Update 11am PT: Microsoft originally posted the wrong build number in it's annoucement tweet and blog post, and later updated it to the correct build number.

Original article follows below with the build number correction.

Microsoft has released a new Windows 10 Build 19045.2908 (KB5025297) for Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. This new version actually contains a few new features, listed below, but also concentrates on bug fixes and improvements.

The full changelog can be viewed below:

• New! This update adds the ability to sync language and region settings when you change your Microsoft account display language or regional format. Windows will save those settings to your account if you have turned on Language preferences sync in your Windows backup settings.
• New! This update changes firewall settings. You can now configure application group rules.
• New! This update brings back the 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 original search experience, you can do that easily by using the context menu or responding to a dialog that appears when you use search.
• This update affects the Islamic Republic of Iran. The update supports the government’s daylight saving time change order from 2022.
• 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) process. It might stop responding. Because of this, the machine restarts. The error is 0xc0000005 (STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION).
• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge IE mode. Pop-up windows open in the background instead of in the foreground.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Edge IE mode. The Tab Window Manager stops responding.
• This update addresses an issue that affects protected content. When you minimize a window that has protected content, the content displays when it should not. This occurs when you are using Taskbar Thumbnail Live Preview.
• This update addresses an issue that affects provisioning packages. They fail to apply in certain circumstances when elevation is required.

• This update addresses an issue that affects mobile device management (MDM) customers. The issue stops you from printing. This occurs because of an exception.
• This update changes the app icons for certain mobile providers.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Defender Application Control. The policy that blocks software using a hash rule might not stop the software from running.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Chinese input method. You cannot see all of the first suggested item.
• This update affects Xbox Elite users who have the Xbox Adaptive Controller. This update applies your controller remapping preferences on the desktop.

• This update addresses an issue that occurs when you use a PIN to sign in to Windows Hello for Business. Signing in to Remote Desktop Services might fail. The error message is, “The request is not supported”.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect the keyboard layout when you sign in to a console session. The layout might be reset to the system default. This occurs when you lock your machine or have more than one keyboard layout in Settings.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect news and interests. It might flicker on the taskbar and File Explorer might stop responding.
• This update addresses rendering issues that affect the search box gleam (an animated icon). The issue occurs when you use wide, narrow, or small taskbar mode.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge WebView2. This issue might cause an infinite loop when you try to restart its process.

• This update addresses an issue that affects Administrator Account Lockout policies. GPResult and Resultant Set of Policy did not report them.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Active Directory Users & Computers. It stops responding. This occurs when you use TaskPad view to enable or disable many objects at the same time.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Unified Write Filter (UWF). When you turn it off by using a call to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), your device might stop responding.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Resilient File System (ReFS). A stop error prevents the OS from starting up correctly.
• This update addresses an issue that affects MySQL commands. The commands fail on Windows Xenon containers.

• This update addresses an issue that affects SMB Direct. Endpoints might not be available on systems that use multi-byte character sets.

You can view Microsoft's announcement blog post here, and you can download the build via Windows Update through Windows 10 22H2 as a Windows Insider in the Release Preview Channel.

Windows 10 build 19045.2908 Release Preview restores search box on the Taskbar, and more

However, Helmut Wagensonner, a customer engineer at Microsoft, has issued ways in which IT admins and system admins can fix a bug related to BitLocker suspension where it does not automatically resume even after the reboot count parameter has been completed.

In his Microsoft Tech Community blog post, Wagensonner explains:

.. there are some scenarios where you may need to suspend BitLocker temporarily, such as when you update your BIOS or firmware using a vendor’s update utility. When you suspend BitLocker, you can specify how many times your device can restart before BitLocker resumes encryption. This is called the reboot count parameter.

[..] However, there is a known issue with BitLocker that you may encounter: BitLocker does not resume automatically after suspending when OOBE (Out of box experience) is not complete. OOBE is the process of setting up your device for the first time after installing Windows 10. This means that your device will remain unprotected until you manually resume BitLocker.

You can find details on the fix in Wagensonner's blog post on Microsoft's official website.

Microsoft shares fix for Windows 11 / Windows 10 OOBE BitLocker suspension issue

To match the release of the brand-new RTX 4070 graphics card, Nvidia has pushed out a new driver update that adds support for the new hardware. The GeForce Game Ready 531.61 WHQL driver has bug fixes included to make a few games, like The Last of Us Part 1, function a little smoother too.

Aimed at the 1440p market, the new RTX 4070 12GB is on sale today starting at $599 touting major power draw advantages over last generation RTX GPUs by Nvidia. This driver is a recommended install for anyone picking one up.

Meanwhile, Nvidia released a hotfix driver last week to alleviate one of the crashing issues plaguing The Last of Us Part 1 PC port that launched recently. The new Game Ready driver ships with the same fixes seen in the hotfix, so RTX 30 series owners can get a more stable experience by simply upgrading the usual way too.

Here are all the fixes included in this release:

• [Assassin’s Creed Origins] Game may have stability issues when using 531.18.[4008770]
• [The Last of Us Part 1] Game may randomly crash during gameplay on GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs [4031676]
• [Hogwarts Legacy] [Regression] Black Screen/Hang on Launch at Shader Compilation Screen using Driver 531.18 [4012825]

The known issues are:

• 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]
• [Halo Wars 2] In-game foliage is larger than normal and displays constant flickering [3888343]
• [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 531.61 Game Ready driver is now available for download on the GeForce Experience app. The release notes are here (PDF).

Desktop GPUs:

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

Notebook GPUs:

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

Nvidia 531.61 Game Ready driver has RTX 4070 support, Last of Us Part 1 fixes

Alongside those, the Redmond giant has also released new OOBE (Out of Box Experience) updates for Windows 11 22H2, and 21H2, as well as for all supported versions of Windows 10. Microsoft frequently releases such updates to improve the OOBE. For example, the previous OOBE update added a Shim to improve compatibility with Component Object Model (COM) objects. The latest updates address compatibility issues related to the unsupported use of the registry.

The release note for the OOBE update on Windows 11 22H2 (KB5026039) and Windows 10 21H2 (KB5026038) are given below:

This update improves the Windows 11, version 22H2 [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. This update also addresses a compatibility issue, which occurs because of unsupported use of the registry.

Supported versions of Windows 10, ie versions 22H2, 21H2 and 20H2, have also received this OOBE update (KB5026037😞

This update improves the Windows 10, version 20H2, 21H2, and 22H2 out-of-box experience (OOBE). This update applies only to the Windows 10 OOBE process and is available only when OOBE updates are installed. This update also addresses a compatibility issue, which occurs because of unsupported use of 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.

Microsoft improves Windows 11 22H2, 21H2 and Windows 10 OOBE compatibility with new update

A Microsoft engineer replied to Xeno's post on the Feedback Hub, saying that the company has detected the problem's cause and it is working on resolving the situation in upcoming updates:

Appreciate your patience—we have figured out the cause and are working on a fix.

If your PC with build 25336 suffers from handles leaks, look out for a new update this week. Hopefully, Microsoft will include the necessary fix in the upcoming releases. This story is yet another reminder that you better run Windows 11 preview builds on a spare computer or virtual machine and avoid installing Dev or Canary releases on mission-critical devices.

You can learn about what's new in Windows 11 build 25336 in our dedicated coverage.

Microsoft confirms Task Manager handles issues in Windows 11 build 25336

You can try the updated Sidebar in Edge Canary 114.0.1791.0. Update the browser to the latest version and ensure you have Sidebar enabled. After that, click the detach button next to the Settings icon in the bottom-right corner. Now you have one taskbar at the bottom and one to the right, and in typical Microsoft fashion, your pins will open whenever you hover the cursor over them (you cannot change that).

Fortunately, it seems that the detached Sidebar will be an option disabled by default. And if you do not like it, click the close button to reattach Sidebar to Microsoft Edge. Although many will consider the change slightly invasive, the updated Sidebar may become a handy tool, especially if you have an ultra-wide monitor. After all, you can always disable Sidebar and forget about it.

What do you think about the ability to turn Edge's Sidebar into a taskbar-looking thing on your desktop? Let us know in the comments.

You may have two taskbars in Windows 10 and 11 thanks to latest Edge Canary update

Head over to Winamp, create an account, and start using the service on the Web. It is quite the leap from a desktop audio player that has attracted a large fan base thanks to its features and customization options, to a web-based player.

Users may have questions, including how they get their music collection to play in the player, or which features are new or have been removed. Since this new version of Winamp is web-based, it is necessary that users create an account to get started.

The first thing that users may notice after signing-in to their account for the first time is that the new Winamp player does not support integrating a local music library or online library of audio files to an account.

This leaves a very small selection of artists, those who have signed up already to promote their music using Winamp, and the streaming options podcasts and radio stations.

A click on Fanzone and the selection of Podcasts or Radios displays a long list of available options. The Radios tab displays filters for genres and location. Select Oldies or Hip-Hop-Rap, and you get a selection of radio stations that stream the selected type of music non-stop.

The listings are sorted alphabetically only and each entry is listed with an icon and its name, or part of it, only. This is a problem, as it makes the listings difficult to navigate and explore.

A click on a station or podcasts displays a profile page. There is a play button to tune right in, and a join option to add the station or podcast to the library.

Podcasts are categorized as well, and you may display a list of available finance, music, or education podcasts. There is also a language filter for several popular languages.

The profile pages of podcasts appear to have more content and information. The play and join buttons are available, but there is also an about page and a list of available episodes.

The search helps find useful radio stations and podcasts, but music is way too limited to be of any use. It remains to be seen if Winamp has the pull to drive thousands of artists to the platform to populate it.

Closing Words

The new Winamp is totally different from the old. It is a web-based player that can't play local music. The idea to create an incentive for artists to publish their content on Winamp is not a novel idea, but Winamp might have more pull than other solutions that attempted it before the company. For now, it is a web-based podcast and radio player.

What about the standalone desktop player? Winamp users have used it for years without official support, and this won't change. Whether it is going to be abandoned or if development continues remains to be seen.

Now You: What is your take on the new Winamp?

The new Winamp does not play local music anymore, as it is a website music service

Microsoft is experimenting with a Steam Deck-friendly “handheld mode” for Windows

A recent SwiftKey Beta release already introduced Bing's AI-powered capabilities to some users, but now, Microsoft is making them available to all. Starting today, you'll see a Bing icon above the SwiftKey keyboard. When you click on it, you'll be able to choose from three options, namely Chat, Tone, and Search. The Chat functionality behaves similarly to Bing Chat that many are already familiar with, Tone can help you tailor your written words to your audience, and Search is simply regular old Bing Search.

Another improvement in tow today is to the existing integration with Skype. Basically, anyone in a group chat can converse with Bing Chat in a provided context given that at least one person who has access to the service has invoked it in a conversation. A member in a group chat doesn't need to be a member of the preview in order to talk with Bing in a particular context.

Lastly, there are a couple of minor enhancements. The first one includes the ability to access the new Bing from the Microsoft Start app provided that you have cleared the waitlist. Meanwhile, the second one is an upgrade to the translation function in the Bing mobile app so that it can provide alternative masculine and feminine translations when translating from English to Spanish, French, or Italian.

Microsoft's Bing now has 100 million users and over 100 million Bing Chats and it's clear that the company is on a mission to make Bing - and by extension, its AI services - accessible pretty much everywhere.

Source

This is a patch release to fix issues in v69.0 to fix some bugs we deemed important for stability based on incoming rates. See v0.69.0 for full release notes.

Changelog:

• #25254 - Fixed an issue causing the Registry Preview window to adopt a size too big for the screen after opening a big file.
• #25334 - Fixed a crash on the Settings application after selecting the new "Keep awake until experiation" option of Awake on timezones with a negative offset relative to UTC.
• #25253 - Fix wrong menu and tooltip transparent background in Registry Preview.
• #25273 - Add Ctrl+S and Shift+Ctrl+S as shortcuts for saving in Registry Preview.
• #25284 - Fix Registry Preview icons on some systems.
• #25252 - Hide the installer hashes of release notes in the What's New page.
• #25398 - Add code to avoid crashes due to the recent Shortcut Control changes.
• #25250 - Fix a crash when trying to open or save a file when Registry Preview is running with administrative privileges.
• #25395 - Fix command line functionality for Awake.

You can download PowerToys 0.69.1 from the Microsoft Store using this link or the official repository on GitHub. If you already have PowerToys installed on your computer, the app will notify you about available updates, or you can manually update from the settings. As noted above, you can also learn about changes in the previous 0.69 release.

If you are unfamiliar with PowerToys, it is a set of advanced utilities provided by Microsoft and the open-source developer community. It contains various tools, such as an app launcher, bulk file renamer, colour picker, a utility to customize shortcuts, etc. Microsoft frequently updates PowerToys with new features and fixes.

Microsoft PowerToys 0.69.1 contains fixes for Registry Preview, Awake, and more

Remove "Recommended" from the Start menu completely

This method relies on a small third-party app from the Microsoft Store called Power Start Menu (we recently mentioned it in our "Top 10 apps to fix Windows 11's inconveniences" article). It costs a couple of dollars and offers a free trial, allowing you to try it before purchasing. If you are uncomfortable using third-party apps to modify Windows, skip to the next section of this article. However, only Power Start Menu can remove the "Recommended" section from the Start menu while keeping it as stock as possible.

1. Download Power Start Menu from the Microsoft Store. Get the free trial before purchasing to see if you like it.
2. Launch Power Start Menu and toggle on the No "Recommendations" option. You can also remove the search bar with the corresponding toggle or make the Start menu more transparent.
3. Turn on the Enable Tweaks and Auto Start options. Those will ensure the modified Start menu loads whenever your computer starts, and you do not have to launch Power Start Manu manually.
4. Open the Start menu and enjoy more space—no need to restart your PC or File Explorer.

Power Start Menu has another great feature that addresses one of the most popular complaints from Windows 11 users: it lets you open the Start menu on the All Apps list. To do so, set the All Apps panel option to Always Show.

Disable Recommended on the Start menu in Windows 11

You cannot remove the "Recommended" section from Windows 11 without using third-party apps, but at least you can make it smaller or blank. Here is how:

1. Open the Settings app by pressing Win + I or right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Settings.
2. Go to Personalization > Start.
3. Select More Pins—this option will give you more space for apps and fewer recommendations.

    

   
4. Toggle off the Show recently added apps, Show most used apps, and Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer options. Note that the latter will prevent you from opening recent files in Jump Lists (the menu that appears when you right-click a pinned or running app on the taskbar).

   

    

There is more

Of course, Power Start Menu is not the only way to fix Windows 11's controversial Start menu. You can also opt for "heavier" software that replaces the stock menu with an entirely different one. Start11, for example, lets you choose and modify a different layout from Windows 7 or 10 eras, and StartAllBack is another solid and highly customizable alternative. However, if you want to keep the OS as vanilla as possible, Power Start Menu seems the only option, at least for now.

Disclaimer: Neowin's relationship with Stardock

How to remove Recommended from the Start menu in Windows 11?

After installing Windows 11 22624.1546, pressing the Print Screen key will launch the stock Snipping Tool app instead of taking a screenshot and silently placing it in the clipboard. The feature itself is not new—Microsoft introduced this option in Windows 10 and kept it disabled until now. What is changing is its default state—starting with build 22624.1546, Print Screen serves as a shortcut for the Snipping Tool app (you can also use Win + Shift + S).

Fortunately, Microsoft does not plan to remove the legacy behavior from Windows 11. If you prefer taking screenshots the old way, here is how to revert the change:

1. Launch the Settings app and go to the Accessibility > Keyboard section.


2. Find the On-screen keyboard, access keys, and Print screen segment.


3. Toggle off the Use the Print Screen button to open screen snipping option.

 

It is worth noting that you should not wait for build 22624.1546 to arrive in the Stable channel to try using the Print Screen key in the new fashion. That option is available in all Windows 10 and 11 versions and is disabled by default. Also, the change won't affect related shortcuts, such as Alt + Print Screen, which lets you take a screenshot of the current app and copy it to the clipboard.

What do you think about Microsoft's idea to change how the Print Screen key works?

Say goodbye to one of the oldest ways to take screenshots in Windows

Previously, owners of NVIDIA GeForce Series 30 and 40 cards could use the RTX Video Super Resolution technology to upscale and improve 1080p videos from streaming services like YouTube, Twitch, Netflix, and more via Google's Chrome Browser or Microsoft Edge. Today, the company announced that RTX Video Super Resolution is now available for the popular VLC media player.

NVIDIA states that the new VLC version will allow people to upscale videos offline from their personal video library. You can make that old 1080p video of your kid's birthday party look a lot better with this new feature. You can download the new VLC 3.0.19 RTX beta from the media player's official website right now.

In related news, NVIDIA has revealed that it is working with YouTube and OBS to allow live streamers to use AV1 encoded video. It will allow streamers to go live in 4K and 60fps if they have a GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU in their PCs. It's currently available in beta in OBS 29.1, and will be released in full for OBS and YouTube in the near future.

VLC adds support for NVIDIA RTX Video Super Resolution so you can upscale your home videos

But did you know you can create your own folders to help keep your files organized?

Here is how to create a folder in Windows

• Right-click in empty space within File Explorer
• Click New
• Click Folder

A new blank folder will appear. Now you can name it whatever you want.

You can also create a folder inside a folder, this is known as a sub folder. It helps keep your files organized.

For instance, you might make a folder called Bank and put the name of your bank inside of it.

Then you can make another folder called statements

Inside the statements folder you can create a folder for each year.

This allows you to step through the folders to quickly locate the document or file you are looking for.

Happy Organizing!

I'm Adam, I'm known as Warwagon on the forums. For the past 19 years, I've been operating my own computer repair business. In doing so, I deal with the average computer user on a day-to-day basis.

Every bit of information I provide for people I do so with the lowest common denominator in mind. It's a common misconception that everyone who joins or browses a tech site is a techie. Some people are just looking for guidance. That is why for some, these tech tips may seem a bit too simplistic but they are educational for others.

How to create a folder in Windows

A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced the Copilot feature for Microsoft 365. It will allow users to access generative AI to help automate tasks in, for example, Excel spreadsheets. Right now, Microsoft 365 Copilot is only being used in a few businesses for testing. However, almost anyone can now use generative AI features inside Excel via a new Microsoft Office add-in.

The official Excel blog has announced the launch of this new add-in, Excel Labs. It's being released as an experimental program from the Microsoft Garage division. It's actually an improved version of an earlier add-in called Advanced Formula Environment, which Microsoft says lets Excel users "more easily author, edit, and reuse complex formulas and LAMBDA functions."

The new Excel Labs add-in combines the features found in the earlier Advanced Formula Environment program with the new LABS.GENERATIVEAI custom function. Microsoft states that it is using large language models from its partner OpenAI to let users type in prompts directly into an Excel grid to obtain results.

Microsoft states:

For example, you can prompt it to parse out keywords in a survey response or you can ask it to analyze the sentiment of a table of tweets. In general, we encourage you to experiment with different prompts to see how being more general or more specific impacts the responses you get. Instead of “Write a poem about Excel”, try something like “Write a poem about Excel that mentions PivotTables”.

Users will have to register for an OpenAI account and then request an API key from the company to use Excel Labs. You can then download the add-in from the Office Store.

Excel Labs is a new Microsoft Garage add-in that adds OpenAI-based generative AI to Excel

The ChatGPT plugin for PowerToys is being developed by Simone Franco (Twitter), the developer behind the popular WSATools app that lets you side-load APK files on Windows. Several weeks ago, they tweeted about a prototype plugin to integrate ChatGPT into PowerToys, and now the project is on track to becoming publicly available.

The plugin will let you query ChatGPT using Run, PowerToys' search-like launcher. It would allow you to type a keyword to invoke the utility and then enter your request. After that, PowerToys would send the request using OpenAI API and return the result below the search box.

An early prototype of the ChatGPT plugin for PowerToys

Currently, the ChatGPT plugin for PowerToys still requires a lot of work, so it will take some time to bake before the public release. The developers want to implement a better activation keyword and answering UI, add icons, define click actions (copy the result, for example), resolve error handling, and brainstorm new ideas for better ChatGPT integration into Windows. Whatever comes as a result, it will surely be better than the lame Bing ad Microsoft slapped onto Windows 11's taskbar, claiming the OS is now supercharged with artificial intelligence.

How do you imagine a proper ChatGPT integration into Windows and PowerToys? Sound off in the comments below.

You will soon be able to access ChatGPT using PowerToys

Here is the full changelog:

Picture-in-picture

• For apps that use the Android PIP feature, the subsystem now supports this behavior. With the flexibility of having apps in windowed mode and all of the great Windows resize and snap features, this makes multitasking within Android apps even easier.

What’s New

• Picture-in-picture mode supported
• A new “Partially running” system setting added to WSA Settings app, which runs the subsystem with minimal resources but apps launch quicker than “As needed” mode
• Linux kernel updated to 5.15.78
• Improvements to platform reliability
• Android 13 security updates

You can check out the full blog post here. You can download the updated Windows Subsystem for Android from the Microsoft Store. As usual, Microsoft urges all insiders to file complaints and suggestions in Feedback Hub under Apps > Windows Subsystem for Android.

Windows Subsystem update for Android on Windows 11 adds Picture-in-Picture support and more

Microsoft has a couple of options for Teams Free (Classic) users, but both have their issues as well. If you don't want to pay any money to access Teams, you can sign up for the new Microsoft Teams (free) service. It includes features like an unlimited number of group meetings, each up to 60 minutes long. You can have up to 100 people in each of those meetings, and each user gets 5GB of cloud storage.

Sounds good, right? The problem is that you won't be able to transfer any of your data from the old Microsoft Teams Free (Classic) to the new Microsoft Teams (free) service. You will be basically starting from scratch if you use that method.

The other option does allow you to transfer your data from Microsoft Teams Free (Classic) to a new system. It's called Microsoft Teams Essentials and it supports unlimited numbers of meetings up to 30 hours long, along with up to 300 participants in each meeting and 10GB of cloud storage for each person.

You can likely guess what the downside is with this tier. Microsoft Teams Essentials will cost $4 per user a month, so this is a pretty expensive option for many small businesses. You can keep using a free version, at the expense of losing all of your older Teams chats and data, or go with the paid version, and keep all your data.

Prepare now for Microsoft Teams Free (Classic) shutting down April 12

The new build number for the Canary Channel release is 25336.1010 (KB5026292). As noted in this Windows Insider Twitter post, this release is "designed to test our servicing pipeline."

Microsoft has previously stated that small updates like this on the Canary Channel would not get a big blog post like other Windows Insider releases. The last big Canary Channel release was made on April 7. Even that update was a pretty small one, with the build number 25336. It contained a few changes and improvements to settings, including one that allowed PC owners with two discrete GPUs and no integrated graphics chips to set up one of them as a default high-performance GPU.

Windows 11 Canary Channel insider build 25336.1010 released with no major changes

Over on the official website, there is already a brief description of what the new revamped Winamp aims to deliver:

The new Winamp Player offers the best of everything, bringing your streaming services, podcasts, radio stations, audio books and downloads together. Enjoy all your music in one place, and customize your listening experience with the legendary Winamp Player.

As we are now almost at the cusp of launch, the Winamp team has released more details regarding the features of the app. The focus it seems is mostly on making it easier to connect with your favorite artists and creators.

• My Creators Home Catch up with your favorite creators and their latest posts

• Creator Membership Tiers Choose the content and experiences you want from the creators you love

• Creator Discography Discover artist releases

• Creator Album Treat your ears to albums you enjoy

• Fanzone Home Find musicians to connect with and support

Since the launch date is only a couple of days away, we will learn more about the features in detail soon enough.

Revamped Winamp Player features and release date revealed; it's almost here

22H2 (KB5025239)

Highlights

• This update addresses security issues for your Windows operating system.
• New! This update introduces notifications for Microsoft accounts in the Start menu. This is only available to a small audience right now. It will deploy more broadly in the coming months. Some devices might notice different visual treatments as we gather feedback. See the example below.
• New!The search box on the taskbar will be lighter when you set Windows to a custom colour mode. This will occur when you set the Windows mode to dark and the app mode to light in Settings > Personalization > colours.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Notepad combo box in Settings. It fails to show all the available options.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft PowerPoint. It stops responding. This occurs when you use accessibility tools.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Narrator. It fails to read items in dropdown lists in Microsoft Excel.
• This update addresses an issue that affects USB printers. The system classifies them as multimedia devices even though they are not.

Improvements

• New! This update implements the new Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) as a Windows inbox feature. For more information, see By popular demand: Windows LAPS available now!
• This update addresses a compatibility issue. The issue occurs because of unsupported use of the registry.
• New! This update adds many new features and improvements to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. For more information, see Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
• New! Once you have access to the new Bing, the search box on the taskbar might include a button that opens the Bing chat experience in Microsoft Edge. If you don’t have access, the search box on the taskbar will feature a dynamic search highlight button.
• This update addresses an issue that affects complexity policy settings for PINs. They are ignored.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Fast Identity Online 2.0 (FIDO2) PIN credential icon. It does not appear on the credentials screen of an external monitor. This occurs when that monitor is attached to a closed laptop.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a Clustered Shared Volume (CSV). The CSV fails to come online. This occurs if you enable BitLocker and local CSV managed protectors, and the system recently rotated the BitLocker keys.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Active Directory Users & Computers. It stops responding. This occurs when you use TaskPad view to enable or disable many objects at the same time.
• The update addresses an issue that affects the Remote Procedure Call Service (rpcss.exe). The issue might cause a race condition between the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) and the Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) endpoint mapper.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft PowerPoint. It stops responding on the Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). This occurs when you use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).
• This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Search. Windows Search fails inside of Windows container images.
• This update affects the Group Policy Editor. It adds Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 to the list of protocols that you can set.
• This update affects the Arab Republic of Egypt. The update supports the government’s daylight saving time change order for 2023.
• This update affects jscript9Legacy.dll. It adds ITracker and ITrackingService to stop MHTML from not responding.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft HTML Application Host (HTA). This issue blocks code execution that uses Microsoft HTA. This occurs when you turn on Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) enforced mode.
• This update affects the Group Policy Management Console. It addresses a scripting error in the Group Policy Preferences window.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) client. The client returns an HTTP server error status (500). This error occurs when it runs a transfer job in the Storage Migration Service.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Desired State Configuration. It loses its previously configured options. This occurs if metaconfig.mof is missing.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) option 119 - Domain Search Option. The issue stops you from using a connection-specific DNS Suffix Search List.
• This update addresses a rare issue that might cause an input destination to be null. This issue might occur when you attempt to convert a physical point to a logical point during hit testing. Because of this, the computer raises a stop error.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) certificate. The system reports some SCEP certificate installations as failed. Instead, the system should report them as pending.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the new Windows Runtime (WinRT) API. This issue stops an application from querying for location information using MBIM2.0+.
• This update addresses a known issue that affects kiosk device profiles. If you have enabled automatic logon, it might not work. After Autopilot completes provisioning, these devices stay on the credential screen. This issue occurs after you install updates dated January 10, 2023, and later.
• This update affects Xbox Elite users who have the Xbox Adaptive Controller. This update applies your controller remapping preferences on the desktop.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect your audio. It might cause glitching or screeching. This occurs when the system is under a heavy load or wakes from sleep.
• This update addresses an issue that stops WDAC from parsing fields from binaries.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect Win32 and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. They might close when devices enter Modern Standby. Modern Standby is an expansion of the Connected Standby power model. This issue occurs if certain Bluetooth PhoneLink features are turned on.

21H2 (KB5025224)

Highlights

• This update addresses security issues for your Windows operating system.
• New! This update improves the search box experience on the taskbar. As you type in the search box, search results now appear in the search flyout box. You can also change the search experience you want for your taskbar by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. For commercial customers, this update adds a new policy for IT administrators to manage how the search box on the taskbar appears in your organization. For more information, see Customizing search on the Windows 11 taskbar.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Notepad combo box in Settings. It fails to show all the available options.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft PowerPoint. It stops responding. This occurs when you use accessibility tools.
• This update addresses an issue that affects USB printers. The system classifies them as multimedia devices even though they are not.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Xbox subscribers. If you purchase an Xbox subscription using the "Redeem code" option, the Xbox subscription card does not appear on the Settings Accounts page. This occurs when recurring billing is off.

Improvements

• New! This update implements the new Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) as a Windows inbox feature. For more information, see By popular demand: Windows LAPS available now!
• This update affects the Arab Republic of Egypt. The update supports the government’s daylight saving time change order for 2023.
• This update addresses a compatibility issue. The issue occurs because of unsupported use of the registry.
• This update addresses a known issue that affects kiosk device profiles. If you have enabled automatic logon, it might not work. After Autopilot completes provisioning, these devices stay on the credential screen. This issue occurs after you install updates dated January 10, 2023, and later.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the command line. It fails when you set the system locale to Japanese and cmd.exe is configured in legacy mode.
• The update addresses an issue that affects the Remote Procedure Call Service (rpcss.exe). The issue might cause a race condition between the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) and the Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) endpoint mapper.
• This update affects the ms-appinstaller URI. It now works with the DesktopAppInstaller policy.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft PowerPoint. It stops responding on the Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). This occurs when you use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).
• This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Search. Windows Search fails inside of Windows container images.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft HTML Application Host (HTA). This issue blocks code execution that uses Microsoft HTA. This occurs when you turn on Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) enforced mode.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Desired State Configuration. It loses its previously configured options. This occurs if metaconfig.mof is missing.
• This update addresses compatibility issues that affect some printers. These printers use Windows Graphical Device Interface (GDI) printer drivers. These drivers do not completely adhere to GDI specifications.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) certificate. The system reports some SCEP certificate installations as failed. Instead, the system should report them as pending.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the new Windows Runtime (WinRT) API. This issue stops an application from querying for location information using MBIM2.0+.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Fast Identity Online 2.0 (FIDO2) PIN credential icon. It does not appear on the credentials screen of an external monitor. This occurs when that monitor is attached to a closed laptop.
• This update affects the “Set a default associations configuration file” Group Policy Object (GPO). You can now use it to create an extension to specific applications.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the SharedPC account manager. It cannot delete multiple accounts during cleanup.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect lsass.exe. It might stop responding. This occurs when it sends a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query to a domain controller that has a very large LDAP filter.

Known Issues

The preferred method to install these updates is via Windows Update, however, if you’re offline, you can fetch them from the Microsoft Update Catalog website (22H2, 21H2).

Windows 11 Patch Tuesday updates out for 22H2 (KB5025239) and 21H2 (KB5025224)

The major highlight of the release as usual is security updates for Windows 10.

Highlights

This update addresses security issues for your Windows operating system.

And as is generally the case, the Redmond company has also listed the known issues in the update, which is always handy. Here are the symptoms and their respective workarounds:

Some of the older Windows 10 versions have also received updates today which have been listed below with their respective release notes (KB) linked as well as links to download them at Microsoft's Update Catalog:

It is noteworthy here that Windows 10 20H2 and Windows 10 1909 reached the end of servicing. The Windows Server 2016 changelog is the same as Windows 10 version 1607.

Windows 10 April 2023 Patch Tuesday (KB5025221) out — here's what's new and what's broke

Here is the table of contents:

1. An app to fix Windows 11 Start menu
2. An app to fix Windows 11 calendar flyout and add extra clocks
3. An app to fix Windows 11 battery indicator
4. An app to fix Windows 11 context menus
5. An app to fix Windows 11 taskbar clock
6. A neat Start menu alternative
7. An app to fix Windows 11 virtual desktops
8. A better volume mixer for Windows 11
9. A much better search app
10. An app for automatic theme switching in Windows 11
11. Bonus: Wallpaper

1. Power Start Menu

$2.49 + Free Trial in the Microsoft Store

The Power Start Menu is a small app that addresses the most popular complaints regarding Windows 11's Start menu. It allows removing the "Recommended" section (and filling the menu to its brims with your pins), disabling the search box, and adding transparency. My favorite part is that the program lets you open the Start menu directly on the "All apps" list, thus saving you a click. You also get the ability to specify what happens when you click the power button (left, right, or middle), again saving you a click when you want to turn off, restart, or put your computer to sleep. Neat!

Finally, the developer gets extra points for using Windows 11-like UI for the app's settings. Overall, the Power Start Menu is a fantastic tool that lets you fix the stock Start menu without replacing it with third-party (often cumbersome) alternatives.

As for the resource impact, the app uses less than 10MB of RAM for its background service.

2. Calendar Flyout

$1.69 in the Microsoft Store

Windows 11 has a crippled calendar flyout, to put it mildly. You cannot create new events or view your agenda. Besides, the flyout combined with the notification center robs the user of the screen real estate for notifications. The Calendar Flyout app fixes that.

With Calendar Flyout, you can view your events (including appointment indicators), create new ones, add extra clocks (up to three), and bring the flyout with a customizable shortcut. What I also like about the app is how it notifies about incoming events with a small orange dot in the notification area (you can turn it off).

The only problem with the app (besides the lack of a free trial) is that it cannot replace the stock flyout, so you have to invoke Calendar Flyout using a dedicated icon in the notification area (or the shortcut).

3. Battery Tracker

Free in the Microsoft Store

Windows 11's battery indicator is a joke. Besides being hard to read and inconsistent with the lock screen, its charging status is often misleading, with lower levels than actual and the charging/battery saver indicator obscuring values beyond recognition. The Battery Tracker app solves the problem and introduces a neat extra feature.

The Battery Tracker is another tiny app with a Windows 11-like UI. It places a percentage indicator in the notification area, allowing you to know precisely how much battery is left. In addition, it supports charging notifications, alerting you when the battery goes lower or higher specified levels.

4. Custom Context Menus

Free Unlimited Trial + $0.99 in the Microsoft Store

If you are unhappy with Windows 11's redesigned context menu, the Custom Context Menus app will let you create custom entries for specific file types (you can even set a custom icon), add another menu for more actions, etc.

Learning how the app works might take some time (you must know app parameters to execute specific commands), so use its wiki page on GitHub for help.

5. ElevenClock

Free in the Microsoft Store

Although Windows 11 now supports displaying its taskbar clock on all monitors, the clock still has room for improvement. Besides adding the so-much-desired seconds (coming to Windows 11 in a future update), ElevenClock provides a metric ton of extra features and customization.

The app lets you turn on or off the notification badge, remove the tooltip, and change what happens when you click the clock (single, double, or middle click). Also, users can change where Windows displays the date/time, pin the clock to the desktop, adjust height/width, and more. Do you hate the standard font or its size? ElevenClock can change that as well. It is the kind of app that takes one seemingly insignificant feature and crank its personalization capabilities to 11.

6. Ink Workspace

Free in the Microsoft Store

Ink Workspace is a feature-packed app that can easily replace the stock Start menu. In addition to looking like a modernized Windows 10 Start menu with tile-like icons, it displays your pen's battery level and provides quick shortcuts to various actions, such as screen recording, clipboard history, voice typing, emoji panel, etc. There are also dedicated sections for all apps and your recent files.

The app primarily aims at the touch and pen-enabled devices, but you can also use it with a regular PC.

7. Power Virtual Desktop

$2.99 + Free Trial in the Microsoft Store

Windows 11's virtual desktops are hopelessly underwhelming compared to the same capability in macOS, and the lack of attention from Microsoft in this area really annoys me. Therefore, it was nice to discover several apps for enhancing the virtual desktop experience in Windows 11. Power Virtual Desktop lets you navigate to a specific desktop with a shortcut, loop desktops (go from the last to the first and vice versa), display virtual desktops' names when switching, and even use your mouse wheel to switch between adjacent desktops.

What bums me about this app is the inability to send the current window to a specific desktop. This feature is available in an alternative application called Virtual Desktop Indicator. However, the latter lacks a proper settings UI and uses frankly ugly desktop indicators.

8. Volumey

Free in the Microsoft Store

Microsoft is working on improving Windows 11's volume mixer, but it will take a while before the reworked variant arrives. You can fix the lackluster volume controls with the Volumey app, a powerful tool for managing sound on a Windows machine.

Volumey lets you create multiple key shortcuts for controlling sound output devices and applications. You can control volume with customized shortcuts for a specific device or application. The app also supports limiting the launched app volume if it is set to 100%, media key remapping, changing volume adjustment step, and more. If shortcuts are not your cup of tea, Volumey offers a standard-looking flyout.

Volumey is unlikely to receive a design award for its user interface, but the feature set fully compensates for its weird-looking UI.

9. Fluent Search

Free in the Microsoft Store

Fluent Search is an advanced search app for Windows 10 and 11 developed by a Microsoft engineer. It has many modules for searching processes, to-dos, settings, commands, apps, files, web, bookmarks and history in popular browsers, and more. Besides, you can add more plugins for translating, searching in clipboard history, killing processes, etc.

Unlike dumb Windows Search, which still does not know how to find Recycle Bin (at least we have a Bing AI ad), Fluent Search features several advanced capabilities. For example, you can use it to find in-app elements, such as tabs, buttons, or links. You can also use it to control a computer without a mouse.

With its vast number of features and customization options, Fluent Search may look a bit overwhelming at first, but it turns into a very capable and powerful tool once you learn how to harness its potential.

10. Auto Dark Mode

Free in the Microsoft Store

Windows 11 still does not support automatic theme switching on schedule or sunset/sunrise, so here is a third-party app for doing that. Auto Dark Mode can toggle between dark and light mode depending on custom hours, sunset and sunrise (geo-based), offset changes, switch modes using hotkeys, and more.

In addition to toggling modes on schedule, Auto Dark Mode can switch wallpapers and set different Windows Themes based on your preferences. This allows for setting different colours, backgrounds, cursors and sounds for day and nighttime.

Bonus: Wallpaper

Here is the wallpaper we used in this article:

If you know other apps that can boost or replace lackluster parts of Windows 11, be sure to let us and others know in the comment section.

Top 10 apps to fix Windows 11's inconveniences

What is new in Firefox 112?

Here is the official changelog from Mozilla:

• Right-clicking on password fields now shows an option to reveal the password.
• Ubuntu Linux users can now import their browser data from the Chromium Snap package. Currently, this will only work if Firefox is not also installed as a Snap package, but work is underway to address this!
• Do you use the tab list panel in the tab bar? If so, you can now close tabs by middle-clicking items in that list.
• You've always been able to un-close a tab by using (Cmd/Ctrl)-Shift-T. Now, that same shortcut will restore the previous session if there are no more closed tabs from the same session to re-open.
• For all ETP Strict users, we extended the list of known tracking parameters that are removed from URLs to further protect our users from cross-site tracking.
• Enables overlay of software-decoded video on Intel GPUs in Windows. Improves video down scaling quality and reduces GPU usage.

• Various security fixes.

• The deprecated U2F Javascript API is now disabled by default. The U2F protocol remains usable through the WebAuthn API. The U2F API can be re-enabled using the security.webauth.u2f preference.

• Clear button, newly added to the date picker panel, allows users to quickly clear the input with type date or datetime-local and provides a familiar experience across browsers.

   

You can also find what is new for developers in Firefox 112 in the official documentation. A similar page with updated policies and specific fixes is available for enterprise customers.

Firefox will update itself automatically upon the next restart. Alternatively, you can force-install the latest version by navigating to the Menu > Help > About Firefox section or download the official installer from Mozilla's website.

Firefox 112 is out with reduced GPU usage on Intel CPUs, improved password fields, more

Its cloud computing unit says it will integrate the chatbot across Alibaba's businesses in the "near future" but did not give details on its timeline.

In recent months, technology companies around the world have unveiled their own so-called generative AI chatbots.

Earlier this year, Alibaba revealed it was working on a rival to ChatGPT.

Tongyi Qianwen roughly translates as "seeking an answer by asking a thousand questions", although Alibaba has not given an English version of the name.

"We are at a technological watershed moment driven by generative AI and cloud computing," Alibaba's chairman and chief executive Daniel Zhang said in as Tongyi Qianwen was launched.

The company said Tongyi Qianwen, which is capable of working in English as well as Chinese, will initially be added to DingTalk, Alibaba's workplace messaging app.

It will perform a number of tasks including turning conversations in meetings into written notes, writing emails and drafting business proposals, the company said.

Alibaba said it will also be integrated into Tmall Genie, which is similar to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant smart speaker.

Interest in generative AI has surged since the release of ChatGPT by Microsoft-backed OpenAI in November.

Generative AI is capable of learning from past data to create content indistinguishable from human work.

ChatGPT can answer questions using natural, human-like language and it can also mimic other writing styles, using the internet as it was in 2021 as its database.

Microsoft has spent billions of dollars on the technology, which was added to its search engine Bing in February.

The US software giant also said it will embed a version of ChatGPT in its Office apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Alphabet's Google and Chinese technology group Baidu have also announced their own AI models and released similar chatbots.

On Tuesday, China's cyberspace regulator unveiled draft measures for managing generative AI.

Under the proposed rules, companies would be responsible for the legitimacy of data used to train the technology, the Cyberspace Administration of China said.

The public has until 10 May to give feedback on the proposals.

Last month, a group of high-profile figures in the technology industry called for training of powerful AI systems to be suspended amid fears of a threat to humanity.

Twitter chief executive Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak were among those who signed an open letter warning of potential risks, and said the race to develop AI systems is out of control.

Meanwhile, a recent report by investment bank Goldman Sachs estimated that AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs.

Earlier this month, Italy became the first Western nation to block ChatGPT, with the country's data-protection authority citing privacy concerns.

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