Here are the full release notes of all the new features in this update:

Highlights

• New! This update brings back an improved search box experience on the Windows 10 taskbar. If you have a top, bottom, regular, or small icons taskbar, you will see the search box appear. You can use it to easily access apps, files, settings, and more from Windows and the web. You will also have access to the latest search updates, such as search highlights. If you want to restore your previous search experience, you can do that easily. To do that, use the taskbar context menu or respond to a dialog that appears when you use search.
• New! This update now displays up to three high priority toast notifications at the same time. This feature affects apps that use Windows OS notifications to send notices for calls, reminders, or alarms. Up to four toast notifications might appear at the same time. This means that there can be three high priority notifications and one normal priority notification.
• 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 the touch keyboard. Sometimes, it does not show the correct layout based on the current input scope.
• This update addresses an issue that sometimes fails to open the touch keyboard.

Improvements

• This update addresses an issue that affects App Installer. Sometimes, MSIX apps fail to update.
• 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 an issue that affects the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). It stops working. This occurs when you use Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
• The update addresses an issue that affects scheduled tasks. The tasks fail when they use stored local user account credentials. This occurs when you enable Credential Guard. The error message is "2147943726 : ERROR_LOGON_FAILURE (The user name or password is incorrect).”
• 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 changes the support phone number for Microsoft India for Windows activation.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the PublishDfsRoots policy. It does not apply correctly to a targeted client that has mobile device management (MDM). One example of MDM is Microsoft Intune.
• 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 signed Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) policies. They are not applied to the Secure Kernel. This occurs when you enable Secure Boot.
• 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.

Known issues in this update

Symptoms

Devices with Windows installations created from custom offline media or custom ISO image might have Microsoft Edge Legacy removed by this update, but not automatically replaced by the new Microsoft Edge. This issue is only encountered when custom offline media or ISO images are created by slipstreaming this update into the image without having first installed the standalone servicing stack update (SSU) released March 29, 2021 or later.

Note Devices that connect directly to Windows Update to receive updates are not affected. This includes devices using Windows Update for Business. Any device connecting to Windows Update should always receive the latest versions of the SSU and latest cumulative update (LCU) without any extra steps.

Workaround

To avoid this issue, be sure to first slipstream the SSU released March 29, 2021 or later into the custom offline media or ISO image before slipstreaming the LCU. To do this with the combined SSU and LCU packages now used for Windows 10, version 20H2 and Windows 10, version 2004, you will need to extract the SSU from the combined package. Use the following steps to extract the SSU:

1. Extract the cab from the msu via this command line (using the package for KB5000842 as an example): expand Windows10.0-KB5000842-x64.msu /f:Windows10.0-KB5000842-x64.cab
2. Extract the SSU from the previously extracted cab via this command line: expand Windows10.0-KB5000842-x64.cab /f:*
3. You will then have the SSU cab, in this example named SSU-19041.903-x64.cab. Slipstream this file into your offline image first, then the LCU.

If you have already encountered this issue by installing the OS using affected custom media, you can mitigate it by directly installing the new Microsoft Edge. If you need to broadly deploy the new Microsoft Edge for business, see Download and deploy Microsoft Edge for business.

To get this update as a standalone package, download the appropriate package from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Microsoft releases KB5026435 (OS Build 19045.3031) Preview for Windows 10 22H2

The full changelog is given below:

Highlights

• 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 an issue that affects certain printers. They fail to install if they connect to Wi-Fi automatically.
• 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 improves the user experience (UX) and interactions for the search box on the taskbar.

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).
• The update addresses an issue that affects scheduled tasks. The tasks fail when they use stored local user account credentials. This occurs when you enable Credential Guard. The error message is "2147943726 : ERROR_LOGON_FAILURE (The user name or password is incorrect).”
• 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 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 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 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.

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

Microsoft's Windows 11 KB5026436 update fixes SMB, LSASS, printer, NTFS issues, and more

The new PowerToys 0.70 version released today also includes improvements for several other PowerToys and addresses a bug that sometimes causes settings to clear during the upgrade process.

As its name implies, the new Mouse Without Borders utility can let users control up to four computers using a single mouse and keyboard.

It also allows you to transfer files under 100MB between devices via drag and drop and share text and image clipboard contents across all controlled PCs.

Like similar apps such as Synergy and ShareMouse, it will let you switch between systems by moving the mouse pointer to their screen edges or with the help of customizable keyboard shortcuts. 

To configure the utility, you have to go to Mouse Without Borders in the PowerToys Settings and generate a new security key on the main computer.

On the secondary computer, enter the security key and the name of the control computer, then click "Connect." After connecting the computers, you can seamlessly transition between them by moving the mouse cursor through the screens' edges.

"To allow Mouse Without Borders to control elevated applications or the lock screen from another computer, it's possible to run Mouse Without Borders as a service under the System account," Microsoft says.

"To enable the service mode, run PowerToys in administrator mode and enable the Use Service setting in the Mouse Without Borders settings page."

PowerToys 0.70 also adds a new Windows utility named Peek that will let you preview a wide range of file types without opening them with the associated files, just as the macOS built-in Quick Look quick preview feature.

Once toggled on via the PowerToys settings, Peek will show a preview of the currently selected file in the File Explorer app when pressing the Ctrl+Space keyboard shortcut.

You can use the left and right keys to navigate between files within the current folder. To switch between a limited number of files, select them in File Explorer first.

You can also open the currently previewed file in the default program by hitting Enter.

Earlier this year, Microsoft Power was also updated to include a Windows Registry preview feature and 'Paste as plain text' and Mouse Jump tools.

You can get PowerToys through the Microsoft Store or from Microsoft's PowerToys GitHub page, which details each version's changes.

Microsoft PowerToys was released during the Windows 95 era as small freeware tools developed by Windows developers as personal projects.

In September 2019, Microsoft resurrected the toolset as a modern and open-source utility pack designed to enhance Windows functionality and streamline various tasks that previously required installing third-party tools.

New Microsoft PowerToy lets you control 4 PCs with one mouse, keyboard

This is the third-moment update for Windows 11, and it will begin rolling out to users via May 24th's optional update. The Moment 3 changes will be turned off by default, but you can enable the features by turning on a toggle in Windows Update settings. The Moment 3 features will be enabled by default in June's optional update and July's Patch Tuesday.

Microsoft's approach to updating its operating systems has seen a significant shift with Windows 11.

Unlike its predecessor, Windows 10, which received two substantial feature updates annually, Windows 11 is slated to get only one major feature update per year. However, this doesn't mean that users have to wait a year for new features and improvements. Microsoft has introduced a new update process known as "Moments."

Windows 11 "Moments" are part of the standard cumulative updates, but with a twist. Rather than just providing bug fixes and security patches, these updates also bring new features to Windows 11.

What's new in the Windows 11 22H2 Moment 3 update

The Moment 3 update is primed to bolster privacy settings, offering users greater transparency and control over their personal information. Specifically, new app privacy settings will allow users to manage access to presence sensor information and adjust features such as 'wake on approach' and 'lock on leave.'

Recognizing the importance of secure internet connections, Microsoft is introducing a glanceable VPN feature.

Users can quickly determine their VPN status through a shield icon appearing on the taskbar over their active network connection.

Pluton chips and Moment 3 integration

Microsoft is advancing its built-in security measures from chip to cloud with the integration of the Microsoft Pluton security processor, providing stronger protection against malware, hardware attacks, and enhanced credential security. The Moment 3 update will expand Pluton's availability to more AMD systems, including the Phoenix line.

Badging in the Start menu

To help users stay informed of their account status, Microsoft will also roll out account badging in June. This feature alerts users via the Start menu when their accounts require attention, thereby aiding in protecting their data and PC. 

Other improvements

Windows 11's Moment 3 update also aims to make audio content more accessible by expanding the live captions feature, launched with the Windows 11 2022 Update, to ten additional languages across 21 regions. 

In partnership with Samsung Galaxy and Intel, Microsoft is also set to introduce Bluetooth® Low Energy Audio, a first for the PC ecosystem. This feature offers high-quality audio at low power, enhancing the user experience for calls, videos, and music on compatible devices.

Widgets on Windows 11 are set to improve, with a larger layout for user-pinned apps and a personalized feed for easy access to news and a personal collection of widgets. 

Lastly, Microsoft will preview new security innovations to strengthen hardware and software protection, including token protection for sign-ins, Windows 365 Boot, and new isolation capabilities for Win32 apps.

This update reaffirms Microsoft's commitment to providing user-friendly and secure experiences to its Windows 11 user base. Feedback from early review and testing will ensure the new features meet users' expectations.

Microsoft announces Windows 11 ‘Moment 3’ update, here are the new features

This year is no exception—during Build 2023, the software giant revealed a few much-anticipated features and improvements coming soon to Windows 11.

Taskbar labels and ungrouping are finally here!

Probably the most significant announcement of the day is the return of the "ungroup" feature for the taskbar. It was one of the most requested features from Windows 11 users who missed the flexibility and taskbar customization Microsoft removed in the new OS. Microsoft will soon let you access each instance of an app with its labels just one click away, something previously possible only with the help of third-party apps.

Another taskbar-related improvement coming soon to Windows 11 is the ability to hide Time and Date in the notification area. Microsoft says the new setting will let users remain focused, record the screen without removing the date and time later, and keep the taskbar cleaner. The first traces of the new feature were spotted in Windows 11 preview builds a few months ago, and now it is officially confirmed by Microsoft.

Windows 11 is also getting a new method to terminate a running app by right-clicking its icon on the taskbar without invoking Task Manager. Microsoft announced this neat convenience in one of the recent Windows 11 preview builds, so expect it to arrive to all users soon.

New archive formats, native RGB controls, and more

It is not all about the taskbar, though. Microsoft has finally added native support for more archive formats, allowing you to open tar, 7-zip, rar, gz, and other files. In addition, Windows 11 users will benefit from improved compression performance when zipping files.

Speaking of native support, another change that will soon remove the need for third-party apps (to some extent) is RGB controls. Microsoft is working on a dedicated settings section for managing accessories with backlight and RGB lights, such as keyboards, mice, etc. Windows Dynamic Lighting will allow you to customize RGB lights from the Settings app without resorting to programs from third-party developers.

A screenshot of the "Lighting" section in a Windows 11 preview build.

Microsoft says Windows Dynamic Lighting will arrive this month for users, developers, and hardware partners to test.

In addition to AI-powered features in the Microsoft Store, Windows 11 will soon receive advanced backup and restore options for your applications. This will help you move from one Windows device to another and retain your apps on the Start menu and taskbar.

Finally, Windows Terminal, one of the OSes tabbed apps, will receive tab "tear-out" that lets you move tabs between different windows for better management. This change is also coming soon to File Explorer, although Microsoft has yet to unveil it officially.

Are you excited about the new features coming soon to Windows 11? Let us know in the comments. Also, be sure to check out other Build 2023 announcements here.

Windows 11 gets taskbar ungrouping, native RGB controls, new archive formats support, more

Ahoy, matey! Windows 11 will soon have native RAR support

Windows 11 will try to fix the fragmented mess of RGB lighting

Still, that is not all Microsoft has in store—during the annual Build developer conference, the software giant announced a few more developer-focused changes to improve progressive web apps, win32 programs, and Android apps for Windows 11.

New features for Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

Microsoft says progressive web apps remain a "top priority in the Microsoft Store," so it has prepared several notable improvements to enhance the experience for developers and users. PWAs published in the Microsoft Store will soon support the Digital Goods APIs that enable in-app purchases and streamline checkout. Besides, Microsoft wants to help reach more users with Windows Widgets and web apps support in Edge's sidebar.

Developers can learn more about building and publishing modern, feature-rich, progressive web apps using Pwabuilder, Microsoft's open-source, community-guided project.

Streamlined Win32 certification

The Microsoft Store is a home for not just universal or web-based applications—it also supports "classic" Win32 programs. To those developing and maintaining Win32 projects, Microsoft has announced a suite of certification tests that can be run offline. It will also provide helpful guidance on fixing certification issues potentially preventing the app from landing in the Microsoft Store.

According to Microsoft, the new suite will give developers higher chances of a successful store submission and reduce the certification turnaround time by half. If you are a Win32 developer, learn more about the new certification tools here.

Android app submission for Windows 11 is now available for all

Android app developers can now submit their projects for distribution on Windows 11 devices without restriction and reach out to more customers by publishing their games or applications in the Amazon Appstore. Approved applications will run on compatible Windows 11 devices using the Windows Subsystem for Android, which is now based on Android 13 and features various improvements, such as better performance, picture-in-picture, enhanced memory management, anti-virus support, and more.

Microsoft recommends Android developers prepare their apps for a smooth testing and publishing experience by checking out available developer resources that detail how an app should handle window resizing and implement native input mapping in the new form factor.

You can learn more about the latest developer-focused improvements in the official Windows Developer blog. Also, check out the rest of Build 2023 announcements here.

Microsoft unveils new features for web apps, opens Android app submissions to all, more

Edge Workspaces is a tool for collaborative work in Microsoft's desktop browser. It allows sharing tab sets with other people and watching changes in real time. With Edge Workspaces, everyone can view the same project websites and the latest working files in one place.

The feature was initially unveiled at Microsoft Ignite earlier this year, and the company has spent a few months testing it with a limited number of Edge users. Now it is about to roll out to all customers within the next few months, and those wanting to participate in the preview can join via this link.

In addition to providing the convenience of a single space for project-related pages, Edge Workspaces ensure security and privacy for sensitive files and apps, with only approved people having access to them.

Getting started with Edge Workspaces is easy: click the workspace button in the upper-left corner, give your workspace a proper name, select a colour, then share the invitation with others. After that, you can open webpages, files, and apps within the workspaces and watch everyone working together in real-time. Unlike Microsoft Edge for Business, Edge Workspaces will be available for all customers, not just those with managed devices and work accounts.

You can catch up with the rest of the Microsoft Build 2023 announcements here.

Microsoft announces public rollout of Edge Workspaces

"Microsoft Edge for Business" is the new work-focused browser experience with dedicated visual elements and a rich set of enterprise controls, security, and productivity features. It will be the standard browser mode for organizations activated when the user logs in using Azure Active Directory or AAD.

Microsoft Edge for Business aims to fix problems caused by hybrid work with blurred lines between personal and work experiences. On one side, customers want to keep their private data, passwords, browsing history, and other parts of daily browsing separate from their organization. Conversely, IT Admins strive to maintain their company's safety and security. As a result, many organizations support multiple browsers that, in turn, make the experience less secure and convenient. This is where Microsoft Edge for Business comes into play.

The new work-focused Microsoft Edge experience separates your personal and work life into dedicated windows with their own icons, caches, browsing data, passwords, storage location, and more. Also, Microsoft wants to make the switching process automated and seamless by launching Microsoft Edge for Business whenever you log in with your work account to Microsoft 365 and other websites. And since each organization and user have their own needs and preferences, Microsoft allows customizing lists of websites that trigger switching between personal and work experiences.

In addition to making the browsing experience more convenient for the end users, Microsoft Edge for Business makes life easier for IT Admins with a single browser for all tasks. Microsoft says such an approach reduces the surface area for cyberattacks and ensures personal data remains private and off enterprise sync.

Microsoft Edge for Business is available for public preview on managed devices starting today. According to Microsoft, the feature will be available on non-managed devices in the coming months. You can learn more about Microsoft Edge for Business here.

Catch up with the rest of Microsoft Build 2023 announcements here.

Microsoft announces Edge for Business—a dedicated mode for companies and organizations

Microsoft says the updated design was inspired by customer feedback and the company's desire to create an aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-use browsing experience. As a result, Microsoft Edge now features the Mica material on its toolbar, tab strip, sidebar, and other parts.

In addition, the company is bringing rounded corners for tabs detached from the address bar to make the toolbar, address bar, and tab strip more visually distinct. Finally, you will notice that the profile button has a new home—now it sits in the top-left corner, giving you easier access to profile-related controls and settings.

Another notable change in the new Edge is the container system providing a structural change for a better experience when working with multiple items at once. Edge will place the main content and additional elements in containers with rounded corners complementing the rest of the browser's visuals.

The updated Microsoft Edge is not all about visuals. The company is bringing new capabilities to progressive web apps (PWA) powered by Microsoft Edge. PWAs published in the Microsoft Store will receive support for Payment Request API to allow querying digital product details, viewing existing purchases, checking purchase history, and processing the payment flow between the Microsoft Store and users.

Also, Microsoft is making it easier for developers to optimize their progressive web apps for the sidebar in the Edge browser. According to the company, only a few lines of code are necessary to optimize a PWA for running in Edge's sidebar.

You can learn more about the latest PWA improvements and other app-related changes in the Microsoft Store in our dedicated coverage. Also, be sure to catch up with the rest of Build 2023 news here.

Microsoft announces Edge redesign with Mica, rounded corners, and more

Avatars are available for both Windows and Mac Team clients. They allow people to join in a Team meeting and interact as a 3D avatar, instead of their real face. The company stated:

Avatars for Microsoft Teams offers an alternative to the current binary option of video or no video and features customizable avatars and reactions. Avatars give users the option of a camera break, while encouraging engagement and fun.

While Avatars are now generally available for Teams users, Microsoft has also announced a new private preview for another upcoming Teams feature. This is called immersive spaces, and it's powered by the Microsoft Mesh platform, which first launched in 2021.

Much like how Meta has promoted its "metaverse" elements, Microsoft Mesh is a mixed reality platform designed to let people remotely connect with each other with more realistic looking life-sized avatar models. This kind of technology will be tested in the Teams private preview. Microsoft stated:

Connecting with others in immersive spaces mimics many elements of in-person interactions, like the ability to walk over to the group users want to catch up with or to wave at others in the room. And with spatial audio, a large discussion with multiple conversations or a quick side chat can occur without feeling like an interruption.

The immersive spaces feature in Team can use a PC or a virtual reality headset. Microsoft Mesh is also launching a private preview this week, which is likely not a coincidence. This is more of a developer preview, with Microsoft allowing a select number of developers to create these kinds of immersive experiences. It stated:

With Microsoft Mesh, developers can build experiences that extend beyond the bounds of the physical world, enhancing experiences like remote and hybrid town halls, employee training, new employee onboarding, and virtual tours and simulations.

There's no word on when Microsoft might launch a public preview of Mesh or its Immersive spaces feature for Teams.

In case you want to read more, you can find the rest of the Build 2023 coverage here.

Microsoft Teams makes Avatars generally available, and will launch a private preview of Mesh

Visual Studio is now shipping with Arm support thanks to .NET Multi-platform App User Interface (MAUI). MAUI is a cross-platform framework that helps to create native desktop and mobile apps with C# and XAML.

Meanwhile, LLVM is getting native compile support for Arm. Speaking of native support, Node.js is also getting native Arm support with latest version 20.0.0 that contains new binaries. Additionally, it has also received Arm64 tier 2 support. Moving on, Windows Installer XML (WiX) version 4.0 has received support for Arm64 in the core toolset, extensions, and Burn.

On the creator side, apps like Luminar Neo: Skylum, which is an AI photo editing software, have also gained native support for Arm. The Unity Player is also getting native Arm support and will be generally available (GA) in June.

The full highlights regarding Windows on Arm progress are given below:

• Visual Studio: Visual Studio 17.6 will ship with MAUI support for Arm.

• Visual Studio 17.71 Preview 1 now ships with support for Linux development with C++.

• LLVM v12.0 and onwards for cross compile and native compile options for Arm

• Node 20.0.0 with native Arm support.

• WiX installer v4.0 is available to create native installers for Arm.

• Luminar Neo: Skylum is releasing its native Arm version of photo editing AI software, Luminar Neo, which can be installed from the Microsoft Store on Windows.

• In addition, Unity Player will become generally available in early June for Windows on Arm natively. Developers using the middleware engine can easily target Windows on Arm devices to get native performance on current and future titles.

   

You may find more details on the official blog post on Microsoft's website.

In case you want to read more, you can find the rest of the Build 2023 coverage here.

Microsoft improving Windows on Arm support for Visual Studio with MAUI, LLVM, Node, Unity

At the Build 2023 event today, Microsoft has officially announced Dev Drive. Microsoft says the new ReFS VHD storage volumes allow for up to 30% improvement in build times, and the security aspect also seems robust thanks to the new performance mode of Microsoft Defender.

Microsoft writes:

We know you often deal with repositories containing many thousands of files and directories, and historically this has presented a challenge for heavy I/O operations such as builds.

Today, we are announcing Dev Drive a new type of storage volume, tailor-made for developers, with a file system that delivers both performance and security

Dev Drive is based on the Resilient File System, which, combined with a new performance mode capability in Microsoft Defender for Antivirus, offers up to 30% file system improvement in build times for file I/O scenarios. The new performance mode is more secure for your workloads than folder or process exclusions, providing an ultimate solution to balance security with performance.

Alongside Dev drives, Microsoft is also introducing a new Dev Home app. Like Dev Drives, it too leaked out previously where mentions of "Dev Home" were found in a redesigned OOBE.

As the name suggests, Microsoft essentially is trying to pitch Dev Home as the one-stop place, a central location, for developers. It brings features like the new Dev Drive, WinGet configuration, and GitHub codespaces together. Here's how the Dev Home dashboard will look like:

You can download the Dev Home app preview from the Microsoft Store. You can find its GitHub repository here. Meanwhile, Dev Drive is available today as a preview. You can create your Dev Drive by visiting this link.

In case you want to read more, you can find the rest of the Build 2023 coverage here.

Microsoft officially debuts Dev Home, and up to 30% faster ReFS Dev Drives

Naturally, it was only a matter of time before Copilot was integrated into Windows itself. In fact, January, Panos Panay, Microsoft's Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, already talked about the integration of AI and some of the possibilites it brings for next-gen Windows.

At the Build 2023 conference today, Microsoft announced Windows Copilot, which means AI assistant has finally landed in Windows as well (remember Clippy?). Essentially, what Copilot can do is enhance the abilities and features Windows 11 already offers with more.

The Windows Copilot button will be conspicuous, right at "front and center of taskbar" says Microsoft. It explains:

Invoking Windows Copilot is familiar and easy – the button is front and center on your taskbar – simple to find and use. Once open, the Windows Copilot side bar stays consistent across your apps, programs, and windows, always available to act as your personal assistant. It makes every user a power user, helping you take action, customize your settings, and seamlessly connect across your favorite apps.

The things you love about Windows – copy/paste, Snap Assist, Snipping Tool, personalization – they are all right there for you, along with every other feature on the platform, and they only get better with Windows Copilot. For example, you can not only copy and paste, but also ask Windows Copilot to rewrite, summarize, or explain your content.

Just like you would with Bing Chat, you can ask Windows Copilot a range of questions from simple to complex

Microsoft is pitching Windows Copilot alongside Bing Chat, and says Copilot is meant to make "every user a power user", whether you are general user or a developer. To make this possible, third-party Bing Chat plugins are now available, something which it had promised. Microsoft writes:

With Bing and ChatGPT plugins in Windows Copilot people will not only have access to augmented AI capabilities and experiences, but you as developers will also have new ways to reach and innovate for our shared customers.

Windows Copilot will be available as Preview in Windows 11 Insider builds from next month, ie, from June 2023. You can sign up at this given link on Microsoft's site to receive updates on Windows Copilot.

In case you want to read more, you can find the rest of the Build 2023 coverage here.

Microsoft brings AI to Windows 11 with Windows Copilot, to make "every user a power user"

Similar to the now-defunct Google Reader app, Artifact initially presents users with a selection of news stories, which then adapt and personalize based on user interaction. This tailored approach ensures that users receive content aligned with their interests.

With comment controls, feeds from followed accounts, and a direct message inbox for private conversations, Artifact introduces a refreshing take on news consumption and social interaction. And now Artifact gets brand-new features.

What are the new features of Artifact?

Artifact, the news app created by the founders of Instagram, has rolled out a fresh set of features to enhance user experience. Users can now flag clickbait articles, express their reactions through emojis, and share articles in image format.

The clickbait flag feature empowers users to mark articles as misleading by accessing the three-dot menu in the article view or by performing a long press in the feed view. By collecting these reports, Artifact aims to prioritize helpful articles while minimizing the visibility of misleading content.

Previously, the app provided reporting options such as "spam," "paywall," "broken image or link," "I just don't like it," "too many ads," and "false or misleading information." It remains uncertain how the company plans to differentiate some of these signals from clickbait. Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Artifact, mentioned that they are currently in the data collection phase to determine the most effective utilization of this reporting tool, considering the inherent challenges of filtering through the noise.

Reports are evaluated one by one

To prevent any inadvertent removal or modification of articles, Artifact is currently conducting manual reviews of clickbait reports. Systrom emphasized the importance of being cautious and diligent in the assessment process.

Alongside the clickbait flag, Artifact has introduced two other notable features. Users can now respond to articles using one of six emojis, including "thumbs up," "heart," "laughing face," "angry face," "amused face," and "sad face".

Furthermore, sharing articles has been enhanced by enabling users to directly share a story as an image, with various card options that display the source name and summary. Users can share these images on Instagram stories or save them for later use. Additionally, they have the ability to select specific text from an article to share it as a picture card.

If you don't have Artifact yet, get it via the links below.

• Artifact for Android devices
• Artifact for Apple devices

Artifact strives to be the best

Adobe has announced it is putting generative AI to work in Photoshop in order to give users a “magical new way to work” when it comes to photo editing. The company has integrated Firefly, its family of creative AI models, into Photoshop, with the rest of its Creative Cloud portfolio to follow.

The new feature Adobe is keen to stress is Generative Fill, which allows users to extend or remove content in images non-destructively using AI. That means, the newly-created content appears as additional layers without impacting the original image. As with other generative AI tools, Generative Fill only requires text prompts and works in seconds to make changes.

In the image above, the tool was used to overlay the car and the cloud onto the existing image with little more than a simple text prompt.

As well as integrating into Photoshop, Generative Fill is also available as a module in the Firefly beta for other users who want to test it out directly on the web. Like other AI tools, it could become incredibly useful as a means of quick visual idea generation based on nothing more than a few text prompts. Furthermore, as users become familiar with the system, they will be able to collaborate with the AI to refine and improve the images they’re working on.

Of course, Adobe’s suite of photo and video editing software is no stranger to AI assistance. The company has employed its Sensei AI system for features like Photoshop’s Neural Filters for years. But in all likelihood the emergence of Firefly will supercharge the software for beginners and intermediate users.

Firefly is a multimodal family of models so it’s capable of much more than just static images; audio, video and 3D modelling are all included.

“By integrating Firefly directly into workflows as a creative co-pilot, Adobe is accelerating ideation, exploration and production for all of our customers,” said Ashley Still, senior vice president of Digital Media at Adobe. “Generative Fill combines the speed and ease of generative AI with the power and precision of Photoshop, empowering customers to bring their visions to life at the speed of their imaginations.”

Photoshop isn’t the only AI-infused image generator making waves at the moment. Earlier this week, researchers from Google and the Max Planck Institute revealed a white paper on a new image editing tool called DragGAN. The tool uses AI to help users resize and redraw images with little-to-no photo editing experience and offers a tantalising glimpse of the future of image manipulation. 

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Firefox users may select Menu > Help > About Firefox to check the current installed version and run a check for updates. The new version should be picked up and installed automatically.

Firefox's about page should display 113.0.2 as the version after the upgrade has been installed.

Firefox 113.0.2 is a non-security update for the stable version of the web browser. The release fixes four issues, two of which are specific to the Windows platform.

The crash issue affects a very specific scenario. It affects Firefox on Windows 10 devices only and only when certain videos on Reddit were played in the browser.

The user who reported the bug described it with the following words: "The video starts and after a few seconds, the whole window turns white for a short period, the UI is restored but the video is stuck to a certain frame even though the audio still runs in the background. "

Mozilla addressed the issue in Firefox 113.0.2 and appears to have pinpointed it to a specific Intel video card driver, Intel HD Graphics 530 of Driver Version: 20.19.15.4390.

The second fix addresses a picture-in-picture issue in Firefox on Windows. According to the bug report, Firefox's picture-in-picture mode clashed with the open source tools collection Microsoft PowerToys. In particular, the tool FanzyZones did not "register the PiP window as snappable to the layout", which meant that it could not be assigned to a zone.

FanzyZones allows Windows users to create zones on their system's desktop to which program windows may be dragged to.

The third fix addresses an issue with the browser's bookmarks and history sidebar scrollbar. The scrollbar would not update if Firefox windows were resized vertically.

The bug report on Bugzilla adds that the vertical scrollbar would not reflect the actual height unless the width was changed as well.

The final fix addresses an issue related to the Developer Tools web console. It could cause Firefox to freeze on some pages if the web console was open during load.

You can check out the full release notes for Firefox 113.0.2 here. The next major Firefox release is scheduled for a June 6, 2023 release.

Firefox users who are not affected by any of the issues do not have to rush the installation of the update.

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Linux is all about choice. It has been since its inception and it remains so to this day. You'll find desktop interfaces that range from old-school to highly modern (and everything in between). If you've ever used any incarnation of Windows or MacOS, you'll find a Linux desktop distribution to perfectly meet your needs.

As for me, my preference falls more toward the modern take on the desktop. However, most users prefer to stick with the familiar and that typically means Windows. Because of this, you'll find a number of Linux desktop interfaces that resemble the Windows UI on some (or multiple) levels.

One such distribution is Ubuntu Cinnamon. This official flavor of Ubuntu uses the Cinnamon interface (which is the default for Linux Mint) for a desktop that requires very little effort to learn.

According to the official Ubuntu Cinnamon website, "Cinnamon takes the more traditional approach of a GNOME 2 and MATE-like desktop. Similar to Windows 7, it is easy to transition from your Windows system to Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix, and even if you still prefer to keep Windows on the side, you can always dual-boot Windows and Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix."

And that is the heart of Ubuntu Cinnamon. It's all about making the transition from Windows to Linux as painless as possible. And it does a remarkable job of making it easy.

Before you get too excited, do know that this is Linux and not Windows, so fundamentally it is different. First off, it's open-source, which not only means the source code is readily available to view and edit (if needed) but it's also free. On top of that, much of the software you'll use on Ubuntu Cinnamon is free. That should not scare you away from trying Ubuntu Cinnamon. When I say it's easy to use, I mean it's easy enough for anyone to use.

Think about it this way. The vast majority of people interact with the world via a web browser and not much more. The days of needing specific applications for everything you do is over. Because of that, the operating system you choose isn't nearly as important as the web browser. And even then, most browsers work just fine.

With that in mind, what's stopping you from trying the likes of Ubuntu Cinnamon?

Speaking of which…

I've never been a big fan of the Windows interface. But I do see the appeal. The traditional desktop layout is efficient and covers all the bases. If you want to quickly launch a favorite app, click an icon on the panel or desktop. For launching any other app, scan through the desktop menu. Do you have a folder you frequently access? Add a shortcut to the desktop. It's all there, ready to go.

You can open any installed application through the Ubuntu Cinnamon desktop menu.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

If that UI sounds not only familiar but also desirable, Ubuntu Cinnamon has you covered. The desktop offers a very traditional layout with all the features you're accustomed to using… but with a decidedly open-source spin. You'll find plenty of open-source software installed by default. Click the Menu button (lower left corner) to reveal everything categorized so you can easily find what you're looking for.

Pre-installed software includes the likes of:

•     LibreOffice (office suite)

•     Firefox (web browser)

•     Thunderbird (email)

•     Celluloid (video player)

•     Rythmbox (music player)

•     GIMP (image editor)

For those who prefer to house folders on the desktop (for easy access), simply right-click anywhere on the desktop and select Create New Folder.

Another very nice feature of Ubuntu Cinnamon is window snapping. With this take on the desktop, you can snap windows:

•     Splitting the screen in half vertically.
•     Splitting the screen in half horizontally.
•     Splitting the screen into four quarters.

Working efficiently with four apps snapped into corners.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

I'm a big fan of window snapping and use it every day. Not every desktop includes four-corner snapping and I'm here for it.

Who is Ubuntu Cinnamon for?

This is an important question to ask, primarily because the Cinnamon desktop is directly linked to Linux Mint. And given how popular and user-friendly Mint is, why wouldn't you just opt for that OS? To make this question even more confusing, Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu. So, why not cut out the middle person and use Ubuntu with Linux Mint's desktop?

There's no hard and fast way to answer that question. The difference between Linux Mint and Ubuntu Cinnamon lies in the details, most of which really won't matter to new users trying to decide which operating system to choose. Even the file managers are the same.

From the user's perspective, the primary difference is found in the number of pre-installed software. Linux Mint includes a number of applications not found in Ubuntu Cinnamon. For example, Linux Mint includes the likes of Warpinator (send and receive files across a network), Redshift (color temperature adjustment tool), and Hypnotic (watch internet TV), Library (view recent files). One big difference is that Ubuntu Cinnamon uses GNOME Software as the app store, whereas Linux Mint offers mintinstall.

Both tools make it very easy to install software, however, Ubuntu Cinnamon offers Snap for universal package management, whereas Linux Mint goes with Flatpak. Both distributions have support for their universal package manager of choice built into the app stores, so even installing proprietary software like Spotify is just a couple of clicks away.

One thing that does surprise me with Ubuntu Cinnamon is that it doesn't include the built-in ability to share folders over a network (where Linux Mint does). Even with the Public folder found in your Home directory, you'll find no easy means of sharing.

In the end, Ubuntu Cinnamon is an absolutely wonderful desktop operating system that will suit just about any type of user, whether you're new to Linux or not. The only type of person I would say might not dig this official spin would be someone who likes a desktop that offers considerable flexibility and configuration options. The Cinnamon desktop holds back on the configurable options to keep things simple. That doesn't, however, mean it is a simplistic desktop. It's not.

In the end, if you're looking for a desktop operating system that is immediately familiar, simple to use, free, and reliable, look no further than Ubuntu Cinnamon.

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This milestone demonstrates the dynamic nature of the search engine market and highlights the AI competition among major players to innovate and provide enhanced search experiences for users.

The success of Bing can be attributed to its deep integration within various Microsoft products and services. As Microsoft's fourth prominent product line, Bing has established close ties with Windows, Office, and Xbox. This integration has allowed Bing to gain significant exposure and reach a wide user base in China, contributing to its increased market share.

Moreover, Microsoft has consistently enhanced Bing's capabilities by integrating the latest technologies. Microsoft confirmed that Bing's search engine now operates on GPT-4.

Baidu's market share has now decreased to 27.01%. The rankings following Bing and Baidu include Sogou with a market share of 16.36%, Yandex with 7.45%, Haosou with 6.25%, and Google with 5.2%, respectively.

According to Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, a Google subsidiary focused on artificial intelligence, there will be a significant shift in the internet landscape. Suleyman anticipates that conventional search methods will no longer be relevant in the next ten years as interactive search experiences will replace them.

The rise of Bing in China's desktop search market is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of search engine competition. As major players like Bing and Baidu continuously innovate and integrate advanced technologies, users can expect more sophisticated search experiences in the future.

The evolving search landscape also holds implications for businesses and content creators who rely on search engines for visibility and user engagement.

As search engines become more intelligent, optimizing content for these advanced algorithms and leveraging conversational and interactive search elements will become increasingly important to ensure better visibility and engagement with target audiences.

Source

The bug is outlined in a document from Microsoft. Issues like this appear occasionally, and we often cover them. People should know what could cause problems on their PC after all. But sometimes, outlets add confusion and conjure fear when covering reports of bugs. That appears to be the case with a recent piece by TechRadar titled "Windows 11 is so broken that even Microsoft can't fix it."

The strapline of that article doubles down on the fear-inducing headline, stating that "Microsoft admits there are Windows 11 problems it just can't fix." For the record, Microsoft has not "admitted" this or even said anything close to that. 

An irritating bug, but no more than that

Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen7 (Image credit: Windows Central)

Official Microsoft documentation states, "we are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release," which hardly seems like a statement from a company admitting it can't fix a bug. I'd argue it's the opposite. Microsoft seems reasonably confident it will resolve the issue and ship a future update.

Here's some additional context about the issue, courtesy of the Microsoft doc linked above:

"The Start menu, Windows search, and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps might not work as expected or might have issues opening. Affected Windows devices might have damaged registry keys or data which might affect apps using Microsoft Office APIs to integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, or Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar. An example of an app affected by this issue is ClickShare. The underlying Issue is not caused by the installation of an update to Windows and might be exposed by an update to an affected app."

Microsoft is working on a permanent fix for the issue that will ship with an update. In the meantime, you can mitigate the issue using a workaround outlined in the same doc: 

"To mitigate this issue, you can uninstall apps which integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar. Updates to affected apps or guidance from the developer of the app might also be available. If you are using ClickShare by Barco, please see Symptom: Start Menu and other shell components fail when Apps including Barco's ClickShare access Office APIs and Unresponsive Windows taskbar or user shell folder permissions issues with ClickShare App Calendar integration."

This type of bug is no doubt frustrating to those with affected systems, but it is not unique. Microsoft is working on a fix and has outlined a mitigation to help those that may be affected.

Clickbait vs. Clickable

Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen7 (Image credit: Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

The headline "Windows 11 is so broken that even Microsoft can’t fix it" is false. It also shows a lack of understanding of how software development works and what Microsoft has done in the past. The body of the article isn't much better in that regard. For context, software bugs are spotted all the time.

Normally, once a bug is reported Microsoft works to find an immediate workaround. This is to prevent the bug from affecting PCs while developers work on a permanent solution. While Microsoft is a large company, fixes for issues take time to make. Manpower and money don't magically make it so their teams can fix a bug overnight.

Furthermore, Microsoft needs to test bugs to make sure that they are stable, secure, and don't affect other parts of Windows. On top of all this, the headline suggests that this is a problem limited to Windows 11, likely to piggyback on negative sentiments towards the OS. It's not sexy to say that a general problem with Windows has been discovered.

If you want to get the people going you must make it about Windows 11. New is bad, as you all know (/s). While I am admittedly worked up about the article, I'm not the only one upset by it. Some comments from a Reddit thread about the piece show that not everyone buys into the faux outrage.

"This isn’t journalism. Microsoft has just made a pretty remarkable admission, essentially conceding that it doesn’t have a solution for some Windows 11 problems." Scaredycrow87 continues, quoting Microsoft: “UWP apps might not work as expected .. to mitigate this issue, you can uninstall apps which integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar.”

AngieTheQueen adds: "Took the words right out of my mouth, this is garbage clickbait and the reason I use adblockers." I_Rarely_Replay echoed similar thoughts: "Total BS clickbait. MS NEVER said they can't fix it. None of those links show microsoft saying that. What they DID say is that they're working on it, with immediate work-arounds. They haven't fixed it yet. That's a far cry from the BS title posted here."

Are bugs frustrating? Sure. Do I wish Microsoft would fix some of them faster? Of course. Has Windows 11 run into a horrible issue that Microsoft developers are crying in a corner because they can't fix it? No. And nobody believes that.

Reports that Windows 11 is broken beyond repair are nonsense — here's why

The full changelog is given below:

What’s new in Build 25370

Support for vTPM in Hyper-V on Windows on Arm (Arm64) builds

After upgrading your host OS to the latest flighted build (Build 25370 and higher), you will now be able to upgrade guest Windows on Arm VM’s to Windows 11 Insider Preview builds as it will detect the TPM 2.0 requirement.

Changes and Improvements

[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.

You can find the official blog post here.

Windows 11 Canary build 25370 adds vTPM, WPA3 Wi-Fi encryption and performance boost

Some Windows 11 apps can be removed from Settings > Apps or the classic Control Panel, but others are locked and can't be uninstalled. Third-party tools as well as PowerShell commands may be used to remove these from the operating system.

PowerShell works well, but it requires expertise, especially since the removal of apps may have unintended consequences at times.  Third-party tools, like O&O AppBuster, take care of that.

Tiny JunkCtrl tool to remove Windows 11 apps

The open source application JunkCtrl is another option. It is a new program that is developed by the creator of programs like BloatyNosy and ThisIsWin11. The app BloatyNosy includes uninstallation functionality as well.

JunkCtrl has a size of less than 100 kilobytes and an archive size of just 31 kilobytes. The program can be run right away, it does not need to be installed. Windows 11 may throw a SmartScreen security warning, which may happen when a program is new.

Using JunkCtrl is straightforward, but the interface may confuse some users. The first screen displays scan options. These are built-in, but may also be extended through plugins. Some plugins, like that for HP Bloatware are listed there already.

A click on the search button scans the system for matching apps. The returned list of apps is not as extensive as that of O&O AppBuster, but it still allows users to check one or multiple apps to have them removed.

The plugin architecture of the open source app opens up possibilities to extend the functionality by adding more signatures to the app.

The app has a list of the most hated apps on Windows 11 as well, which, unsurprisingly lists TikTok, Print3D and Mixed Reality Portal. The application focuses on Microsoft Store apps.

Closing Words

JunkCtrl is a tiny open source tool with a lot of potential. It could use descriptions for apps that it lists to improve usability.

Now You: do you remove stock apps from your devices?

Remove stock Windows 11 apps with open source JunkCtrl

Everything Search is a fast search alternative for Windows that is making file searches on Windows a lot faster when compared to built-in Windows Search. EverythingToolbar, as the name suggests already, improves accessibility of Everything by allowing users to run searches directly from the Windows taskbar and by allowing users to switch Windows Search to Everything.

EverythingToolbar requires that Everything is also available on the device. The easiest option is to install Everything on the Windows device first and then Everything Toolbar.

Once done, users may pin the icon of EverythingToolbar to the taskbar to run searches directly from it. Options to replace Windows Search are found in the preferences.

EverythingToolbar 1.1 introduces support for automatic update checks. The option is enabled by default, but it can be disabled by selecting Menu > Preferences > Check for updates automatically in the program interface.

The update checker informs users about new updates, but it does not include functionality to download these updates to the system; this is still a manual process, similarly to how KeePass Password Manager handles update checks.

The release notes lists other improvements. The new keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-C allows users to copy the full path of the selected item. Files and folders may be selected using the mouse or keys on the keyboard.

EverythingToolbar users may now clear the application's main keyboard shortcut Windows-Alt-S, or any custom shortcut that they assigned to it using the Esc-key.

The remaining changes are smaller in scope. One fixes the handling of third-party file explorer applications, another addresses a misplaced window issue.

You can check out the full list of changes in EverythingToolbar 1.1. here. The last major release of EverythingToolbar dates back to January 2023. EverythingToolbar 1.0 was launched in the month, and it introduced support for Windows 11 officially.

Closing Words

Everything and EverythingToolbar improve search on Windows significantly, especially for users who want files or folders returned. The new option to check for updates is useful, as it makes it easier for users to stay up to date and check out updates shortly after release.

Now You: Windows Search, Everything or something else? What do you use to find files on Windows devices?

EverythingToolbar Windows search gets an update checker

While Windows XP had garnered widespread acclaim for its performance, Windows Vista's arrival marked a significant shift in public perception. Without delving into the exhaustive criticisms that have been extensively discussed, it is worth noting that Windows Vista's most notable contribution was paving the way for the subsequent release of Windows 7. Even to this day, Windows 7 can still be found on some systems, despite its lack of technical support for a considerable period. However, it must be acknowledged that the considerable level of maturity achieved by Windows 10 in recent years positions it as a superior choice in terms of functionality and overall user experience.

Despite the mixed reception of Windows Vista, it is important to acknowledge that it introduced certain noteworthy concepts, with the caveat that their execution fell short. While it may seem controversial to express such sentiment to those who experienced the associated challenges during that era, it is worth recognizing that desktop widgets were not inherently flawed. The subsequent success and widespread adoption of similar functionalities on both Android and iOS platforms serve as compelling evidence of their potential value.

According to a recent report by Windows Latest, Microsoft is actively enhancing the functionality and aesthetics of widgets in Windows 11. In an upcoming update, reminiscent of the beloved Gadgets from previous Windows versions, widgets will make a triumphant return. This exciting development will allow users to conveniently pin widgets directly onto their desktop, granting quick access to essential information and functionalities.

While explicit confirmation is yet to be received, the information suggests that the inclusion of desktop widgets may be part of the anticipated Windows 11 23H2 release, expected to debut around September.

Alternatively, there exists the possibility that the introduction of this new feature, desktop widgets, may not coincide with the release of Windows 11 22H2. Instead, Microsoft might choose to deploy it independently through a Moment, a new format adopted by the company for launching new functionalities. In such a scenario, the arrival of widgets could potentially happen even earlier than anticipated.

Every device going mobile

The motivation behind expediting the launch can be attributed to the tremendous success experienced by widgets on mobile platforms. With their widespread adoption and daily usage by users, Microsoft aims to tap into this popularity and capitalize on the positive reception of widgets in the mobile realm. However, it is crucial for Microsoft to ensure that the implementation in Windows 11 surpasses the challenges faced during the Windows Vista era. The ultimate success or failure of desktop widgets in Windows 11 will heavily depend on the execution and user experience it offers, warranting cautious optimism and the hope for a more favorable outcome.

Gadget-like widgets to make a comeback on Windows 11