Microsoft is using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a feature that will suggest files in Teams chat. While this feature is expected to arrive in February, it has launched a less controversial Teams feature in the meantime to allow users to collect a "broader range and volume of feedback more quickly and effectively."

Teams users will be able to launch Multi-Question polls during Teams meetings to "gather different types of feedback about the same topic or feedback about different but related topics," starting today. Prior to this, Teams users had to create multiple polls ahead of time and then launch them at different times during the meeting. But now, thanks to Multi-Question polls, you can do both -- bundle multiple polls and launch them at the same time and launch different poll types at different times during the meeting.

However, there is a limit to how many questions you can add in a multi-question poll. According to the official blog post, you can include a maximum of nine questions in Multi-Question polls. If you are a participant in these types of polls, you need to remember the following:

Responses to all questions are submitted when all answers have been provided and the Submit button has been clicked – not one at a time.

The Multi-Question polls feature for Teams is now available in the Polls app for Teams. You can find the app on Microsoft Teams app store. However, the functionality is limited to Business and Education subscribers only, just like the ability to launch an instant poll that Microsoft launched a few days ago.

Microsoft Teams gets a new feature to let users gather a "broad range of feedback"

Improvements (applies to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1)

This security-only update includes new improvements for the following issue:

• By order of the Fijian government, Fiji will not observe daylight saving time (DST) in 2022. Therefore, clocks do not change by an hour at 02:00 on November 13, 2022.
• A memory leak in the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS.exe) occurs on Windows domain controllers. This issue is known to occur after installing Windows updates dated November 8, 2022, or later.

For more information about the resolved security vulnerabilities, please refer to the Deployments | Security Update Guide and the August 2022 Security Updates.

Known issues in this update (Windows 7 only)

This Windows 7 update is not available via Windows Update. The best way to get it would be to download it through the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Known issues in this update (Windows 8.1 only)

The Windows 8.1 update is also unavailable via Windows Update, but you can grab that via Microsoft Update Catalog too.

Microsoft outs Windows 7 (KB5021291) and Windows 8.1 (KB5021294) December 2022 Patch Tuesday

The release notes for these updates are as follows:

Highlights (22H2)

• This update addresses a known issue that might affect Task Manager. It might display certain elements in the user interface (UI) in unexpected colours. Some parts of the UI might not be readable. This issue might occur if you have "Choose your mode" set to "Custom" in the Personalization > colours section of Settings.
• This update addresses security issues for your Windows operating system.
• New! It gives Microsoft OneDrive subscribers storage alerts on the Systems page in the Settings app. The alerts appear when you are close to your storage limit. You can also manage your storage and purchase additional storage, if needed.
• New! It provides the full amount of the storage capacity of all your OneDrive subscriptions. It also displays the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.
• New! It combines Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page. This makes it easier for you to discover and turn on the Windows Spotlight feature.
• It addresses an issue that affects some modern applications. It stops them from opening.
• It addresses a known issue that affects the Input Method Editor (IME). Certain applications might stop responding. This occurs when you use keyboard shortcuts to change the input mode of the IME.
• It addresses an issue that causes File Explorer to stop working. This occurs when you close context menus and menu items.
• It addresses an issue that might cause certain apps to stop responding. This occurs when you use the Open File dialog.
• It addresses the suspension of daylight saving time (DST) in the Republic of Fiji for this year.

Improvements

• This update addresses an issue that might affect Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) decryption. The decryption of a certificate private key might fail. Because of this, virtual private network (VPN) and other 802.1 certificate-based authentication might fail. This issue might occur when you encrypt the DPAPI master key with a wrong value.
• New! It gives Microsoft OneDrive subscribers storage alerts on the Systems page in the Settings app. The alerts appear when you are close to your storage limit. You can also manage your storage and purchase additional storage, if needed.
• New! It provides the full amount of the storage capacity of all your OneDrive subscriptions. It also displays the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.
• New! It combines Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page. This makes it easier for you to discover and turn on the Windows Spotlight feature.
• New! It adds a new mobile device management (MDM) policy for organizational messages. It gives your company the option to enroll tenant devices so that they receive custom messages from you. For example, you can use Intune to write the messages. They will render within Windows.
• It addresses an issue that affects some modern applications. It stops them from opening.
• It addresses an issue that affects some devices that are managed by an enterprise. We improve the reliability of app installations for them.
• It addresses the suspension of daylight saving time (DST) in the Republic of Fiji for this year.
• It addresses an issue that affects Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) authentication hardening. We will automatically raise the authentication level for all non-anonymous activation requests from DCOM clients to RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_INTEGRITY. This occurs if the authentication level is below Packet Integrity.
• It addresses an issue that affects Unified Update Platform (UUP) on-premises customers. It removes the block that stops them from getting offline language packs.
• It addresses an issue that affects process creation. It fails to create security audits for it and other related audit events.
• It addresses an issue that affects cluster name objects (CNO) or virtual computer objects (VCO). Password reset fails. The error message is, " There was an error resetting the AD password... // 0x80070005”.
• It addresses an issue that affects transparency in layered windows. This occurs when you are in High Definition remote applications integrated locally (RAIL) mode.
• It addresses a known issue that affects the Input Method Editor (IME). Certain applications might stop responding. This occurs when you use keyboard shortcuts to change the input mode of the IME.
• It addresses an issue that affects microphone streams that use the Listen To feature to route to the speaker endpoint. The microphone stops working after you restart the device.
• It addresses an issue that might affect applications that run on the Windows Lock Down Policy (WLDP). They might stop working.
• It addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Defender when it is not the primary antivirus. Microsoft Defender fails to turn off passive mode. This issue occurs when you turn off Smart App Control (SAC).
• It adds .wcx to the list of Dangerous Extensions that some app control policies do not allow.
• It addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Automated investigation blocks live response investigations.
• It addresses an issue that affects printing in landscape mode in Microsoft Edge. The print output is incorrect. This issue occurs when you use Microsoft Defender Application Guard.
• It addresses an issue that causes File Explorer to stop working. This occurs when you close context menus and menu items.
• It addresses an issue that might cause certain apps to stop responding. This occurs when you use the Open File dialog.
• It addresses an issue that sometimes affects File Explorer when you open a file. Because of this issue, there is high CPU usage.
• It addresses an issue that affects protocol activation of the Settings app. The app fails to open a page under the Accounts category.
• It addresses an issue that affects a computer account. Use of non-standard characters can stop the cleanup of the Out of Box Experience (OOBE) accounts.
• It addresses an issue that affects the CopyFile function. It might sometimes return error 317: ERROR_MR_MID_NOT_FOUND.
• It addresses an issue that affects the Windows Firewall service. It does not start when you turn on the Override block rules option.
• It addresses an issue that affects the performance of some games and applications. This issue is related to GPU performance debugging features.
• It addresses an issue that affects cumulative update installations. They fail, and the error code is 0x800f0806.

Highlights (21H2)

• This update addresses security issues for your Windows operating system.
• It addresses some persistent update failures for the Microsoft Store.
• It addresses an issue that affects pinned apps on the Start menu. The Start menu stops working when you move between pages of pinned apps. This issue occurs when the language is a right to left (RTL) language.
• It addresses the suspension of daylight saving time (DST) in the Republic of Fiji for this year.

Improvements

• This update addresses an issue that affects remote networks. This issue stops you from reconnecting to them using DirectAccess.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) decryption. The decryption of a certificate private key might fail. Because of this, virtual private network (VPN) and other 802.1 certificate-based authentication might fail. This issue might occur when you encrypt the DPAPI master key with a wrong value.
• New! It provides the Quick Assist application for your client device.
• New! It provides a way to authenticate Azure Active Directory joined devices to determine if they are on a trusted network. This helps the Windows Defender Firewall to apply the right policies as configured by your organization. This feature is only for enterprise customers. An IT administrator must configure this feature using a mobile device management (MDM) policy. For more information on how to configure a configuration service provider (CSP), see Policy CSP – NetworkListManager.
• It addresses some persistent update failures for the Microsoft Store.
• It addresses the suspension of daylight saving time (DST) in the Republic of Fiji for this year.
• It addresses an issue that affects some devices that are managed by an enterprise. It improves the reliability of app installations for them.
• It addresses an issue that affects Unified Update Platform (UUP) on-premises customers. It removes the block that stops them from getting offline language packs.
• It addresses an issue that affects cluster name objects (CNO) or virtual computer objects (VCO). Password reset fails. The error message is, " There was an error resetting the AD password... // 0x80070005”.
• It addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Direct3D 9 (D3D9). It causes D3D9 to stop working when you use Microsoft Remote Desktop.
• It addresses an issue that affects the Windows Firewall service. It does not start when you turn on the Override block rules option.
• It addresses an issue that might affect applications that run on the Windows Lock Down Policy (WLDP). They might stop working.
• It addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Automated investigation blocks live response investigations.
• It addresses an issue that affects TextInputHost.exe. It stops responding.
• It addresses an issue that affects pinned apps on the Start menu. The Start menu stops working when you move between pages of pinned apps. This issue occurs when the language is a right to left (RTL) language.

Windows 11 servicing stack update – 22000.898 (22H2) / 22000.1270 (21H2)

This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates.

Known issues in this update (22H2)

Known issues in this update (21H2)

There’s nothing you need to do to get these updates, just make sure Windows Update is on and fetching updates, and they'll be installed automatically. If you need the update package to install offline, just head over to the Microsoft Update Catalog (22H2/21H2) and grab the appropriate file for your computer.

December Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11 22H2 (KB5021255) and 21H2 (KB5021234) out now

The major highlight of the release is security updates for Windows 10 as well as a bugfix for the Camera app.

Highlights

This update addresses an issue that affects the Camera app. The app stops responding when memory is low.

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.

Windows 10 December 2022 Patch Tuesday (KB5021233) out — here's what's new and what's broke

There were hints along the way too. After a servicing pipeline update in early November, there was a pretty long hiatus where no Dev Channel build was released for a very long time (for nearly a month) relatively speaking as generally, there are one, and very rarely even two Dev builds, in a week. This was eventually followed up by the Windows Server build 25246 and Windows 11 build 25247 in the client space which marked the beginning of the Zinc semester.

Over on the release cadence side, Microsoft has moved from its yearly Windows 11 feature update cycle to the new three-four-month phased rollout approach, which it internally refers to as "moments". The company looks pretty committed and serious about the upcoming moment update releases. Recently, a couple of internal test IDs were leaked which may belong to the upcoming Moment 3 and Moment 4 releases. These are expected to roll out next year. The latest Dev build 25262 also apparently has these velocity feature IDs enabled by default which suggests we will start receiving new features soon.

Via: Albacore (Twitter)

Microsoft quietly stomps into Windows 11 Zinc development semester

Microsoft says it will be a gradual rollout and if you don't find it immediately, there is nothing to be anxious about.

Build 25227 Widgets experiment

Although not exactly the same thing, it looks like a part of that change will now be available to the public. There is a home button now, a video button, though it looks different from the one that was in Build 25227 before (image above). It replaces the section where previously time was displayed and clicking on the section loads up MSN weather news.

In the side by side images below, you can notice the change more clearly. You may find more details on Widgets on Microsoft's official website.

Older widget

Newer widget header

Aside from this, Microsoft is also making other changes to Widgets. Introduced in the latest Dev channel build 25262, users can now now use Widgets without a mandatory Microsoft Account (MSA) sign-in.

Microsoft updates Windows 11 Widgets and they're heading to 21H2 users too

Microsoft released Windows 10 21H1 in May 2021. It was a minor feature update with only two notable changes: multicamera support for Windows Hello and improved performance for Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Group Policy Service (GPSVC). There were no new features for regular consumers as Microsoft was busy preparing Windows 11 for its public unveiling.

Like all Windows versions released in the first half of a year, Windows 10 21H1 received only 18 months of support. The successor to version 21H1, 21H2, will remain supported until June 13, 2023.

Windows 10 21H1 is not the only Windows version heading into the sunset. Microsoft will soon stop issuing extended security updates for Windows 7 and pull the plug on Windows 8.1. The company plans to end support of those two old Windows versions in January 2023.

Those still using Windows 10 21H1 should upgrade to newer Windows 10 versions or migrate to Windows 11, which has already received many new features and improvements. If you are not ready to embrace Microsoft's latest operating systems with its controversial changes, Windows 10 21H2 and 22H2 (with 'a limited set' of productivity features) are here to save the day. They do not offer new features, nor do they change hardware requirements, and the upgrade will take only a few minutes.

Windows 10 version 21H1 reaches its end of support

Aside from that, the latest update also features many many changes, fixes, and improvements. For example, Files App on Windows 10 now has the Windows 11-style grid and details layout with rounded corners. So in case you are still a Windows 10 user and like the look and feel of Windows 11, you could try this update.

New Windows 11-styled rounded corner Grid and Details layout in Files v2.4

The full changelog may be the biggest we have seen from any recent Files update. You can find the full release notes below on the app's GitHub page (linked at the end of the article) but here are the main improvements and fixes:

Changes in v2.4**

• Added support for changing the default layout mode
• Added support for changing the default sorting and grouping options
• Added a tooltip with storage information when hovering over drives
• Added an extract archive button to the toolbar when viewing archives
• Fixed issue where the default file manager option would affect other user accounts
• Fixed issue where sidebar icons were blurry
• Added menu option to compress items into archive
• Display recent searches when clicking on the search box
• Display error message when shortcut target cannot be found
• Added option to set the default column sizes in the details layout
• Fixed issue where right click didn't always select the file/folder hovered over
• Auto select the folder option on the add item dialog
• Added setting to select files and folders on mouse hover
• Updated the listview/gridview styles on Windows 10
• Display prompt when user doesn't have permission to access a folder
• Added support for creating and extracting password protected archives

You can download the Files App version 2.4 from Microsoft Store. The same is also available on GitHub.

Files App goes from UWP to WinAppSDK, some Window 10 features get the Windows 11 touch

What is new in Radeon Software 22.12.1:

• Support for Radeon™ RX 7900 Series Graphics.

The latest AMD drive comes with known issues AMD will fix in future updates:

• Corruption may be encountered when using Virtual Super Resolution with multi-display configurations [Resolution targeted for 22.12.2].
• A system crash may be observed when changing display modes with 4 display configurations [Resolution targeted for 22.12.2].
• High idle power has situationally been observed when using select high resolution and high refresh rate displays.
• Intermittent app crashes or driver timeout may occur when using Radeon Super Resolution with some extended display configurations.
• Video stuttering or performance drop may be observed during gameplay plus video playback with some extended display configurations.
• Stuttering may be observed in UNCHARTED™ 4: A Thief’s End during the opening game sequence.
• While loading Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales™ an app crash or driver timeout may occur after enabling ray tracing settings [Resolution targeted for 22.12.2].

The driver supports 64-bit versions of Windows 10 (1809 and newer) and Windows 11 (21H2 and newer). There is no 32-bit support, and the release does not support Windows 7 and 8.1. Another thing to note is that new AMD Radeon Software 22.12.1 is compatible only withthe RX 7900 Series graphics cards. The most recent driver for other AMD GPUs (both discrete and integrated) is 22.11.2.

You can download AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 22.12.1 for AMD Radeon RX 7900 Series from the official AMD website.

AMD 22.12.1 driver is out for lucky RX 7900 Series owners

On Friday, Simeon Vincent, who is in charge of developer relations for Chrome extensions, acknowledged the complaints from developers in a post on the Chromium extensions developer forum.

He posted:

"As we head towards Manifest V3 migration, we are intently monitoring comments from the developer community to help inform our timelines. We’ve heard your feedback on common challenges posed by the migration, specifically the service worker’s inability to use DOM capabilities and the current hard limit on extension service worker lifetimes. We’re mitigating the former with the Offscreen Documents API (added in Chrome 109) and are actively pursuing a solution to the latter."

Vincent added that Google is committed to helping developers overcome challenges with the new Manifest V3 API, and will provide them with new functionality, bug fixes, and enough time to make the transition. As a result, the company has decided to postpone its plan to disable Manifest V2 extensions in pre-release versions of Chrome, which are used by developers, and is also reconsidering its timeline for further changes. He further added that an update on these plans will be provided in March of next year, and the goal will be to give developers enough time to update and test their extensions before disabling Manifest V2.

Google has been updating the way extensions work in Chrome and its open-source Chromium foundation because the old API, called Manifest V2 (MV2), was easily abused and could negatively impact browser performance. The new API, called Manifest V3 (MV3), is supposed to be more secure and perform better, but it does not support certain capabilities that are commonly used by ad blocking, content blocking, and privacy extensions.

Despite objections from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Google has maintained that MV3 is necessary and that it plans to support common use cases like content blocking with the new API. However, others, including the creator of uBlock Origin Raymond Hill and the CEO of Ghostery Jean-Paul Schmetz, have argued that MV3 is indeed harmful.

Developers of popular content-blocking extensions are working hard to make sure that users will have a similar experience when they switch to Manifest V3. AdGuard had also released its first experimental Manifest V3-based extension, which is significantly limited compared to the current version but shows that content blockers can still function after the switch to Manifest V3.

On the other hand, privacy-focused vendors like Brave and Mozilla plan to keep some of the capabilities that Google is removing or offer alternative options.

According to data from chrome-stats.com, only about 30,000 of the approximately 166,000 extensions in the Chrome Web Store have been converted from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3.

This means that only about 17.84% of all extensions in the store have been migrated. Even many of Google's own extensions have not yet been converted. If Google follows through with its plans to disable Manifest V2, the vast majority of extensions may stop working.

Google postpones switch to Manifest V3 again citing new features and unsquashed bugs

The developer team behind Microsoft Teams is currently working on a plethora of new features, which are to be rolled out in future updates, including a nifty integration between Teams and Outlook. Besides, the company is also putting artificial intelligence (AI) to use to develop another feature that will help users save a lot of time while sharing files in a Teams chat.

Microsoft is working on AI-based file suggestions in chat for Teams users. The company aims to make it easier for users to attach and send files, thus saving valuable time. The way it works is fairly simple and exactly the same as how suggested replies work in Teams chats.

Thanks to the implementation of AI, Teams will be able to detect when your conversations indicate sharing files and will surface them accordingly. Among the files shown to you, you will be able to choose the right one and send it with just one click. Although not confirmed, you should also have the option to ignore the suggestions if you think they are not helpful, exactly like how you can ignore suggested replies and type everything you want to say instead.

According to Microsoft 365 Roadmap, File suggestions for Teams chat will be available in February next year. But do not take Microsoft's word for it, as the company is notorious for promising something and then delaying or canceling it altogether. We will believe it when we see it.

Meanwhile, Teams users can benefit from some of the recently added features, including the ability to engage with their audience quickly, help better organize community events, and so much more.

If you are a Teams user, what are your favorite Teams features Microsoft added recently? Let us know in the comments section.

Microsoft Teams future update will make file sharing easy, thanks to AI

Linus Torvalds on Sunday announced the availability of Linux kernel 6.1 stable, the first version to bring initial Rust infrastructure, and says he's "much happier" about its state than he was a few weeks ago.

In October, during a Linux 6.1 release candidate, Torvalds complained about kernel developers submitting code at the last minute, comparing their submissions to students who "do an all-nighter to get the paper in the day before the deadline". 

While he's happier about the state of Linux 6.1, which arrived a week behind schedule, Torvalds is worried about the Linux 6.2 "merge window from hell, just before the holidays."

He reports being happy to find that developers took his gripes "to heart", with some having already submitted 6.2 pull requests, which should help counter the "awkward" pre-holidays merge window.

"So while delaying things for a week was the right thing to do, it does make the timing for the 6.2 merge window awkward," writes Torvalds.

"That said, I'm happy to report that people seem to have taken that to heart, and I already have two dozen pull requests pending for tomorrow in my inbox. And hopefully I'll get another batch overnight, so that I can try to really get as much of the merge window done with early. We all want to have a calm holiday season."

One of the early pull requests for 6.2 is a driver for Google's ChromeOS Human Presence Sensor (HPS), a hardware sensor that can detect the presence of one or more humans in front of a Chromebook. Via Phoronix, Google submitted the cros_hps_i2c kernel driver for ChromeOS HPS, which supports a sensor connected to the I2C bus. It's not known what sensor Google is planning for; the patch does mention a fingerprint sensor, but it could also include the use of a camera.

"When loaded, the driver exports the sensor to userspace through a character device. This device only supports power management, i.e., communication with the sensor must be done through regular I2C transmissions from userspace," Google explains in the patch.

"Power management is implemented by enabling the respective power GPIO while at least one userspace process holds an open fd on the character device. By default, the device is powered down if there are no active clients."

Google's device firmware, the I2C protocol and other documentation are available here. In March 2021, for the 10th anniversary of Chromebooks, Google announced its intent to use more sensors to personalize the Chromebook experience. As 9to5Google reported last September, Google has made some progress with HPS, which could help close a gap between Windows devices and Chromebooks – which, for example, lack a biometric sign-in feature such as Windows Hello. The ChromeOS devices could also lock automatically if the user is not present for a set time.

Torvalds still appears wary of tardy pull requests – and to ensure everyone has a "calm holiday season", he reiterated that he'll continue to be "pretty strict about the merge window rules."

"The rules are that the pull requests sent to me during the merge window should have been ready _before_ the merge window, and have seen some time in linux-next. No last-minute batch of experimental new development that hasn't been seen by our test automation."

Linux-next is a holding area for bleeding-edge kernel work and patches intended for the next kernel merge window.

In the name of a stress-free pre-holiday season, Torvalds says he will will drop any pull requests that come in late, or that look like they haven't been in Linux-next.

"So if you already realize that work hasn't been in linux-next, let's just all agree to not even send me the pull request at all, and we'll all be happy with the calm end-of-the-year season. Ok?," he writes.

Support for Rust in Linux 6.1 is a big milestone for the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which is based on the Linux kernel and now has 21% of its new code written in Rust. With Linux 6.1, Google's AOSP team is bringing memory-safety to the kernel beginning with kernel drivers.

Source

Firefox 108 is a security update, but it makes a few changes and improvements to the browser that are not security related. Windows 11 users get support for efficiency mode, which is designed to reduce the resource usage of background tabs, and all users may use Shift-Esc to open the Process Manager of the browser.

All Firefox development channels, Firefox Beta, Dev and Nightly, do get a version bump at around the same time. Firefox Beta and Dev move to version 109 and Firefox Nightly to version 110. Firefox for Android follows the stable channel's version, which means that it is also updated to version 108.

Executive Summary

• Firefox 108 is a security update.
• This version of Firefox is the last major release of 2022. The next release, Firefox 109, will be released in January 2022.

Firefox 108 download and update

Firefox 108's release date is December 13, 2022. Mozilla releases the browser on the day and the built-in updating system should pick up the update soon thereafter. Firefox users may speed up the installation of the update once the browser is released. This is done by select Menu > Help > About Firefox.

The installed version is displayed at this point and an update check is performed. The new version is then downloaded and installed immediately.

Here are the official download locations:

• Firefox Stable download
• Firefox Beta download
• Nightly download
• Firefox ESR download
• Firefox for Android on Google Play

Firefox 108.0 new features and improvements

Firefox 108 is a small release. It is a security update first and foremost, but it includes some improvements that are not related to the browser's security.

You may remember that Mozilla introduced performance improvements for Windows 11 devices in Firefox 107. Firefox 108 continues the improvements, although unrelated to the changes in Firefox 107. The new version adds support for Windows 11's efficiency mode, which Microsoft introduced in the Windows 11 2022 Update.

The mode should not be confused with Microsoft Edge's Efficiency Mode feature. Both are designed to improve performance, but Windows 11's Efficiency Mode feature is available to all apps, regardless of whether they are browsers or not.

The mode is enabled automatically by Firefox. A quick check of the Windows Task Manager, using Ctrl-Shift-Esc, shows the Efficiency icon for some of Firefox's processes. This limits the resource use of these Firefox processes.

Other changes and fixes

Firefox users may use the keyboard shortcut Shift-Esc to display the process manager of the browser. It lists all open processes and helps users find processes that use too many resources.

Mozilla notes in the release notes that frame scheduling under load has been improved. The change improves "Firefox's MotionMark scores" according to the organization.

Other changes listed in the release notes:

• Support for ICCv4 profiles added to the firefox web browser.
• Support for non-English characters when saving and printing PDF documents added.
• Fixed an issue with Firefox's "Only show on new tab" default bookmark toolbar behavior.

Developer

• Trigonometric functions are now enabled with the layout.css.trig.enabled preference set to true by default.
• The <source> element supports height & width attributes when it is a child of a <picture> element.
• CSS <calc-constant> type is implemented to allow for well-known constants such as pi and e within math functions
• Container query length units are now supported via the the layout.css.container-queries.enabled preference, which is set to false by default.
• Content-Security-Policy HTTP header directives style-src-elem and style-src-attr are now supported.
• Content-Security-Policy HTTP header directives script-src-elem and script-src-attr are now supported.
• The Web MIDI API is now available in secure contexts.
• Added support for the browsingContext.domContentLoaded event
• Firefox now issues a warning when an extension is installed if its version number doesn't follow the recommended format.
• Import maps, which allow web pages to control the behavior of JavaScript imports, are now enabled by default.

Enterprise changes

None published.

Known Issues

None listed.

Security updates / fixes

Will be updated once the information is published by Mozilla.

Outlook

Firefox 109 Stable and Firefox 102.7 ESR will be released on January 17, 2023.

Firefox extension reviews and news

• Firefox Translations 1.2: free text translate option and usability improvements

Recent Firefox news and tips

• Tor Browser 12.0 is out with native Apple Silicon support
• Firefox for Android is getting a native PDF viewer
• A look at Firefox's upcoming site-specific search feature
• Mozilla and Microsoft distrust TrustCor root certificates in their browsers
• Firefox 107.0.1 fixes a hang and other non-security issues
• January's Firefox release will support Manifest V3 extensions
• Mozilla increased revenue significantly in 2021

Additional information / sources

• Firefox 108 release notes
• Firefox 108 for Developers
• Firefox Security Advisories
• Firefox Release Schedule

Source

At the recent Comic Con Delhi, which was held between 9th to 11th December at NSIC Grounds, the Redmond firm had set up its booth, and interestingly, a Twitter user @oshayon, who visited the place was rather surprised when they saw that the section of the booth dedicated to gaming completely lacked any Xbox banners or advertisements or the like. The entire section was filled with promos for Windows 11 with taglines like saying "Play it your way" and "The perfect setup exists on Windows 11".

Another user chimed in the same thread echoing similar sentiments and posted a picture of the IGDC Hyberabad Xbox booth which also appears pretty bland and boring.

Thankfully for Xbox lovers, it was not all gloomy as yet another user, who happened to have visited the Bengaluru Comic Con held back in November, published a photo showing some dazzling game banners.

But of course, Windows 11 was here too, though there was an Xbox Game Pass promo as well clearly visible. In this Bengaluru picture, the Windows 11 tagline read "Gaming never looked so good Windows 11 is bringing it" and "Nothing rivals gaming on Windows 11". The banner also mentions gaming features like DirectStorage and AutoHDR.

Overall it looks like Microsoft's focus, at least in India, is to promote Windows 11 over Xbox to gamers and the core gaming audience. This could be an India-specific thing and Microsoft may have noticed its customer base there has a higher demand for gaming PCs than Xbox consoles. Or maybe Microsoft has not been happy with the Windows 11 adoption rate overall and wants more people to move to it. Here's Microsoft making Windows 11 available to Windows 11 22H2 users via OOBE.

Microsoft's action shows Windows 11 is its favorite child over Xbox at Comic Con 2022 India

The Windows Media Player substitutes the old and abandoned Groove Music app. It features a more modern user interface with "rich artist imagery," a mini-player with Compact Overlay support, and the ability to manage and play videos. Microsoft has also added improved keyboard shortcuts and assistive technologies support for better accessibility. Finally, you can use the updated app to burn CDs if your computer has an optical drive.

Microsoft understands that many users love the classic Windows Media Player, so it does not plan to remove it from Windows 10 and 11 yet. The old app is still available in the Windows Tools folder, and you can delete the new one if you dislike it.

The software giant has yet to announce the release of the updated Windows Media Player app to Windows 10 in the Release Preview Channel. It is not available to the stable versions of Windows 10 (although it appears as such in the Microsoft Store), but the release should not take too long to arrive. If waiting is not your option, here is how to download the new Windows Media Player on the stable Windows 10 versions (build 19042 and more recent):

1. Go to store.rg-adguard.net.
2. Select ProductID from the first drop-down.
3. Paste 9WZDNCRFJ3PT in the search box.
4. Select RP from the next drop-down list
5. Click the button with a checkmark and download the Microsoft.ZuneMusic_11.2209.30.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle file.  
6. Open the downloaded file and update the app.

In case you missed it, Microsoft recently added better folder navigation to the Windows Media Player app in the Dev Channel.

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1. Annoying ways of pushing Bing and Edge

It is a well-worn internet meme that the Edge browser only serves a single purpose, which is to install Chrome. Whereas this may or may not be true for many users, the fact remains, as we recently mentioned, that Edge only takes up a tiny proportion of the web browser market share compared to Google Chrome, which has 15 X more users than Edge. We can understand then why Microsoft may be trying to push Edge on Windows users, but it doesn’t make it any less annoying, frustrating, and overall anti-user friendly.

Unfortunately, however, as has been spotted in Windows Insider Preview Build 25247, a new suggested action feature looks set to push Microsoft Edge every time you copy some text by asking you if you want to search for the phrase online using Edge and Bing. To be fair, searching for a copied phrase is a useful feature, but limiting it to a certain web browser is incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, however, there is hope as a noted Windows 11 insider has spotted some other code that includes the option of searching on other browsers too. If, however, the monopolized feature does make it to release, you can disable the suggested actions feature in Windows 11 altogether by going to Settings, hitting System, clicking the Clipboard tab, and then toggling the Suggested actions feature to off.

2. Recommended websites in the Start menu

This is another one that has come with Insider Build 25247 and just plain looks like a way for Microsoft to sneak in ads to one of the most used areas of Windows 11 under the guise of recommendations. What’s even worse is that Microsoft hasn’t included a user-friendly way of disabling the feature in the Dev Build either. This means if you are a Windows Insider you will need access to the Vivetool app and to follow this in-depth guide that has been put together by Neowin, thanks to help from the same Windows Insider mentioned earlier. Again, however, if that sounds too complicated and you definitely don’t want to see this feature in a future update, we’ll include instructions at the end of the article on what you can do about it.

3. Too many ads in general

As you’ve probably noticed, most of the issues currently on the table in the Windows Insider Dev build are related to ads, whether they be for Microsoft products, or third-party ads the software giant is monetizing. Well incredibly, the level of inception goes one layer deeper here as banners have been spotted in Windows Insider Preview Build 25236 that prompt users to to take advantage of Windows search. Microsoft is saying it is doing this as a way to offer users tips, but really it simply ads up to a small ad for a Windows tool that itself is filled with ads. Yes, it is basically an ad for ad. Well done, Microsoft, you have really outdone yourself with this one.

What can you do about these annoying features?

The Dev Build is there for Microsoft to test features for bugs, etc. but it is also there to solicit feedback from users on the new features it is implementing. This means that should you agree with us that these highlighted features are annoying and you don’t want to see them in future Windows 11 updates, you can head to the Microsoft Feedback Hub and tell Microsoft exactly how you feel. Obviously, we have highlighted these features, but the Feedback Hub is also there for anybody’s opinions on Windows or Windows features.

Annoying Windows 11 Dev Channel features we hope will get dropped

Linux kernel overseer Linus Torvalds has released version 6.1 of the project, and warned that "the merge window from Hell" has now opened.

Each release of the Linux kernel is followed by two weeks in which contributors submit code they'd like to see in the next version. The release of Linux 6.1 today means that window closes on December 26 – the day after a certain popular holiday.

Torvalds today revealed that he's travelling ahead of that holiday, so has even less time than usual to tee up the next cut of the kernel.

He's therefore laid down the law to would-be contributors.

"I want to re-iterate that I'm going to be pretty strict about the merge window rules," he wrote. "The rules are that the pull requests sent to me during the merge window should have been ready _before_ the merge window, and have seen some time in Linux-next. No last-minute batch of experimental new development that hasn't been seen by our test automation."

Linux-next is the staging area the kernel dev team uses to queue up code that has been flagged as destined for the next kernel release, and therefore gets some attention before the merge window commences.

"So if you already realize that work hasn't been in Linux-next, let's just all agree to not even send me the pull request at all, and we'll all be happy with the calm end-of-the-year season. Ok?" Torvalds wrote.

The good news is that kernel developers appear to have noticed, and heeded Torvalds's previous warnings about the pre-Christmas merge window

"I'm happy to report that … I already have two dozen pull requests pending for tomorrow in my inbox. And hopefully I'll get another batch overnight, so that I can try to really get as much of the merge window done with early," he wrote. "We all want to have a calm holiday season."

And perhaps a holiday season in which to assess version 6.1 of the kernel, which boasts support for the Rust programming language as its arguably most significant feature.

Other interesting additions include more support for the made-in-China LoongArch CPU architecture, introductory work to support Wi-Fi 7 and security fixes for some flaky Wi-Fi routines in previous versions of the kernel.

There's also plenty of effort to improve the performance of Linux on laptops, and enhanced power efficiency for AMD's PC-centric RYZEN silicon.

Could those additions make 2023 the year of Linux on the desktop? Now that would be something worth celebrating. ®

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Let's start with a methodology which absolutely needs to be defined because we want reproducible results, not something which is random and user dependent.

• For testing Fedora spins are used - you can find download links below in the comparison table. Fedora normally offers quite fresh if not the freshest software - we need something which is relevant as of now, December 2022, not December 2012.
• Post installation the system will be fully upgraded and rebooted - that's how users will run it anyways.
• Tests will be performed under a VM, VirtualBox 6.1.40. Why? People's hardware varies greatly, it's impossible to predict whether your system has a fast dedicated GPU or a built-in one. This could result in different RAM/VRAM usage patterns. VirtualBox 7.0 will not be used as it's still considered beta quality software.
• A VM will get a 16GB disk drive, a four-core vCPU, 128MB of VRAM and 4096MB of RAM running at 1920x1080@24bit resolution. SWAP will not be used as it behaves unpredictably.
• Gnome and KDE will be tested under Wayland and Xorg. All other DEs will be running under the Xorg server, i.e. in pure X11 mode.
• To assess the system RAM use without a desktop environment running, the system will be booted into IceWM which has a very miminal footprint yet offers a sort of usable graphical environment.
• Once logged in, default file manager and terminal emulatar applications will be started and that's it. Most users use both a lot, while it's hard to assess what other applications are common.
• Disk buffers will be flushed using echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches. Why? Because they may never be re-used. We need to assess the actual RAM use.
• What none of the existing/previously made comparisons have taken care of is disk IO use for DEs. I will use VirtualBox Session Information feature to get this data 60 seconds after booting into a particular desktop environment.
• Desktop environments are used as is without any modifications or additions. For instance, KDE Plasma Add-ons (plasmoids) inflate RAM usage even further. KDE is already the biggest resource hog.

Without further ado and half an hour youtube videos full of nothing here's the data in MB (megabytes):

* - the amount of data read starting from a cold boot to a desktop environment, including a file mananager and graphical terminal emulator.

Whoever doubted XFCE as a lean desktop environment is I hope dissuaded and changed their mind.

Overall if you are a user of KDE and Gnome you must be looking at the very least 4GB of RAM though modern web browser eat RAM for breakfast so 6GB or even 8GB of RAM sound a lot more desirable.

This doesn't sound like a lot of work but I've spent a full day downloading ISO images, installing and updating spins, collecting the data and presenting it. Donatations are impossible considering I live in Russia but at least consider Google Ads on this page. Thank you.

If you need raw data you could download the source image files (zip archive, ~1MB).

P.S. KDE under Wayland was very unstable. On every second boot I couldn't launch any applications after logging in. This could be an issue with VirtualBox though. Gnome worked flawlessly.

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© 2022 Artem S. Tashkinov. Last revised: December 12, 2022. The most current version can be found here.

All rights reserved. You can reproduce the entire text verbatim, and you must retain the authorship and provide a link to this document.

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Like any other Windows theme, education themes in Windows 11 let users quickly personalize their devices using pre-set backgrounds, accent colours, cursors, sounds, etc. Administrators can prepare themes for schools and send them to managed devices. Microsoft has also preloaded a couple of themes with neat space, Surface, and Windows 11-like backgrounds in its operating system. If you want a fresh coat of paint for your computer, here is how to enable hidden themes in Windows 11 22H2.

If you are not comfortable modding Windows Registry, you can download wallpapers here. [Refer comment below for links]

How to enable hidden themes in Windows 11 2022 Update?

1. Press Win + R and type regedit. Note that you cannot edit Windows Registry without administrative privileges.
2. Paste the following into the address bar: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device
3. Right-click the device key (folder) and select New > Key.
4. Rename the new key to Education.
5. Select the Education key (folder) and click Edit > New > DWORD (32-bit) value.
6. Rename the new value to EnableEduThemes.
7. Open the EnableEduThemes value and change its value data from 0 to 1.

   

    

8. Restart your computer and wait several minutes for Windows 11 to download hidden education themes.
9. Launch the Settings app and go to Personalization > Themes.

If a bunch of wallpapers is not your cup of tea, check out the "Moment 2" update features already appearing in the stable version of Windows 11. Also, Windows 11 has a hidden camera privacy indicator you can enable with a similar registry tweak.

Windows 11 has several neat hidden themes, here is how to enable them

Note: Microsoft treats the Dev Channel as a test field to trial early and experimental features, and the company has made it clear that some of those changes might not see the public release. Send Microsoft your feedback using the Feedback Hub if you do not like some new capabilities or tweaks the software giant has implemented in the recent preview builds. Finally, articles like this are always subjective—some users might like what I do not and vice versa. As usual, everyone's opinions and hot takes are welcomed in the comments.

1. Recommended websites

Microsoft stubbornly refuses to give up and allow users to disable the "Recommended" section on the Start menu. Moreover, the company is pressing on with the idea to the extent of displaying ad-like recommendations of various websites.

Besides being plain annoying, this change clashes with the purpose of the Start menu. Why would anyone want to click a website after opening the Start menu where users place their hand-picked apps? Luckily, you can force-disable website recommendations in the Start menu, as our dedicated guide describes.

2. Search Highlights

I like the new Windows Search box on the Start menu, but I wouldn't say I have the same feelings toward Search Highlights (small images representing holidays and other events) Microsoft places in that box. Apart from confusing the users with constantly changing graphics, those highlights create an illusion of extra misaligned apps on the taskbar—a place I carefully curate and keep sanitized just for my most frequently used applications.

Here is a guide detailing how to disable Search Highlights in Windows 11 Dev builds for those who also do not like this feature.

3. More attempts to impose Edge

Microsoft does not want to deal with the fact that some users prefer browsers other than Edge. Therefore, the latest improvements to the Suggested Actions feature are yet another way to shove Edge down users' throats. Selecting text in Windows 11 now displays a small banner with a button allowing you to search the internet. Of course, Bing-only and Microsoft Edge-only.

To be fair, Microsoft has yet to make up its mind. Hidden feature IDs in Windows 11 show that the company is considering allowing users to use the Suggested Actions in conjunction with other browsers. Still, those IDs are buried deep inside the operating system, leaving Edge and Bing the only default option.

4. Warnings in the wrong places

Microsoft thinks it is an excellent idea to place various Settings-related alerts in the menu that appears on the screen when you click your profile on the Start menu. It can display ad-like prompts to set up OneDrive, sign in with a Microsoft Account, back up files (in OneDrive, of course), or complete your profile.

Including this "feature" in this article might look a bit far-fetched to some, but I think it is just another example of Microsoft placing things in the wrong places. Such recommendations can live peacefully in the Settings app, where I will most likely change or enable something (like the new and correctly placed OneDrive alerts). All I want when clicking my profile on the Start menu is either to lock my system or sign out.

Finally, Microsoft tries to make those recommendations look like something critical. They use the same orange dot that appears on the power button when Windows wants to complete the update procedure. Does the operating system want to tell me something important? Oh, never mind, it is just a OneDrive ad...

5. Please use our search filled with ads

History repeats itself in this one. Remember Microsoft displaying banners above the taskbar to promote the new Edge? Those are back to drive attention to Windows Search filled with ads. Although Microsoft tries to excuse itself, claiming that the change is here to "improve the value of Search shortcuts and reduce friction in the broader Windows Search experience," I think users do not need explanations of the magnifying glass icon.

It is sad to see Microsoft trying desperately to make everyone use Windows Search and shoving more recommended/promoted content instead of making the search less lame. It cannot even find the Recycle Bin (not to mention that most of its features stop working once you move outside the US), and I will keep mocking Microsoft for that until the company does something.

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Sean Pelletier, a Senior Product Manager at Nvidia, recently shared some interesting statistics regarding new driver releases. Pelletier showed how Nvidia is far ahead of AMD and Intel in terms of WHQL-certified driver releases. The numbers are for 2021 and 2022 and Nvidia says it released five times as many WHQL drivers compared to AMD in 2021. The latter can pat itself on the back though as its Green rival is only three times ahead in 2022. Meanwhile, Intel has been worse off this year.

WHQL or Windows Hardware Quality Labs certification by Microsoft is a way to ensure that these driver packages are compatible with Windows and can be distributed via the Windows Updates.

Aside from WHQL signing, the chart also contains figures related to the number of games optimized. In this regard too, Nvidia touts it was able to release game-ready drivers for around twice as many games compared to AMD Radeon. Meanwhile, Intel seems to be doing a far better job this year, and it makes sense is Team Blue is trying to become a serious contender in the discrete GPU market now.

Nvidia proudly brags about its Windows 11 and 10 drivers against AMD and Intel

Starting with Windows 11 build 25262, users can set up the weather, sports, finances, traffic, and other first-party widgets without using a Microsoft Account. It is a welcomed change, especially for those who prefer using Windows 11 with a local account, regardless of how hard Microsoft wants them to do the opposite. Syncing interests and personal preferences from other devices naturally requires using a Microsoft Account.

The removal of the Microsoft Account requirement is one of the several Windows Widgets improvements coming soon to Windows 11 users. Microsoft recently allowed using widgets in full-screen mode (we covered that in our article describing five neat upcoming features for Windows 11), plus developers are now allowed to build widgets for their apps and publish them in the Microsoft Store.

Windows 11 build 25262 now lets you use Windows Widgets without a Microsoft Account

Auto colour management is a Windows 11-exclusive feature you can enable in Settings > System > Display > Advanced Display. It provides system-wide colour management to ensure consistent and accurate colours on supporteddevices. Toggling on auto colour management provides extra details and reduces image artifacts in shadows or gradients.

The feature works best on compatible monitors with 10-16 bit colour precision, but displays with 8-bit colours can also benefit from auto colour management thanks to techniques such as dithering.

Newly found by @PhantomofEarth, IDs in Windows 11 build 25262 reveal that Microsoft wants to give more users access to auto colour management. Microsoft calls those IDs "AutocolourManagement_WideRollout_OnByDefault" and "AutocolourManagement_WideRollout." Pretty self-explanatory.

You can try auto colour management in Windows 11 build 25262 by force-enabling the feature with the Vivetool app before Microsoft starts rolling it out to Windows Insiders. Here is how to do that.

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

How to enable auto colour management in Windows 11 build 25262?

1. Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files somewhere convenient.
2. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin).
3. Switch Windows Terminal to Command Prompt profile by pressing Ctrl + Shift + 2 or clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window.

    

   
4. Navigate to the folder containing the extracted files using the CD command. For example, if you have copied the files to C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:36371531 and press Enter.
6. Type vivetool /enable /id:41740192 and press Enter.
7. Restart your computer.
8. Press Win + I, go to System > Display > Advanced Display and enable the "Automatically manage colour for apps" option.

As usual, you can disable the hidden feature by repeating the steps above and replacing /enable with /disable on steps 5 and 6.

Let us know in the comments if you have noticed any difference in colours your monitor displays after enabling auto colour management in Windows 11 build 25262.

Windows 11 build 25262 brings auto colour management to more users

So far the company has released Moment 1, which came out in mid-October with features like Tabbed File Explorer, Taskbar Overflow, among others. Moment 2 is expected to be released early next year, sometime in February or March. Moment 2 features are now available in Windows 11 22H2.

Following those, the internal test ID of what appears to be the next update, ie, Moment 3, has also been found. Microsoft might be referring to these velocity feature updates for Moment as "MTestUx" as similarities have been found by Windows detective and Twitter user PhantomOcean3. The latest one "MTestUx15" with the ID "42105254" was discovered in a previous Windows 11 Beta Channel build.

Now in the latest Windows 11 build Dev channel build 25262, the two new velocity feature IDs are apparently enabled by default. This was discovered by Twitter user PhantomOcean3 who loves to passionately dig into new builds:

The table below summarizes the Feature update and probable Test IDs:

The "(?)" in the above table indicates rumor as at this moment, as it is not confirmed whether these indeed are referring to future Moment releases or not. However, if it is, then Microsoft looks to be in top gear as it appears to be itching to get on with the development of next-gen Moment updates, and to gradually roll new feauters out to Insiders.

Latest Windows 11 build apparently has Moment 3 and Moment 4 updates enabled by default

Released on October 17, 2013, Windows 8.1 was Microsoft's attempt to address user complaints with Windows 8, such as the lack of a Start button, a confusing user interface, and the inability to boot to the desktop. Windows 8.1 also introduced new enhancements, such as the ability to snap up to four apps on a single display, a new Bing-based unified search system, and deeper integration with SkyDrive (now OneDrive).

While the OS received more positive reception than Windows 8, it was still criticized for not addressing many of the latter's issues. To this day, Windows 8.1 has a 2.54% desktop market share worldwide.

On January 10, 2023, Microsoft will no longer provide Windows 8.1 with security patches, software updates, and technical support. If you continue using your PC past this date, it will keep on functioning as usual. However, any new vulnerabilities or security flaws discovered in Windows 8.1 will no longer be patched, leaving your PC at risk of malware, phishing, and other security threats. In fact, many ransomware groups exploit unpatched vulnerabilities to infiltrate systems.

You might also experience difficulties using some of your programs past Windows 8.1's end-of-support date. For instance, Microsoft 365 apps will no longer work on the OS after January 10, 2023. Microsoft will also block the installation of Microsoft 365 on Windows 8.1 devices. Even Google Chrome will no longer receive updates once Windows 8.1 goes out of support. While you can use other applications, their developers may discontinue support for Windows 8.1 anytime.

Finally, you may have to contact third-party support companies to resolve problems with your PC. These businesses may not just be difficult to find, but they may also charge premium prices.

At this point, it's best to upgrade your PC to a supported OS. You mainly have three options:

Windows 10

The successor to Windows 8.1, Windows 10 does away with the controversial Start Screen in favor of a Start Menu that features an app list and a section for tiles. It also has a virtual desktop feature that lets you run another set of windows without the need to use another monitor. What's more, Windows 10 offers Windows Hello, a security feature that allows users to sign in using a PIN, facial scan, or fingerprint.

Microsoft’s free Windows 10 upgrade promotion has already expired. However, you can still upgrade to Windows 10 at no charge by using your Windows 8.1 product key. Note, however, that Windows 10 will reach its end-of-support-date on October 14, 2025, so you will have to upgrade again after a couple of years.

Windows 11

Windows 11 offers a slightly different user interface than Windows 10. It has centered taskbar buttons, rounded window corners, and a streamlined Start Menu. Windows 11 also has Widgets, which are dynamic content from Microsoft services and, in the near future, third-party apps. Windows 11 offers better window arrangements and can even run Android apps.

Unfortunately, many Windows 8.1 PCs may not be eligible for an upgrade to Windows 11 because of the OS's strict system requirements (this is perhaps why Microsoft is recommending users to buy a new PC once their Windows 8.1 PC becomes unsupported). But if you still want to install Windows 8.1 on unsupported hardware, you can create a bootable USB using Rufus, a utility that can bypass Windows 11's TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements. A word of caution, though: Microsoft does not provide support for Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

If your Windows 8.1 PC somehow meets Windows 11's system requirements, download Windows 11 on Microsoft's website and follow the instructions.

A completely different OS

If you don't want to upgrade to either Windows 10 or 11, you can always try another OS. For instance, you can use macOS if you want better interoperability with iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. Linux, on the other hand, offers various distros and is free to use — a practical option if you’re looking to save money.

Exercise caution when choosing this option, however, as some of your Windows apps might not be available on another platform. You may also need to purchase new hardware, which is the case if you move to macOS.

Are your PCs running Windows 8.1? What do you plan to do when Windows 8.1 reaches end-of-support? Let us know in the comments section below.

PSA: Windows 8.1's end-of-support date is only 30 days away