Google started rolling out an updated user interface for Gmail in February that pulls Meet, Chat, and Spaces closer and applies more of its Material You styling effects. Starting today, it’s becoming opt-out instead of opt-in, so your account will switch over to the new view by default pretty soon.

It’s not a huge change, but as Google transitions through its current flavor-of-the-week messaging app and weaves its Workspace suite into a better competitor for Office, this puts more of a focus on the updated experiences.

The old Gmail menu, with Chat and Meet aligned below your Gmail inboxes and labels. Image: Google

If you can’t tell what’s different here, the updated UI collects buttons for Mail, Meet, Spaces, and Chat into one list at the top of the left rail instead of showing several conversations from each one in a list. They’re still easily accessible without having everything on screen at once, and you can quickly jump into a conversation in any one section as a list will pop out when you mouse over its icon.

Gmail’s new UI, with just Gmail and the other apps disabled Image: Google

And if you just want to have one particular form of communication on screen without the others (like Gmail), it’s a little easier to do that since Chat and the rest aren’t listed underneath your inboxes and labels anymore.

According to Google, you can choose which apps are included there in the Quick Settings menu, where you’ll be able to switch back to the old look if you prefer. Unlike the usual 15-day rollout for new features, Google says this one is an “extended rollout,” so while it’s coming to Workspace and personal Gmail accounts alike, it could take longer than a couple of weeks for your interface to change over on its own. If you just want to try it, you should be able to opt-in (and back out) from the quick settings menu right now, as long as you’ve already switched to Chat from Hangouts and positioned Chat in the left-hand menu.

Gmail’s new look is about to appear for more people, even if they didn’t ask for it

This update includes numerous bug fixes and new, unexpected printing features.

The KB5014666 cumulative update preview is part of Microsoft's June 2022 monthly "C" update, allowing admins to test fixes in the July 2022 Patch Tuesday.

Unlike Patch Tuesday updates, the "C" preview updates are optional and do not include any security updates.

Windows users can install this update by going into Settings, clicking on Windows Update, and manually performing a 'Check for Updates.'

As this is an optional update, you will be asked whether you wish to install it by clicking on the 'Download and install' link, as shown in the image below.

Windows 10 KB5014666 cumulative update previewSource: BleepingComputer

Windows 10 users can also manually download and install the KB5014666 preview update from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

What's new in Windows 10 KB5014666

With this update, Microsoft is introducing a bunch of new Print and Scan features, including support for the Internet Print Protocol (IPP) on USB printers.

The Internet Print Protocol allows you to print and manage documents on a Windows print server directly over HTTP. While Microsoft has supported IPP in network printers, with this update, Microsoft is also supporting IPP over USB.

"Microsoft has supported Internet Print Protocol (IPP) for network printers starting in 2018 with the release of Windows 10, version 1809. We are now expanding IPP support to USB printers," explains the update's release notes.

Other new printer features include:

• Print support app (PSA) APIs – Using the PSA framework, printer manufacturers can extend printer functionalities and user experience. For more information, see Print support app design guide.

   

• PIN-protected printing for IPP and Universal Print - Standard print dialogs now include a user interface to enter a PIN code.

   

• eSCL Mopria Scan protocol - Windows now supports the eSCL Mopria Scan protocol. It can be used with Mopria certified scanner devices.

   

In addition to the new printing features, the Windows 10 KB5014666 cumulative update preview includes twenty-six other improvements or fixes, with the two highlighted ones below:

• Addresses a known issue that might prevent you from using the Wi-Fi hotspot feature.

   

• New! Adds IP address auditing for incoming Windows Remote Management (WinRM) connections in security event 4262 and WinRM event 91. This addresses an issue that fails to log the source IP address and machine name for a remote PowerShell connection.

   

• New! Adds Server Message Block (SMB) redirector (RDR) specific public File System Control (FSCTL) code FSCTL_LMR_QUERY_INFO.

   

After installing this update, Windows 10 20H2 will be updated to build 19042.1806, Windows 10 21H1 will be updated to build 19043.1806, and Windows 10 21H2 will be updated to build 19044.1806.

You can find a complete list of fixes in the KB5014666 support bulletin.

Windows 10 KB5014666 update brings new printing features, bug fixes

The current version of Microsoft Edge allows creating Collections with various content, such as entire web pages, pins from Pinterest, and sticky notes. Microsoft understands that users want to store more files in their Collections, so future updates will bring the ability to add images and videos using a simple right-click.

Microsoft will also let users work together in future updates, letting them share, collaborate, and brainstorm together using the feature.

Finally, those using Collections in Microsoft Edge should prepare for the influx of recommended content. The software giant will soon start displaying an "inspiration feed" with content related to the things you store in a particular Collection. Unfortunately, there is no information on whether Microsoft will allow users to disable recommended content.

In case you missed it, Microsoft recently announced a bunch of "gaming-related" features for its browser too, making Edge "the best browser for gamers."

Edge will soon let you collaborate in Collections and add more content

Here is the full changelog for version 0.3.1:

• New command syntax.
• Improved boot persistence to keep features working after restarts.
• Support for identifying features by names.
• Revised data types and struct bitfield sizes.
• Greatly improved library performance.
• Feature configuration import and export.
• 'Last Known Good' rollback system management.
• Full reset command.
• Update check command.

ViveTool is a must-have app for every Windows Insider or enthusiast who wants to ensure their computer has all the latest public and experimental features. Microsoft nowadays ships many new capabilities (Tabs in File Explorer) for testing in A/B mode, which means not every Insider can test them immediately. ViveTool allows force-enabling those features and even accessing those Microsoft has not announced yet (the new Search widget on the taskbar).

You can download ViveTool from its repository on GitHub. The app supports Windows 10 build 18963 and higher.

The latest ViveTool update makes it easier to identify and maintain Windows features

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

Windows 10 and 11 include an app called “Clipboard History”, allowing you to store multiple things on the clipboard by highlighting each item and pressing ctrl+c.

To access Clipboard History, hold down the Windows key and press V (Win + V). You can then choose which copied item on the clipboard you wish to paste into an application.

Keep in mind that with this feature enabled, you will be able to keep only 10 of the most recent copied items on your clipboard. And at any time, you can open the clipboard (Windows key +V) and tell it to "clear all".

Happy Computing!

If you learned something today, great! If not, maybe share your own tech tip in the comments below!

Warwagon's Tech Tip Tuesday: Windows key + V

Here are the issues Nvidia fixed in driver 516.59:

• [Red Dead Redemption][Vulkan]: Some objects may flicker when player is indoors.
• [OpenGL] Minecraft Java Edition may display artifacts when using Optifine shaders.
• [OpenGL] Artifacts may appear in Second Life when connecting using third party viewers.
• [Neverwinter Nights] Light sources not rendering correctly.
• [Vulkan] Path of Exile displays flashing black textures.
• [G-SYNC] Games may stutter when bringing up the Xbox app overlay.
• [UE5] General UE5 stability improvements.

Also, here is the list of known bugs and issues in today's update:

• [NVIDIA Ampere GPU]: With the GPU connected to an HDMI 2.1 audio/video receiver, audio may drop out when playing back Dolby Atmos.
• [RTX 30 series] PC monitor may not wake from display sleep when GPU is also connected to an HDMI 2.1 TV, and the TV is powered off.
• Toggling HDR on and off in-game causes game stability issues when non-native resolution is used.
• Videos played back in Microsoft Edge may appear green if NVIDIA Image Scaling is enabled upon resuming from hibernate or booting with fastboot.
• [DirectX 12] Shadowplay recordings may appear over exposed when Use HDR is enabled from the Windows display settings.
• Monitor may briefly flicker on waking from display sleep if DSR/DLDSR is enabled.
• [Jurassic World Evolution 2][Microsoft Store] Artifacts may appear in game.
• [Prepar3D] Light sources display flashing black boxes.
• [MSI GE66 Raider 10UG/MSI GE76 Raider 10UH] Windows brightness setting does not work when notebook is in dedicated GPU mode.
• [Destiny 2] Game may randomly freeze after launching game or during gameplay.

Nvidia GeForce Game Ready 516.59 WHQL supports graphics cards starting with the GTX 700 Series on desktops and the GTX 800M Series on laptops. You can download the driver from the official website, and full release notes are available in the documentation.

Nvidia 516.59 driver brings support for GTX 1630, Windows 11 22H2, and F1 2022

However, Microsoft Teams for the web users will be able to use features like background effects for the first time. Teams for the web now allow users to blur their background or use a Microsoft-provided background during a meeting. This is something Microsoft promised last year, and the software giant has taken almost a year to deliver on its promise.

Microsoft has highlighted another important functionality. Teams web client will now allow users to "view captions coming from a CART provider (real-time captioning) within the Microsoft Teams meeting window instead of a secondary window." Users can enable the CART caption from the meeting options.

Live Captions support is another useful feature that Teams users on the web have been asking for for a long. And Microsoft has finally added it, allowing users to "see who is speaking along with what's being said." Live Captions support is currently available in several spoken languages, including German, Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese, Hindi, and more.

Lastly, Microsoft has introduced Live Transcript support, allowing users to "follow and review conversations alongside the meeting video or audio in real-time." Participants who join late can read the transcript to know what's been discussed earlier in the meeting. It can also be helpful to participants with hearing disabilities or those with different language proficiency levels.

If you're using the Microsoft Teams web client, do you like the aforementioned features? Let us know in the comments.

Source and images: Microsoft

Microsoft Teams for the web gets a host of new features

Linux has been written in the C programming language for more than 30 years but the last few years have seen a growing momentum to make the Rust programming language Linux's second Linux language.

Speaking to the gathered throngs at the Open Source Summit in Austin, Texas, Linux creator Linus Torvalds said he could see Rust making it into the Linux kernel as soon as the next major release.

"I'd like to see the Rust infrastructure merging to be started in the next release, but we'll see. I won't force it, and it's not like it's going to be doing anything really meaningful at that point -- it would basically be the starting point. So, no promises."

Rust is better at writing more secure software by ensuring thread safety and preventing memory-related errors, such as buffer overflows that can lead to security vulnerabilities.

Torvalds likes the fact that Rust is more memory-safe.

However while there are technical reasons like memory safety and why Rust is good to get in the kernel, no one is going to rewrite the entire 30 or so million lines of the Linux kernel into Rust. But it could lead to a world where new code is written in Rust.

The three areas of potential concern for Rust support are making use of the existing APIs in the kernel, architecture support, and dealing with application binary interface (ABI) compatibility between Rust and C.

Source

The full changelog is given below:

Release Highlights

• New program support added.

• Six new drivers added.

• Fixed pop-up message "AMD Chipset Software is not responding" when the installer is launched and UI screen is clicked.

Known Issues

• Sometimes custom install fails to upgrade to latest drivers.

• Text alignment issues may be seen on Russian language.

• Manual system restart required on Non-English OS after the installation is complete.

• Windows® Installer pop-up message may appear during the installation.

• Uninstall summary log may incorrectly show uninstall status as fail on non-English OS.

Here are all the updated and new drivers in the Chipset Driver 4.06.10.651 package:

As you can see, some of the new drivers like the USB4 Connection Manager (CM) driver, which was introduced recently in the earlier 4.03.03.624 release, have received a new update. In fact, this is first official release from AMD's own website for the drivers as the previous release was never listed by AMD officially for some reason. To download the new chipset driver, head over to AMD's official website at this link.

AMD finally fixes "Chipset Software is not responding", updates Windows 11 Ryzen power plans

For an average consumer, the announcement does not matter that much. Users do not interact with the runtime directly; they get the necessary files to run a particular app alongside its installation files. By shipping the WebView 2 to Windows 10, Microsoft makes life easier mainly for developers.

Microsoft says bundling Windows 10 with the WebView 2 Runtime will help developers cut costs and ensure their customers have the necessary dependencies. Previously, developers had to spend extra time and effort to bundle the WebView 2 Runtime with their apps. Windows 11, on the other hand, has WebView 2 built in from its infancy.

The WebView 2 Runtime rollout starts today on consumer versions of Windows 10. According to a post on the official website, WebView 2 will arrive on systems with Windows 10 Home and Pro, version 2004 and newer. It will have minimal impact on disk space as the runtime is tied to the Microsoft Edge browser, which, in turn, is the out-of-box browser on Windows 10 and 11. Besides, Microsoft will roll out WebView 2 in waves to ensure "users are having the best experience."

Developers can learn more about the WebView 2 Runtime distribution in the official documentation. Note that the announcement currently does not affect domain-joined enterprise devices. Microsoft says it will share more details on that in the future.

Microsoft brings Edge WebView 2 to Windows 10

The IE mode problems affect devices running Windows 11 (version 21H2), Windows 10 (versions 20H2, 221H1, and 21H2), and Windows Server 2022 after installing the KB5014019, KB5014023, and KB5014021 optional preview cumulative updates.

After deploying these Windows updates, "IE mode tabs in Microsoft Edge might stop responding when a site displays a modal dialog box," Microsoft explained.

"A modal dialog box is a form or dialog box which requires the user to respond before continuing or interacting with other portions of the webpage or app."

Microsoft has fixed this issue using Known Issue Rollback (KIR), a Windows capability designed to help revert buggy Windows non-security fixes delivered via Windows Update.

After being pushed using KIR, the fix reaches all consumer and non-managed business devices within a day.

However, customers can also speed up the fix rollout to their systems by restarting impacted Windows devices.

"Please note that it might take up to 24 hours for the resolution to propagate automatically to consumer devices and non-managed business devices," Microsoft added.

Group policies available for enterprise

To resolve this IE mode tab issue in Microsoft Edge on affected enterprise-managed devices, admins have to install and configure a specific KIR Group Policy associated with the systems' Windows version.

You can download the two Group Policies by clicking the links below:

• KB5014019 Known Issue Rollback — Windows 11
• KB5014023 Known Issue Rollback — Windows 10

The step-by-step procedure to deploy a Known Issue Rollback via Group Policy requires opening the Group Policy Editor and navigating to either Local Computer Policy or the Domain policy on your domain controller to choose the Windows version you want to target.

Detailed information on how to deploy and configure KIR Group Policies is available on Microsoft's support website.

Last week, Microsoft also resolved known Wi-Fi hotspot issues and Microsoft 365 sign-in issues triggered by the June 2022 Windows updates.

Microsoft: Recent Windows updates caused Edge freeze issues

Mozilla Firefox 102 sees the browser bake-in support for GeoClue on Linux desktops, improve the PDF appearance when using high contrast mode, and gain the ability display subtitles and captions in Picture-in-Picture when playing content from HBO Max, DailyMotion, Funimation, and a number of other video streaming sites.

A clutch of Linux-specific bug fixes include patches to resolve issues with Amazon password length appearance, reduce PDF rendering artefacts, and massage video distortion with H.264 when using VAAPI. Additionally, mesa/crocus is appended to the list of Intel Mesa drivers supported by the browser.

Elsewhere, Firefox 102 now only shows the ‘save login’ prompt when you interact with a page; makes a few tweaks to better handle TikTok content; and enables swipe-to-nav on compatible Windows systems — note: this feature is coming to Linux in Firefox 103.

Finally, Mozilla mentions that a a new enterprise policy and config setting is included in this release. It sees Firefox initially place downloads in a temporary folder instead of the download folder configured in Firefox.

“Files opened from the “what should Firefox do with this file” dialog, or set to open in helper applications automatically, will stay in this folder. Files saved (not opened as previously mentioned) will still end up in the Firefox download folder,” they add.

Download Firefox 102

Mozilla Firefox is free, open source software available for Windows, macOS, Linux.

You can, as always, grab the latest release from the Mozilla website (though most Linux distros come with the browser installed by default or available in the repo) once the release is officially announced.

Ubuntu users will get the Firefox 102 update automatically.

Source

Using Microsoft Edge could soon be a lot smoother and more productive, thanks to a new update in the works.

The company has revealed its is working on an upgrade which would allow Edge users to access their favourite or most-used tools alongside the browser itself.

The change should make using Edge a lot easier, particularly if you're looking to juggle several programs or tools at the same time, say for planning an event or a presentation for work.

Microsoft Edge tools

In the official Microsoft 365 roadmap entry (opens in new tab), the new addition is described as allowing users "to access Edge features side-by-side with their browsing window".

Initially, the likes of Discover, Bing search, Outlook, Office, Games, and other items such as a unit converter and internet speed test will be among those included for users to try out.

The update is still listed as "in development", but Microsoft has included a scheduled launch date of August 2022, so we may not have long to wait. When released, it will be available for all Microsoft Edge users across the globe.

The launch comes as Microsoft looks to push Edge as a useful productivity tool and workplace companion for users everywhere.

It comes shortly after a similar feature was announced that will allow users to pause all extensions from running on specific websites with a single click, giving them greater control over extensions running on risky or sensitive websites.

Recent Statcounter figures showed Microsoft Edge has either lost or failed to gain market share in four of the last six months.

It put Edge at a 4.05% share of the market (across both desktop and mobile platforms), which equates to an estimated 200 million users - a long way shy of both Google Chrome (64.34%) and Apple’s Safari (19.16%), but ahead of Firefox (3.41%).

Source

Cloudflare has added the ability to access private networks to its browser isolation service, and suggests the combo represents an alternative to virtual desktop infrastructure.

Browser isolation requires organizations to have a Cloudflare Zero Trust account, and to install a client on users' devices. Cloudflare runs a browser in its cloud and users browse as usual – but Cloudflare intervenes so that users don't make it to whichever web server they intend to visit.

Cloudflare browses to the server and then redraws the web page on the client browser. The user's device therefore never touches the web server, so anything nasty on a page is snuffed out by Cloudflare in its cloud instead of poisoning a local PC.

Last Friday, Cloudflare added private network access to the service, meaning browser isolation can be applied to in-house web apps as well as the wider web.

Why bother using a cloud browser to access a private network? Convoluted as it sounds, Cloudflare argues that it's less complex than the virtual desktops many use to provide a secure remote browser.

"With most Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) users connecting to a remote desktop just to open a web browser, VDI's utility for distributing applications is really no longer needed," asserts Cloudflare's product manager Tim Obezuk, adding VDI "has become a tremendously expensive way to securely host a web browser."

He's not wrong. VDI requires complex rigs to operate reliably and requires some overprovisioning to handle the "boot storms" that occur when many users log on at the start of a working day. Those rigs are cash cows for VMware, Citrix, Nutanix, Dell, HPE. Lenovo, and others.

They've become cash cows despite the fact VDI is sometimes overkill. But in many other cases virtual desktops are worth the hassle because they give users access to applications not hosted in browsers, or preserve legacy apps, or offer elastic desktops to cope with demand surges, or give highly regulated organizations the kind of control they need.

Such regulated organizations will read Cloudflare's suggestion that browser isolation means BYOD devices can replace VDI, acknowledge the possibility, and point out that user-managed anything is inconceivable in their worlds.

But Cloudflare clearly sees some upside in browser isolation, as shown by another launch from last week – of email link isolation so that clicks to links from email invoke isolated browser sessions. Again, any nasties execute within Cloudflare's infrastructure, not yours. That's a handy extra layer of email security.

Which translates into more pressure on VDI vendors, who already have Microsoft's Windows 365 Cloud PCs to worry about, not to mention AWS's ever-improving Workspaces. One thing VDI vendors don’t have to worry about, at least when using on-prem rigs, is Cloudflare isolating millions of browsers by breaking the cloud – as happened last week. ®

Source

PicPick 6.20, the latest version of the application, adds a Screen Recorder to the program's arsenal of tools. Using it, PicPick users may save records of the desktop or a region as mp4 or animated GIF files.

The new version of PicPick is available for download on the developer website. The free version does not support automatic updates, which means that free version users need to download the installer or the portable version from the developer site to run the update manually. One of the benefits of the Pro version is that updates can be automated.

Screen Recorder is available as an option from Home and the application icon in the Windows system tray area. A hotkey is not mapped by default, but you may go to Program Options > Hotkeys to assign one to the Screen Recorder to open it using the selected keyboard shortcut.

While we are at it: the recording options may be worth a visit before you start your first recordings.

Set the output folder for the recordings, the file type (default mp4), and several quality related preferences such as frames per second, overall quality, or the quality of the audio recording.

The program hides its own window automatically in fullscreen mode and records the mouse cursor by default. Both options can be turned off in the preferences. There is also a handy restore defaults button to reset all preferences to their defaults.

The recording interface displays a small floating toolbar and a rectangular recording area by default.

The toolbar has icons to switch the regional mode to fullscreen mode, disable the recording of audio and the cursor, and options to switch the recording file format from mp4 to gif.

Activation of the rec button starts the recording, another click on the button stops it again.

Recordings are saved automatically to the selected directory. The initial version comes without editing options, which means that another program is required if you want to edit recordings. There is a good chance that support for video edits is coming in a future version.

Closing Words

Screen Recording functionality adds a missing feature to PicPick, which most users will welcome. It adds a new option to PicPick and may convince some users who require it to give it a try. An excellent tool just got better.

Pricing has changed recently. Previously, you could buy a Pro version as a single user for $29.99 and use it on 2 machines. Now, users have to pay $50 for a lifetime license or subscribe for $2.50 per month. Home users do not need the Pro version, on the other hand.

Now You: which screen capturing software do you prefer?

PicPick screen capturing software update adds Screen Recorder

Software Updates:   PicPick 6.2 Professional

Google's been late to the party, as it launched YouTube Shorts globally in mid-2021. YouTube Shorts is accessible via YouTube's main menu on desktop and mobile platforms. While the vertical video format may make sense on mobile devices, Google decided to use the same format on the desktop.

The mobile format offers limited controls when it comes to playing videos on the YouTube website. It has a pause and mute buttons, options to share, like or dislike, and to read and write comments, but that is about it.

Compared to the standard desktop player on YouTube, the Shorts video player is lacking options to change the quality of the video, the video format, or playback speed. There is no option to play videos in fullscreen mode or to change the volume of sound, other than muting sound altogether.

Youtube-shorts block is a browser extension for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome that changes that. The extension is compatible with other browsers based on Firefox and Chromium.

The main thing that it adds to YouTube is the ability to play YouTube shorts in the main video player. Users get all controls of the main video player when they watch short videos on YouTube.

The extension works directly after installation. A click on its icon displays a toggle to turn the redirection to YouTube's main video player off.  Additional options, to hide the Shorts tab and videos, are displayed when you click on the three-dots in the extension interface.

The only downside to using the extension is that you can't browse the Shorts section anymore on YouTube. When you click on Shorts, the first video is loaded automatically by the extension.

Closing Words

The extension is designed for YouTube users who watch Shorts, but want more control over the playback. Users who never watch Shorts may have little use for the extension, other than hiding the Shorts links on YouTube.

All in all, Youtube-shorts block is a useful extension for desktop users who watch Shorts on YouTube and prefer more control.

Now You: what is your take on shorts and TikTok-style videos in general?

Play YouTube Shorts like normal YouTube videos

Microsoft introduced Search Highlights in Insider Builds of Windows 11 and ported the feature to Stable versions of Windows 10 next. In the coming weeks and months, Search Highlights will roll out to all Windows 11 devices.

Most Windows users come into contact with Search Highlights by accident. They notice a new icon on the taskbar, depicting the special event that Microsoft picked for the day. National Prime Rib Day, one of your favorites, is depicted with meat and knife icons, earth day, with an icon of earth surrounded by pink hearts.

Search Highlights is actually a dual feature. For home systems, it offers "a look at interesting moments in time and a convenient way to discover content". For work devices, it may help users "discover and search for content across Microsoft 365". While the latter may indeed be useful, most Windows users would probably agree that the home variant of Search Highlights is not useful.

Microsoft notes that Search Highlights will roll out over the coming months on Windows 11 devices.

Windows 11 users may turn off the feature, similarly to how Windows 10 users may disable it. Yo may check out our guide on disabling Search Highlights on Windows 10 here.

Turn off Search Highlights on Windows 11

1. Open the Start Menu and select Settings, or use the keyboard shortcut Windows-I to open the Settings app.
2. Go to Privacy & Security.
3. Select Search permissions on the page that opens.
4. Toggle "Show search highlights" on the Search permissions page to turn the feature off.

You may undo the change at any time by changing the state of the preference to On again.

Windows 11 won't change icons on the taskbar of the operating system anymore once you make the change. The search interface does not display information related to Search Highlights anymore when you open it either.

Use the Group Policy Editor to turn off Search Highlights

Note: the Group Policy Editor is only available in professional versions of Windows 11. In other words: it is not available in Windows 11 Home. Check the Registry option below if you use a device with a Home edition.

1. Use Windows-R to open the runbox.
2. Type gpedit.msc and hit the Enter-key to launch the Group Policy Editor.
3. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.
4. Locate and double-click on "Allow Search Highlights".
5. Change the state of the policy to "Disabled" and select Apply to save the change.

You may undo the change at any time by switching the state of the policy to "not configured" or "enabled".

Use the Windows Registry to turn off Search Highlights on Windows 11

The Registry edit option is available for all editions of Windows 11.

1. Use Windows-R to open the runbox.
2. Type regedit.exe and hit the Enter-key to launch the Registry Editor.
3. Confirm the UAC prompt by selecting "Yes".
4. Use the address bar at the top to load the following Registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
   1. Note: if part of the path is not available, right-click on the previous folder and select New > Key. Name the key accordingly to create the full path.
5. Check if EnableDynamicContentInWSB is available under Windows Search.
   1. If it is, double-click on the preference and set its Value to 0 to turn off Search Highlights.
   2. It it does not exist. right-click on Windows Search and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
      1. Name it EnableDynamicContentInWSB.
      2. It should have a value of 0 by default, but if that is not the case, double-click on it and set its value to 0.
6. Restart the Pc.

Now You: will you keep Search Highlights turned on, or will you disable it?

Rejoice! Microsoft brings Search Highlights to Windows 11

The features in this update that Microsoft highlights include:

• New! We added IP address auditing for incoming Windows Remote Management (WinRM) connections in security event 4262 and WinRM event 91. We fixed an issue that fails to log the source IP address and machine name for a remote PowerShell connection.
• New! We added Server Message Block (SMB) redirector (RDR) specific public File System Control (FSCTL) code FSCTL_LMR_QUERY_INFO.
• New! We introduced the following Print and Scan features:
  • IPP over USB support – Microsoft has supported Internet Print Protocol (IPP) for network printers starting in 2018 with the release of Windows 10, version 1809. We are now expanding IPP support to USB printers.
  • Print support app (PSA) APIs – Using the PSA framework, printer manufacturers can extend printer functionalities and user experience. For more information, see Print support app design guide.
  • PIN-protected printing for IPP and Universal Print – Standard print dialogs now include a user interface to enter a PIN code.
  • eSCL Mopria Scan protocol – Windows now supports the eSCL Mopria Scan protocol. It can be used with Mopria certified scanner devices.

And below is all the fixes included with this release:

• We fixed an issue that affects the Cloud Clipboard service and prevents syncing between machines after a period of inactivity.
• We fixed an issue that prevents the Pashto language from appearing in the language list.
• We enabled the InternetExplorerModeEnableSavePageAs Group Policy. For more information, see Microsoft Edge Browser Policy Documentation.
• We fixed an issue that affects the touchpad area that responds to a right-click (the right-click zone). For more information, see Right-click zone.
• We fixed an issue that affects some certificates chains to Root Certification Authorities that are members of the Microsoft Root Certification Program. For these certificates, the certificate chain status can be, “This certificate was revoked by its certification authority”.
• We fixed an issue that leads to a false negative when you run scripts while Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) is turned on. This might generate AppLocker events 8029, 8028, or 8037 to appear in the log when they should not.
• We fixed an issue that prevents the use of Encrypted File System (EFS) files over a Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) connection.
• We fixed an issue that causes a domain controller to incorrectly write Key Distribution Center (KDC) event 21 in the System event log. This occurs when the KDC successfully processes a Kerberos Public Key Cryptography for Initial Authentication (PKINIT) authentication request with a self-signed certificate for key trust scenarios (Windows Hello for Business and Device Authentication).
• We fixed an issue that causes the LocalUsersAndGroups configuration service provider (CSP) policy to fail when you modify the built-in Administrators group. This issue occurs if the local Administrator account isn’t specified in the membership list when you perform a replace operation.
• We fixed an issue in which malformed XML inputs might cause an error in DeviceEnroller.exe. This prevents CSPs from being delivered to the device until you restart the device or correct the XML.
• We fixed an issue that causes Microsoft NTLM authentication using an external trust to fail. This issue occurs when a domain controller that contains the January 11, 2022 or later Windows update services the authentication request, is not in a root domain, and does not hold the Global Catalog role. The affected operations might log the following errors:
  • The security database has not been started.
  • The domain was in the wrong state to perform the security operation.
  • 0xc00000dd (STATUS_INVALID_DOMAIN_STATE).

There are no known issues reported with this build.

If you want to find out what build of Windows 10 you are running, type winver in the search box and open the program listed in the results, a box will then appear with details about your operating system.

Microsoft’s (belated) announcement is here.

Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 19044.1806 (KB5014666) to Release Preview Channel

Now Rufus has joined in too and with its latest pre-release version 3.19 Beta, a new option for bypassing the mandatory requirement for a Microsoft account (MSA) on Windows 11 22H2 has been added. This comes as a part of the new selection dialog for Windows 11 setup customization in Rufus.

Alongside the bypass for MSA, the new dialog also gets the option for the TPM and Secure Boot bypass which were added with a previous Rufus 3.18 Beta version.

Here is the changelog for the new Rufus 3.19 Beta which describes these new features:

Add a new selection dialog for Windows 11 setup customization:

• Secure Boot and TPM bypass have now been moved to this dialog

• Also allows to bypass the mandatory requirement for a Microsoft account with Windows 11 22H2
  (NB: Network MUST be temporarily disabled or unplugged for the local account creation to be proposed)

Rufus 3.19 Beta also has several other changes and improvements. You can find all of them here.

Rufus 3.19 adds bypass for mandatory Windows 11 22H2 Microsoft Account requirement

Frontpaged:   Rufus 3.19.1096 BETA

Microsoft has updated the official Windows Health Dashboard documentation with a notification about fixing a somewhat annoying bug in Windows 11 and 10. According to the company, KB5014019 introduced a bug causing IE tabs in Microsoft Edge to get stuck.

After installing KB5014019 and later updates, IE mode tabs in Microsoft Edge might stop responding when a site displays a modal dialog box. A modal dialog box is a form or dialog box which requires the user to respond before continuing or interacting with other portions of the webpage or app. Developer Note: Sites affected by this issue call window.focus.

Luckily, there is nothing the affected users should do to solve the problem. Microsoft applied its Known Issue Rollback mechanism to undo the buggy update with no need to install additional patches. The only thing IE Mode users can do is restart their computers to apply the rollback faster.

According to the documentation, the bug affected users with Windows 11 21H2, Windows 10 21H2, 21H1, 20H2, and Windows Server 2022.

Buggy IE tabs in Edge are not the only problem Microsoft had to resolve this month. The company recently released a massive optional update for Windows 11 to fix several annoying issues, such as broken Wi-Fi hotspots, authentication problems, games refusing to start, and others. As a cherry on top, the update introduced Search Highlights.

Microsoft rolls back buggy cumulative update to fix IE tabs getting stuck in Edge

What is new in the June 2022 firmware update for the Surface Go 2?

• The update addresses a critical security vulnerability.

Here is the list of new drivers in the update:

You can install the latest firmware update on all Surface Go 2 configurations with Windows 10 20H1 or newer. According to the official documentation, there are no issues in today's release.

Microsoft plans to keep updating Surface Go 2's firmware until May 6, 2024. The tablet's predecessor, the original Surface Go, will reach its end of support this year, on August 2, 2022. Users of this computer currently suffer from a botched firmware update that bricked base configurations with eMMC storage. Unfortunately, there is still no solution to this problem.

Here are other Surface devices Microsoft updated this month:

• Surface Duo

• Surface Duo 2

• Surface Laptop Go 2

• Surface Pro X SQ1

• Surface Book 2

• Surface Laptop 2

   

Surface Go 2 gets new network drivers and security fixes in the latest update

Although initial discussion surrounding Windows 11 was about the stringent hardware requirements, Microsoft did promise some new features including Android app support, a UI refresh - particularly when it comes to the Taskbar and the Start menu -, Snap Layouts, and other multitasking improvements.

We reviewed the launch version of Windows 11 as a complete package and were not entirely impressed by the OS or the need for it, considering its seemingly half-baked state and lapses in user experience (looking at you, Taskbar). Some of the things that Microsoft had announced on June 24 weren't even available in the launch version of the operating system, with the most notable omission being Android app support.

We also wrote a bunch of Closer Look pieces which dived into the user experience when it comes to most, if not all, features that Windows 11 offers and you can check out all of them here. This was in addition to our other editorial pieces about things that we love and hate about Windows 11, the excessive fragmentation of Insider channels, and lots more.

Needless to say, it's been a bumpy road for Windows 11, but it's not a complete failure that many had expected it to be either.

With the first feature update for Windows 11 on the horizon with version 22H2, Microsoft has been intent on adding new capabilities as well as restoring some which it removed. Of course, the company's job is far from done yet and it does face criticism about some of its practices when it comes to the OS, it's clear that Microsoft wants to (right some of) its wrongs with version 22H2 and future iterations of Windows 11.

Personally, I still stand by my review of the launch version of Windows 11 in which I awarded it a 6.5/10 with my conclusion being that the OS gives precedence to aesthetics over actual functionality, I think that I would probably bump it up to 7/10 with version 22H2. Windows 11 still hasn't become my daily driver because Windows 10 does almost everything that I need it to and better. The aesthetics of Windows 11 are nice but are ultimately not enough for me to consider upgrading. And that's fine. Given the similarities between Windows 10 and Windows 11's codebases, Microsoft is fine with both the operating systems co-existing until the former runs out of support, at least.

But that's enough about the history of Windows 11 and our views on it. We want to know, what do you think about Windows 11 based on your usage of it? Has it grown on you or do you think that it's just not good enough for your current needs? Has Microsoft delivered on its promises since formally unveiling Windows 11 one year ago today or do you think that the OS still needs a lot of work? Vote in the poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below too!

Windows 11 was announced one year ago today, what do you think of it so far?

The full announcement says:

We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 25145.1011 (KB5016159). This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline for builds in the Dev and Beta Channels.

Hence, all the bug fixes and improvements that were announced with the earlier released build 25145 to the Dev Channel are carried over into this.

Interestingly, while there are no new changes made in this build, servicing test builds like these before have been known to break some features. For example, Windows 10 Build 21292.1010 caused issues for x64 emulation on ARM PCs.

The official announcement can be found on Microsoft's website here.

Windows 11 servicing build 25145.1011 (KB5016159) released for 23H2 Dev channel

Those who downloaded KB5014666 can activate version 22H2 using several commands in Command Prompt. Launch Command Prompt as Administrator and paste the following:

dism /online /add-package /packagepath:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-Product-Data-22h2-EKB-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.19041.1806.mum
dism /online /add-package /packagepath:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-Product-Data-22h2-EKB-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.19041.1806.mum
dism /online /add-package /packagepath:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-Product-Data-22h2-EKB-Wrapper-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.19041.1806.mum
dism /online /add-package /packagepath:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-Product-Data-22h2-EKB-Wrapper-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.19041.1806.mum
dism /online /add-package /packagepath:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-UpdateTargeting-ClientOS-22h2-EKB-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.19041.1806.mum
dism /online /add-package /packagepath:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-UpdateTargeting-ClientOS-22h2-EKB-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.19041.1806.mum
dism /online /add-package /packagepath:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-UpdateTargeting-ClientOS-22h2-EKB-Wrapper-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.19041.1806.mum
dism /online /add-package /packagepath:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-UpdateTargeting-ClientOS-22h2-EKB-Wrapper-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.19041.1806.mum

To undo the changes, replace add-package with remove-package in each line and paste them into Command Prompt running as Administrator.

It is worth noting that force-enabling Windows 10 22H2 will not get you any new features. In fact, Windows 10 22H2 may not bring any consumer-facing capabilities at all. Microsoft will most likely release it as a small enablement package, as it was with several previous "feature updates."

For a regular consumer, there is no sense in enabling the next update before Microsoft officially releases it. This just confirms that Microsoft still cares about Windows 10, even though all the good stuff is now exclusive to Windows 11. The latter is about to get its first major update, and you can learn more about it in our comprehensive review.

Optional updates confirm Windows 10 22H2 is coming

AMD Radeon Software 22.6.1 focuses on fixing a single Windows 7-related bug:

• AMD Radeon™ Software may fail to install on some AMD Graphics Products such as the Radeon™ RX 6900 XT.

The company also warn users about two known issues in driver 22.6.1:

• Enhanced Sync may cause a black screen to occur when enabled on some games and system configurations. Any users who may be experiencing issues with Enhanced Sync enabled should disable it as a temporary workaround.
• Radeon performance metrics and logging features may intermittently report extremely high and incorrect memory clock values.

Note that today's release is available only for systems with Windows 7. The most recent update for computers with Windows 10 and 11 is version 22.5.2.

• Download AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 22.6.1 Driver for Windows 7 64-bit
• Download AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 22.6.1 Driver for Windows 7 64-bit (AMD Radeon RX 6400 and Radeon RX 6500 XT only)

AMD releases driver 22.6.1 to fix a single issue on Windows 7