New Winamp update adds features, fixes, and (sigh) support for “music NFTs”

Earlier today, Microsoft released the latest Windows 11 Insider build to the Beta channel. Although there were no new features in the latest build, it does come with a very very long list of fixes aimed at the Taskbar. There are some other improvements in other areas too.

However, almost as soon as the build was out and people started installing the build, our readers started complaining about issues as a result of conflict between the new Windows 11 build and StartAllBack, the popular app used to restore various classic features, including the Taskbar.

One of our readers, rmorris003 commented:

This update breaks StartAllBack as Windows just stays at a black screen until you disable StartAllBack and then sign back in by using the Task manager then going into Control Panel.

Soon others too chimed in and it wasn't long before StartAllBack developers confirmed the issue on Twitter and went public with a new "urgent release" to fix the problem.

The release note for the new 3.5.6 urgent release notes that previous StartAllBack versions may not be compatible with 22H2 beta builds:

Version 3.5.6 7 Dec 2022

• Support for latest Beta builds. Previous versions may break with 22H2 updates!

You can download the new update on StartAllBack's official website here.

StartAllBack confirms latest Windows 11 22H2 build breaks the Taskbar, issues urgent fix

Software Updates:   StartAllBack 3.5.6.4569

Here are the highlights of the update:

• The codebase was upgraded to work with .NET 7.
• Quick Accent can now show a description of the selected character.
• colourPicker now supports adding custom formats.

Here are the known issues:

• The Text Extractor utility fails to recognize text in some cases on ARM64 devices running Windows 10.
• After installing PowerToys, the new Windows 11 context menu entries for PowerRename and Image Resizer might not appear before a system restart.
• There are reports of users who are unable to open the Settings window. This is being caused by incompatibilities with some applications (RTSS RivaTuner Statistics Server is a known examples of this). If you're affected by this, please check the linked issue to verify if any of the presented solutions works for you.

And here is your in-depth changelog with improvements and changes for the existing toys:

General

• Downgraded the ModernWPF dependency to 0.9.4 to avoid issues on certain virtualization technologies. (This was a hotfix for 0.64)
• Upgraded and fixed the code to work with .NET 7. Thanks @snickler!

Always on Top

• Added telemetry for the pinning/unpinning events.

Awake

• Added telemetry.
• Removed exiting Awake from the tray icon when starting from the runner. Utilities started from the runner should be disabled in the Settings to avoid discrepancies.

colour Picker

• Fixed an infinite loop due to a looping UI refresh. (This was a hotfix for 0.64)
• Added a feature to allow users to create their own colour formats.

FancyZones

• Fixed an issue that caused turning off spaces between zones to not apply correctly. (This was a hotfix for 0.64)
• Prevent the shift key press from trickling down to the focused window.
• Fixed a bug causing FancyZones to try resizing hidden windows.
• Fixed the focus layout preview being empty on first run in the editor.
• Fixed UI margin in the "Create new layout" dialog.
• Fixed window positioning issues when switching between virtual desktops.
• Fixed snapping by hotkey in single zone layouts.

File explorer add-ons

• Added .log file support to the Monaco preview handler.

File Locksmith

• Query system and other users processes when elevated. (This was a hotfix for 0.64)
• Icon and UI fixes. (This was a hotfix for 0.64)

Group Policy Objects

• Removed a obsolete dependency from the admx file to fix importing on Intune. (This was a hotfix for 0.64)

Hosts File Editor

• Added a scrollbar to the additional lines dialog.(This was a hotfix for 0.64)
• Updated the plus icon.(This was a hotfix for 0.64)
• Prevent the new entry content dialog from overlapping the title bar.
• Updated the name for the additional lines feature.
• Added a workaround for an issue causing the context menu not opening on right-click.

Image Resizer

• Fixed a silent crash when trying to show the tier 1 context menu on Windows 11.

PowerToys Run

• Added pinyin support to the search.
• Fixed an error in the TimeZone plugin preventing searching for standard time zones.
• Added the English abbreviations as fallbacks in the UnitConverter plugin.

Quick Accent

• Added mappings for the mu, omicron, upsilon and thorn characters.
• Added a setting to exclude apps from activating Quick Accent.
• Fixed an issue causing the selector to trigger when leaving the lock screen.
• Added the Croatian, Netherlands, Swedish and Welsh character sets.
• Added support for more unicode characters.
• Shift-space can now navigate backwards in the selector.
• Added the Catalan accented characters.
• Added the Kurdish accented characters.
• Added the Serbian accented characters.
• Added the Irish and Scottish accented characters.
• Added the description for the currently selected character in the selector.
• Fixed a bug causing the selector window to appear blank.

Runner

• Fixed a crash on a racing condition accessing the IPC communication with Settings.

Settings

• Fixed settings name in the QuickAccent page.
• Added a message indicating there's no network available when looking for updates.
• Fixed an error causing the backup/restore feature to not find the backup file.
• Fixed localization for the "All apps" expression in the keyboard manager page.
• UI refactoring, clean-up and bringing in modern controls.
• Improved settings/OOBE screens text.
• The backup/restore feature also backs up FancyZones layouts.

Shortcut Guide

• Added a setting to make the shortcuts and taskbar icons have different configurable response times.

Video Conference Mute

• Changed the warning about deprecating Video Conference Mute to saying it's going to go into legacy mode, thanks to community feedback. (This was a hotfix for 0.64)

Documentation

• Added the core team to COMMUNITY.md

Development

• Fixed some errors in the GitHub issue templates.
• Updated the Windows implementation library.
• Added Hosts File Editor to the issue templates.
• Turned on C++ code analysis and incrementally fixing warnings.
• Cleaned up unused dependencies.
• Fixed building on the latest MSVC.
• Fixed multi-processor build on the latest MSBuild.
• Added a message to suggest the feedback hub to the fabric bot triggers.
• Optimized every png file with the zopfli algorithm.
• Updated the .vsconfig file for a quicker development setup.
• Fixed a language typo in the code.
• Fixed wrong x86 target in the solution file.
• Added a script to fail building when the nuget packages aren't consolidated.
• Upgraded the Vanara.Invoke dependencies.
• Upgraded and brought back the spell-checker.
• Added a new dependencies feed and fixed release CI.

You can download PowerToys from the Microsoft Store, winget, or its repository on GitHub.

PowerToys 0.65.0 is out with a massive list of fixes and improvements

Kali Linux is a distribution designed for ethical hackers to perform penetration testing, security audits, and cybersecurity research against networks.

With this release, the Kali Linux Team introduces a variety of new features, including:

•  Kali Linux distro is back on Microsoft Azure
• Six new toys tools.
• Release of Kali NetHunter Pro
• Gnome and KDE Plasma desktop updates
• Enhanced ARM support

Offensive Security decided to release Kali Linux 2022.4 in conjunction with the Black Hat, BSides LV, and DefCon security conference as a "nice surprise for everyone to enjoy!"

With this release, Kali Linux is using Linux Kernel 5.18.5. However, Raspberry Pi releases are using version 5.15.

 Kali Linux images for Azure, QEMU

Kali Linux is now available in the Azure Marketplace, allowing you to deploy the image and perform penetration testing from the cloud.

In reality, Kali Linux 2022.3 made it to Azure first, with the team tweeting its addition on August 30th, after 2022.3 was already released.

The Kali Team is also now offering a pre-built image for QEMU

"We are now including a QEMU image with our pre-generated images. We hope this makes it easier for the people who use self-hosted Proxmox Virtual Environments (VE), virt-manager, or libvirt," announced the Kali Team.

Six new tools added in Kali Linux 2022.4

It's never a new Kali Linux release without new tools to play with.

This release adds six new tools, including Windows NTLM relay tools, a Windows privilege elevation tool, and a driver for Hak5's WiFi Coconut.

Below are the six new tools added in Kali 2022.4:

• bloodhound.py - A Python based ingestor for BloodHound
• certipy - Tool for Active Directory Certificate Services enumeration and abuse
• hak5-wifi-coconut - A user-space driver for USB Wi-Fi NICs and the Hak5 Wi-Fi Coconut
• ldapdomaindump - Active Directory information dumper via LDAP
• peass-ng - Privilege escalation tools for Windows and Linux/Unix* and MacOS.
• rizin-cutter - reverse engineering platform powered by rizin

GNOME and KDE Plasma desktop updates

This release brings numerous desktop updates, including GNOME 43 with a new GTK3 theme, shown below.

KDE Plasma has also been updated to version 5.26, with tweaks to various widgets.

Kali NetHunter updates

Kali Nethunter Pro has been officially released, with images available for PinePhone and PinePhonePro.

"The launch of Kali NetHunter Pro is the beginning of a new chapter for Kali Linux and NetHunter, a bare metal installation of Kali Linux with Phosh desktop environment, optimized for mobile devices."

"First of all we make available SD card images for the PinePhone and the PinePhone Pro to dual boot alongside the main OS. Soon we will release alternative versions with Plasma Mobile as well as installers so you can install Kali NetHunter Pro onto the internal flash memory," reads the Kali Linux 2022.4 announcement.

In addition to NetHunter Pro officially being released, Kali Nethunter has also received improvements.

With this release, NetHunter now has internal Bluetooth support, improved Wardriving, audio support for Kex, and fixes for crashes on Android 11 and Android 12.

How to get Kali Linux 2022.4

To start using Kali Linux 2022.4, you can upgrade your existing installation, select a platform, or directly download ISO images for new installs and live distributions.

For those updating from a previous version, you can use the following commands to upgrade to the latest version.

echo "deb http://http.kali.org/kali kali-rolling main non-free contrib" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list

sudo apt update && sudo apt -y full-upgrade

cp -rbi /etc/skel/. ~

[ -f /var/run/reboot-required ] && sudo reboot -f

If you are running Kali on the Windows Subsystem for Linux, make sure to upgrade to WSL2 for a better experience, including support for graphical apps.

You can check the WSL version Kali uses with the 'wsl -l -v' command in a Windows command prompt.

Once you are done upgrading, you can check if the upgrade was successful by using the following command:

grep VERSION /etc/os-release

While we only shared the highlighted improvements in Kali 2022.4, you can view the complete changelog at Kali's website.

Kali Linux 2022.4 adds 6 new tools, Azure images, and desktop updates

If you were reading Neowin at the weekend, you may have seen that the Linux Mint 21.1 Beta ISOs were undergoing testing before release. For those eager to try out the Beta, the wait is now over. The Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce editions are now available for download. While they should all be pretty stable, they are Betas, so you may encounter bugs, which you should report.

The main change in this update is the theming used. In this update, the Mint team has opted to make colours more vibrant but reduced where they are used, making sure they’re not too distracting. In this update, accent colours have been removed from the panel and in menus and folders are now yellow. Controversially, the Mint team has also opted to use the blue Aqua theme by default, taking away the familiar mint colour.

While this is a big change, one of the core philosophies of the operating system is that users are in control. For that reason, when you see the Welcome screen after installation, one of the first things you’ll be able to do is choose the accent colour and whether you’ll use the light or dark theme. If you want the old theme back in its entirety, select the “Mint-Y-Legacy” theme, it’s installed by default.

Another change users will immediately notice is the icons that are shown on the desktop. The home folder has been removed from the desktop because it’s easy to get to from the main menu and the panel or by pressing Super + E on the keyboard (Super is the Windows key). The only things on the desktop now are the installation icon, items you drop on the desktop, files placed in ~/Desktop, and mounted devices.

Other notable changes include a new default cursor and several new alternatives, as well as new sounds that are “modern and reassuring”. Additionally, there are different icon themes to select including Mint-X, Mint-Y, Mint Legacy, Breeze, Papirus, Numix, and Yaro.

For a point release, this update is certainly a big one. Linux Mint is normally known for its slow, gradual changes, so users aren’t too shocked, but this update gets away from that a little bit. If you’d prefer to revert to the old look, you can do so easily by selecting the old theme and cursor.

The Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce Betas are available to download now. If you don’t like what you’ve read about the new changes and want to stay on Linux Mint 21, that’s fine. It will continue to receive updates until 2027.

Linux Mint 21.1 ‘Vera' Beta arrives with new theme and cursors

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1028 and Build 22623.1028 (KB5021866) to the Beta Channel.

Build 22623.1028= New features rolling out.

Build 22621.1028 = New features off by default.

Here is the full list of changes and improvements, as well as bug fixes in the new Beta builds:

Fixes in Build 22623.1028

[General]

• Made another fix to address explorer.exe crashing repeatedly in safe mode.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed an issue where, with the system tray design updates, auto-hiding the taskbar would stop working after you had interacted with the hidden icons flyout.
• Made a small refinement for tablet-optimized taskbar users to make it a bit easier to expand the taskbar without invoking the Start menu.
• Fixed an issue which could lead to the taskbar jump lists and preview thumbnails not appearing in the correct position for Insiders with 2-in-1 PCs.
• Improved the transition animation when switching between collapsed and expanded views of the tablet-optimized taskbar.
• The tablet-optimized taskbar should collapse more reliably now after launching an app from the Start menu.
• Fixed an explorer.exe crash when using Alt + F4 with the show hidden icons flyout in the system tray open.
• Updated the battery icon’s tooltip to let you know if your device is charging slowly.
• Fixed an issue causing the top half of the media controls in Quick Settings to be missing sometimes.
• Fixed a GDI handle leak in recent builds related to receiving certain types of notifications. This could cause UI issues or explorer.exe crashes for Insiders who receive a lot of notifications.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the NVIDIA icon in the system tray to show empty notifications.

[Search]

• Fixed an issue causing search to not work in the previous flight for Insiders with Arm64 PCs.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where the sleep recommendation on the Energy Recommendations page and Battery & Power page were sometimes inconsistent.

[Task Manager]

• Task Manager colours in light and dark should display correctly now for people with their mode set to Custom.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1028 & Build 22623.1028

• We fixed an issue that affected some games and applications. This issue was related to GPU performance debugging features. This lowered the expected game performance.

Known issues

[General]

• Based on incoming feedback rates with the latest updates, we’re removing audio issues from the known issues list. We’ll continue to monitor feedback in this space – if you’re experiencing issues, please follow these steps for filing actionable feedback for audio issues.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• The taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.

[Task Manager]

• [NEW] When using the search box at the top of Task Manager, Task Manager may become unresponsive.
• Filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.
• Some services may not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
• If a new process is starting while a filter is set, then that process may appear for a split second in the filtered list.
• Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
• The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.
• The Startup apps page in Task manager does not list any apps for some Insiders. If you are impacted, please use Settings > Apps > Startup for the time being.

You can find the official blog post here.

Latest Windows 11 build 22623.1028 (KB5021866) fixes many, many Taskbar issues

The EMS System encountered a problem" with "Message: [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver] Protocol error in TDS Stream" or "Message: [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver]Unknown token received from SQL Server.

The official Windows Health Dashboard documentation says the bug affects client and server versions of Windows 7, 8.1, 10, and 11. Unfortunately, there are no temporary workarounds, so affected customers must sit tight and wait for the software giant to address the problem in upcoming updates.

Meanwhile, if you wonder whether your computer contains apps affected by the bug, run any program that uses a database, then open Command Prompt and run the tasklist /m/ sqlsrv32.dll command. Interestingly, this is not the only bug causing problems with apps in Windows. Several days ago, Microsoft reported fixing an issue causing apps to freeze when changing IME input on Windows 11.

As for the more exciting news, Microsoft recently released an optional cumulative update for Windows 11 users. KB5020044 makes it possible to enable some of the upcoming "Moment 2" update features on the stable version of Windows 11 22H2 (2022 Update).

Microsoft confirms problems with some Windows apps due to database connections issues

This is not the first time Microsoft is rightfully bragging about Sleeping tabs. In June 2022, the company revealed that Sleeping Tabs saved more than 273 Petabytes of RAM in just 28 days. Now Microsoft has new stats about this resource-saving feature: the company claims Edge put to sleep 1.38 billion tabs just in September 2022. There are no details about the exact amounts of saved RAM, but according to Microsoft, Sleeping Tabs helps Edge free up about 83% of the memory on average.

Besides putting to sleep tons of tabs you never close, Microsoft Edge is now slightly better at figuring out when it should intervene and put pages to sleep automatically. In Edge 105, Microsoft has changed its browser to sleep tabs without users' consent when their computers approach the memory limit. Of course, the feature still respects your exception lists and never freezes websites you have told the browser not to. You can customize Sleeping Tabs in Edge Settings > System and performance > Optimize Performance.

If you want to see how Edge compares to other browsers in terms of energy efficiency, check out our recent experiment proving Microsoft Edge is good at saving RAM and battery juice. These optimizations and resource-saving features help Microsoft Edge gain more users, as shown in Statcounter's latest report.

Microsoft says it froze 1.38 billion Edge tabs in September with improved Sleeping Tabs

As of now, Microsoft no longer accepts Manifest V2-based extensions in the Edge Add-ons Store (Public or Hidden). Still, developers can push updates for existing extensions to maintain or add new features. The next step in phasing-out old extensions is to stop accepting updates (except the ones upgrading Manifest V2 to V3) and prevent the browser from running V2-based extensions without enterprise policies. Eventually, it will become impossible to use Manifest V2 extensions in the Edge browser at some point.

Microsoft is not ready to announce when it will stop accepting updates for Manifest V2 extensions, let alone disable them for good on all systems, including enterprise. The company says it will continue analyzing the concerns raised by developers and exploring the right path for the Microsoft Edge Add-ons ecosystem. You can find more information about Manifest V3 extensions for Microsoft Edge in the official documentation.

Although developers are not happy with Manifest V3 (even with many changes implemented since the initial proposal), the practice shows that most extensions, including content blockers, will survive the dreaded migration. AdGuard, for example, recently launched its first Manifest V3-based extension and detailed how it operates under new rules.

As an online publication, Neowin too relies on ads for operating costs, and if you use an ad blocker, we'd appreciate being whitelisted. In addition, we have an ad-free subscription for $28 a year, which is another way to show support!

Edge will support Manifest V2 extensions until at least January 2024

Meanwhile, on the Canary channel, the latest release is version 110.0.1544.0, and as is generally the case, these Insider channels can often reveal exciting upcoming features. As such enthusiasts often go digging around and in the most recent hunt, Twitter user Leopeva64 found a new flag in Edge Canary 110.0.1544.0. The flag is called "Project Kodiak" and it is set to default. The description of Project Kodiak reads:

Project Kodiak

Edge users will have a better browser experience for their personal and work lives – Mac, Windows, Linux

Here is a screenshot of the flag:

Right now, it is difficult to guess what this really means as flag descriptions can often be slightly ambiguous. However, if we take the description simply at face value, it does look like Microsoft is working on improving the overall browsing experience on Edge, be it on Windows, Mac, or Linux, though which aspects of the browser are being worked on certainly remain to be seen. For example, there might be a UI revamp to improve navigation convenience, or maybe a performance boost. It's really anybody's guess at the moment without more information.

Via: Leopeva64 (Twitter)

Microsoft "Project Kodiak" is all set to make Edge "better" on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Official Spotify app for Windows

Spotify, which is one of the most popular online music streaming utilities, is available as an app on Windows 10 and Windows 11. It can be downloaded from the official website or from Microsoft Store. Interestingly, the Spotify app would even install itself on Windows 11 without any user input, according to reports online. The same was happening on Windows 10 as well, but the case is a lot more prevalent on Windows 11 it seems.

While for those that love and enjoy Spotify this shouldn't be an issue, others may not really like the service, or perhaps do not prefer the colour scheme of Spotify and the way it looks. Some could feel that the aesthetics do not go well with the overall Windows 11 theme.

Twitter user and software developer Guilherme Roussi is working on a Spotify-like app for Windows 11 with the Windows 11 fluent design in mind, and this could be something right up the alley of those that are fond of the Windows 11 approach, at least in terms of looks. It is still a work in progress though, for the most part, but it does still look quite presentable. Though we have no idea about the performance side of things yet.

Here are a few images shared by Roussi:

Overall, the app has a striking resemblance to Groove music, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In case you are a fan of the darkness, Rossi added that the dark theme version for this is also being worked on. Other improvements have also been planned.

Source and images: Guilherme Roussi (Twitter)

This third-party Windows 11-style Spotify app kind of looks better than the official one

Always on Top

With this PowerToy, you can place any window on top. All you need to do is hold down the Windows button and press CTRL+T. Your current window will stay above all other windows until you press the same buttons to undo the action.

When this PowerToy is active, the window on top will get a bold blue border. You can disable this PowerToy or change the shortcut key to something else.

Mouse Tracker

Finding your mouse when working with a high-res display can be challenging. This is where the mouse tracker comes in. You get two shortcuts - finding your mouse and highlighting your mouse.

To find your mouse, tap the CTRL key twice. Your screen will gray out, and a circle will highlight the position of your mouse.

Mouse highlighter is like leaving bread crumbs behind. When you activate this option, a coloured circle marks the places where you clicked. Hold down the Windows button and press Shift+H to activate this PowerToy.

Video Conference Mute

This handy PowerToy helps you stay in control of video conferences. People's biggest problems are muting their mic and switching off their cameras. This PowerToy gives you easy access to perform these functions with easy shortcuts. These shortcuts work with all video conferencing tools and other Windows applications.

Awake

Don't you just hate it when you keep something to download, and your screen falls asleep? With this PowerToy, you can now prevent this from happening. All you need to do is go into your notification area and look for the sleep settings. You can toggle your computer to stay awake indefinitely or temporarily.

colour Picker

The colour picker is another amazing PowerToy that helps you pick colours from anywhere (wallpaper, social media, emails) and use them in your projects. All you need to do is press the Windows buttons and press Shift+C. An eyedrop tool will open, and you can pick any colour. Once you click on the colour, it will appear in your RGB and Hex.

Quick Application Launcher

This PowerToy is similar to the Win+R search box. You can quickly launch apps with this tool and even search files within apps. All you need to do is press Alt+Space, and the run pane will open up. Start typing in the search box and press enter when you find what you're looking for.

Remap Keyboard Shortcuts

This PowerToy makes it easy to manage your keyboard shortcuts and change them on a single screen. You can make changes to any shortcut. For example, you can change the backspace into a caps lock key or change the caps lock key into the task manager shortcut. The options are limitless.

Image Resizer

This is another handy PowerToy that lets you resize multiple images at once. All you need to do is select multiple images and right-click. In the menu that opens, click on resize pictures. This will open a pop-up. You can choose the image size or enter custom pixel sizes for the images.

The tool creates copies of your selected images so your original stays intact. You can even choose to replace the original with the resized image.

Fancyzones

This is one of the most interesting PowerToys available. This tool allows you to create different layouts on your desktop. You can switch between any zone within seconds.

All you need to do is press the Windows button +`. This will open the zone editor. You can then drag and drop windows per your preference and create different 1x1 or 2x2 zones.

Bulk File Renamer

This PowerToy helps you rename files in a single batch. All you need to do is select the files you want to rename and select PowerRename from the context menu. Once the window appears, use the relevant check and text boxes to rename your files.

Feel Empowered with these PowerToys

Windows 10 and 11 have many features which are not so obvious. Almost all the features are well-hidden. So this article will aid you in exploring them with the least effort. We hope you enjoyed reading this article and learned something new today.

All of Microsoft's PowerToys for Windows 10 and 11, Explained

Aside from that, the new version also brings an option to hide the App launcher. Of course, there are security fixes as well. You can find the full release notes below:

Version 108.0.1462.42:

Important

• This update to Extended Stable contains a fix for CVE-2022-4262, which has been reported by the Chromium team as having an exploit in the wild.
• This update contains the following Microsoft Edge-specific updates:
  • CVE-2022-41115
  • CVE-2022-44688
  • CVE-2022-44708

Feature updates

• Graph APIs for Cloud Site List Management. New Graph APIs that allow IT admins in organizations to create, manage, and publish their site lists for IE mode in the cloud.

Policy updates

• New policies
  • EncryptedClientHelloEnabled - TLS Encrypted ClientHello Enabled
  • NewTabPageAppLauncherEnabled - Hide App Launcher on Microsoft Edge new tab page
• Obsoleted policy
  • NewSmartScreenLibraryEnabled Enable new SmartScreen library

You can find more details about the latest Edge version 108.0.1462.42 on Microsoft's official website.

Latest Edge 108 Stable brings better privacy with ECH, adds another helpful feature

Frontpaged:   Microsoft Edge 108.0.1462.42

"To get future Google Chrome updates, you'll need Windows 10 or later. This computer is using Windows 7", it reads on a Windows 7 device. Other Chromium-based browsers may show the notification as well. Brave, for instance, displays the notification already as well.

Microsoft ends support for the operating systems Windows 7 and 8.1 in January 2023. Google announced earlier that it will end support for Chrome running on these operating systems in January 2023 as well. End of support means that Google will no longer release updates for the browser on Windows 7 or 8.1. Google releases updates, security and otherwise, regularly. Other browsers may extend the support period. Firefox, for instance, may be supported for a period after support ends officially.

The notification about the upcoming end of support for Chrome is important, especially for users who may not have heard about it. Some users of Chrome may have an issue with the notification. While it is possible to close it using the x-icon, it is displayed again on the next run of the browser.

The notification is always displayed in the active tab of the browser. Closing it removes it for the session, but it returns on the next start of the browser.

There is an option to disable the notification, but it works only on installed versions of Chrome. Günter Born discovered a thread on the official Chrome support forum that provides the instructions.

All it takes is to add information to the Windows Registry to do so. I have created a Registry file that you may import on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 devices. Just download the file, chrome-end-of-support, extract the zip archive, and double-click on the Registry file to add the information to the Registry.

Editing the Registry manually is also an option:

1. Open Start, type regedit.exe and select the Registry editor result.
2. .Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome.
   1. If one of the keys does not exist, right-click on the previous and select New > Key. Name it accordingly.
3. Right-click on Chrome and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
4. Name it SuppressUnsupportedOSWarning.
5. Double-click on the name and set its value to 1.
6. Restart the computer.

The developer of security solutions, 0Patch, announced that they plan to support Windows 7 for at least 2 years with security patches. The service is not free, but costs less than $25 or $35 per year, depending on the selected plan.

Now You: do you run Windows 7 or 8.1? What will you do after January 2023?

Chrome notification suggests Windows 10 or 11 on Windows 7 and 8.1 devices

To access the news feed after installing the extension, you should see it docked near the Solution Explorer, if you tap the tab, you’ll get the news feed. If you have no use for the news feed, you can go to View and toggle Developer News. You can also use the handy keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + N.

One of the complaints about the feature in the past was that relevant news wasn’t being shown, this updated version fixes that. Just tap the cog in the upper right and choose the topics you’re interested in, now that’s all you’ll get in the feed. You can now get news on topics including Visual Studio, .NET, Azure, C++, DirectX, IoT, PowerShell, Python, SQL Server, Visual Studio Code, and more.

One of the other issues with the news feed in older versions of Visual Studio was that it was only available on the Start Page. Some users skip the Start Page so never got to read the news, with the new implementation, however, this is no longer the case. Early reviews that Microsoft got seemed to suggest that people are happy with the new extension, with one user calling it “Simple, elegant, and unobtrusive”.

You can download and install the extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace. In the future, the extension could include local invents and Developer Community integration. If you have any suggestions to improve it, you can let the developers know on GitHub.

Microsoft releases Developer News extension for Visual Studio after complaints from users

Seven years after the launch of Windows 10, old license keys for Windows 7 continue activating new Windows versions without issues. An old DVD with Windows 7 or a license sticker from a broken laptop is the answer to the "How to get Windows 11 for free" question. You can also buy such keys from others for much less than Windows 11's original sticker price. Remember that editions should match—you cannot activate Windows 11 Pro using a key for Windows 7 Home.

Here is how to activate Windows 11 using a Windows 7 key:

1. Create a Windows 11 bootable drive using Rufus or the Media Creation Tool and install the OS locally or on a virtual machine.
2. Windows 11 will prompt you to enter a license key before installing. Click "I do not have a key" to skip this step (you may get an error when using a Windows 7 key on this step).
3. Proceed with installing Windows 11.
4. Once everything is set up and ready, connect your computer or virtual machine to the Internet and launch the Settings app.
5. Go to System > Activation and click Change Product Code.
6. Enter your Windows 7 key and wait for Windows 11 to activate.

Those using other operating systems and wanting to try what Windows 11 offers can try the official virtual machines supplied by Microsoft. They are available for free and can work for several months without activation. The current version of the official virtual machines from Microsoft will operate without prompting you to enter a license key until February 7, 2023. After that, Microsoft will release a newer version, giving everyone an option to keep using Windows 11 on a VM for free. You can download free Windows 11 virtual machines from the official Microsoft website.

Our stories may contain affiliate links for products/apps where Neowin is paid an affiliate fee if you complete a purchase via those links.

PSA: You can still activate Windows 11 using Windows 7 keys

Although Microsoft is working day and night on making Windows 11 more modern and fancy, the OS retains remnants of the old days below its skin. For example, there are two context menus: one modern and one legacy. If you are not happy with how the legacy menus look in Windows 11 (and Windows 10), here is a tiny open-source app (via OnMsft) for making them a little fancier with the Acrylic effect.

TranslucentFlyouts is a small application that can replace dull-looking solid backgrounds with translucent effects. You can personalize the style (Acrylic, Aero, Transparent), select what parts of the system get fancy treatment, and add extra borders or shadows. The app also supports light and dark modes, does not require installation, and weighs only 80KB.

Although TranslucentFlyouts is an open-source app available for free on GitHub, you must still mind the potential risks of using third-party tools for deeper Windows customization. The program will warn you about the things it does to make Windows 10 and 11 look nicer on the first launch, so be sure to read those carefully. Also, TranslucentFlyouts cannot redo Windows 2000-style context menus (to no one's surprise, they are still present in Windows 11), so some parts of the operating system will remain unchanged.

Speaking of nice-looking things, check out the recently published fan-made concept of the upcoming Windows 12. It offers several neat ideas about improving the taskbar, quick settings, Windows Widgets, File Explorer, and other parts of Microsoft's operating system.

Do you like the Acrylic effect on the old Windows context menus? Share your thoughts in the comments.

This tiny app adds Acrylic effect to old Windows 10 and 11 context menus

Tabbed File Explorer in Windows 11

However, while tabs in File Explorer only became available in Windows 11 22H2, Microsoft has been working on this feature for quite a while. That's because the Redmond company had first started testing and developing such a feature back when Windows 95 (Codenamed Chicago) was still not fully conceived. That is nearly 30 years ago.

Amateur Windows historian and Twitter user @wowstartsnow brought this interesting finding to our attention. Old timers at Neowin who have been around for a very long time may remember this feature in case they had information on the insider happenings of the company.

The reason for tabbed File Explorer in Windows 95 never making it to the final public release is anybody's guess. Perhaps the company thought the feature was too intensive for its time. Or perhaps it ran into a bug that was not fixable. Or maybe it was simply not ready in the state that Microsoft wanted.

Interestingly, Microsoft also put out a similar feature in Windows 10 dubbed "Sets" which would allow the grouping of apps. Sadly, Sets was killed by Microsoft and it too never made out of Insider testing.

Via: CCCX_XC (Reddit)

Microsoft first tested a tabbed File Explorer in Windows 95 Beta

If you have never heard about Ventoy before, you may want to check our initial reviews first to get a better understand. Check out the first two reviews here, published in 2020.

Ventoy, basically, enables anyone to create bootable USB drives. Unlike most solutions, Ventoy comes with two main advantages. First, it supports multi-boot, which means, that you can place multiple operating systems, say Windows 10, Windows 11, and many Linux distributions, on a single stick. Second, because this is done using image files, e.g., ISO or WIM, instead of extracting the contents on the USB device.

New users may want to check out the excellent support page, which includes many tutorials on using Ventoy. A good start is the "get started" section, which you may access here.

Ventoy 1.0.84

The official Ventoy 1.0.84 changelog lists a number of improvements. Two improvements stick out. The first adds multi-language support to the boot menu; this may not be that interesting for individuals who use Ventoy, but it may be a welcome option for uses by different users or even for distribution.

The boot manager displays a new language option, which may be activated with a tap on the L-key on the keyboard. Tapping L toggles the available languages.

The second major change is the ability to use Ventoy on 32 gigabyte and larger Fat32 disks. Speaking of disks, there is a new cluster size option available.

Ventoy 1.0.84 includes several other changes. The hotkey F1 displays help information now, instead of memdisk mode. Memdisk mode has the new hotkey Ctrl-d mapped to it in the new version of the application.

Closing Words

The open source boot tool Ventoy is improved regularly. It is an excellent tool to create multi-boot disks that you may use for a variety of purposes. From installing different versions of Windows or flavors of Linux, to running rescue disks to antivirus and backup solutions when needed.

Ventoy is completely free, but you may support the developer and development with a subscription.

Now You: do you use boot tools such as Ventoy?

Multi-boot tool Ventoy adds support for 32GB Fat32 and multi-languages

Frontpaged:   Ventoy 1.0.84

Admittedly, there's still lots of room for improvement. I was underwhelmed by the state of Windows 11 when it launched in October 2021, and at the start of this year I laid out 3 big Windows 11 improvements I wanted to see in 2022: Better native Android app support, a more useful Widgets menu, and elimination of the requirement to be online in order to install Windows 11.

Now the end of 2022 is rapidly approaching, and Microsoft managed to deliver about a third of what I hoped it would this year. Native Android app support is in a much better place now than it was when Windows 11 launched, which is to say it finally exists (albeit in a limited form), but my other two big complaints about the operating system are still valid. 

Namely, Widgets are of such limited value as to be not worth your attention, and the onerous requirement that you must be online in order to install Windows 11 (because installation requires a Microsoft account) is needlessly cruel to folks who may not have easy or reliable Internet access.

Upgrading to Windows 11 brings more than a visual redesign (Image credit: Microsoft)

So why would I recommend it? Honestly, I'm as surprised as you are. I have a lot of complaints about Microsoft's latest spin on Windows, but during a recent holiday break I found myself unexpectedly extolling its virtues to family members leery of leaving the familiar comforts of Windows 10 behind.

After some thought, I have to admit that while I'm still unsatisfied with where Windows 11 is at, I think it's good enough for most people to upgrade to at this point—assuming you meet the onerous system requirements, of course.

Let's talk about why.

Windows 11 offers useful tools other versions don't

First and foremost, let me say that Microsoft is continually updating Windows and many of the best features of Windows 11 are also available on Windows 10. By the time you read this some of the features I love about Windows 11 may be available on Windows 10 too, and you can check Microsoft's own Windows comparison page(opens in new tab) to get a sense of what features are unique to the latest version of Windows.

Sure, sometimes I feel a little silly sitting alone in my apartment telling my computer to move the cursor 20 pixels to the left, but then I remember how cool Harrison Ford looked doing the same thing in Blade Runner and I relax a little bit. This is cool. Windows 11 is...cool."

My sense of what makes Windows 11 worth upgrading to is based on my experience reviewing well over a dozen Windows 11 PCs over the past year or so, all while using Windows 10 on my personal machine. I'm constantly swapping back and forth between the two operating systems, using them on a variety of displays, and I'm at the point where I'd rather be using Windows 11 than any of its predecessors. 

One big reason why is how much better Windows 11 handles multiple displays vs. Windows 10. On my old PC, I'm constantly having to hunt for and reposition apps across my two monitors, which have different sizes, resolutions and even angles (one's curved, one's not—a truly cursed arrangement). Worse, Windows 10 often repositions apps or futzes with display resolutions whenever a monitor happens to disconnect or go into sleep mode. Not so on Windows 11.

No, on a Windows 11 PC, I typically find that apps are where I left them, and that when a monitor disconnects Windows 11 doesn't lose its mind and start shuffling apps and windows around. It's a minor change, but one that saves seconds of frustration every day. Those seconds added up to hours of misery every year, misery I no longer have to endure thanks to Windows 11.

Windows 11 also offers much more refined control over how you position apps on your display(s), which I love. In our Windows 11 review I extolled the virtues of its improved Snap system, which makes it easy to place windows into pre-configured Layouts on your display. You can simply drag a window up to the top of the display and Windows 11 will pop up an intuitive interface for dragging and dropping said window into a pre-portioned space on your desktop. You can easily drag three windows up to the top and lay them out in a triptych, for example, or have one app take up two-thirds of the screen while a second app sits alongside it in the remaining third. 

Arranging windows on your desktop so you can easily multi-task or look at multiple things at once is one of the key selling points of Windows (heck it's right there in the name), and it's better than ever on Windows 11. While you can use Snap in a more limited form on Windows 10, the version that's present in Windows 11 is more robust and useful, especially after the new functionality it gained in the big Windows 11 22H2 update that rolled out in October. 

In fact, it was that big 22H2 update (22H2 simply denotes it shipped in the second half of 2022) that changed my mind about Windows 11. Microsoft has quietly been updating the look and feel of Windows 11 all year, adding little features and tweaking the user interface, but it was that big update that delivered some real game-changers for me.

Notably, the addition of Live Captions and Voice Access make Windows 11 a better OS that's more accessible than Windows 10. While that older version does offer limited versions of live captioning and voice control, neither is as robust or useful as its Windows 11 equivalent. The latest version of Windows is capable of auto-generating captions for audio at a system level, which means it works not only on streaming movies and YouTube videos but video calls. You could even conceivably hook up a microphone to a Windows 11 laptop and walk around with it reading captions of your conversations in the real world, since the feature also works with microphone input.

But really it was Voice Access that made Windows 11 a must-have for me. Voice Access is an improved version of the voice control functionality already present in Windows 10, and it gives you more accurate and granular control of your PC using just your voice. Not only does it do a generally solid job of understanding the difference between commands and dictation and accurately capturing what you say, it also gives you very useful commands for pinpointing areas on-screen and selecting them.

Obviously this is a huge part of working with Windows or any graphical operating system (GUI), and having the ability to tell my computer what to click on or where to move something has been a game-changer that revolutionized how I work.

Sure, sometimes I feel a little silly sitting alone in my apartment telling my computer to move the cursor 20 pixels to the left, but then I remember how cool Harrison Ford looked doing the same thing in Blade Runner and I relax a little bit. This is cool. Windows 11 is...cool.

Microsoft still has a lot of work to do

But as cool as Windows 11 is, I understand if you still feel a bit leery about upgrading from your current version. As I mentioned up top, Microsoft still hasn't really delivered on the promise of Windows 11 when it was unveiled. 

While native Android app support is finally (mostly) working as advertised, it's hard to see why you'd want to take advantage right now since the only easily-accessible Android apps on Windows 11 must be downloaded from the limited selection available in the Amazon App Store. And a lot of the other features unique to Windows 11, like Widgets or Smart App Control, are more of a hassle than a help. And to Microsoft's credit, many of Windows 11's coolest features, including game enhancements like Auto HDR and DirectStorage, are also available on Windows 10. 

But for me, Windows 11 has finally crossed the line separating curiosities from key work tools. It helps me get more done with less hassle than I did on Windows 10, and that's been enough to convince me to recommend it to others. 

Hopefully you'll find something of value there too when you decide to take the free upgrade to Windows 11, but take your time—Microsoft has promised to support Windows 10 through October 2025, so there's no rush.

Source

1. Animated icons in the Settings app

Windows 11 is a beautiful operating system, even though there is room for consistency improvements. Microsoft sometimes surprises its customers with over-the-top attention to detail, and the updated Settings app is one example. Settings now feature new icons that play neat animations when you click them.

Of course, this is anything but groundbreaking, but it is still great to see such "unexpected moments of joy with purpose" (that is what Microsoft calls tiny animations across Windows 11).

2. Seconds on the clock in the notification area

It is hard to praise Microsoft for returning features the company removed when upgrading users from Windows 10 to 11. Still, it is what it is—Windows 11 preview builds now let you enable seconds on the clock in the notification area. Now we hope Microsoft will reconsider its decision not to give customers the ability to reposition the taskbar (the company thinks such a feature is not important).

3. Better Windows Widgets

I do not know a single user who likes Windows Widgets in their current form. The idea is excellent (remember Live Tiles?), but the implementation is poorly made at best. However, Microsoft is not abandoning Windows Widgets—here are widget enhancements coming soon to Windows 11 users:

• Windows Widgets can now go full-screen to give you more tabloid news space for your widgets.
• Third-party widgets inbound. Microsoft recently allowed developers to proceed with creating custom widgets for Windows 11 and prepare them for publishing in the Microsoft Store. Third-party offerings will make Windows Widgets much better, and we cannot wait to see the first projects landing in the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft can also resort to the recently published fan-made Windows 12 concept or just read its Feedback Hub full of complaints about Windows Widgets if the company needs some ideas.

4. Not a fake search box

Not everyone will share my excitement about this one. Still, I believe those actively using Windows Search will be happy with a genuine search box Microsoft has added to Windows 11 in build 25252. It allows inputting text where you click without shifting focus to another window or field. Of course, the new search box cannot fix some lame quirks of Windows Search, but that is a topic for another article.

5. Improved Task Manager

The updated Task Manager received a search box for finding the needed process. Also, the app now features improved theme support (you can make Task Manager light or dark regardless of the system theme), more modern dialog boxes, and the option to disable the warning about efficiency mode.

It is worth noting that you can already enable the updated Task Manager in the Windows 11 2022 Update, but beware of bugs that you do not want to experience in such a sensitive area. Task Manager should always work flawlessly, so we do not recommend force-enabling the improvements before Microsoft starts rolling them out.

More

There are many more exciting changes for Windows 11 cooking in the ovens of the Windows Insider program. Microsoft is working on making the Settings app more modern and consistent (one, two, and three), adding a new VPN indicator in the notification area, creating a Settings page for making your computer more efficient, improving existing features, etc.

What upcoming changes in Windows 11 excite you most? Let us know in the comments.

Here are 5 neat features coming soon to Windows 11

A few days ago, the company has started offering the next Windows as an Out of Box experience (OOBE) update to Windows 10 22H2 users for the first time.

The support document regarding the new OOBE update (KB5020683) states:

On November 30, 2022, an out-of-band update was released to improve the Windows 10, version 2004, 20H2, 21H1, 21H2, and 22H2 out-of-box experience (OOBE). It provides eligible devices with the option to upgrade to Windows 11 as part of the OOBE process. This update will be available only when an OOBE update is installed.

This update applies to the following:

• Windows 10, version 2004 (Home and Professional only)

• Windows 10, version 20H2 (Home and Professional only)

• Windows 10, version 21H1 (Home and Professional only)

• Windows 10, version 21H2 (Home and Professional only)

• Windows 10, version 22H2 (Home and Professional only)

In order to receive this OOBE update, there are a few prerequisites on certain Windows 10 versions. These are given below:

How to get this update

Windows OOBE

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

You must have one of the following updates or a later update installed to apply this update:

For Windows 10, version 2004

• Recommended: November 10, 2020—KB4586781 (OS Build 19041.630)
• Optional: October 29, 2020—KB4580364 (OS Build 19041.610)

For Windows 10, version 20H2

• No additional updates are required.

For Windows 10, version 21H1

• No additional updates are required.

For Windows 10, version 21H2

• No additional updates are required.

For Windows 10, version 22H2

• No additional updates are required.

You may find more information on Microsoft's official website.

KB5020683: Microsoft begins offering Windows 11 to Windows 10 22H2 users via OOBE

What Does a Drop-down List in Word Do?

A drop-down list is used in many different applications, including Microsoft Word. It's a way to display a list of options in a text box so the user can select one option.

Drop-down lists are used for a variety of reasons. For example, they help display lists of items where each has its title and description. Another reason for their use is when many options must be displayed in a single text box.

Drop-down lists allow users to enter their selection by clicking on the one they wish to choose from the list. When creating drop-down lists, it's important to consider how many options you want your users to have access to.

How To Add a Drop-down List in Microsoft Word?

Before adding a drop-down list, you must first enable the developer menu. This is because the list is hidden and will be seen only after activating the menu.

To enable the developer menu, you must click on open and then click on options at the bottom left of the menu. Under options, you must then click on the customize ribbon option. The entire menu will open on the right. You will see a developer option with a check box next to it. Activate it by enabling the check box. You can now prepare drop-down lists.

Open a word document and place the cursor where you want the list to appear. Type the question and press enter. You must then select developer from the menu option.

Under the developer menu, check out the controls section. Over there, click on the icon for "Drop-Down List Content Control." This icon looks like a drop-down list.

A drop-down list will now appear under the question (where your cursor was placed). Since the drop-down list is empty, you must configure it by selecting properties under the controls section. A pop-up will appear where you can enter a title for the list. This title will appear when no option is selected from the drop-down.

You can edit the colour theme and also select from various other options. For example, if you don't want anyone tampering with the drop-down, you can activate the option that states content control cannot be deleted. You should, however, lock your document because anyone can enter properties and disable the option.

Once you've selected properties, you can add them to your drop-down list. You can do so by clicking add on the right of the pop-up. Enter the display name field, and the value will auto-populate. Click ok and repeat this process until all fields have been entered.

You can even move fields up and down, depending on your preference. Once you click ok, your changes will be saved, and your drop-down list will be ready.

Time To Populate Your Data

Although adding a drop-down list in Word may seem complicated initially, it is straightforward. This tutorial allows you to add drop-down lists to multiple documents in a matter of minutes. It gives you a chance to become a master of this Office tool.

How to Add a Drop-Down List to a Word Document

The application is tiny and can be run right after download. Note that the screen may turn a solid colour for a moment before the changes that it makes take effect. There may also be a Windows SmartScreen warning about the app.

Windows 11 users will notice taskbar changes right away, as the Windows 10 taskbar style is loaded by default by the application. All of this can be customized by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting properties from the menu.

Speaking of which, the context menu displays "lost" options again, including the ability to show windows side-by-side or stacked. There is also the Task Manager link, which Microsoft removed initially but has restored lately again on Windows 11.

The preferences windows of ExplorerPatcher divides customizations into different subsections. There are sections for the taskbar, Start Menu, File Explorer and the System Tray, and several others.

Each section lists a number of tweaks and changes that users may make to customize the Windows desktop environment. Taskbar alone holds several important options. There, users may switch between Windows 10 and 11 taskbar styles. Depending on that selection, other options become available.

Windows 10 is the default, and it allows users to add or remove items, change the Start button style and taskbar alignment, and move the taskbar from the bottom location to the top or the sides of the screen. There are also options to change the huge icon size to small and define whether icons should be combined or not. The Windows 11 taskbar style has less options, e.g., the ability to place it at the sides or top is not available.

The program's other settings are equally extensive. System Tray, for instance, lists a good dozen options that define behavior; this depends on the selected taskbar style, with Windows 10's taskbar style offering more options than Windows 11's.

For Windows 10, users may show or remove options. There is an option to show seconds on the clock, something on which Microsoft is still working on getting restored on Windows 11. Other options include defining actions when clicking on system tray icons or hiding the show desktop button.

The File Explorer sections offers a similar set of customization options. The default set of changes skips the new Windows 11 context menu by default to display the classic one automatically. Other options include enabling legacy file transfer dialogs, shrinking the address bar height, or disabling the modern search bar.

The Start Menu section allows users to hide the recommended section entirely. While it removes it from the Start menu, it does not unlock the space that it occupies for programs.

Users who explorer the other sections find the option to place a weather widget on the taskbar; this widget is not related to the Windows 11 Widgets feature, but a relict of Windows 10, which Microsoft never rolled out fully. It may be enabled to display weather information on the taskbar. A custom location and styale may be selected for it.

Verdict

ExplorerPatcher is a mighty tool, especially for users of Windows 11 who want access to more customization options (which Windows 10 offered). The program worked well during tests, but there were occasional glitches, such as the inability to move the taskbar from the left position back to the bottom, or that the new window display options were visible over the start menu area. All in all though, it worked fine and is recommended.

Now You: have you tried ExplorerPatcher or other tweakers? (via Caschy)

ExplorerPatcher: customization options for the Windows taskbar, Start and File Explorer

Free

One reason Windows 11 is worth upgrading is that ! That's right; Microsoft has made this update free for everyone who owns a PC running any Windows 10 version 2004 or later. So if you've been holding off upgrading because you don't want to pay for something that may not be worth it, now is your chance!

Easy to Use

In the past, Windows was a complicated and frustrating operating system. It was hard to use and often challenging to get the hang of. With Windows 8 and 10, Microsoft has made a lot of progress. The problem is that these improvements have come at a cost - these operating systems are still difficult to use.

With the 2022 Update, Microsoft has finally done something about this problem. They've made Windows 11 as easy to use as Mac OS X. The reason for this change is simple. Microsoft knows that if they want their users to upgrade from Windows 10.

They needed to make sure that upgrading wasn't too difficult or awkward for users who weren't already familiar with the new interface design changes. The 2022 Update makes it easier for everyone - even those who have never used a Windows computer!

New Look Menu

The start menu has been a boring feature of Windows until now. It was just a place to find shortcuts to your most-used programs and files, and it didn't even have any customization options. That's about to change with the 2022 update.

The start menu will now be customizable. You'll be able to customize its colours and fonts and add new folders or buttons that open specific apps. It'll also include support for Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant, that can help you with calendar reminders or scheduling meetings.

Upgraded Microsoft Edge

With the 2022 Update, Microsoft has finally made Edge good enough to use as your primary browser (without worrying about security). You can pin websites and apps to the taskbar and right-click on links to share them easily.

With the new "dark mode" feature, you can ensure that your browser doesn't take up all your screen real estate by dimming its background colour until you close it - perfect for watching videos on YouTube or Netflix!

New File Explorer

One of the biggest changes is the new file explorer interface. This new interface is much easier to use than previous versions of Windows and makes finding files even faster. It also allows users to add folders directly into their taskbar and access them quickly without opening up a different program first.

Search Box

Another new feature is a unified search box that can be accessed from any screen in Windows, including when using email or instant messaging software like Skype. This feature will allow users to quickly find any information they need without switching between different functions on their computer or smartphone device.

It's time to upgrade

Overall we believe that the 2022 update is certainly worth the upgrade. Windows 11 brings some exciting new features to the table and furthers Microsoft's vision of a connected PC ecosystem and a seamless experience between devices. The new interface won't be for everyone, but after using it for a few days, you'll find it easy to adapt. Overall, the 2022 update isn't a must-have upgrade, but you'd be missing out if you didn't at least try it out.

With the 2022 Update, Windows 11 Is Finally Worth an Upgrade