" option as the only option to close prompts.

Mozilla appears to have suspended the advertisement campaign right now.  Long-time users of the browser may be reminded of the Mr. Robot campaign that Mozilla ran in 2017 in Firefox. It promoted the TV show by installing a browser extension automatically in Firefox. While installing a browser extension is a different level of interference with user devices, many Mozilla employees did not know about the campaign when it launched.

It looks as if marketing has pushed this into Firefox, suggesting that Mozilla could push VPN subscriptions this way significantly. This is speculation on our part, and we have to wait for Mozilla's official response to find out more about this.

While it is understandable that Mozilla wants more subscribers for Mozilla VPN, pushing popup ads into Firefox is not the way to go about it.

Now You: did you get the ads? What is your take on this?

Mozilla showed VPN ads in Firefox before suspending them

What you need to know

• Arm32 apps will not be supported by Windows 12 or Qualcomm's upcoming Oryon processors.
• Microsoft shared the fact during Build 2023 and noted in a support document that "support for 32-bit Arm versions of applications will be removed in a future release of Windows 11."
• Many Arm-based applications have been upgraded to Arm64, so many popular apps will be unaffected by the change.

Microsoft Build is about to wrap up. At the conference Microsoft announced several improvements to Windows and the company's apps and services. But as highlighted by XDA, Microsoft is also going to take away a feature from its flagship operating system. Luckily, the change won't affect many people.

During a session of Build 2023, we got word that Qualcomm's upcoming Oryon processors and the next major version of Windows will not support Arm32 apps. 32-bit Arm apps aren't very common these days, as many have been upgraded to Arm64 or x86, but you may see a few apps stop working.

A Microsoft document specifies that "support for 32-bit Arm versions of applications will be removed in a future release of Windows 11." That leaves the exact timeline for the end of Arm32 a bit murky, but we know support for the older apps is coming to an end.

Microsoft has not shared an official name for the next version of Windows, but the company is working on a modern version of the operating system. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden covered Microsoft's plans for its next operating system, which is colloquially called Windows 12.

The next version of Windows isn't set to ship until 2024, though plans are subject to change. Qualcomm's Oryon chips are also expected at some point in 2024. Arm32 apps should be far off in the rear-view mirror by then, so the best Windows apps shouldn't be affected by the change.

Qualcomm's Oryon processors will be based on tech from the company's acquisition of Nuvia. That deal is currently facing a lawsuit from Arm Ltd. that alleges Qualcomm breached license agreements and committed trademark infringement. If the purchase does go through, it could be a major boost to Windows on ARM PCs.

The new chips have a “significant number of design wins," according to Qualcomm. The company expects to see an "inflection point" for Windows on Snapdragon PCs in 2024. Qualcomm claims that its Oryon processors will rival Apple’s M-series chips. If that's accurate, it could lead to a major shift in Windows on ARM computing.

Windows 12 and Qualcomm Oryon processors will not support Arm32 apps

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1825 and Build 22631.1825 (KB 5026440) to the Beta Channel.

• Build 22631.1825 = New features rolling out.
• Build 22621.1825 = New features off by default.

The new builds have several bug fixes, like those related to the Server Message Block (SMB), a memory leak, Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS), NTFS, an audio issue, and more. Aside from these, OneDrive capacity display in Settings has been fixed as well.

The full changelog is given below:

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1825 & Build 22631.1825

• New! This update provides the full amount of storage capacity of all your OneDrive subscriptions. It also displays the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.
• This update addresses an issue that affects dot sourcing. It fails files that contain class definition in Windows PowerShell.
• This update addresses an issue that affects exe. It stops working after you sign out. This issue occurs after you upgrade your machine to Windows 11 Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and sign in to that machine.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Server Message Block (SMB). You cannot access the SMB shared folder. The errors are, “Not enough memory resources” or “Insufficient system resources.”
• This update addresses a memory leak. It occurs every time you print a rich text document.
• This update addresses an issue that affects audio playback. It fails on devices that have certain processors.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). It stops working. This occurs when you use Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
• This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard. Sometimes, it does not show the correct layout based on the current input scope.
• This update addresses a multi-function label printer issue. It affects the installation of some of them.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect a large reparse point. You might get a stop error when you use NTFS to access it. This issue occurs after a canceled FSCTL Set operation changes the reparse tag.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Narrator. It now announces text attributes correctly for words, such as “misspelled,” “deletion change,” and “comment.”
• This update addresses an issue that affects a computer when it renders a halftone bitmap. The computer stops working.
• This update addresses an issue that affects devices that have multiple, discreet GPUs. You cannot choose the high-performance GPUs from the default graphics settings page.
• This update changes the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) ranges for certain mobile providers.
• This update addresses an Event Viewer issue. It affects the rendering of a forwarded event log.

• This update addresses an issue that affects the Chinese and Japanese Input Method Editor (IME). When you search within the Emoji Panel (Windows key + period (.)), search might fail for some of you.

• This update addresses an issue that affects the Chinese and Japanese Handwriting Panel. It does not show text prediction candidates or stops responding. This occurs when you select a word from the candidate list of the Handwriting Panel.
• This update addresses an issue that stops your device from working when it resumes from Modern Standby. The error is 0x13A KERNEL_MODE_HEAP_CORRUPTION.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Firewall. The firewall drops all connections to the IP address of a captive portal. This occurs when you choose the Captive Portal Addresses option.
• This update addresses an issue that affects devices that are joined to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). The Windows Firewall cannot apply the correct domain and profile for them.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the runas It stops working. The device behaves as if you did not sign in to your account.
• This update changes the support phone number for Microsoft India for Windows activation.
• This update addresses an issue that affects applications that perform certain actions in a callback. The applications might stop working. These actions include closing a Window (WM_CLOSE).
• This update addresses an issue that affects the use of the Event Viewer. The issue limits the number of event sources that users who are not administrators can access.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) cluster. It might not come online. This occurs after a periodic password rollover. The error code is 1326.
• This update addresses an issue that affects access to Tab settings for IE mode sites.
• The update addresses an issue that sends unexpected password expiration notices to users. This occurs when you set up an account to use “Smart Card is Required for Interactive Logon” and set “Enable rolling of expiring NTLM secrets.”
• This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard. It shows the wrong layout for the French-Canadian language.

You can find the official blog post here.

Windows 11 Beta Channel (KB5026440) fixes issues with SMB, memory leak, audio, NTFS, LSASS

Here is the changelog:

What’s new in Build 25375

Support for Microsoft Endpoint DLP on Windows on Arm (Arm64) builds

You can now extend Microsoft Endpoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies and actions to endpoints running Windows on Arm (Arm64) which allows you to detect and protect sensitive data in files part of your digital ecosystem. This enables you to introduce policy controls for scenarios such as when an information worker using a Windows endpoint powered by Arm chipset from accessing sensitive files and trying an egress action such as copying to a USB, or copy to clipboard, notepad, etc.

As part of your DLP Policy definition, you can leverage the current conditions and actions that are already available for use and there is no additional setting involved.

Ensure your ARM64 endpoints are onboarded to Microsoft Endpoint DLP by using any of our supported onboarding methods.

For developers

You can download the latest Windows Insider SDK at aka.ms/windowsinsidersdk.

SDK NuGet packages are now also flighting at NuGet Gallery | WindowsSDK which include:

• .NET TFM packages for use in .NET apps as described at aka.ms/windowsinsidersdk
• C++ packages for Win32 headers and libs per architecture
• BuildTools package when you just need tools like MakeAppx.exe, MakePri.exe, and SignTool.exe

These NuGet packages provide more granular access to the SDK and better integration in CI/CD pipelines.

SDK flights are now published for both the Canary and Dev Channels, so be sure to choose the right version for your Insider Channel.

Remember to use adaptive code when targeting new APIs to make sure your app runs on all customer machines, particularly when building against the Dev Channel SDK. Feature detection is recommended over OS version checks, as OS version checks are unreliable and will not work as expected in all cases.

You can check out the full blog post here.

Windows 11 Insider Canary build 25375 adds Microsoft Endpoint DLP on Windows on Arm

Windows 11 taskbar labels and ungrouping

Taskbar labels and ungrouping are available in Windows 11 build 23466 (Dev Channel). However, even though Microsoft publicly announced these two much-anticipated features, they are not available to all insiders with the latest Dev build. Here is how to force-enable them if waiting is not your option.

1. Download the ViVeTool app from GitHub and extract 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 using the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:29785186 and press Enter.
6. Restart your computer.

Now you can turn on the never combine option and taskbar labels. To do so, head to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors. Scroll down and select the option you need from the Combine taskbar buttons and labels drop-down:

• Always: the default option with no labels (icons only).
• When taskbar is full: this option enables labels and hides them when you fill the entire taskbar with applications.
• Never: taskbar labels are always visible.

It is worth noting that Windows 11 has also received a separate toggle for displaying labels for pinned, non-running applications. By default, the never combine option enables labels only for the open programs, leaving pins in the icon-only mode. To change that, place a checkmark next to the Show labels on taskbar pins option.

Keep in mind that running unstable Windows 11 preview builds for your daily computing is not a very good idea—you may encounter bugs and quite severe issues. The features currently available in Dev builds are expected in the Stable Channel in the second half of this year. Alternatively, you can opt for third-party apps like Start11 or StartAllBack.

Which option do you prefer? Combined or never combined with labels? Let us know in the comments.

Source: @PhantomOfEarth | Twitter

How to enable taskbar labels and the 'never combine' feature in Windows 11

Microsoft says that 32-bit apps that are large address aware and use the CopyFile API are affected. This API essentially helps copy a new file to an existing file and keeps track of the progress. Hence, with this functionality broken at the moment, copying and saving have become a major issue at the moment for affected applications.

Microsoft has also added that 32-bit versions of Office apps like Word and Excel are affected as well, and users may receive a "Document not saved" error. Microsoft explained the issue in detail on its Windows health support page:

You might have intermittent issues saving, or copying, or attaching files using 32-bit apps which are large address aware and using the CopyFile API. Windows devices are more likely to be affected by this issue when using some commercial/enterprise security software which uses extended file attributes. We are not receiving reports that copying files using File Explorer is affected, but CopyFile API used within apps might be affected. Microsoft Office apps such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel are only affected when using 32-bit versions and you might receive the error, "Document not saved." This issue is unlikely to be experienced by consumers using Windows devices in their home or on non-managed comercial device. Note: Apps are not affected by this issue if they are 64-bit or 32-bit and NOT large address aware.

There is a positive though. Microsoft says the issue is intermittent which means redoing the same action could likely work out. The company lists this as a potential workaround:

Workaround: To mitigate the issue, you can attempt to save or copy again. Since the issue is intermittent, it is likely to succeed on a subsequent try.

The above workaround is only for Windows 11 22H2 though. For other versions of Windows 11 and Windows 10, Microsoft recommends doing a known issue rollback (KIR):

Workaround: To mitigate the issue, you can attempt to save or copy again. Since the issue is intermittent, it is likely to succeed on a subsequent try. Important: If the resolution below does not resolve intermittent save or copy issues in your environment, then you might be experiencing a different issue with similar symptoms.

Resolution: This issue is resolved using Known Issue Rollback (KIR). Enterprise-managed devices that have installed an affected update and have encountered this issue can resolve it by installing and configuring a special Group Policy. The special Group Policy can be found in Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> .

Group Policy downloads with Group Policy name:

Download for Windows 11, version 21H2 - KB5023774 230222_032017 Known Issue Rollback
Download for Windows 10, version 22H2; Windows 10, version 21H2 - KB5023773 230222_032013 Known Issue Rollback
 

Important: You will need to install and configure the Group Policy for your version of Windows to resolve this issue.

In somewhat related news, Microsoft recently resolved a SMB file copy issue on Windows 11 21H2 with the KB5026436 preview update.

Microsoft: File copy/save on Windows 11, Windows 10 32-bit apps failing, Office affected too

Before we explain the process of sharing text and URLs, let's ensure we have the necessary prerequisites in place. First and foremost, download and install the Nearby Share app on your Windows PC.

You may find Nearby Share here.

Next, make sure you have an Android phone running version 6 or newer, as this is essential for successful communication between the devices. Once these requirements are met, we can dive into the process of sharing text and URLs using Nearby Share.

Windows PC to Phone text transfer has been made easy with Nearby Share - Image courtesy of Google Android

How to use Nearby Share

Whether you're sharing files, photos, videos, or now even text and URLs, this versatile tool simplifies our digital lives and makes sharing a breeze. Here are the steps you must take to share text from a PC to Android using Nearby Share:

1. Launch the Nearby Share app on your Windows PC
2. Locate the desired text or URL that you wish to share
3. Select the text and copy it to your clipboard. Alternatively, you can drag and drop the text directly onto the app
4. Return to the Nearby Share app and paste the copied text into the provided area
5. On the right panel of the app, you'll find a list of available contacts. Choose the intended recipient
6. Before proceeding, ensure that Nearby Share is turned on and enabled on your Android phone. This setting can typically be found in the device's settings menu
7. On your Android device, a prompt will appear, seeking permission to receive the shared text or URL. Grant the necessary permissions by accepting the prompt, either directly on the phone or on the receiving device
8. Once the text or URL reaches its destination, a range of options awaits you

Depending on the content, you may have the opportunity to open it directly or copy it to your clipboard for future reference. Links, however, offer the option to copy only, ensuring you have the necessary flexibility at your command.

The next time you stumble upon a captivating article or come across an intriguing website, remember that Nearby Share is here to swiftly transfer your desired content from your Windows PC to your trusted Android device. Embrace the convenience and embrace the power of Nearby Share today.

How to share text from Windows PC to Android using Nearby Share

Aside from these, there are a whole bunch of other changes too, and as expected, the changelog is really long. Find the full list of changes below:

Highlights

• New! This update provides the full amount of storage capacity of all your Microsoft OneDrive subscriptions. It also displays the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.
• New! This update adds Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) Audio. Your computer must support Bluetooth LE Audio to use this feature. This update improves audio fidelity and battery life when you pair your computer with Bluetooth LE Audio earbuds and headphones.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Narrator. It now announces text attributes correctly for words, such as "misspelled," "deletion change," and "comment."
• This update addresses an issue that affects access to Tab settings for IE mode sites.
• This update addresses a multi-function label printer issue. It affects the installation of some of them.
• This update addresses an issue that affects audio playback. It fails on devices that have certain processors.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard. It shows the wrong layout for the French-Canadian language.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard. Sometimes, it does not show the correct layout based on the current input scope.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Chinese and Japanese Input Method Editor (IME). When you search within the Emoji Panel (Windows key + period (.) ), search might fail for some of you.

Improvements

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

• This update addresses an issue that affects searchindexer.exe. It stops working after you sign out. This issue occurs after you upgrade your machine to Windows 11 Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and sign in to that machine.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Server Message Block (SMB). You cannot access the SMB shared folder. The errors are, “Not enough memory resources” or “Insufficient system resources.”
• The update addresses an issue that sends unexpected password expiration notices to users. This occurs when you set up an account to use “Smart Card is Required for Interactive Logon” and set "Enable rolling of expiring NTLM secrets."
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). It stops working. This occurs when you use Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) cluster. It might not come online. This occurs after a periodic password rollover. The error code is 1326.
• This update addresses an issue that affects dot sourcing. It fails files that contain class definition in Windows PowerShell.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the use of the Event Viewer. The issue limits the number of event sources that users who are not administrators can access.
• This update addresses an Event Viewer issue. It affects the rendering of a forwarded event log.
• This update addresses a memory leak. It occurs every time you print a rich text document.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a computer when it renders a halftone bitmap. The computer stops working.
• This update addresses an issue that affects devices that have multiple, discreet GPUs. You cannot choose the high-performance GPUs from the default graphics settings page.
• This update addresses an issue that stops your device from working when it resumes from Modern Standby. The error is 0x13A KERNEL_MODE_HEAP_CORRUPTION.
• This update addresses an issue that affects applications that perform certain actions in a callback. The applications might stop working. These actions include closing a Window (WM_CLOSE).
• This update changes the support phone number for Microsoft India for Windows activation.
• This update changes the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) ranges for certain mobile providers.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Firewall. The firewall drops all connections to the IP address of a captive portal. This occurs when you choose the Captive Portal Addresses option.
• This update addresses an issue that affects devices that are joined to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). The Windows Firewall cannot apply the correct domain and profile for them.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). It might create audit events that you do not need. This occurs when you choose the Disabled: Script Enforcement option.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Chinese and Japanese Handwriting Panel. It does not show text prediction candidates or stops responding. This occurs when you select a word from the candidate list of the Handwriting Panel.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the runas command. It stops working. The device behaves as if you did not sign in to your account.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect a large reparse point. You might get a stop error when you use NTFS to access it. This issue occurs after a canceled FSCTL Set operation changes the reparse tag.
• This update addresses a known issue that might affect some speech recognition apps. They might have sporadic speech recognition, expressive input, and handwriting issues. This occurs when the display language is Chinese or Japanese. The apps might not recognize certain words. They might not receive any input from speech recognition or affected input types. This issue is more likely to occur when the apps use offline speech recognition. For app developers,this issue only affects speech recognition that uses Speech Recognition Grammar Specification (SRGS) in Windows.Media.SpeechRecognition. This issue does not affect other types of speech recognition.

You can find the official support article on Microsoft's website here.

Microsoft releases Windows 11 22H2 KB5026446 (Moment 3) with a long list of changes

Along with that, Microsoft has also announced that Windows 11 22H2 is now ready for broader deployment, stating that the operating system is now "broadly available to all users with eligible devices who check for updates". Of course, to get it a device has to meet the system requirements of Windows 11 22H2. Microsoft has, in the past, erroneously pushed out Windows 11 on unsupported PCs, though later, it fixed it.

On the Windows health dashboard website, the company has updated the status for Windows 11 22H2. Microsoft explains:

Windows 11, version 22H2 is broadly available to all users with eligible devices who check for updates. Microsoft is delivering continuous innovation to Windows 11 more frequently. If you’re using Home or Pro consumer devices or non-managed business devices running Windows 11, version 22H2, you can get some of these newest experiences as soon as they’re ready for your device. To do so, open Settings > Windows Update. Select Get the latest updates as soon as they are available, and set the toggle to On. Note that the toggle won't be enabled for managed devices. These are managed by Windows Update for Business or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

If you want a brief rundown of all the new features and improvements that Moment 3, you can find it here, though for a more in-depth look, refer to this article instead.

Meanwhile, for users still on Windows 10 21H2, Microsoft has confirmed that it will soon force-update such computers to Windows 10 22H2, and of course, there was a reminder about Windows 11 as well.

Microsoft: You can now get Windows 11 Moment 3 but your PC must meet system requirements

The new app is pre-installed in the latest version, which is Insider Preview Build 23466. Microsoft says that users can test the new Windows Backup app by creating a virtual machine using the latest Windows 11 Preview ISO, or by resetting their PC for an out-of-the-box experience (OOBE). I created a new VM to test out the backup and restore options. The Windows set-up process does let you pick the PC that you would like to restore the data from. It's a straightforward experience that can be useful if you just bought a new PC and want to set it up like your old one.

How to use Microsoft's new Windows Backup app

1. Open the Windows Backup app, and you will see a list of categories that it saves the data from. The app saves the data to your OneDrive account, allowing you to restore the data from the cloud storage service when you migrate to a new computer.

2. The first section in the app, Folders, backs up your Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos, and Music directories. The app also saves your installed apps and pinned app preferences, i.e. it remembers the app icons that you had pinned to the Start Menu.

3.  Click on the Backup button, and wait for the app to finish saving the files. That's the extent of what the backup feature can do.

It also backs up some Windows Settings such as accessibility, language preferences, personalization, etc. The Credentials section in the Windows Backup app saves your Wi-Fi network and passwords, so you won't have to enter them while connecting to your home network. Overall, the features of the backup app are similar to what you can find in Windows 11's Settings > Account > Windows Backup.

Limitations in the Windows Backup app

There aren't a lot of options in the Windows Backup app, the main issue is that users cannot select which apps and settings are to be backed up. Here are some of the other limitations in the app. There are toggles next to each folder, so you can use it to backup the ones you want, and skip the others. Unfortunately, these toggles are not available during the restore process, so you cannot check specific folders to be downloaded.

The announcement from the Redmond company says that the backup does not save the data from desktop apps that are available on the Microsoft Store, or Android apps that you have installed on your computer. This can be problematic if you use a specific app for work, you'll have to set it up again. The backup feature does not support Work or School accounts, so you can only use it with your personal Microsoft account.

Backups are always a good idea, but the new app is a little too basic. That said, this is an early version of the app, so hopefully it will evolve into something better in the future. It would be nice to be able to choose which folders can be backed up, this is something that the OneDrive app lacks too.

Want to try the new Windows Backup app? Install Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23466 and run the app. The latest version of the operating system re-introduces a never combined mode for the Taskbar, that will display each window of applications on the taskbar individually.

Here's a look at Microsoft's new Windows Backup app

As revealed by a recent report, Microsoft is considering letting you put widgets on the desktop, and today, at Build 2023, Microsoft announced that users would soon be able to remove the news feed from Windows Widgets (we tried one whacky method to get rid of the feed, but it proved unreliable and incredibly cumbersome).

During the Windows 11-dedicated keynote at Build 2023, Microsoft revealed its plans to allow users to switch between different Windows Widgets modes. Later this year, Windows 11 will receive three widget views: widget-only with no feed, feed-only with no widgets, and a mix of both (the current version). Also, with third-party widget support, Windows 11 will receive improved notifications to inform you that some of your new apps support widgets. Here is the concept Microsoft showed during the presentation:

Finally, no-news view!

Unfortunately, Microsoft has not said when the new widget views will be available for testing. As it usually goes with new Windows 11 features, expect the company to trial the improvement in the Windows Insider program first before shipping it to the general public, as it did with the redesigned widget picker, animated icons, and other widget-related improvements.

In case you missed it, Microsoft released a new Dev build full of freshly announced features, such as Dev Drive, improved app backup and restore, taskbar regrouping and labels, improved Voice Access, tweaked emojis, and many more. Check out all the details in our dedicated post.

You can find full Build 2023 coverage with other news and exciting announcements here.

Microsoft confirms you will soon be able to remove news in Windows Widgets

The new Daedalic Entertainment-developed stealth adventure title set in The Lord of the Rings universe is releasing tomorrow, May 25. While it's an Nvidia-sponsored title, AMD has delivered day-one support with major performance improvements with this driver.

According to the company's testing, Gollum's adventures will run up to 16% better with this driver on Radeon RX 7900 series GPUs. Meanwhile, on RX 6000 series (6900XT, 6800XT and, 6700XT) graphics cards, AMD says users can expect an FPS uplift of up to 12%.

The test systems were running Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPUs with 32GB of DDR5 RAM on Windows 11. The game was running at 4K resolution, though exact graphics settings were not shared.

Even for those on older generation graphics cards, this driver is a recommended install for Radeon users picking up the game for a smooth experience.

Diving into the bug fixes, Last of Us Part 1 continues to receive updates. RX 580 owners will also be happy to see a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare fix that's targeting their ageing but capable hardware. Here's the full list of fixes:

• Application crash or driver timeout may be observed during video playback using DaVinci Resolve™ Studio.
• Brief display corruption may occur when switching between video and game windows on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 6700 XT.
• Higher than expected memory usage during shader compilation time when first launching THE LAST OF US™ Part I.
• Intermittent system crash while playing Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 580.

The known issues are mostly RX 7000 series-related:

• High idle power has situationally been observed when using select high-resolution and high refresh rate displays on Radeon™ RX 7000 series GPUs.
• Video stuttering or performance drops may be observed during gameplay and video playback with some extended display configurations on Radeon™ RX 7000 series GPUs.
• Some virtual reality games or applications may experience lower-than-expected performance on Radeon™ RX 7000 series GPUs.
• Application crash may be intermittently observed while playing RuneScape™ on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 5700 XT.

AMD's Adrenalin Edition 23.5.1 WHQL driver can now be upgraded via the Radeon Settings app on Windows. Those looking for a standalone install download link can find one on the driver's release notes page here.

AMD Adrenalin 23.5.1 WHQL driver has Lord of the Rings: Gollum support and bug fixes

Regular updates to the Linux kernel are consistently rolled out, bringing with them bug fixes, support for advanced features, and a plethora of other enhancements. While no one's going to force you to update to the latest Linux kernel, here are five good reasons why you should.

What Is the Linux Kernel Anyway?

It's often said that Linux isn't actually an operating system, and that's true. Most distros are simply a selection of software and package managers which make it easy for you to interact with the underlying kernel.

A short explanation of how the Linux kernel works is that the kernel is responsible for governing system resources, interacting with hardware and peripherals, networking, and the filesystem.

Without the kernel, your distro would be useless, but without the tools which come packaged as a distro, the kernel wouldn't be usable.

1. Your Distro Kernel May Be Outdated Before You Even Install It

All Linux distros come with a version of the Linux kernel, and many popular distros have their own specialized kernel, based on the mainline Linux kernel. The kernel which ships with your distro is likely to be stable and extensively tested to ensure that there are no compatibility issues and that everything works as it should.

Stability, however, comes with the cost of newer features. A stable distro kernel is likely to be several releases behind the mainline kernel—meaning that you're missing out on the latest features.

2. Newer Kernels Support More Recent Hardware

Hardware manufacturers are making constant advances and pushing the limits of what PCs can do. New generations of graphics cards are created to render games with eye-searing levels of realism, and new varieties of RAM promise higher clock speeds and lower latency.

For a Linux distro to effectively interact with new hardware, it needs drivers, and these won't be present in older versions of the kernel. Although you can apply patches to the Linux kernel to add new functionality and hardware support, it's often worth updating the kernel in its entirety to ensure that it supports all your hardware with the latest and greatest patches.

3. Upgrade Your Linux Kernel to Guard Against Vulnerabilities

No software is perfect, and no developer can uncover how their software might be abused. Memory issues can be exploited to execute arbitrary code, and flaws can be pried wide open to leave your system vulnerable to malware.

While successful attacks are few and far between on Linux desktops, the Linux kernel isn't invulnerable to hackers, crackers, and criminals who want to break into your machine.

Notable security flaws discovered over the years have included Dirty COW—a privilege escalation bug that was open to exploitation for more than a decade; Spectre and Meltdown—CPU vulnerabilities that affected multiple platforms; Segment smack; and the Dirty Pipe vulnerability that allows non-privileged users to execute malicious code.

If you update to the latest kernel version, you can be sure that you have the most secure version possible—with any detected vulnerabilities patched and removed.

4. Squash Annoying Bugs With a Kernel Update

Bugs, while not always leading to security issues, are an annoyance at best. Things just don't work as they should do, or return unexpected results.

This is especially true with bugs relating to audio and video playback and power issues. Bugs crop up all the time and just like real bugs, they appear in unexpected places. If you're running an ancient kernel version from the early 2000s, you'll note that leap seconds might cause a kernel panic.

Serious bugs are addressed as soon as they're found, and updating to the latest Linux kernel usually results in a more stable system.

5. Kernel Updates Have New Features

Linux kernel updates aren't just about the humdrum business of keeping your distro safe and bug-free. They can make your system run faster and better.

Typically, a new kernel will bring performance boosts, improvements to CPU efficiency, new file type compatibility, and hardware support.

Impress Your Friends by Using the Latest Linux Kernel

By using Linux on a desktop, you're already part of an elite and very small minority. Most of your Windows-using friends probably think you're some kind of techno-wizard anyway.

Impress them further with your knowledge of specific improvements afforded by the latest kernel. If you want to show off your proficiency with the technical arts, tell them you use Arch (BTW).

Source

What is new in Windows 11 "Moment 3" Update?

We have already discussed what is new in Windows 11 "Moment 3" update in our dedicated review full of screenshots and two neat wallpapers. If that is too much for you to read, here are the most notable changes and improvements:

• The updated notifications that now let you quickly copy 2FA codes without opening the received message, email, or other type of notification.
• A dedicated VPN indicator in the notification area.
• The long-requested seconds feature for the system clock.
• Developers can now create live kernel memory dumps within Task Manager.
• Content Adaptive Brightness Control or (CABC), a feature that makes your laptop or tablet last longer thanks to changing the brightness depending on the content displays, gets a few improvements and customization.
• You can now display even more Microsoft Edge tabs when pressing Alt + Tab.
• The update changes what happens when you press the Print Screen key. Those preferring old-school behavior will be glad to know that the change is reversible.
• Accessibility Improvements to make the OS more convenient for people with physical limitations.
• Multiple fixes and minor changes across the operating system.
• Bluetooth Low Energy Audio support for a better audio experience during calls, videos, and music.
• New app privacy settings put transparency and control in your hands.

You can download the Windows 11 "Moment 3" update by heading to Windows Settings > Windows Update and clicking Check for updates (KB5026446 or 22621.1778). If what the Windows 11 "Moment 3" update offers does not sound exciting, check out the new stuff Microsoft announced for the future Windows 11 23H2 update. Also, there is a neat AI-powered wallpaper effect coming soon, although unannounced yet.

Windows 11 "Moment 3" update is now available for download

You can check the full changelog below:

What’s new in Build 23466

Dev Drive

Dev Drive is a new form of storage volume available to improve performance for key developer workloads. Dev Drive is built upon Resilient File System (ReFS) technology and includes file system optimizations and features that enable developers to better manage their performance and security profile. It has been designed to meet a developer’s needs to host project source code, working folders, and package caches. It is not designed for general consumer workloads such as document libraries, installing packaged applications or non-developer tools.

To setup a Dev Drive, you can create one in free space on an existing drive or create a VHD/VHDX. This is done via Settings app under System > Storage > Advanced Storage Settings > Disks & Volumes, or via the command-line. A Dev Drive must be at least 50GB or higher in size and we recommend having 8GB or higher RAM on your device.

Performance mode, a new capability of Microsoft Defender Antivirus, is designed for Dev Drive to minimize impact on developer workloads.

More details on Dev Drive, see this documentation on MS Learn.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Developer Platform > Dev Drive.

Backup and Restore improvements

Building on the app restore feature we announced last year, we are introducing additional backup and restore capabilities in this build to make moving to a new PC easier than ever and to help app developers retain users across this new PC transition. The goal of these changes is to land users on a desktop that feels familiar to them and get them back to productivity within minutes on their new PC.

• Windows Backup app – we’re introducing this new app to quickly get your current PC backed up and ready to move to a new PC.
• App pins – your Store apps from your prior PC will be pinned where you left them, both on taskbar and in the Start menu.
• Settings – Settings from your previous device will restore to your new PC to help you get back into the flow as quickly as possible.

Once you’re backed up either via the new Windows Backup app or by visiting Accounts/Windows Backup in settings, you can try out the new restore during the out-of-box- experience (OOBE) when setting up a new PC or by resetting an existing PC with this build.

NOTE: An easy way for Insiders to try this experience out is by running the Windows Backup app on a PC running this build and then setting up a new VM using the ISO for this build provided here (or clean installation of this build on another PC) and going through OOBE for the new restore experience.

For developers, review the developer best practices to learn more about how to provide the best restore experience for your app. Note that in this build, not all settings and app types are supported, including desktop apps in the Store and Android apps. Backing up a Work or School account is also not supported.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Install and Update > Backup and Restore.

New text authoring experiences in voice access

We have added two new experiences to make text authoring easy with voice access. Users can now use “correction” commands to correct words that are misrecognized by voice access.

You can say “correct [text]” or “correct that” to correct a specific piece of text or last dictated text. The correction window appears with a list of options labelled with numbers.

You can say “click [number]” to select any option from the list. If you choose an alternate word from the window , the selected text will be replaced by the word. You can also say “spell that” to dictate the correct spelling of the text.

Users can directly use the “spell that” or “spell out” command to dictate the right spelling of non-standard words such as usernames, topics, etc. A spelling window appears where you can dictate letters, numbers, symbols, phonetic alphabet, etc. You get suggestions as you spell out the text. You can say “click 1” to enter the text you spelled out or say “click [number]” to pick a suggestion (if any). All words and phrases dictated using spelling experience are added to Windows dictionary and show up as suggestions when you try to spell the text next time.

[We are beginning to roll this out, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders in the Dev 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 Accessibility > Voice Access.

Narrator natural voices in Chinese

We are introducing new natural voices in Chinese 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:

1. Open Narrator Settings by pressing the WIN + Ctrl + N hotkey.
2. Under Narrator’s voice, select the Add button next to Add natural voices.
3. 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 and Microsoft Yunxi.
4. 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.
5. 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 Chinese, then in step 3 you will first need to select “Choose a different language” and then select the Chinese language followed by the specific voice.

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

Changes and Improvements

[General]

• To minimize distractions from notification toasts, we now detect if the user is interacting with toasts or not and provide a suggestion to turn the toast banners off for such apps. This will only stop the banners from appearing, and you can still find the toasts in the notification center. This feature is beginning to roll out, so not all Insiders in the Dev Channel will see it right away.

[Start menu]

• We are trying out a different model for ranking the most recently used files in the Start menu’s Recommended section that considers when the file was last used, the file extension, and more. This means you may not see files purely in reverse chronological order of when they were last used.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• We’re excited to bring you an early version of one of our most requested features for Windows 11, never combined mode. In never combined mode, you’ll be able to see each window of your applications on the taskbar individually, as well as their corresponding labels. You can find this feature by navigating to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors. This feature is beginning to roll out, so not all Insiders in the Dev Channel will see it right away.

[Search on the Taskbar]

• We are beginning to re-roll out the exploration of a new hover behavior for the search box and search highlight gleam. This originally began rolling out with Build 23440 but was disabled to address a bug. The proposed interaction model aims to create a more engaging search experience by invoking the search flyout when you hover over the search box gleam. This behavior can be adjusted by right-clicking on the taskbar, choosing “Taskbar settings” and adjusting your preferred search box experience.

[File Explorer]

• The Windows App SDK version of File Explorer is now fully rolled out to Insiders in the Dev Channel and as a result, we are removing the “pizza” icon on the command bar.

[Emoji]

• We have seen your feedback and are updating a few emoji in our current set. Everything from making the eye more recognizable to changing our alien to be out of this world. We know there are a few bugs in this release which will be resolved in future flights.

[Windows Security]

• We have updated the Windows Security (firewall) notification dialogs that match the Windows 11 visuals.

[Networking]

• Added support for bridging adapters via command line via netsh.
• Passpoint Wi-Fi networks will now support enhanced connection performance and will display a URL in Quick Settings to provide information to users about the venue or event.
• We added WPA3 support to the Phone Link instant hotspot feature for more secure connections to a phone’s hotspot. Also made fixes to respect metered connection settings, reduce duplicate profiles, and show the phone’s display name in the network list.

[Settings]

• We have added links to advanced properties for network adapters and internet properties under Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings.

• We have added a way to view Wi-Fi passwords for your known networks via Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi and “Manage known networks”.

• We added the ability to join Bluetooth Personal Area networks under the Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices This option will appear for paired devices like Phones that are sharing internet over Bluetooth.
• Based on your feedback, we have added additional options to the Data Usage page that allows for daily and weekly data limits. The page will also now show how far a data limit has been exceeded.
• 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.
• Updated Settings > Apps > Startup to make it easier to access more information about the apps listed.

[For Developers]

• We are moving the “For Developers” settings page from Settings > Privacy & security to now be under Settings > System.

Fixes

[File Explorer]

We fixed the following issues for Insiders previewing the Windows App SDK version of File Explorer

• Fixed an issue which could cause File Explorer or the Control Panel to become unresponsive to clicks after invoking the context menu.
• Fixed an issue where File Explorer and taskbar weren’t responding to light and dark mode changes (until explorer.exe was restarted) if you had this version.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with Gallery in File Explorer:

• Added icons for the entries in the Collection dropdown in Gallery.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with the modernized details pane in File Explorer:

• Fixed an issue where Narrator wasn’t saying anything when opening and closing the details pane.

[Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue where the taskbar in multi-monitor setups would show the indicator for an app window having focus on your screen when it actually didn’t.

[Search on the Taskbar]

• We fixed the issue causing some users to see content flicker before the content finishes loading when the search flyout is opened.
• We fixed an issue causing search to crash on launch for some Insiders in the previous build.

[Notifications]

• Fixed an issue which was making the Notification Center and Notification page in Settings crash when switching do not disturb status for some Insiders in the last few flights.

[Task Manager]

• The search icon should be easier to see now when using a contrast theme.
• Pressing enter when keyboard focus is on one of the sections (like Memory) in the Performance page should now actually switch sections.
• Made the navigation pane a bit narrower. As part of this change, when necessary, the text will be wrapped now.
• The creation of live kernel memory dump file submenu has access keys now.
• Resizing Task Manager from the top of the window should work now.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue which was causing Settings to crash randomly sometimes when navigating away from certain pages.

[Windows Spotlight]

• Fixed an issue which was causing explorer.exe to crash when selecting “learn more about this picture” in the previous flight.

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

[Dev Drive]

• [NEW] On a reboot, additional filters beyond AV might be attached to your Dev Drive. To check what filters are attached, please run ‘fsutil devdrv query :’ in Windows PowerShell. If you are seeing more than your AV filters, you can run ‘fsutil volume dismount :’ and then ‘fsutil devdrv query :’. After those steps, you should only see your AV filters.
• [NEW] There might be variable performance on different hardware. If you notice slower performance on your machine, please file feedback!

[Search on the Taskbar]

• [NEW] Insiders who have the new hover behavior for the search box and search highlight gleam will see an empty tooltip displayed momentarily while the gleam is hovered. This might also occur for Insiders who don’t have the new hover behavior – the empty tooltip may be displayed when the gleam is hovered.
• Narrator customers may not be able to navigate down the left side panel of the search flyout.
• Text scaling may not work in the search flyout.

[File Explorer]

• [NEW] Insiders may experience a File Explorer crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process.

Insiders who have Gallery in File Explorer will see the following issues:

• Gallery may require clicking twice on the node in the navigation pane for initial load.
• Live updates (including filtering) are currently disabled and require using the Refresh button as a workaround.
• Thumbnail loading performance 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.
• Photos from OneDrive for Business currently must be hydrated to work properly.
• Some file types (e.g., HEIC) might not be rendered correctly or performantly.

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer will see the following issues:

• Access keys will appear inconsistently if no button is pressed. Pressing a button will cause them to reappear.

Insiders will have issues with the following commands on recommended files in File Explorer:

• Clicking on the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (non-OneDrive).

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• [NEW] If you drag and drop a window in Task View to a different Desktop, the icon for that app may not appear in the taskbar.

[Notifications]

• [NEW] The copy button for quickly copying two-factor authentication (2FA) codes in notification toasts (first introduced in Build 23403) is currently not working in this build. A fix is coming in a future flight.

[Backup and Restore]

• [NEW] Backups of a PC that was set up using a restore may not show up in subsequent restores.
• [NEW]Restore of solid colour desktop backgrounds are not yet supported.

You can find the offficial blog post here.

Windows 11 Dev build 23466 brings new Backup and Restore via OOBE app, Dev Drive, and more

Twitter user Albacore (@thebookisclosed) has published a short video demoing the new parallax effect applied to the desktop background in Windows 11. The effect adds the illusion of depth to your wallpaper and shifts different image layers when you hover the cursor around. According to Albacore, the feature should work on systems with accelerometers (the wallpaper shifts when you interact with a tablet or laptop) and PCs without dedicated sensors (tied to mouse movements).

It is great to see Microsoft implementing AI-based features in Windows 11 not only for productivity (check out our Build 2023 coverage here) but also for fun. There is no information on when the new wallpaper effects will be available for testing, and the hardware compatibility is currently a mystery. Albacore says the demoed implementation is still unfinished, so keep an eye on the upcoming Windows 11 preview builds in the Canary and Dev channels. Microsoft may announce it in one of the updates or ship it hidden and unannounced in one of the future preview builds.

Are you excited about the AI-powered effects for desktop wallpapers in Windows 11? Let us know in the comments below.

Here's an early look at the upcoming Windows 11 AI-based wallpaper effects

For example, the March OOBE update added a Shim to improve compatibility with Component Object Model (COM) objects. Meanwhile, the April OOBE update also addressed compatibility issues, but this time it was related to the registry.

Microsoft says that updates are installed automatically during the OOBE process if the internet connection is available. A device restart is required to complete the installation.

With this month's OOBE update release, Microsoft hasn't gone into any detail about what the new update brings as it has only mentioned that this is meant to improve the Windows 21H2 Out of box experience. The full release note for the update is given below:

Summary

This update improves the Windows 11, version 21H2 out-of-box experience (OOBE). This update applies only to the Windows 11 OOBE process and is available only when OOBE updates are installed.

How to get this update

Windows OOBE

This update is installed during the Windows OOBE process if an Internet connection is available.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for installing this update.

The official support document of the OOBE update (under KB5026910) goes into more details regarding the files this release delivers.

Microsoft improves Windows 11 21H2 May OOBE with a new update

Chrome has had some customization options for a while, the new sidebar makes it easier to access and offers new settings that you can use. Open a new tab and click on the Customize Chrome button in the bottom right corner of the page. Or, you can click on the side panel button on the toolbar and select "Customize Chrome".

How to customize Google Chrome's appearance

The first section in the sidebar shows a preview of the browser's current appearance. Click on the Change Theme button to explore the available presets, Chrome has various collections that you can choose from such as Landscapes, Cityscapes, Life, Art, etc.

Select a collection to view thumbnails of all its images, click on a picture to set it as your browser's background. You can optionally toggle the button at the top of a category to refresh the image automatically on a daily basis.

If you don't like the built-in themes in the browser, you can upload an image and use it as your background wallpaper. Chrome supports JPEG, JPG and PNG image formats.

Not a fan of wallpapers? Perhaps you may find the Chrome colours collection interesting, it lets you choose a solid colour background for your new tab page. You can even use custom colours by clicking on the eyedropper button, it allows you to set RGB values, or you can select the eyedropper tool to pick a colour from a web page or an image.

Speaking of colours, the colour palette on the main screen of the side panel is different from the Chrome colours. The former changes the accent colour of the browser's UI (such as the tab bar), while the latter uses the colour as the backdrop of the new tab page.

The colour palette offers a way to personalize themes further, for example, you can select a preset theme and wallpaper, and then change the colour to your preference. Similarly, you can use the Chrome colour options along with the palette to create a custom dark theme or light theme, or even mix and match them.

Google saysthat the customizations that you apply are saved automatically, so don't worry about losing your created themes. To reset Chrome's appearance, select the Classic Chrome experience under the Change Theme section. If you have made changes to the accent colour, a button appears below the colour section, clicking on which will reset the theme to the default theme.

The shortcuts button in the Customize Chrome side panel lets you toggle the speed-dials that are displayed on the new tab page. You may create custom shortcuts for sites that you like. Or, if you prefer to automate the process, you may change the setting to "most visited sites" to let Chrome create shortcuts based on your frequently visited websites. You can remove a shortcut by hovering over it and clicking on the X button.

Want more ways to customize your experience? Read our previous coverage to find out the best new tab extensions for Chrome.

Customize Google Chrome with the new side panel

Just considering the Windows 11 era, the company first came under fire due to the way it set up the default app options as it was seemingly quite tedious to go through the process. There have been aggressive ads and promotions as well, like the time Microsoft called Google Chrome "so 2008" and suggested that Edge was more secure than Chrome.

And of course, from time to time Edge also wants you to choose it as the default browser. More recently, via Patch Tuesday, Microsoft made a weird change that was bringing up the Default Settings page every time a user opened Google Chrome.

Aside from those, Microsoft is also simultaneously adding more and more Edge elements to Windows desktop gradually. The company added a desktop search, first in the Windows 11 Dev Channel; and then just a couple of months ago in March, an Edge update brought the desktop search to Windows 10 as well via an option in the Settings.

Soon, Microsoft Edge will also gain the ability to attach the sidebar to the Windows desktop. There will be a "popout" icon at the base of the sidebar which will allow for this. The feature is already present in one of the recent Edge Canary builds.

A new entry on the Microsoft 365 roadmap under feature ID 124911 provides more details on it and reveals Microsoft's intentions behind the change:

Microsoft Edge: Option to attach the Edge sidebar to the Windows desktop

Users of the Microsoft Edge sidebar will soon have the option to access their apps and sites directly from their Windows desktop. As an opt-in experience, users can attach the sidebar to their Windows desktop by clicking a "popout" icon near the base of the sidebar in the browser. This enables a side-by-side experience that works with any Windows app—including Microsoft Edge itself. Users enjoy streamlined access to the same set of powerful AI tools and web-based services, including Bing Chat, without launching a browser window, enhancing productivity regardless of where they are in Windows. Administrators can control the availability using the StandaloneHubsSidebarEnabled.

As per the roadmap, Microsoft is expecting the feature to be generally available (GA) from next month, i.e., June 2023.

After Bing search bar, Microsoft now bringing Edge sidebar to Windows desktops very soon

A new CL on Chromium Gerrit (via) reveals why Google has pulled the eye candy from its browser. According to the post, the change requires more optimization before it ships to all customers enabled by default, and the power usage in its current state "may not be good enough."

Although Chromium developers need more time to optimize the visuals, you can still enable Mica on Chrome's tab strip. Chrome Canary now ships with the material disabled by default, which you can turn on using an experimental flag.

1. Go to chrome://flags.
2. Search for "Windows 11 Mica titlebar" or use the direct chrome://flags/#windows11-mica-titlebar link.
3. Change the flag's value from Default to Enabled and restart the browser.
4. Enjoy the new looks.

The Mica material is a part of Google's upcoming visual revamp for its browser. Chrome Canary users are already testing the redesigned tab strip, new icons in the main menu, better fonts, and more. You can look at the latest stuff by downloading Chrome Canary from the official website. Note that Canary builds are bug-prone, so we do not recommend using the channel as your primary browser.

Google Chrome is not the only browser offering Windows 11's new UI materials. During Build 2023, Microsoft announced a new Microsoft Edge redesign with improved visuals, translucent UI elements, rounded corners for tabs, and other changes across the browser. Some of these improvements are already available in Microsoft Edge Canary, but they still need extra polish and fixes.

Google disables the Mica material in Chrome due to high power consumption

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti launches today, targeting 1080p displays with a hefty $399 price tag for the 8GB VRAM model. Reviewers have not been kind to the new GPU, with even AMD reportedly reacted to the release with lowered pricing for an upcoming product.

Anyone picking up the RTX 4060 Ti will want to install the 532.03 drivers to receive official support and make sure the new hardware is running smoothly in their systems.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, the stealth adventure title from Daedalic Entertainment, is releasing tomorrow, May 25. Being an Nvidia-backed title, Gollum's chase of the One Ring has been injected with Nvidia's DLSS 3, DLAA, Reflex, and ray-traced effects. Per the company, the RTX 4090's FPS can be boosted from 48 to 169 using DLSS 3 Frame Generation with all settings maxed out at 4K.

Nvidia also said this driver has major optimizations to improve performance in AI models and applications. Users may see "up to 2x inference performance" according to the company, with Stable Diffusion being named as one of the AI applications benefiting from the upgrade.

• Two issues have been fixed in this release:
• [Age of Wonders 4] Application stability issues [4101637]
• [Bus Simulator 31] Ansel & Freestyle not working [4090979]

Here are the known issues to look out for:

• Toggling HDR on and off in-game causes game stability issues when non-native resolution is used. [3624030]
• Monitor may briefly flicker on waking from display sleep if DSR/DLDSR is enabled. [3592260]
• [GeForce RTX 4090] Watch Dogs 2 may display flickering when staring at the sky [3858016]
• Increase in DPC latency observed in Latencymon [3952556]
• Applying GeForce Experience Freestyle filters cause games to crash [4008945]

The Nvidia 532.03 Game Ready driver is available to download from the GeForce Experience app. Standalone download links can be found below. Here are the release notes (PDF).

Desktop GPUs:

GeForce Game Ready Driver Download: Windows 11, 10 – DCH [en-US version]

Notebook GPUs:

GeForce Game Ready Driver Download: Windows 11, 10 – DCH [en-US version]

Nvidia WHQL 532.03 drivers adds RTX 4060 Ti support and brings AI model optimizations

Microsoft has had a very busy day. It made tons of official announcements during its Build 2023 developers conference. However, it managed to sneak in a reveal of something that it didn't talk about today: a new look for File Explorer in Windows 11.

The new design was shown, but not actually discussed, in a video that was posted today on Twitter by Microsoft's EVP and Chief Product Officer Panos Panay.

The new design had already been leaked back in January of 2023, but today was the first time Microsoft actually showed a brief clip of it in a sizzle real that was mainly to promote the upcoming Windows Copilot feature.

As Windows Central mentions, this new File Explorer refresh is designed to work with both mouse controls as well as touch screen interaction. including rounded interfaces. It will also make it tie in and mesh better with the rest of Windows 11's user interface.

The action buttons with File Explorer will be placed under its address bar with this new look, and both the address bar and the search bar will have design changes as well.

At the moment, Microsoft isn't really commenting officially about this important part of Windows 11's functionality, other than showing it for a couple of seconds in the video. We would imagine we will get more concrete info, and a longer video clip of File Explorer in action, sometime in the very near future.

What do you think about the File Explorer refresh for Windows 11? Let us know in the comments.

New Windows 11 File Explorer design gets teased by Microsoft during Build 2023

Using WinRAR or similar programs was the only way to open RAR files in Windows, as Microsoft has never added native support for the format. That is going to change very soon.

As part of Microsoft's Build 2023 event, the company mentioned that Windows 11 would be adding support for opening more archive file formats. Included in the list was RAR. Microsoft stated it is adding this support because Windows 11 now uses the libarchive open-source project.

That mention of RAR support, as well as support for opening other file archive formats like 7-zip and gz lit up the internet with comments on Twitter like this:

The Verge added that Microsoft said it should start adding support for these file formats in an upcoming Windows 11 preview build that should drop later this week.

While adding a way to natively open RAR files in Windows 11 is great, there doesn't seem to be a way for Microsoft's OS to compress files using RAR by itself. That means programs like WinRAR will likely still be needed for a while.

Are you excited about RAR file support being added soon to Windows 11? Let us know in the comments. Also, be sure to check out other Build 2023 announcements here.

Opening RAR files natively in Windows 11 is coming and people online are going crazy over it