ZoneFS, introduced by Western Digital in 2019, is a Linux file system that uses zoned block devices. ZoneFS was included in Linux 5.6 in 2020 but since that time, we didn’t see any notable improvements. Luckily, it seems like ZoneFS will get some major improvements and fixes in Linux 5.19.

New features

Damien Le Moal from Western Digital, who is leading the development and maintaining ZoneFS established 5.19 Git branch. The list includes several fixes and improvements which will be ready for Linux 5.19. These are:

• Document sysfs attributes for-5.19
• Cleanup the mount options section
• Add active seq file accounting
• Export open zone resource information through sysfs
• Always do seq file write open accounting
• Rename super block information fields
• Fix management of open zones
• Clear inode information flags on inode creation

It is possible for Damien Le Moal to add more patches to this branch within the next weeks. Linux 5.19 will be available this summer.

Source

The graphical user interface tool would add an option to the upgrade process to make it more comfortable and easier for many of the operating system's users. Instead of having to run commands from Terminal windows, most Linux Mint upgrades could be completed using just the tool.

Linux Mint point release updates are simpler, as they don't require the use of the command line. In fact, the entire process is not that different from updating other applications or operating systems. A device that is updated from Linux Mint 20.2 to 20.3 is ready in no time, provided that no issues are encountered during the process.

Updates from Linux Mint 20.3, the latest stable version of the Linux distribution, to Linux Mint 21, the next stable version, are not that easily performed. To address this, and improve the process, development of the Upgrade Tool began.

In early April 2022, Linux Mint's Upgrade Tool was available as an alpha version. Now, the developers have released the first beta version of the Upgrade Tool. The particular version of the Upgrade Tool is designed to upgrade Linux Mint Debian Edition 4 to Linux Mint Debian Edition 5. The Upgrade Tool for upgrading Linux Mint 20.3 to Linux Mint 21 will follow in the future.

Since it is a beta tool, it is advised to create backups of the system and important data before using it. While there is Timeshift, which can be used to revert changes, it may be better to have another option to restore the previous system state.

The beta release is available for testing, and users may want to report bugs and issues to the Linux Mint development team.

The following commands need to be run to install and run the Linux Mint Upgrade Tool on the LMDE 4 system:

1. apt update
2. apt install mintupgrade
3. sudo mintupgrade

The last command runs the Upgrade Tool on the device. The application's user interface launches on the screen. All it takes is to follow the instructions to upgrade to the new major LMDE 5 release.

The following two commands may be run to remove the Upgrade Tool and restart the system after the process completes:

1. apt remove mintupgrade
2. sudo reboot

Closing Words

Linux Mint's Upgrade Tool improves the process of upgrading to major Linux Mint releases, especially for users who don't feel too comfortable using the command line. Experienced users may still upgrade using the command line, as the Upgrade Tool adds an option to the process without taking anything away.

Now You: will you use the Upgrade Tool?

Linux Mint's Upgrade Tool is now available for beta testing

Earlier, leaked script had suggested that the Windows 11 22H2 "feature completion" and "config completion" deadlines were set for 4th February and 4th March respectively and so it was expected that soon after, Insiders builds would start servicing the new features.

And in terms of when Windows 11 22H2 (SV2) finally becomes generally available, a new report from German outlet Deskmodder alleges that Windows 11 22H2 will become GA starting in mid-September but a more gradual rollout will reportedly already commence in August for A/B testing before the final GA the next month.

The rumor isn't entirely new though as an Insider "JimWynne" on a thread in the official Microsoft forum has also alleged that the same thing. Meanwhile, another Insider "RAJU.MSC.MATHEMATICS" says it is much later in November.

However, just because they are on the Microsoft forum doesn't make their claims any more credible than the average Joe and therefore it is advised to take these rumors with a pinch of salt. The original Windows 11 21H2 came out in October last year so it is also possible that Microsoft releases 22H2 too, in October 2022 instead.

What we do know is that the Redmond giant is already working on the subsequent feature update for Windows 11, version 23H2 (Sun Valley 3), given away once again by Microsoft itself when it left a glaring clue during a live stream. And it also means Windows 11 22H2 is probably not too far away.

Source: Deskmodder via Microsoft forum

Windows 11 22H2 (Sun Valley 2) release date rumors are running wild at the moment

Microsoft has updated the Windows 10 Health Dashboard page with new status notification. According to the company, Windows 10 21H2 is now ready for broad deployment, and it is available to every Windows 10 user via Windows Update.

If you use Windows 10 2004 or newer, installing version 21H2 will not take long. Like all the previous "feature upgrades" released recently, Windows 10 21H2 is a small "enablement package" with little to no notable changes. Getting version 21H2 should feel like installing regular cumulative updates. Also, the latest Windows 10 release contains no changes in hardware requirements, which means all compatible computers should get the update without issues.

Microsoft says Windows 10 21H2 has no known issues, but that does not mean the operating system is flawless. The company resolved some bugs previously preventing Windows 10 users from installing version 21H2.

According to the official documentation, Microsoft is on track to end Windows 10 20H2 support on May 10, 2022. If you use this release, better upgrade to Windows 10 21H2 to keep your system up to date and with all the necessary security patches. The software giant plans to kill Windows 10 entirely on October 14, 2025.

Windows 10 21H2 is now available to everyone and ready for broad deployment

While scheduling an appointment, it's important to mark yourself busy during the hours so that someone else in your organization cannot schedule you. The feature is already available in Microsoft Outlook Calendar but is not currently available in Teams Calendar. Users on the Microsoft forum website have been requesting Microsoft to add this capability in Teams since the pandemic hit us. By promising to add the "Calendar Show As status" feature in Teams, Microsoft will give Teams users the option to mark themselves as free, busy, or Out of Office(OOF), exactly like how Outlook users can do.

Moreover, Microsoft promises to add private meeting functionality to Teams Calendar. The feature will be helpful when users want to prevent other users from viewing appointments details when their calendar is shared.

Teams users have also been requesting Microsoft to improve the Together Mode for a long time. Microsoft has finally started working on the ability to set Together Mode as the default view for all participants in a meeting. This feature will be helpful for a lot of organizations as it eliminates the painful process of telling every person to switch to Together Mode.

Microsoft has mentioned on the roadmap page that the "Calendar Show As status" feature will be available for every Teams user on PC and Mac in June, while the ability to set Together Mode as the default view for all will be available from next month.

Source: Microsoft 365 roadmap

Microsoft to add two of the most-requested Teams features in the next couple of months

In a new update, Telegram announced it’s letting users set any sound as their notification tone. You can use short audio files uploaded from your phone and save voice messages as notification tones from a chat.

Telegram says it currently supports audio files and voice messages under 300KB and less than five seconds long. You can assign a sound to specific chats or whole groups of chats from the Settings > Notifications and Sounds menu. If you don’t have a sound you want to use right away, you can choose from an array of options, ranging from a bell to Merlin the cat, available from Telegram’s Notification Sounds channel.

Aside from custom notification tones, Telegram has also rolled out custom mute durations. Previously, you could only mute notifications for one hour, eight hours, or two days, but the new update gives you many more options. Now the feature is a bit more practical if you want to pause notifications during a 30-minute drive, for example, or even for a much longer two-month period if you’re on an extended break. The update includes more increments for the auto-delete timer, which automatically makes messages in a chat disappear at a specific time.

Telegram has also made some OS-specific changes, including improved in-app translation on iOS that supports just as many languages as the Android version of Telegram. The messaging app now lets you change the size of the player window in picture-in-picture mode on Android, letting you use pinching gestures to resize the window or hit the “X” button to close the screen.

Oh yeah, and there's new animated food emoji, too, if you’ve been longing to include a hopping bag of popcorn or a syrupy stack of pancakes with your messages.

Telegram now lets you set any sound for your notifications

Flinders University researchers warn that this means microplastics are now finding their way into human food supplies—including wild-caught and ocean-farmed fish and seafood sourced from the once pristine Southern Ocean and gulf waters of South Australia.

"Our findings shed light on the urgent need to prevent microplastic pollution by working with the communities, industries and government to protect these fragile marine systems," says Professor Karen Burke da Silva, senior author of a new article just published in Science of the Total Environment.

The Flinders University research team sampled varying levels of microplastics on 10 popular beaches across South Australia, from Coffin Bay and Port Lincoln on the West Coast to Point Lowly and Whyalla on the Spencer Gulf, to popular Adelaide metropolitan beaches along with Victor Harbor, Robe and Kangaroo Island.

"Low to medium levels of microplastics (less than 5mm in size) measured in the common blue mussel (Mytilus spp.), a filter feeder affected by ecosystem conditions, were measured to analyze the main kinds of pollution affecting the environment, and single-use plastic was the main offender," Professor Burke da Silva says.

Microplastics are ubiquitous in our marine environment and tend to be more abundant in mussel samples near larger towns and cities, with levels four times higher at Semaphore Beach compared to more remote Ceduna on Eyre Peninsula.

"By investigating microplastic load in the mussel, we call attention to the implications of microplastic pollution on South Australia's unique marine ecosystems and on the local human food chain," says Janet Klein, the first author of the article.

Microplastic contamination at Semaphore Beach and then Hallett Cove up to four times higher than tests run at Ceduna, and twice as high as Coffin Bay on Eyre Peninsula.

Trillions of microplastic particles exist in the world's oceans, with the highest concentrations recently found in the shallow sea floor sediment off Naifaru in the Maldives (at 278 particles kg-1) and lowest reported in the surface waters of the Antarctic Southern Ocean (3.1 x 10-2 particles per m3).

For the first time, the new Flinders University study measured the presence of microplastics in South Australia's coastline, in areas important both for shipping, fishing and tourism, along with other industries and local communities.

Microplastic concentration in the SA intertidal water was found to be low to moderate (mean = 8.21 particles l−1 ± 4.91) relative to global levels and microplastic abundance in mussels (mean = 3.58 ± 8.18 particles individual−1), within the range also reported globally.

Plastic types include polyamide (PA), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), acrylic resin, polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) and cellulose, which suggests both synthetic and semi-synthetic particles from single-use, short-life cycle products, fabrics, ropes and cordage from the fishing industry.

"The areas examined include some biodiversity hotspots of global significance—including the breeding ground of the Great Cuttlefish in the Northern Spencer Gulf and marine ecosystems more diverse than the Great Barrier Reef (such as Coffin Bay), so cleanup and prevention measures are long overdue," says Professor Burke da Silva.

"Apart from the harvesting of blue mussels, we also need to consider the impact of microplastic particles entering other parts of the human food chain with microplastic pollution expected to increase in the future."

The article, "Microplastics in intertidal water of South Australia and the mussel Mytilus spp.; the contrasting effect of population on concentration," has been published in Science of the Total Environment.

Source

Microsoft seems intent on adding new features as we have seen in recent Insider releases, while ignoring all the UI inconsistencies and lack of basic functionalities in the existing release. Let me start off with a very simple yet important example which was highlighted by my fellow colleague Taras Buria on Twitter just a few weeks ago:

Despite all of the apps in Taras' screenshot being inbox apps developed by Microsoft itself, we see UI and UX inconsistencies throughout, as if there is no senior leadership overseeing the OS' design. Even the styling of the icons is different, some have thicker borders while others are more minimalistic. It's as if each development team worked in their own silo and just focused on what they thought would make their app look pretty, regardless of the overall aesthetics of Windows 11.

In fact, this problem is not contained to icons only. We still have legacy menus older than Windows 10 spread throughout the OS (see screenshot above) and menu options that have basically been lifted and shifted from previous versions of Windows without the overall UX being considered at all.

All of this indicates a clear lack of design standardization, which isn't a good look for an OS that is being used by millions of people.

We also have the problem of basic functionalities that are missing. Microsoft is still refusing to let people move the Windows 11 taskbar for ludicrous reasons, but hey, as long as you can spin the settings icon in Notepad, everyone's happy, right?:

There is some nuance here so let me be crystal-clear here. Of course the Windows 11 development team is big and consists of multiple sub-teams with different people working on different things. Of course, the people who added that Easter egg to Notepad aren't responsible for making the Taskbar movable.

But here's the thing, this type of prioritization makes for bad optics. It's not a good look when you're working on something as superficial as desktop stickers and a spinning cog while your inbox Notepad app goes completely bonkers in specific scenarios:

I have no problem with this extra stuff being added down the line, but my main ask for Microsoft would be: Please get the basics right first.

And if you're wondering what these "basics" even are, Microsoft's own Feedback Hub is a great place to start. There are tons of items there with thousands of upvotes and ideally, Microsoft should be tracking these at a higher priority in terms of development. However, lots of these requests have been in limbo for several months now with no update from Microsoft and we even got a hint recently that the company ignores this feedback when it's convenient for it. If someone could point me to a highly requested feedback item for making the Notepad cog icon spin, desktop stickers, or any of the other superfluous feature that Microsoft is working on, I'd happily recant my argument.

To summarize for people who will just skip to the end of the article (or worse, defend Microsoft just after reading the headline), I will emphasize that I fully understand that Windows 11 is being continuously developed by multiple teams with their own focus areas, so it's unfair to expect things to change all at once. That's not what I'm asking for either.

However, there is a clear lack of centralized oversight that should be responsible for managing priorities, guiding development on missing functionalities, and standardizing UI design. This adds to the problem of bad optics where the actual highly requested feedback items have been open for months while Microsoft keeps on adding features that barely anyone asked for.

The issue with the existing approach is that each team will continue developing in their own focus area in a siloed manner and while that may result in a bunch of features being added, it may not be stuff that people actually asked for and it may give the impression that Windows 11 is a collection of disparate components rather than a cohesive OS, due to the UX inconsistencies.

I know (or at least, I hope) that things will improve down the line but given the extremely slow progress on UI consistency and development of basic functionalities in the past six months along with a new feature update due shortly, I feel like now is as good a time as any to call on Microsoft to reprioritize development activities and have a central oversight process in the pipeline.

Do you think Windows 11 development needs a shakeup in terms of centralized oversight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Getting the basics of Windows 11 right should be a higher priority for Microsoft

While the report is only a couple of weeks old, it looks like Microsoft is pretty serious about AMPX as the Redmond company is already looking for talent for its new AMPX team. The firm recently posted a couple of job openings (1, 2) for Senior Software Engineers in AMPX as you can see in the image below:

This suggests Microsoft is itching to get to work on all things Android and while there is no confirmation about this, it is possible that some of Microsoft's AMPX effort could be spilling over to Android apps support on Windows 11 as well.

Currently, the company offers Android apps on Windows 11 via the Amazon Appstore, but something like Google Play Store is what many users probably desire. There is some good news for such users though as it has been confirmed that Google Play Games will be arriving on Windows 11 this year as a native app.

Also, Microsoft's system requirements for Android apps are on the very heavy side right now so a little work on bringing these requirements down will likely be beneficial to a lot of users.

Via: Windows Latest

Microsoft job posting suggests better Android support on Windows 11 may finally be coming

"After five years of Mainstream Support, and five years of Extended Support, Office 2013 will reach the End of Extended Support on April 11, 2023. Per the Fixed Lifecycle Policy, after this date security updates for Office 2013 will no longer be available," Microsoft told customers.

"After Office 2013 reaches the end of support, Microsoft won't provide any new security updates, and the continued use of Office 2013 after April 2023 may increase your organization's exposure to security risks or impact your ability to meet compliance obligations."

Once the end of support is reached, Microsoft will stop providing several services to Office 2013 license owners, including technical support, bug fixes, and security patches for new issues.

Also, connecting Office 2013 clients to Microsoft 365 might lead to performance or reliability issues because Office 2013 is no longer a supported client since October 2020.

Upgrade options for Office 2013 users

Available upgrade options for Office 2013 are Microsoft 365 Apps, the subscription version of Office that comes with many Microsoft 365 and Office LTSC 2021.

Microsoft 365 Apps comes with many Microsoft 365 and Office 365 enterprise and business plans, and it allows endpoint users to install full versions of Office apps on multiple devices.

Office LTSC 2021 is sold as a one-time purchase via a volume license agreement and can only be installed on one computer per license.

The main difference between these two Office versions is that Microsoft 365 Apps is updated regularly with new features while Office LTSC 2021 has the same features it came with on its launch date, in September 2021.

"Please start upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps, which is designed to receive regular updates, and will help you stay current by getting security updates and our latest features," Microsoft said.

"Alternatively, if your organization requires a static, unchanging product, consider moving to Office LTSC 2021."

Office 2013 upgrade plan

After exploring your options and deciding to switch to a newer version on compatible devices (system requirements for 365 Apps and LTSC 2021), you should prepare an upgrade plan (you can find more info on moving to Microsoft 365 here).

"Because Microsoft 365 Apps comes with many enterprise Microsoft 365 (and Office 365) plans, you should review the capabilities of your current plan as part of planning an upgrade to Microsoft 365 Apps," the company explains,

"Prior to deploying Microsoft 365 Apps, for example, you should ensure that all your users have accounts and licenses."

In related news, Microsoft also reminded customers that multiple editions of Windows 10 20H2 and Windows 10 1909 are reaching EOS in May 2022 and several .NET Framework versions on April 26.

Microsoft: Office 2013 will reach end of support in April 2023

However, the new Office Insider update doesn’t include any other new features other than the improved Recommended PivotTables. Instead, you get a ton of fixes for issues found in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Office Suite, and more.

Changelog

Microsoft recently added a new Office Insider update for Mac users. The update mainly focuses on fixing bugs, but apart from that, it also adds an important new feature called auto-refresh for stock quotes. What the feature does is that it automatically be updated every time you open the File and every five minutes thereafter. You can know more about the update here.

Microsoft also introduced a voice dictation feature for OneNote users on Android. The feature is currently available in the latest Android Office Insider Build. It also adds the ability to turn off dark mode with just one tap. You can find more details about the latest Android Office update here.

Coming back to the Windows Office Insider update, Microsoft releases an update every week, adding new features and changes. Microsoft is also expected to release a new Office Insider Build next week. We’ll keep you updated if we find anything interesting in the update.

To update the Microsoft Office Insider Preview Build to the latest version, open any Office program and go to File> Account> Update Options> Update Now.

Microsoft releases Office Version 2205 (Build 15209.20000) for Windows users

When you upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, one of the first things you may do is wonder: where the heck is my Start menu? Traditionally, the Windows Start menu has been in the lower left corner of the screen, but when your new version of Windows appears, you’ll find the Start icon among a group of icons in the center of your taskbar at the bottom of the screen.

The Windows 11 Start menu is now a small icon in the center of the taskbar. 

Click on the Start menu icon, and things will look very different as well. Instead of the large square Live Tiles that used to pop up, you have a much more modest set of app icons, mostly showing Microsoft-related apps, pinned to the main page. Click on “All apps” on the top right corner (just below the search field), and you get the familiar A-to-Z listing of apps. But no tiles.

Look below the app icons, and you’ll find a “Recommended” section, which offers apps that Microsoft thinks you should try (such as Teams), and if you click on the “More” button, some of the files or apps you may have used recently.

Clicking on the search field offers immediate access to several popular apps.

By the way, that search field? Click in that, and the Start menu will open up, giving you immediate access to File Explorer, settings, and other apps.

While some may appreciate this more puritanical version of the Start menu, others who have gotten used to the more configurable version in Windows 10 may want to know how they can go back to the more familiar, and more personal, version.

You can move the Start icon to the left using the taskbar alignment option in your setup menu.

You can get some of the way there by moving the centered apps to the left of the taskbar:

• Right-click on the taskbar and click on “Taskbar settings”
• Select “Taskbar behaviors”
• Look for “Taskbar alignment” and click on the button on the right where it says “Center.” Select “Left” instead.
• Close the settings window, and you’ll see that the app icons in the taskbar have moved to the left, with the Start menu icon in the corner.

While this will place the Start menu back where you expected it, it will not restore the one you were used to. To get that back, you’re going to have to go to a third-party app.

There is at least one available. Stardock, a company whose Start10 app allows Windows 10 users to keep their beloved Windows 7 menu UI, has a Start11 app, which it says will bring back the classic Windows 10 Start menu. The app has a starting price of $5.99 for one active install. So far, Start11 is the only app we’ve found that purports to restore the Windows 10 menu system. (There were some regedit hacks floating around out there, but most were either very elaborate or were made useless somewhere along Microsoft’s beta cycle.)

If a better solution presents itself, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Update April 15th, 2022, 1:10PM ET: This article was originally published on September 21st, 2021; information about the Start11 app has been updated.

How to put the Windows 11 Start menu back where it belongs

It’s all too easy to allow distractions such as social media or videos to seduce us from the things we’re supposed to be doing — such as, say, writing articles about Windows 11. Features such as Focus assist are now being included with operating systems to try to help us keep our eyes on the road, so to speak.

Microsoft’s Focus assist was first introduced in a 2018 update of Windows 10, where it replaced a feature known as Quiet Hours, and while Windows 11 doesn’t offer any radical updates, it has made the feature easier to use. Focus assist stops notifications from popping up on your screen and can be activated automatically when you put on your display on presentation mode, are playing a game, or are using an app in full-screen mode.

I’ll show you how to edit the automatic sessions in a moment. First, here’s how to manually begin a Focus assist session.

Start a session

In Windows 11, Focus assist has been made a part of the Clock app. To start a session manually, type “Clock” into your taskbar’s Search icon. You’ll be guided to a page that helps you set up the length of time you want the session to last; you can also set a daily goal if you wish. And there are tiles that let you link your Spotify account (should you have one) to your focus sessions or use Microsoft To Do to pick a task for that session. Don’t need either of these? Keep reading.

Now part of the Clock app, Focus assist lets you set goals for keeping on track.

If you click on the settings icon at the bottom left of the Clock app, you can adjust the length of your focus time (including breaks) and select a sound to play when your focus period (or your break) ends. And you can get rid of the Spotify and / or To Do tiles.

The Clock settings page also lets you pick a theme for the app and tweak your notification settings, including which notifications should not be filtered out during a Focus assist session.

The Clock settings page also lets you pick a theme for the app and tweak your notification settings.

To personalize this feature a bit more and to edit the automatic settings, you need to go to “Focus assist settings.”

Focus assist settings

You can get to Focus assist settings in several ways: by clicking on “Settings” > “System” > “Focus assist,” by using the taskbar search icon to find “Focus assist,” or by clicking on the system clock at the right edge of the taskbar and then on “Focus assist settings.”

Within system settings, you can decide when you want Focus assist to activate, and for which notifications.

Once you’re there, there are two main sections.

The first section lets you turn Focus assist on and off and set certain parameters when it is active:

• “Priority only” limits active notifications to those specified in a priority list. You can set that list up by selecting the “Customize priority list” link right below the “Priority only” subhead. You can have it always notify you of incoming calls, always notify you of reminders, or allow notifications from specific apps. New to Windows 11 is the ability to prioritize notifications from contacts who are either pinned to your taskbar or whom you specify via an “Add contacts” button.

• “Alarms only” lets you hide all your notifications, except for any alarms you may have set up.
• Concerned that you may miss something? If you check “Show a summary of what I missed when focus assist was on,” then you will be automatically notified of all your filtered notifications as soon as Focus assist is no longer active.

The second section, headed “Automatic rules,” lets you adjust several pre-set rules. You can toggle each on and off from this page, but if you want to change their settings, click on the name of the feature.

• “During these hours” lets you set specific times and days when Focus assist will kick in. To edit the settings, select “During these times” and then, on the next page, toggle it on. You’ll be able to choose the start and end times for each session; whether it applies to every day, to just weekdays or just weekends; and whether it will allow priority only or alarms only.

The other features under “Automatic rules” operate in much the same way. On the Focus assist page, click the toggle to turn them on or off, and click on their name to adjust them.

• “When I’m duplicating my display” kicks in when you’re got two displays going; toggle it on so you can edit it to allow either priority only or alarms only.
• “When I’m playing a game” is pretty obvious; again, toggle it on to change it to priority only or alarms only.
• “When I’m using an app in full-screen mode only” can also be tweaked to be priority only or alarms only.
• And you can set “For the first hour after a Windows feature update” for priority only.

One last thing: when Focus assist is active, you will see a small moon icon at the far right of your taskbar. Click on it, and you should be able to see any missed notifications.

Update April 15th, 2022, 1:45PM ET: This article was originally published on September 30th, 2021; information about automatic rules features has been updated.

How to use Focus assist in Windows 11

The full announcement says:

We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 22598.100 (KB5014100). 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 22598 to the Dev Channel as well as the Beta channel are carried over into this. The build has loads of new features as we are now moving into the next phase of Windows 11 in preparation for version 22H2.

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 original announcement can be found here.

Windows 11 servicing build 22598.100 (KB5014100) released for Dev and Beta Insiders

This capability follows a related one from last year where Google Sheets would automatically suggest formulas to you. The latest update for formula corrections now helps you write complex mathematical and logical calculations with more confidence.

Formulas corrections are context-aware and enable users to troubleshoot with ease too. Basically, whenever Sheets detects that a formula can be improved, it will offer you a suggestion box with the recommended changes and the associated details. You can then choose to accept or reject the recommendation.

Although Google hasn't detailed an extensive list of formulas that Sheets can intelligently correct for you, some examples include VLOOKUP errors, missing cells in input range, and locking of ranges when applying formulas across a series of cells. The capability will likely improve with time.

Formula corrections will be enabled by default, but people who don't want it can head over to Tools > Enable formula corrections to toggle it off. The functionality is available for Google Workspace, G Suite, and Google personal accounts, but it may take several weeks for it to appear generally for these customers.

Google Sheets will now automatically correct formulas for you

Linux kernel 5.16 was released at the beginning of this year; on January 10th. It brought some cool features such as futex_waitv() kernel system call from Collabora for a better gaming experience. In addition, KFENCE support for PA-RISC architecture has arrived with the Linux kernel 5.16, as well as broader ARM devices support.

It is time to move on

Many of the Linux distributions have upgraded their kernel version to 5.16, then moved on to 5.17. Linux kernel 5.17 is currently the latest stable version as Linus Torvalds has already begun developing the 5.18 version. Now, it is time to say goodbye to Linux kernel 5.16 since it has reached its end-of-life status. This means, 5.16 will no longer get maintenance updates and will be vulnerable to future security issues.

Keeping using an end-of-life status Linux kernel version might cause security issues in the future

Updating the Linux kernel alone is not a very simple task so you might want just stick to distributions’ updates. Plenty of major distros have already updated their kernel to 5.17 or are stuck with 5.15 LTS. However, keep your eye on the updates; if the distribution you use does not offer an update from 5.16, you should consider moving to another distribution or manually updating the Linux kernel of your system.

Source

The upcoming version supports light and dark modes, which are enabled based on the system preference. The full view interface displays the sections of the Task Manager on the left side now and no longer as tabs.

Microsoft released a new Windows 11 Insider build to development channels this week, and with it new keyboard shortcuts for the Windows Task Manager.

Many Windows users know that they can launch the Task Manager with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Alt-Esc.

When it is open, users may soon use the following keyboard shortcuts to run certain actions in the Task Manager:

• Alt-N -- to run a new task. Use Alt-N to display the interface, type the executable file name and hit the Enter-key to run the task.
• Alt-E -- to end the selected process. Select a task in the task listing and use Alt-E to terminate it.
• Alt-V -- to toggle Efficiency Mode for the selected process. Efficiency Mode throttles the application to reduce its resource usage while it is running.
• Ctrl-Tab -- cycle through the pages of the Task Manager (exists already in Stable).
• Ctrl-Shift-Tab -- cycle through the pages of the Task Manager in reverse (exists already in Stable).

Several other actions are available that are displayed at the top of the Task Manager page. These can also be executed using the Alt-key and the corresponding trigger. Pressing the Alt-key will highlight the available keys in the interface.

Closing Words

Windows users who prefer keyboard shortcuts over touch-based and mouse-based actions may like the new shortcuts of the Windows Task Manager. While these may speed things up, it needs to be noted that at least one of them, Alt-E to end a process, is already supported. Pressing the Del-key on the keyboard terminates the selected process in the Task Manager already.

The new Alt-E shortcut adds a second option, but I can't see many users switching to it as it requires the activation of two keys for the same action.

Now You: do you use the Windows Task Manager? Would you use the new keyboard shortcuts?

Microsoft is adding new shortcuts to the Windows 11 Task Manager

The latest Microsoft Edge Canary adds the option to disable the picture in picture button. Open Microsoft Edge Canary, then go to edge://settings/content/PictureInPicture and turn off the "Show Picture in picture control inside video frame" toggle. Alternatively, you can open Settings and navigate to Cookies and site permissions > Picture in picture control.

Note that disabling the PiP control does not prevent you from playing videos using picture in picture. On YouTube, for example, you need to right-click the now playing video two times and select "Picture in picture."

Another new feature in Edge Canary is the ability to auto-save passwords without the browser asking you first. It is a welcome addition to ensure you never forget to save passwords. You can enable password auto-save by navigating to the edge://settings/password page and placing a checkmark next to the "Save passwords automatically" option.

Finally, future Edge updates might let you customize additional toolbar parts. In addition to enabling or disabling the Home button, Edge Canary allows turning off the Forward button.

Thank you, Leopeva64-2, for the tips!

Edge Canary adds the option to auto-save passwords and disable picture-in-picture button

• New! We added improvements for servicing the Secure Boot component of Windows.
• We fixed an issue that causes the AppX Deployment Service (AppXSvc) to stop working after you install certain MSIX apps.
• We fixed a race condition that occurs early in the startup process that might cause a stop error.
• We improved the Autopilot client to process updated Trusted Platform Module (TPM) capabilities that support self-deployment and pre-provisioning scenarios.
• We changed the timeout for Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) registration from 60 minutes to 90 minutes for hybrid Azure AD-joined Autopilot scenarios. This also addresses a race condition that causes an exception at timeout.
• We fixed an issue that delays OS startup by approximately 40 minutes.
• We fixed a memory leak issue that affects Windows systems that are in use 24 hours each day of the week.
• We fixed an issue that affects the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) option 119 (Domain Search List) by preventing the use of the connection-specific DNS Suffix Search List.
• We fixed an issue that affects the Title attribute in Microsoft Ege IE mode.
• We fixed an issue in which mobile device management (MDM) policies were not allowed on Windows Enterprise editions that were upgraded to Enterprise using Azure AD-joined subscription entitlement.
• We fixed an issue that might cause video subtitles to be partially cut off.
• We fixed an issue that incorrectly aligns video subtitles.
• We fixed an issue that causes Kerberos authentication to fail, and the error is “0xc0030009 (RPC_NT_NULL_REF_POINTER)”. This occurs when a client machine attempts to use the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to another machine while Remote Credential Guard is enabled.
• We fixed an issue that causes Windows to go into BitLocker recovery after a servicing update.
• We fixed an issue that prevents retrieval of the Endorsement Key (EK) certificate from the TPM device.
• We fixed an issue that might fail to copy the security portion of a Group Policy to a machine.
• We fixed an issue that prevents the instantiation of the Microsoft RDP Client Control, version 11 and higher, inside a Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) dialog.
• We displayed the temperature on top of the weather icon on the taskbar.
• We fixed an issue that prevents you from using the minimize, maximize, and close buttons on a maximized app window. This issue occurs because the Notification Center keeps the input focus.
• We fixed an issue that might occur when you use Netdom.exe or the Active Directory Domains and Trusts snap-in to list or modify name suffixes routing. These procedures might fail. The error message is, “Insufficient system resources exist to complete the requested service.” This issue occurs after installing the January 2022 security update on the primary domain controller emulator (PDCe).
• We fixed an issue that causes the primary domain controller (PDC) of the root domain to generate warning and error events in the System log. This issue occurs when the PDC incorrectly tries to scan outgoing-only trusts.
• We fixed an issue that occurs when you map a network drive to a Server Message Block version 1 (SMBv1) share. After restarting the OS, you cannot access that network drive.
• We fixed an issue that affects an SMB multichannel connection and might generate a 13A or C2 error.
• We fixed an issue that damages a pool when a Client-Side Caching (CSC) cleanup method fails to delete a resource that was created.
• We fixed an issue that might cause the server to lock up because the nonpaged pool grows and uses up all memory. After a restart, the same issue occurs again when you try to repair the damage.
• We reduced the overhead of resource contention in high input/output operations per second (IOPS) scenarios that have many threads contending on a single file.

You can find the official release notes here.

Windows 11 Release Preview build 22000.651 (KB5012643) comes with TPM, Secure Boot changes

You can view the long list of changes below:

• New! We added improvements for servicing the Secure Boot component of Windows.
• We changed the timeout for Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) registration from 60 minutes to 90 minutes for hybrid Azure AD-joined Autopilot scenarios. This also addresses a race condition that causes an exception at timeout.
• We fixed an issue that causes a remote desktop session to close or a reconnection to stop responding while waiting on the accessibility shortcut handler (sethc.exe).
• We fixed an issue that delays OS startup by approximately 40 minutes.
• We fixed an issue that incorrectly returns Execution Policy settings from the registry.
• We fixed an issue that causes Internet Explorer to stop working when you copy and paste text using an Input Method Editor (IME).
• We fixed an issue that displays a black screen for some users when they sign in or sign out.
• We fixed an issue that causes Kerberos authentication to fail, and the error is “0xc0030009 (RPC_NT_NULL_REF_POINTER)”. This occurs when a client machine attempts to use the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to another machine while Remote Credential Guard is enabled.
• We fixed an issue that prevents you from changing a password that has expired when you sign in to a Windows device.
• We fixed an issue that might cause Windows to stop working when you apply a Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) policy that doesn’t require a restart.
• We fixed an issue that might fail to copy the security portion of a Group Policy to a machine.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Key Distribution Center (KDC) code to incorrectly return the error message “KDC_ERR_TGT_REVOKED” during domain controller shutdown.
• We fixed an issue that might prevent graphics processing unit (GPU) load balancing over Remote Desktop from working as intended.
• We fixed an issue that prevents the instantiation of the Microsoft RDP Client Control, version 11 and higher, inside a Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) dialog.
• We fixed an issue that might cause a Microsoft OneDrive file to lose focus after you rename it and press the Enter key.
• We fixed an issue that causes the news and interest panel to appear when you haven’t clicked, tapped, or moused over it.
• We fixed an issue that fails to pass the Shift KeyUp event to an application when you use the Korean IME.
• We fixed an issue that might occur when you use Netdom.exe or the Active Directory Domains and Trusts snap-in to list or modify name suffixes routing. These procedures might fail. The error message is, “Insufficient system resources exist to complete the requested service.” This issue occurs after installing the January 2022 security update on the primary domain controller emulator (PDCe).
• We fixed an issue that displays the wrong IME mode indicator when the Font Mitigation policy is enabled.
• We fixed an issue that causes the primary domain controller (PDC) of the root domain to generate warning and error events in the System log. This issue occurs when the PDC incorrectly tries to scan outgoing-only trusts.
• We fixed an issue that affects a Server Message Block (SMB) multichannel connection and might generate a 13A or C2 error.
• We fixed an issue that occurs when you map a network drive to a Server Message Block version 1 (SMBv1) share. After restarting the OS, you cannot access that network drive.
• We fixed an issue that causes virtual computer object (VCO) password settings failure on a distributed network name resource.
• We fixed an issue that damages a pool when a Client-Side Caching (CSC) cleanup method fails to delete a resource that was created.
• We fixed an issue that might cause the server to lock up because the nonpaged pool grows and uses up all memory. After a restart, the same issue occurs again when you try to repair the damage.
• We reduced the overhead of resource contention in high input/output operations per second (IOPS) scenarios that have many threads contending on a single file.

The official release notes are linked here.

Microsoft releases new Windows 10 Release Preview build 19044.1679 with tons of changes

Explaining why gamers are adopting Windows 11 more slowly than Windows 10

Some users are reporting that they can't launch popular web browsers anymore after installing the most recent Windows updates. The error message "the application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000022)" is thrown on these devices, and the issue appears to affect browsers such as Firefox, Chrome and even Microsoft's own Edge browser.

Reports suggest that the issue is not affecting all browsers, and users who are affected by this may want to try others, for example, Brave or Vivaldi, to see if these can be launched. The uninstallation of the updates, e.g., KB5012599, resolves the issue.

A search on Microsoft's Feedback Hub returns several reports of the issue. Some reports have been published in the past 24 hours, but others have been posted months ago in Insider builds.

After installing KB5012599 I got a 0xc0000022 error launching Edge, Firefox and Chrome, so they don't work anymore. Fortunally Vivaldi and Brave work perfect, so I can still internet.
Uninstalling KB5012599 solves this problem.

The low number of reports on the Feedback Hub suggests that the issue may not be widespread. Still, some users are reporting crashes after installing the updates.

Reports suggest that Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices are affected by the issue. Microsoft has not responded to the claims yet.

While it looks to be an issue that is caused by the latest Windows updates, some suggest that antivirus products could also play a role. Windows Latest mentions ESET in particular, but there is a chance that other antivirus solutions may cause the issue as well.

Affected users who need to use the crashing browsers may need to uninstall the update to resolve the issue.

Tip: check out our instructions on uninstalling Windows updates if you need assistance.

Now You: are you affected by the crashes?

Browsers are crashing with error code 0xc0000022 after installation of the April 2022 Windows Updates

According to a post on the official Windows Blogs website, the latest Media Player update brings an improved media library UI. Users can now switch between two different views on the artist page. The first view displays all available albums from the current artist in a grind and the second one groups all songs by albums in a list.

Another change is quick actions. You can hover the cursor over albums, artists, videos, and playlists for quick selection and playback.

Finally, the latest Media Player version lets you right-click the "Now playing" screen to access several options, such as the ability to open new files or go to the album or artist page. It also contains a new set of video enhancements you can use to adjust the brightness and contrast of the video.

Microsoft says developers keep working on improving the app under the hood so it can handle large music libraries better. The new Media Player for Windows 11 remains a relatively new program, needing more polish and improvements. You can share your thoughts and ideas with Microsoft regarding the Media Player app using the Feedback Hub and the Apps > Media Player section.

The updated Media Player app went live alongside the latest Windows 11 preview build, but it still might take a few days for all Windows Insiders to receive it.

Media Player for Windows 11 gets improved library and now playing screen

Third-party offerings will make the Windows Widgets space much more useful in everyday use. For now, it provides only a few basic first-party widgets, such as a calendar, to-do list, photos from OneDrive, weather, traffic, etc. The lack of support from other developers makes Windows Widgets look and feel half-baked and not ready for its prime time, especially compared to the rich widget ecosystem on iOS and Android.

You can access Windows Widgets by pressing Win + W, clicking the widgets button on the taskbar, or swiping from the left edge of the screen. Microsoft also uses the bottom-left corner of the screen to display weather on the taskbar, and many users want the company to allow replacing the weather with a third-party choice.

During the most recent Windows 11 event, Microsoft also teased an updated Windows Widgets space with a full-screen UI, which would provide more screen real estate to accommodate all the third-party widgets from your favorite developers. Of course, that's if those developers would be willing to bother developing the widgets for Windows 11.

Microsoft is getting ready to let Windows 11 users install third-party widgets from the Store

Recently released in the Dev channel, build 22598 swaps the "Bloom" background in favor of Windows Spotlight and its dynamically changing backgrounds. Microsoft wants to test this feature on clean installations and systems that upgrade to build 22598 with the default Windows 11 background.

Windows Spotlight pulls various images from Bing to give users a fresh desktop background every day. Windows 10 allows setting Spotlight as the lock screen background, and in Windows 11 22H2, this feature also includes desktop wallpapers. When enabled, Windows Spotlight places a new icon on the desktop for users to toggle between images, like or dislike a picture, and get more information about the current one.

Besides supplying users with a constant flow of beautiful wallpapers, Windows Spotlight works as a nice way for Microsoft to push Bing ads. Clicking the "Learn about this picture" button on the desktop launches Edge (of course) and Bing.

Microsoft is currently testing Windows Spotlight as the default wallpaper in Windows 11 build 22598 (alongside 4K images in Windows Spotlight), which means the company might reverse its course and switch back to the OG "Bloom" wallpaper. Note that Windows 11 build 22598 will not force-change your custom background unless you use the default Windows 11 wallpaper.

Tip: If you use Windows 10 and want Windows Spotlight as your desktop wallpaper provider, we recommend a free app called Dynamic Theme (it is also much more reliable than built-in Windows Spotlight).

What do you think about Microsoft's decision to use Windows Spotlight as the default desktop background?

Microsoft is testing new default wallpapers for clean Windows 11 installations