Canonical has made a Real-time edition of Ubuntu 22.04 available on x86 and Arm… but only to Ubuntu Pro customers, and there are some potential issues you should know about.

The new real-time edition was announced on Valentine's Day [insert joke about loving a more responsive computer here]. The beta version appeared last year, a couple of months after the launch of 22.04 "Jammy Jellyfish" that April. The difference from standard Ubuntu is that this version integrates the out-of-tree PREEMPT_RT patches into kernel 5.15.

Canonical will shortly hold an online seminar to explain the new product.

This new edition follows Intel's acquisition of the real-time kernel developers Linutronix in February last year. This resulted in new investment into the pre-emptible kernel project, whose first patches went into kernel 2.5.4 in 2009. Now bigger results are appearing, and they're not limited to Intel processors or even to x86: there is also an Aarch64 version of Real-time Ubuntu. For now, the PREEMPT_RT patches are not part of the mainline kernel, although Intel is working to get them included soon – so Ubuntu is pushing the technology curve a little here.

In one way, the timing is a little unfortunate for Canonical: the second update to Jammy, version 22.04.2, is expected next week, and that will have kernel 5.19 from Ubuntu 22.10. This means that if you opt for Real-time Ubuntu, your systems will be held back to the older kernel version.

That isn't a big problem, though: as we covered when it was released, kernel 5.15 is a LTS release and its projected end-of-life date isn't until October.

For now, the different kernel is the main difference. This isn't a new flavor or remix or anything: it's the same Ubuntu (Desktop, Server, or Core) but with a different kernel built with the RT patches. All you need is an Ubuntu Pro subscription, which, as we've covered, has been free for single users with up to five machines since last October.

Just the kernel won't make your machine suddenly real-time. The company told us:

It is important to understand a real-time kernel on its own will not necessarily make a system real-time. The rest of the hardware and configuration has to be set up for it. It takes careful understanding and tuning of the overall real-time stack, from the underlying silicon to the operating system, to the networking layer, and applications.

Our first thought was that if you're not building 5G base stations or something, an obvious use of this might be Ubuntu Studio, the special edition for creatives which includes music composition and sequencing tools. Ubuntu Studio uses the existing low-latency kernel, and as it happens, in 2020 the Ubuntu Studio project actually warns against RT kernels:

For desktop computer usage, using a real-time kernel can cause security nightmares.

You may also see issues if you need proprietary drivers that need kernel modules – there are known issues with the Nvidia binary graphics drivers, for instance.

While this is good to see, and despite the long history of the development of the real-time kernel, we'd suggest holding back for now, unless you have an urgent need for real-time support – and keeping Real-time Ubuntu away from general-purpose desktops and servers. ®

Source

Windows 11 has been annoying some users with driver update failures, and lots of them in some cases, but Microsoft has advised us that these errors are nothing to worry about.

If you recall, the bugged updates are affecting those on Windows 11 22H2 across a number of PCs – including Microsoft’s Surface devices in particular, going by reports – and they’re causing installation failure for a range of hardware drivers. Those failures are accompanied by an ‘0x80070103’ error, which isn’t very helpful, failing to inform the user of what has gone wrong.

The good news is that Microsoft has informed us of what’s happening here, and apparently there’s nothing to fret about. As Windows Latest (opens in new tab) reports, Microsoft posted an official response to the issue and noted that it “shouldn’t impact your general usage.”

The company explained that the error is showing because the driver update(s) in question have actually already been installed.

Analysis: Being spammed with errors is seriously unnerving

The only negative impact of this bug, then, is seeing the installation failure errors themselves, and there are no ramifications beyond that, so your PC should not be affected in the slightest. That’s the theory, anyway, although Microsoft does couch its above message with a ‘shouldn’t’ which leaves the tiniest room for a sliver of doubt, perhaps.

This has doubtless been a worrying one for some folks given the sheer volume of the errors in some of the reports we’ve seen. The illustrative example that turned up on Twitter when we wrote the original story on this showed no fewer than 15 driver update failures, and when you’re confronted with a small avalanche of apparent bugs like that, it’s bound to cause concern.

At least Microsoft has cleared things up now, and the official advice is simply to ignore the errors which should go away on their own. Windows Latest notes that Microsoft is continuing to monitor the situation.

If you’re really bothered by the errors continually popping up, you could always try the Windows Update troubleshooter, as this may banish the errors out of existence. This was Intel’s previous advice on the subject of this error message, you may recall.

Quite why Windows 11 is attempting to install drivers that are already on the PC is another question, and presumably this is one of those very odd bugs in the OS that creeps in from time to time. Hopefully it’ll creep out rather sharpish.

Source

Microsoft’s Outlook spam filters appear to be broken for many users today. I woke up to more than 20 junk messages in my Focused Inbox in Outlook this morning, and spam emails have kept breaking through on an hourly basis today. Many Outlook users in Europe have also spotted the same thing, with some heading to Twitter to complain about waking up to an inbox full of spam messages.

Most of the messages that are making it into Outlook users’ inboxes are very clearly spam. Today’s issues are particularly bad, after weeks of the Outlook spam filter progressively deteriorating for me personally.

If you’re also getting inundated with spam right now, it might be worth temporarily disabling notifications for any email app on your phone that’s connected to your Outlook personal account. That will stop your phone waking up constantly to show you a notification about a spam email you definitely don’t care about.

We’ve reached out to Microsoft to comment on the Outlook spam issues and we’ll update you accordingly once the company is able to respond.

Source

Also:  If your Microsoft Outlook inbox has lots of spam today, you are not alone.

Windows enthusiast and Twitter detective, Albacore, who spotted this change, speculates that Microsoft could be looking to move on from DirectUI and onto XAML. The images below are an early version of Windows App SDK-based File Explorer. Essentially, all this is meant to lead towards the overall Windows 11 fluent design goals and consistency.

While this is certainly exciting news, Albacore has warned that the new XAML-based implementation is quite unstable and can crash. Hence we don't really recommend enabling it, at least not until it gets more stable.

Aside from the addition of the new Gallery, the File Explorer itself is also getting a massive overhaul, which seem to include several new and interesting feature additions. And it is not just File Explorer which has major changes coming as the Settings app, too, is getting notable improvements, and several new feature additions.

Source and images: Albacore (Twitter)

Microsoft may soon ditch DirectUI and move to XAML, WinAppSDK on next-gen Windows 11

VHD and VHDX drives

As discovered by @thebookisclosed on Twitter, Windows 11 users will soon be able to create virtual hard drives inside the Settings app. The feature is buried deep inside the operating system (no ID for the Vivetool app yet), but unearthing it lets you generate a fixed or dynamic VHD (up to 2TB in size) or VHDX (up to 64TB plus resilience to power failures), specify the location, and select a partition style (GPT or MBR).

The latest stable Windows 11 version allows working with VHD/VHDX from Disk Management only.

Improved Keyboard Settings

Another change will please those with two or more keyboard languages. The updated "Keyboard" section lets you rearrange the language order in the input language flyout and set a keyboard to use by default on the sign-in screen and boot.

Unlike the option for creating virtual hard drives, you can already test the updated keyboard settings using the Vivetool app (via @PhantomOfEarth).

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

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

    

   
4. Navigate to the folder containing the Vivetool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed Vivetool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:34912776 and press Enter.
6. Restart your computer.

If you change your mind and want to restore the previous "Typing" section, repeat the steps above and replace /enable with /disable in the commands on steps 5 and 6.

New Home tab and presence section

Microsoft also plans to add a new "Home" tab to the Settings app to replace the current default "System" tab. Unfortunately, not much is known about the new tab, and it appears empty when enabled in Windows 11 build 25300. We need to wait for future builds or extra discoveries to learn what Microsoft wants to display on the new tab. Perhaps, a brief system and account summary with some quick links (and recommended content).

Finally, Windows 11 build 25300 has a new "Presence" section for configuring the feature responsible for detecting your physical presence in front of your computer. Some PCs have a dedicated sensor that can wake your computer when you approach it or put it to sleep when you walk away. However, there is no confirmation whether the new section is related to that sensor.

There's more

In case you missed it, Windows 11 build 25300 contains other exciting changes. For example, an upgraded Snap Assist (which should soon get some AI-based features) and a better volume mixer with a dedicated shortcut.

What change from this article had you the most interested? Let us know in the comment section.

Settings app in Windows 11 is about to get a lot of new features and improvements

The developer behind the Tiny11 project published a 15-minute video to detail every step in creating a debloated Windows 11 ISO. You can follow the video to DIY a similar installation media and then use it without fears of North Korean hackers mining on your rig, reading your browser history, and sending your data to ad providers (although the latter does not necessarily requires third parties, as shown in a recent video). All jokes aside, we never recommend using modified Windows installations, so making one for yourself is a good option for those with free time.

Keep in mind that stripping Windows 11 off unnecessary components does not remove the need for activation, so prepare a valid license key before proceeding. The good thing is that Windows 11 is not very picky in this regard, and you can use a matching SKU key (Home-Home or Pro-Pro) from any previous Windows release down to Windows 7.

A new video shows how to create a lightweight and debloated Windows 11

Microsoft has been around for years and has evolved from one operating system to the next. I personally have used Microsoft from the Windows 7 version and have had the opportunity to see the system evolve and incorporate new things into bettering it. Microsoft Windows is a widely used computer operating system that was developed by Microsoft Corporation. We see it entering the operating system scene as early as 1985 and has since been developing and changing to what we see as the most recent version, which is Windows 11.

It’s designed to run on laptops,  personal computers,  tablets, and other devices through its graphical user interface, making it easy for users to interact with their devices. It’s also known to have one of the most friendly user designs with broad compatibility in hardware and software. It also includes extensive customization options and allows features such as file management, security, multitasking, and device connectivity easily. 

Considering its popularity, it will only make sense that Microsoft would want to incorporate some of these amazing features into the Mac system.  In the past, Microsoft had approved running Windows 11 on Macs that were ARM-based.  We see a change as the company recently allows using Parallels desktop 18 to run these ARM versions on M1- and M2-based Macs with the Enterprise version of  Windows 11 Pro. 

Since 2021 ARM Macs could run Windows 11  in Parallels very well. All you needed was to use an insider preview of the OS during that time when Mac wasn’t yet supported by Microsoft. Microsoft's recent approach will clear any licensing problems that were likely to arise by letting Parallels desktop 18 download and install Windows 11 with very little effort.

As we all know commonly, there are always limitations, and this is what I picked up. If you have 32-bit ARM apps you can't run them because 32-bit software is being depreciated by Microsoft for all Windows ARM builds. These devices won’t be able to work unless they have the Windows 11 ARM drivers. You can't use anything that relies on Android apps,  Windows Sandbox, and the Linux subsystem. 

According to The Verge, the changes in Microsoft's licensing aren’t clear.  It has licensed ARM versions to vendors up to now. Parallels have indicated that you could either buy through your employer's common purchasing process or as an individual Windows 11 pro license. 

Most Intel-based Macs that run on Apple's boot camp have great native Windows support, and these new transformations are likely not to satisfy these users. The compatibility and performance won't be similar to that of a PC built for Windows on ARM. Apparently, a must-run Windows productivity app might just be the solution. 

Microsoft Will Support Windows 11 on Newer Macs Through Parallels

The concept published by @tehmondspartan on Twitter brings the beloved Windows XP-era UI elements to Windows 11. The Windows Media Player 6, old-school icons, MSN Explorer, MSN Messenger, the traditional Control Panel, two different buttons for logging off and turning off the computer, the classic profile switcher with a green arrow button, and not the most popular silver variant of Windows XP's Luna theme (which is not that bad compared with the olive green). There is also a dark variant and Windows XPified version of Microsoft Edge.

Unlike the previously mentioned Windows 10 XP mod, "Windows Sun Valley (2001/02") is just a concept to relive good-old memories and mix them with the new thing. However, you can try to achieve similar visuals with the WindowBlinds 11 app, which recently arrived on Steam.

Would you use Windows 11 with visuals straight from 2001? Let us know in the comments below.

Here is what Windows 11 would look like in 2001

Now, you are probably wondering why the search giant is doing this. Its goal is to make the Google Tasks app a one-stop shop for all the task management stuff across Google. The Tasks app, first released in 2018, is already accessible via a side panel in apps like Gmail, Docs, Calendar, etc. That means you don't need to switch tabs to access your to-do list or create a new task.

Users will be able to initiate the process through the prompt Google will display in the Assistant and Calendar apps. However, the company added that it will migrate reminders automatically in the second quarter for users who haven't done it by themselves yet.

For Google Workspace users with the Tasks service enabled, the process will begin on April 12 and Google will start the auto-migration on May 22. The company said that migration won't happen for organizations that have the Tasks service disabled, and that "Reminders data deletion will be initiated after June 22, 2023."

One thing to note is that the reminders you created in the Keep app will not be migrated. However, they'll stop showing up in the Calendar app once the transfer is complete. Google's reminder migration changes apply to personal account users, all Google Workspace, and legacy G Suite users.

Google announces Reminders migration to Google Tasks will start next month

Google is now looking to make that option even more handy and convenient for users. Reddit user and a prolific Chrome leakster, Leopeva64-2, has noted that the Chrome Canary channel now has the option to add notes from within the password manager bubble itself which means you can edit stuff while you are on that very site where you'd use the password. Likewise, the editing of the saved passwords will also work from the bubble.

Essentially, at the moment, the feature works by clicking on the password manager autofill bubble, and using the "Edit Note" option which can be seen in the image above. However, as mentioned before, this is on the Canary channel which means it will be a while before we see it on Stable. Besides, password saving and management is dealing with sensitive information and so these kinds of features always require lots of testing before they can be eventually released to the general public.

Google Chrome password manager could get even more handy and convenient

The developer of the app, Ahmed Walid, has provided the full changelog of the build on Twitter:

• Added support for Deezer as a playback source for synced lyrics
• New fresh Settings design - Expandable History card items
• Added 8 new synced lyrics animations (you can switch between them in Settings > Miscellaneous; the old one is still available and is called "Scrolling")
• [DESKTOP] [22000+] Added Mica! (you can enable it in Settings > Miscellaneous)
• [EXPERIMENTAL] [DESKTOP] [18362+] Experimental 10Mica support! (it's basically Mica but on Windows 10; you can enable it in Settings > Miscellaneous)
• [EXPERIMENTAL] [DESKTOP] [20348+] Added support for recognizing audio from a specific process
• [EXPERIMENTAL] Showing animated track covers, if available, as synced lyrics page background
• Added some easter eggs
• Added support for romanized korean translation for lyrics
• Fixed track downloading
• Fixed the built-in myTube! player and YouTube playback
• Fixed loopback audio (system audio output) recording on 5.1 speakers (thanks to Ryken) [hopefully, not tested yet]
• Synced lyrics improvements
• General fixes and improvements

You can download the FlairMax Beta application on the Microsoft Store. Speaking of Microsoft Store, the Windows app store received a major update last night.

Windows 10 just got its first UWP Mica app on Microsoft Store

This feature was reportedly demonstrated at a recent internal meeting at Microsoft. It stated that putting in AI features in Minecraft is more difficult than it first sounds. Some tasks in the sandbox game can be done in more than one way, and it's even possible the AI model could come up with new ways to accomplish tasks in the game. A video showing a previous Minecraft AI demo was later posted on Twitter by "WalkingCat"

The article states that there are no current plans to add this method of AI control in a public version of Minecraft. However, it does point out that this game has been used in the past by AI researchers because it is so open ended. Indeed, OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT and partners with Microsoft on developing the Bing chatbot, published an article in June 2022 on its own AI research into Minecraft. Using tens of thousands of hours of Minecraft gameplay videos as a basis, OpenAI was able to use its AI tech to accomplish complicated tasks in the game.

Microsoft reportedly testing AI commands in a version of Minecraft

What is new in Microsoft Edge 111 Beta?

Here is the official changelog:

New Features:

• Enhanced security mode improvements. Enhanced security mode now supports WebAssembly for macOS x64 and Linux x64. More cross-platform (ARM64) support is expected in the future. For more information, see Browse more safely with Microsoft Edge.

• New policy to clear IE mode data on browser exit. The InternetExplorerModeClearDataOnExitEnabled policy controls whether browsing history is deleted from Internet Explorer and Internet Explorer mode every time Microsoft Edge is closed. Users can also configure this setting in the 'Clear browsing data for Internet Explorer' option in the Privacy, search, and services menu of Settings (edge://settings/privacy).

   

Policy updates:

• InternetExplorerModeClearDataOnExitEnabled - Clear history for IE and IE mode every time you exit
• MouseGestureEnabled - Mouse Gesture Enabled
• PrintPreviewStickySettings - Configure the sticky print preview settings

Another notable change in Microsoft Edge 111 Beta is the removal of the flag responsible for the Mica effect on the toolbar and tab strip. Microsoft does not explain why it has decided to ditch the improved visuals; maybe this has something to do with the upcoming browser rejuvenation with rounded corners, Split Screen (now available in Edge Stable), and other features.

You can download Microsoft Edge 111 Beta from the official Edge Insider website. The release will arrive in the Stable Channel on the week of March 9, 2023.

Microsoft Edge 111 is now available in Beta with improved security and changed visuals

• New! We added an advanced auto-learning feature for facial recognition.
• We fixed an issue that stopped hyperlinks from working in Microsoft Excel.
• We fixed an issue that affected the colour filters setting. When you selected Inverted, the system set it to Grayscale instead.
• We fixed an issue that affected the Appx State Repository. When you removed a user profile, the cleanup was incomplete. Because of that, its database grew as time passes. This growth might have caused delays when users signed into multi-user environments like FSLogix.
• We provided support for the United Mexican States’ daylight-saving time change order for 2023.
• We fixed an issue that affected IE mode. The text on the status bar was not always visible.
• We fixed an issue that affected the Z-order of two maximized windows. A window that was behind another window might have appeared on top.
• We fixed an issue that affected AppV. It stopped file names from having the correct letter case (uppercase or lowercase).
• We fixed an issue that affected Microsoft Edge. The issue removed conflicting policies for Microsoft Edge. This occurred when you set the MDMWinsOverGPFlag in a Microsoft Intune tenant and Intune detected a policy conflict.
• We fixed an issue that affected Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). Using a provisioning package for bulk provisioning failed.
• We fixed an issue that affected a certain streaming app. The issue stopped video playback after an advertisement played in the app.
• We fixed an issue that affected the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). LSASS might have stopped responding after you ran Sysprep on a domain-joined machine.
• We fixed an issue that affected parity virtual disks. Using Server Manager to create them failed.

Windows 11 Release Preview Build 22000.1639 launched with new facial recognition feature

There's quite a lot to report with this new version so let's get to it:

What’s new

New Widgets: Messenger, Spotify, Phone Link, and Game Pass

We are beginning to roll out support for new preview widgets for Messenger, Spotify, Phone Link, and Xbox (Game Pass) to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel. To give them a try, go to the widgets collection in the Microsoft Store and update to the latest version of the apps. Then open the widgets board and navigate to the widgets picker by clicking the “+” button at the top-right of the board to pin your widgets.

As you give these and other new widgets a try, please let us know what you think through the Widgets feedback link in the widgets picker. You should expect to see additional new widgets as more developers create and release widgets for their apps.

With the release of Windows App SDK 1.2 developers are now able to create widgets for their apps. Users can access these experiences on their Windows 11 widgets board in current Dev Channel Insider Preview builds. If you’re interested in developing a widget, watch our latest tutorial video:

New commercial policy: Enable features introduced via servicing that are off by default

This new policy enables commercial customers to enable features introduced via servicing (outside of the annual feature update) that are off by default for devices that have their Windows updates managed. Windows update managed devices are those that have their Windows updates managed via policy; whether via the cloud using Windows Update for Business or on-premises with Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). Learn more about this new policy here.

Changes and Improvements in 22623.1325

[Start menu]

For devices that are Azure Active Directory (AAD) joined, we are personalizing your experience by delivering AI-powered recommended content within your Start menu. When you open the Start menu, you will find related content to help you prepare for upcoming meetings, quickly access files you’re collaborating on, and more.

Fixes in Build 22623.1325

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed an issue that was causing taskbar to be cut off after resolution changes.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1325 & Build 22623.1325

• We fixed compatibility issues that affected some printers. Those printers used Windows Graphical Device Interface (GDI) printer drivers. Those drivers did not completely adhere to GDI specifications.
• We fixed a reliability issue that occurred when you used Task View.
• We fixed an issue that affected copying from a network to a local drive. Copying was slower than expected for some users.
• We provided support for the United Mexican States’ daylight-saving time change order for 2023.
• We fixed a date information issue. It affected the format of dates sent between Windows and some versions of the Heimdal Kerberos library.
• We fixed an issue that affected provisioning packages. They failed to apply in certain circumstances when elevation was required.
• We fixed an issue that affected which folders appeared in the Browse for Folder picker.
• We fixed an issue that affected File Explorer. When you used Shift + Tab or Shift + F6, the input focus did not move.
• We fixed an issue that affected the user interface (UI). The volume up and volume down commands from a Bluetooth keyboard did not display.
• We improved the reliability of Windows after you installed an update.
• We fixed an issue that might have affected lsass.exe. It might have stopped responding when it sent a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query to a domain controller that had a very large LDAP filter.
• We fixed an issue that affected Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). Using a provisioning package for bulk provisioning failed.
• We fixed an issue that affected the software keyboard. It did not appear in the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) after a Push-button reset (factory reset). This type of reset required an external keyboard to be attached to provide credentials.
• We fixed an issue that affected AppV. It stopped file names from having the correct letter case (uppercase or lowercase).
• We fixed an issue that affected Universal Print’s Configuration Service Provider (CSP). A command prompt window appeared when you installed a printer.
• We fixed an issue that might have affected the touch keyboard and the PIN entry keyboard. You might not have been able to use them to enter text when you signed in to your device.
• We fixed an issue that displayed a blue screen during video playback. This occurred after you set high dynamic range (HDR) on your display.
• We fixed an issue that affected parity virtual disks. Using Server Manager to create them failed
• We fixed an issue that affected IE mode. The text on the status bar was not always visible.
• We fixed an issue that affected the colour filters setting. When you selected Inverted, the system set it to Grayscale instead.
• We fixed an issue that affected Microsoft Edge. The issue removed conflicting policies for Microsoft Edge. This occurred when you set the MDMWinsOverGPFlag in a Microsoft Intune tenant and Intune detected a policy conflict.
• We fixed an issue that affected the Appx State Repository. When you removed a user profile, the cleanup was incomplete. Because of that, its database grew as time passes. This growth might have caused delays when users signed in to multi-user environments like FSLogix.

Windows 11 Insider Preview Beta builds (KB5022914) launched with new widgets and more

If one isn't comfortable going about tweaking things themselves with it, they could also opt for Tiny11, which was released a couple of weeks ago. This stripped-down Windows 11 Pro 22H2 mod requires 8GB of install space and 2GB of system memory.

Yesterday, the mod was released for ARM64 devices as well, however, the developer noted that something was blocking its installation, and as such a workaround was provided:

So apparently there is an issue with tiny11 for arm64 where it says that the installation cannot be completed on the system's hardware. While I try fixing the problem, in the meantime you can hit shift+F10 and type msoobe, and it should bypass the error.

Upon further digging, the NTDEV, who has created Tiny11, noticed that it was Internet Explorer which was apparently blocking the installation of the mod, by causing issues for the Sysprep. Sysprep is the generalization of a Windows 11 installation image that allows it to install on different PCs by removing the system specific information.

It is interesting as Internet Explorer, even though it's dead now, blocked the installation of Tiny11 since some components of the browser are still alive deep down. The title of this article is for comedic purposes only and we do not accredit the blocking of Tiny11 since the mod isn't known to be of malicious nature. While we don't say it is a must-install replacement for Windows 11 as Tiny11, like any other mod, is a fun experiment to play around with and should be treated as such.

Tiny11, no matter how tiny, couldn't slip past Microsoft's dead Internet Explorer

And although not totally related, many users across various online forums are reporting about driver update failures when trying to install them via the Windows Update. Such affected users say they are encountering driver update failures with the error code "0x80070103". The issue seems to be affecting Surface devices, though other reports show all sorts of drivers, from Realtek. to Intel, to Dolby, to Dell, and many more, are failing to install, all exhibiting similar symptoms, ie, failing with the 0x80070103 error. The error message essentially says "Install error - 0x80070103" with an option to "Retry" the installation of the failed update.

It is believed that [beware! connection not secure] this error is displayed when Windows Update tries to install a previous version or less compatible version of an already installed driver. Intel however recommends fixing the issue using Windows Update Troubleshooter.

Via: Barb Bowman (Twitter)

Windows 11 22H2 driver updates are failing left and right with 0x80070103 error

In the first phase of DCOM hardening during June 2021, it was disabled by default and you had to enable it using Windows Registry keys. Then in June 2022, Microsoft rolled out updates to enable it by default with the option to disable it. In November 2022, it had to issue some updates to cater to customer feedback. Now, after the course of almost two years, DCOM hardening changes will become enabled by default from March 14, 2023 (Patch Tuesday), and there will be no option to disable them.

Knowing about this mandatory change and catering to it is important, especially for enterprise customers. The modification can cause interoperability issues between networked devices, so if you were disabling it up until now to bypass issues, now might be the time to work towards a more permanent solution.

If you haven't installed the hardening updates from 2022, now is the time to do so to test your Windows and Windows Server environments. Alternatively, if for some reason, you'd rather not install Patch Tuesday updates from last year, you can still make the DCOM changes by doing the following:

• Enable DCOM Hardening: Set the RequireIntegrityActivationAuthenticationLevel registry key to 1 for all DCOM servers
• Raise Authentication Level: Set the RaiseActivationAuthenticationLevel registry key to 2 for all Windows-based DCOM clients

If you run into any issues, Microsoft has recommended reaching out to the associated client or server software vendor as soon as possible.

Microsoft is making DCOM hardening mandatory on Windows 10, 11, and Server soon

The full release notes are given below:

• We fixed an issue that stopped hyperlinks from working in Microsoft Excel.
• We fixed an issue that affected the Appx State Repository. When you removed a user profile, the cleanup was incomplete. Because of that, its database grew as time passes. This growth might have caused delays when users signed into multi-user environments like FSLogix.
• We provided support for the United Mexican States’ daylight-saving time change order for 2023.
• We fixed a resource conflict issue between two or more threads (known as a deadlock). This deadlock affected COM+ applications.
• We fixed an issue that affected IE mode. The text on the status bar was not always visible.
• We fixed an issue that affected cbs.log. This issue logged messages that were not error messages in cbs.log.
• We improved how the Remove-Item cmdlet worked for Microsoft OneDrive folders.
• We fixed an issue that affected AppV. It stopped file names from having the correct letter case (uppercase or lowercase).
• We fixed an issue that affected Microsoft Edge. The issue removed conflicting policies for Microsoft Edge. This occurred when you set the MDMWinsOverGPFlag in a Microsoft Intune tenant and Intune detected a policy conflict.
• We fixed an issue that affected Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). Using a provisioning package for bulk provisioning failed.
• We fixed an issue that affected a certain streaming app. The issue stopped video playback after an advertisement played in the app.
• We fixed an issue that affected MSInfo.exe. It did not correctly report the enforcement status of the Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) user mode policy.
• We fixed accessibility issues. They affected Narrator on the Settings home page.
• We fixed an issue that affected the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). LSASS might have stopped responding after you ran Sysprep on a domain-joined machine.
• We fixed an issue that affected virtual machines (VM). They stopped responding when you added a new disk to a storage pool in thin provisioning scenarios.

You can find the official blog post here.

Windows 10 Release Preview (KB5022906) has fixes for OneDrive and Edge

Microsoft is currently working on the ability to end tasks directly from Windows 11 Taskbar. Instead of going to the Task Manager to end the task, you will be able to end it by right-clicking on the app icon in the Taskbar. In other words, you will be able to end tasks precisely the way you close an app or program from Taskbar on Windows 11.

Twitter user @PhantomOfEarth has spotted the feature on the recently-released Windows 11 Dev Channel Insider build 25300. However, the ability to end tasks directly from the Taskbar is currently hidden in the Dev Channel build. Usually, you can enable hidden features in Windows 11 by using ViveTool, but the new End task option is an exception here.

However, the new way to end a task may start to work anytime after you enable it by using the ViveTool. If you are a Windows 11 Insider running build 25300 and are intrigued by the new functionality, you can follow the below steps to enable it on your PC.

1. Download ViveTool GUI from GitHub.
2. Install the app.
3. Open the app and search for feature ID 42592269.
4. Enable it.

After following the above steps, you may see it in action anytime. However, there is a reason Microsoft has not released it to Insiders: the new End task in the right-click menu is too buggy to be released for the Windows 11 Dev Channel Insiders.

The new way to end tasks directly from Windows 11 Taskbar will eventually come to Stable Windows 11. So, if you are not too enthusiastic about it, you can wait until it becomes available to everyone.

Windows 11 will offer the quickest way to fix a program when it’s not responding

Windows 11 Insider Preview build 25300 for Dev Channel has an early version of Unicode 15 emojis. The new set of emojis, however, are currently hidden in the recently released Dev Channel Insider build, as spotted by Twitter user @PhantomOfEarth. And as you may know, there is an easy way to enable hidden features in Windows 11.

Unlike the new way of ending tasks from the Windows 11 Taskbar, Emoji 15 by Unicode works on Windows 11 if you enable it via ViveTool. However, do not expect it to be as polished as you would like because this is an early preview. If you are running the latest Windows 11 Dev Channel Insider build, you can follow the steps below to enable Emoji 15 on your PC.

1. Download ViveTool GUI from GitHub.
2. Install the app.
3. Open the app and search for feature ID 40213648.
4. Enable it.

Unicode 15 includes 21 new emojis, and if you count all the skin tones, the number stands at 31. Some of the new emojis include Jellyfish, Ginger, Hair Pick, Flute, and more. You can see the complete list of new emojis, you can visit the Emojipedia website.

In the coming months, Microsoft will eventually bring Unicode 15 emojis to a stable Windows 11 update. The Unicode 15 standard could either become available via Moment updates or the Windows Web Experience pack. If you think it is too minor of a feature, wait for a couple of months, and it should be available to every Windows 11 user.

If you are updated to the Windows 11 Dev Channel Insider build, will you enable Emoji 15 on your PC via ViveTool? Let us know in the comments section.

Support for Emoji 15 available for Windows 11, here is how to enable it

In an advisory published earlier today, VMware has explained the symptoms of the issue so you can identify it.

Symptoms

After installing Windows Server 2022 update KB5022842 (OS Build 20348.1547), guest OS can not boot up when virtual machine(s) configured with secure boot enabled running on vSphere ESXi 6.7 U2/U3 or vSphere ESXi 7.0.x.

In VM vmware.log, there is ‘Image DENIED’ info like the below:

2023-02-15T05:34:31.379Z In(05) vcpu-0 - SECUREBOOT: Signature: 0 in db, 0 in dbx, 1 unrecognized, 0 unsupported alg.
2023-02-15T05:34:31.379Z In(05) vcpu-0 - Hash: 0 in db, 0 in dbx.
2023-02-15T05:34:31.379Z In(05) vcpu-0 - SECUREBOOT: Image DENIED.

To identify the location of vmware.log files:

1. Establish an SSH session to your host. For ESXi hosts
2. Log in to the ESXi Host CLI using root account.
3. To list the locations of the configuration files for the virtual machines registered on the host, run the below command:

   #vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms | grep -i "VM_Name"

    

4. The vmware.log file is located in virtual machine folder along with the vmx file.
5. Record the location of the .vmx configuration file for the virtual machine you are troubleshooting. For example:

   /vmfs/volumes/xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxx-c1d2-111122223333/vm1/vm1.vmx
   /vmfs/volumes/xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxx-c1d2-111122223333/vm1/vmware.log

Unfortunately, the issue has no fix at the moment though a workaround does exist which involves upgrading to the vSphere ESXi version 8.0:

Resolution

Currently there is no resolution for virtual machines running on vSphere ESXi 6.7 U2/U3 and vSphere ESXi 7.0.x. However the issue doesn't exist with virtual machines running on vSphere ESXi 8.0.x.

Workaround

There are three methods to avoid this issue

1. Upgrade the ESXi Host where the virtual machine in question is running to vSphere ESXi 8.0
2. Disable "Secure Boot" on the VMs.
3. Do not install the KB5022842 patch on any Windows 2022 Server virtual machine until the issue is resolved.

You may find more details about the issue on the VMware's support article here.

Many thanks for the tip Squuiid!

More Patch Tuesday troubles ensue as Secure Boot breaks on VMware leading to boot fails

The first official solution is specifically for the Arm-based versions of Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Enterprise and only for Apple's M1 and M2 Mac PCs in a VM (virtual hardware) mode. You will have to use Parallels Desktop version 18, which first launched back in August 2022. In a separate FAQ section, Microsoft points out the many limitations of running Windows 11 Arm on these Macs. That includes not being able to run Windows apps or games that use DirectX 12 or OpenGL3.3, along with no support for the Android or Linux Subsystems.

The other authorized solution for Windows 11 on Macs is to sign up for Microsoft 365. You can then connect your Mac to a Microsoft server, where you can run a cloud-based version of Windows 11. Obviously, this requires both an Internet connection as well as a subscription to the Microsoft 365 Business Cloud PC service, which starts at $31 a month per user.

Microsoft supports Parallels Desktop for running Windows 11 Arm on Apple M1 and M2 Macs

AI is the new technology trend for 2023, and Microsoft is certainly going all in for AI with its new Bing chatbot. Now, a new report from Windows Central says AI features will be coming to another Microsoft product, Windows 11. Specifically, the report says the OS may get AI-assisted additions for its Snap Assist feature.

The report, citing unnamed sources, states Microsoft is working to add a feature that will allow Windows 11 to remember snap layouts for apps so that users can quickly go back to them instead of having to set them up themselves every time.

Another new feature that's reportedly in the works will let users search for apps in the snap suggestions interface. The report says this will use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to find the right app, via a word or image they are searching for.

Finally, Windows Central says Microsoft is experimenting with allowing Snap Assist to dynamically change the app percent ratio. It offers an example of two apps snapped together, one with 70 percent of the display and the other with 30 percent. The new feature would allow a person to click on the app with the 30 percent view, and it would then switch and command 70 percent of the layout's screen.

All of these new features may or may not be added in future Windows 11 builds. However, it's clear that Microsoft is trying to use AI to make Snap Assist better for power users to save them some time. We have already seen some small improvements in Windows 11 Insider builds, including reducing the hover time for the feature, and adding an app icon and description.

Windows 11 Snap Assist may get some AI features like saving snap layouts in the future

Tiny11 for ARM64 allows installing debloated Windows 11 on low-powered devices, such as Raspberry Pi4. Also, you can use it on ARM-powered Windows machines or Apple Silicon-based Macs. The project might also come in handy when experimenting with swapping Android with Windows on the Surface Duo that recently received a new set of drivers.

The developer behind Tiny11 aims to deliver a comfortable computing experience "without bloat and clutter" of a standard Windows installation. The mod requires significantly less drive space and offers reduced resource consumption without notable trade-offs that can cripple your workflows.

Important: Like the stock Windows 11, Tiny11 requires activation with a genuine license key. You can activate the operating system with any Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, or 7 key made for the Professional SKU (the project is built upon Windows 11 2022 Update Professional). Those interested in using Tiny11 on their primary machines should also consider all potential implications and risks of installing modified software. Learn more about Tiny11 in the recently published mini-FAQ.

You can download Tiny11 for ARM64 from the Internet Archive, and the standard version for "regular" computers is available here.

Update: If you get an error saying the installation cannot complete, press Shift + F10 and type msoobe to bypass the issue.

Tiny11 brings debloated Windows 11 to ARM64 devices