The identifier, called dltoken by Mozilla internally, is used to link downloads to installations and first runs of the Firefox browser. The identifier is unique to each Firefox installer, which means that it is submitted to Mozilla whenever it is used.

While it is possible to download new installers each time a new Firefox version is released, it is also possible to use the downloaded installer again for that purpose.

A bug report on Mozilla's official bug tracking website confirms the use of the download token. The linked document is not public, but the listing itself confirms the use and provides an explanation on why it has been implemented:

This data will allow us to correlate telemetry IDs with download tokens and Google Analytics IDs. This will allow us to track which installs result from which downloads to determine the answers to questions like, "Why do we see so many installs per day, but not that many downloads per day?"

According to Mozilla's description, the identifier is used to analyze downloading and installation trends among other things.

The feature is powered by Telemetry in Firefox and it applies to all Firefox channels.

Interested users may verify the findings. One of the easier ways is to check the hashes of two or more Firefox installer downloads (the same version, language and architecture). Each hash is different. A search for dltoken using any hex editor reveals the string in the Firefox installer.

Firefox users who prefer to download the browser without the unique identifier may do so in the following two ways:

1. Download the Firefox installer from Mozilla's HTTPS repository (formerly the FTP repository).
2. Download Firefox from third-party download sites that host the installer, e.g., from Softonic.

The downloaded installers do not have the unique identifier, as they are identical whenever they are downloaded.

Mozilla notes that the opt-out mechanism is the standard Telemetry opt-out. How users may opt-out before the installation of Firefox is unclear. A quick check of Chrome installers returned identical hashes each time.

Now You: how useful do you think is the information to Mozilla? (thanks PMC for the tip)

Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

Mozilla added various tweaks to the feature ever since. The organization outlined its plan to improve PiP mode in January 2022, and the first of those improvements has now landed in the Firefox Nightly channel. The latest version of the browser brings support for an important feature, subtitles.

Subtitles and closed captions are an underrated feature, in my opinion. Not only do they help non-native speakers of a language understand the dialogue, they are a must-have option for people with hearing impairments, to enjoy the narrative in videos and games.

Here is some context related to Firefox's QoL update that explains how it worked until the new build was released. Videos that play in the Picture-in-Picture mode in the stable version of the browser do not display closed captions in the panel. Instead, the subtitles are shown in the video's tab, while the media played in the pop-up. That sort of defeats the purpose of the PiP panel, for users who rely on the accessibility feature.

Subtitles in Picture-in-Picture mode in Firefox Nightly

Let's see how the update addresses the problem. Open any video in Firefox Nightly, and switch to the Picture-in-Picture mode by clicking the pop-out button. It should display the subtitles right inside the PiP panel. The browser supports subtitles uploaded by the content creator, and closed captions that are auto-generated by streaming services.

I tested the new feature with YouTube, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and it worked fine on all three platforms. However, the subtitles didn't appear in PiP mode when I played videos on Disney+ Hotstar. That is quite understandable, as it is an experimental feature, and Mozilla's announcement in January did mention that they were testing the video wrapper scripts (that enables this feature) with just 4 streaming services as a start, this service was not of them. Hopefully, the developers will expand support for more websites in the future, once they have worked out the kinks with the current version.

Limitations in Picture-in-Picture mode

There is one minor issue with the player. You can't change the subtitle's settings directly from the Picture-in-picture panel in Firefox. Regular users may be aware that the pop-up player uses settings of the web player, e.g. to change the resolution or playback speed. So, if you want to change the language or other subtitle options, you will need to set them in the parent tab to make the PiP window reflect the same settings.

Download Firefox Nightly 100.0a1 from the official website, and test the feature yourself.

PiP mode combined with uBlock Origin and SponsorBlock offers an excellent experience while watching YouTube videos while multitasking. That said, I also like Opera's implementation of PiP, the automatic video pop-out is nice, and it also has the time seek bar, which Firefox doesn't, and could be useful additions.

I think adding subtitles in Picture-in-Picture mode is a great quality of life update. What do you think?

Firefox now displays subtitles for videos in Picture-in-Picture mode in the Nightly channel

After Internet Explorer is retired, Microsoft will still support legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications within Microsoft Edge via the built-in Internet Explorer mode (IE mode) feature.

"As previously announced, the future of Internet Explorer on Windows is in Microsoft Edge," Microsoft said in an announcement published on Wednesday.

"The Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) desktop application will be retired on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10."

After being retired on June 15, 2022, the Internet Explorer desktop application will be disabled and out of support, automatically redirecting the users to Microsoft Edge when launched.

The IE11 retirement impacts Internet Explorer 11 desktop apps delivered via the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) to systems running Windows 10 client SKUs (version 20H2 and later) and Windows 10 IoT (version 20H2 and later).

To enable IE mode in Microsoft Edge, you have to go to edge://settings/defaultbrowser, toggle on 'Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer,' and restart the web browser.

You can learn more about IE mode and how to deploy and transition to the new Microsoft Edge by reading this Getting Started guide.

Microsoft first announced plans to ditch support for Internet Explorer 11 web browsers in Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 in August 2020.

Following the initial announcement, Microsoft discontinued IE support in Teams on November 30, 2020.

Microsoft also ended support for Internet Explorer across Microsoft 365 apps and services on August 17, 2021. Since then, those still trying to connect to Microsoft 365 may face connection failures and degraded user experience.

In related news, WordPress, currently the most popular blogging platform, also announced in March 2021 plans to drop support for Internet Explorer 11, given that the browser's usage dipped below 1%.

Microsoft reminds of Internet Explorer's looming demise in June

However, RSR has a major advantage over FSR as it can be utilized in any game, without needing developer integration, as long as it supports exclusive fullscreen. All you have to do is to enable a toggle inside the Radeon Software.

AMD says there are big gains to be had with RSR enabled and has provided some of its own figures in five titles.

To measure some of the claims, PCWorld decided to test the feature in Cyberpunk 2077 on a Radeon RX 6700 XT. 2160p (4K) native performance was tested against 1440p upscaled to 4K using RSR. Two images showing the results have been given below (click to enlarge). The image on the right is a zoomed in version of the same scene in order to focus on the minor details.

As you can probably notice on with the image on the right, with a 166% zoom, the palm tree definitely appears more pixelated and in need of some anti-aliasing (AA). Perhaps a future RSR technology based on FSR 2.0 can solve the issue as the new FSR implementation uses its own optimized AA method. But for now, RSR looks impressive especially considering it doesn't even require a per-game implementation.

Source and images: PCWorld (YouTube)

Test results show AMD's new versatile Radeon Super Resolution works really well

The Adrenalin 22.3.1 driver can be used to enable Radeon Super Resolution on almost any game running in exclusive full screen without input from the developer. This technology is using the same algorithm as the popular FidelityFX Super Resolution implementation. An RDNA-based graphics card is required to enable this, however.

Meanwhile, AMD has brought improvements to its Image Sharpening tech that boasts it can now be used to enhance visuals in video playback and other productivity applications in addition to just games. Updates to AMD Link to allow up to four users to connect to a Radeon graphics card alongside customizable hotkeys is also here. Link is now available as a standalone feature on the Microsoft Store as well, even enabling its capabilities on non-AMD machines.

Lastly, improved toast notifications as well as faster driver downloads and installations on the Radeon Settings app are also here thanks to it intelligently downloading only the required files when updating or upgrading.

No games have received any specific improvements, at least according to the release notes. There are fixed issues though, including one for the missing transparency aero effect on Windows 10:

• Some users on Windows® 10 operating system may observe the absence of the windows transparency aero effect.
• On some AMD Graphics Products such as Radeon™ RX 6800 XT Graphics, the Tuning page within AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition may display incorrect preset selections after installing the latest AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition driver.
• While playing Forza Horizon 5™ on some AMD Graphics Products such as Radeon™ RX 6800 Graphics, longer than expected load times may be experienced when Ray Tracing is enabled and set at either Medium or High Ray Tracing Quality setting.
• Visual artifacts may be observed while playing It Takes Two™ on some AMD Graphics Products such as Radeon™ RX 6900 XT Graphics.
• Enabling Radeon™ Chill for SteamVR™ may lead to inconsistent performances being experienced.
• After disabling the Hotkeys feature in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, some hotkeys still function for some users when they restart their system.

Known issues are these:

• Using Radeon™ Super Resolution on 2560x1600 resolution displays may produce a system hang. A temporary workaround is to set the display Scaling Mode to Full Panel.
• While playing Cyberpunk 2077™ on some AMD Graphics Products such as Radeon™ RX 570 Graphics, some users may observe an issue where indoor areas appear darker than expected.
• 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.

The Radeon Software Adrenalin 22.3.1 driver is now available for Windows 10 and Windows 11. It can be found on the Radeon Settings app in the Recommended section. A standalone download link is also listed on the official release notes page.

AMD 22.3.1 driver adds Radeon Super Resolution upscaling tech and more

When I talk with my friends and colleagues in cloud businesses, one question is always asked: "Do you know anyone who knows Kubernetes? How about GitOps? What about anyone with a clue about cloud-native computing?" All too often, my answer is no. There's nothing like enough cloud-native savvy developers out there. But, the Linux Foundation and the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) are ready to change that with a new Cloud Native Developer Bootcamp .

This new camp will provide students with the knowledge and skills to design, build, and deploy cloud-native applications in as little as six months. This bootcamp starts with an introduction to open-source software development, git, and Linux. From there, it moves into DevOps principles and practices and site reliability engineering (SRE). Once you've picked up those skills, you'll be ready to dig into Kubernetes and containers for developers. You'll then finish with the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) certification  and advanced training in using GitOps for continuous delivery (CD) on Kubernetes with Flux.

Is it worth the time and trouble? Heck yes! According to Glassdoor's latest survey, cloud-native developers make over $102,000 annually. I'll let you in on a secret, if you really master Kubernetes and GitOps, you can pretty much write your own ticket. Glassdoor estimates the range's high-point is $265,000, and exceptional cloud-native programmers can ask for, and get, up to $634,000.

Why are cloud-native jobs hotter than hot? It's simple. As the recent CNCF, 2021 Cloud-Native Survey showed,96% of organizations now use or evaluate Kubernetes. Indeed, 5.6 million developers are already using Kubernetes worldwide. That's a resounding 31% of all backend developers. But, we need more, many more. 

So, if you have six months with 10-15 hours per week of free time, consider enrolling in this bootcamp. 

Its specific courses are:

• Introduction to Open Source Development, Git, and Linux (LFD201)
• DevOps and SRE Fundamentals: Implementing Continuous Delivery (LFS261)
• Containers for Developers and Quality Assurance (LFD254)
• Kubernetes for Developers (LFD259)
• Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
• GitOps: Continuous Delivery on Kubernetes with Flux (LFS269)

These are the classes you need to pass CKAD's performance-based certification exam. Some people look down on certifications. Here, they're absolutely required. I've known far too many cases where people said they knew how to work with Kubernetes, and they simply didn't have the needed skills. Companies know this too and are looking for proof that you really know your way around Kubernetes clusters.

As Chris Aniszczyk, CNCF's CTO, explained, "Kubernetes has quickly gone from a niche infrastructure technology to completely ubiquitous. However, building the skills needed to seamlessly work with Kubernetes and cloud-native technologies can be challenging for novice technologists. Programs like this new bootcamp are imperative for developers to get up to speed with today's technology."

It may be hard, but it's also utterly necessary. "Kubernetes has become a de facto component of most technology stacks," said Clyde Seepersad, The Linux Foundation's SVP and general manager of training & certification. He's right. 

Bootcamp participants will also have access to a bootcamp-specific online forum to work with other students and instructors.

Students will also have access to live virtual office hours with course instructors four days per week. Candidates have unlimited access to the program for 12 months. Upon completing all five courses and the CKAD exam, participants will receive a verifiable certificate of completion and a shareable online badge.

The Cloud Native Developer Bootcamp  is available now for enrollment. Through March 22, 2022, the new bootcamp is being offered at an introductory price of $665 with offer code CLOUD22, a 30% discount over standard pricing of $950. Additionally, through March 22, 2022, the existing Cloud Engineer Bootcamp  and Advanced Cloud Engineer Bootcamp  are also discounted by 30% with the offer code CLOUD22.

Source

Microsoft has released the March-2022 update for CBL-Mariner, but the version number hasn't budged from 1.0.

Yes, the Windows giant has had its own Linux distro since September 2020, but don't get too excited. It's very small, very minimalist and overall not very exciting – which is of course just what you want from something to host your cloudy containers. Some seven months on from the first update, this one fixes a bunch of security holes and upgrades a few components but doesn't add much new functionality.

One change from last year is that there is an ISO file available now, so you can install it yourself with much less fuss. The GitHub README has some more info, or you can grab the ISO directly. At 720MB, it's quite small, and installs in a minute or less.

Slightly oddly, it's not one of the supported options in Windows Services for Linux, but you can enable Hyper-V and install it in that.

CBL-Mariner doesn't come with a graphical desktop and isn't really intended as a general-purpose distro. At one point, it seemed to be the basis of Microsoft's WSLg – the additional tool that added support for graphical apps to Windows Services for Linux. Now, though, Microsoft's instructions on GitHub suggest using Ubuntu for this.

We also found suggestions that the magic incantation wsl --system would install CBL-Mariner into WSL2, but at least on current Windows 11 Pro, this no longer works.

The concept of extremely minimalist distros which focus purely on hosting containers has been growing in popularity for some time, and CBL-Mariner is far from the only one of its kind. Intel's "Clear containers" project in time led to Intel Clear Linux, which is now a standalone distro of its own.

If you run Docker on top of Windows, macOS, or indeed anything but Linux, then you may unwittingly be using Alpine Linux.

The Reg FOSS desk recently had an experimental bash at the most recent version, Alpine 3.15 and it's substantially easier to get it up and running than it was a couple of years ago.

Linux blogger Drew DeVault described Alpine as "the only Linux that fits in my head" in a post – mirrored here – that's now only on the Gemini platform.

In a world of ever-increasing complexity, tiny distros that are easy to understand sound good to us. ®

Source

Search highlights has been pushed to the Windows 10 Release Preview channel, a development channel for Windows 10 that marks the last step in the development process before tested features land in stable versions of the operating system.

Search highlights, first introduced by Microsoft on test versions of its Windows 11 operating system, brings web content to search on Windows. The home interface displays a larger list of apps and files that have been used recently on the device. The major part of the interface displays web content, such as trending searches or information about the current day. All of these are linked to Microsoft services such as Bing.

The taskbar search box and search home will periodically update with content, including fun illustrations, which help you discover more, be connected, and stay productive. Search highlights will present notable and interesting moments of what’s special about each day—like holidays, anniversaries, and other educational moments in time both globally and in your region. To see more details at a glance, hover or click on the illustration in the search box.

Explore additional content in search home related to each moment, with daily content like word of the day, Microsoft Rewards offers, trending searches, and more. Each day features something different to learn about!

Users who sign in with work or school accounts get a different experience. Microsoft displays a people search option and contacts there, and information from Microsoft 365, such as recent documents that have been edited.

Search highlights continues Microsoft's push to integrate web content from its other services in its Windows operating systems. Widgets on Windows 11 and News & Interests are two prime examples of that.

Windows 10 users who run local searches only do not need the new search highlights feature, and they may look for an option to turn it off.

Disable Search highlights on Windows 10

Here is what you need to do to turn off the feature on your devices:

1. Right-click on the Windows 10 taskbar-
2. Select Search.
3. Toggle "show search highlights".

The feature is turned on or off using the functionality.

Closing Words

Search highlights will be introduced this year on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices. Most users may have no need for it, as the home version is clearly an entertainment feature. Good news is that users may turn it off, but many may have troubles finding out how on their own.

Now You: do you find search highlights useful?

How to disable Search Highlights on Windows 10

For the purpose of this piece, we will only be listing issues that are "open", sorted by upvote count. As such, capabilities which Microsoft has rolled out in general availability or preview will be excluded. Also note that this list covers Outlook services across various platforms and versions, it does not only include Windows. With that said, let's begin!

1. Sync email signatures across different devices - 9,360 upvotes
   Microsoft: Thank you to everyone who voted. We’re happy to report that we’re working on sync'ing signatures across devices. More details to come as we have them.
2. Enable an option to display declined meetings in the calendar - 7,297 upvotes
   Microsoft: While this request is being reviewed for future consideration please try this workaround solution.
3. Include Forward\Reply\Reply All with attachments in Microsoft Outlook 2016 - 6,813 upvotes
   No response from Microsoft.
4. Add BCC, CC as well as FYI field to meeting requests in Outlook 2016 and enhance the functionality by including it in Teams Meeting - 6,333 upvotes
   No response from Microsoft.
5. Change ownership of calendar event in Outlook 2016 - 3,925 upvotes
   No response from Microsoft.
6. Unified Inbox for Outlook 2016 - 3,272 upvotes
   No response from Microsoft.
7. Use native Apple Notifications on macOS - 2,523 upvotes
   No response from Microsoft.
8. Recurring meetings: Option to end recurrence and preserve prior meeting occurrences - 2,244 upvotes
   No response from Microsoft.
9. Accept meeting invite and do not send a Response - 2,213 upvotes
   No response from Microsoft.
10. Enable colored mailbox folders or Color coded All Unread Inbox - 2,124 upvotes
    No response from Microsoft.

While the list of highly upvoted feature requests is quite interesting and clearly very specific to user scenarios in some cases, it's a bit disheartening to see that the Outlook team isn't as publicly responsive to feedback as the Teams group.

Out of the 10 items listed above, only two have been graced by a public response from Microsoft even though all of them have thousands of upvotes. This is clearly an area that the company needs to improve on. Customers shouldn't be expected to visit the Microsoft 365 Roadmap and other repositories to keep track of every feature when a feedback portal exists to communicate things directly as well, at least for popular requests. As such, it's currently unclear when, or if, a lot of these requests will be catered to by Microsoft.

Do you use Outlook? Which features would you want Microsoft to implement? Let us know in the comments section below and also inform Microsoft by submitting your feedback over here!

Here are the top 10 features people want in Microsoft Outlook

Stardock released v1.2 beta of Start11 today. Start11 is a program that allows users to customize the Windows Start menu and taskbar for Windows 10 and 11 and can make the Start menu appear as it did in previous versions of Windows, enhancing the experience with new features and functionality.

Start11 v1.2 beta focuses specifically on enhancing the Windows 11 experience by re-building the taskbar from the ground up to add new functionality. With this release, users will be able to ungroup items on their taskbar with their windows centered or left-aligned.

“The new taskbar features are designed to deliver functionality from previous versions of Windows but make them look and feel native to Windows 11,” said Brad Sams, VP and General Manager of Stardock Software. “With our new taskbar experience, we have created a foundation for bringing additional functionality to Windows 11 to further our mission to make Windows more personal and productive.”

The enhanced multi-monitor support in the v1.2 beta allows the user to define window grouping for primary and secondary monitors so that the user can dial-in the perfect taskbar experience. Users will also be able to re-size the taskbar, allowing them to increase its height to make it easier to see all the windows on their taskbar.

Changelog:

• All new taskbar experience that allows you to ungroup windows on the taskbar in Windows 11
• New option to left-align the Start button but keep application icons centered while grouped or ungrouped.
• Ability to drag a file to an open app on the taskbar and have it open the file.
• Enhanced multi-monitor taskbar support to independently define window grouping on secondary monitors.
• Ability to resize the taskbar to increase its height – great for users with lots of app running

To download the beta, users can login to their Stardock account, where the beta is available in the software section.

Start11 is currently available for $5.99. There is an upgrade option for users of Start8 and Start10, it is also included with Object Desktop. For more information, visit www.stardock.com.

Object Desktop includes programs such as Fences, Start10, Groupy, SoundPackager, DeskScapes, and Multiplicity.

Disclaimer: Neowin's relationship to Stardock

Start11 v1.2 beta brings back Taskbar ungrouping and more in Windows 11

To participate in Windows 11 Bug Bash, you need to download the newest Windows 11 preview build from the Dev channel (22572). Next, fire up the Feedback Hub and navigate to the Quests section. You will find there 26 different tasks to perform on your computer. Some of those quests include testing drag-and-drop on the taskbar, using Quick Settings, Snap Layouts, the revamped Do Not Disturb mode, connecting Bluetooth devices using the updated flyout, etc.

You can share your feedback and findings with Microsoft after completing the quests. The software giant will use your telemetry data to track bugs, instabilities, and other rough surfaces to polish and improve in future updates. Hopefully, this will help Microsoft make Windows 11 less buggy and more enjoyable to use.

Currently, the Feedback Hub app offers about 26 quests to complete, but you can expect Microsoft to add more during the event (March 16 to 22). Those participating in Bug Bash will receive a special achievement badge for their profiles in the Feedback Hub.

Microsoft needs your help to polish and fix Windows 11

The latest Office update now lets you apply labels whenever a document, worksheet, or presentation is either created or modified as against previous scenarios where default sensitivity labels are configured by your administrator.

The new Office update includes another new feature, allowing you to refresh your stock data in the background regularly. This doesn’t come as the default setting, however. To set up this feature, right-click a data type in your workbook, and then select Data Type > Refresh Settings and pick your preferred setting.

Moreover, the latest Windows Office Preview Build also improves the threaded comments in Excel by letting you add the ability to insert hyperlinks into Excel comments. Aside from that, the update includes no other new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements.

Below is the complete official changelog.

Changelog

All these features will be available for non-Insiders in the coming months, but for now, only Office Insiders registered in the Current Channel will use them.

Microsoft recently released Office Insider updates for Mac and iOS users too. Like Windows users, Office Insiders on Mac can also add hyperlinks to comments in Excel. The company added many new features alongside the ability to add hyperlinks to the latest Office Insider update for Mac.

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

Microsoft releases Office Insider Build 15028.20050 for Windows users

Within the last year, Microsoft not only revealed a new generation of Windows, it fully dived in by launching Windows 11 last fall, and now it’s scheduled another preview event to discuss the “exciting future” of “Hybrid Work, Powered by Windows.” Set to take place on April 5th at 11AM ET, it will feature Windows exec Panos Panay showing off Microsoft’s security, productivity, and management features, both in the client and the cloud.

 A Microsoft Teams interface demo showing off a remote meeting. Image: Microsoft

What exactly does that include? The event page doesn’t say much and Microsoft hasn’t openly discussed the event, but we’ve seen plenty of clues about the kind of hybrid work solutions and security tools Microsoft is working on for businesses where the “office” is more of an idea than a location. That includes Windows 365 subscriptions for cloud PCs that you access via a web browser, the rollout of its Fluid framework for Microsoft Office apps (now rebranded as Loop), and a detailed vision of the future of meetings with Microsoft Teams.

Last year CEO Satya Nadella wrote that “Hybrid work represents the biggest shift to how we work in our generation. And it will require a new operating model, spanning people, places, and processes.” Naturally, his LinkedIn post included a screenshot of a metaverse meeting filled with oddly rendered avatars, and Nadella has referenced the term repeatedly since then, so it will be interesting to see how much that does or doesn’t come up in the presentation, or if we see more of Microsoft Mesh.

The Verge will be covering Microsoft’s Windows event on April 5th, so stay tuned for all the latest news.

Microsoft will reveal ‘the future of hybrid work’ with Windows 11 on April 5th

Microsoft appears to be testing a new type of ad inside File Explorer on Windows 11. Microsoft MVP and Twitter user Florian Beaubois discovered an ad in the latest test build of Windows 11, prompting users to check out the Microsoft Editor. While the ads might have appeared for some Windows 11 users, Microsoft says it was a mistake.

“This was an experimental banner that was not intended to be published externally and was turned off,” says Brandon LeBlanc, senior program manager for Windows, in a statement to The Verge.

While the ads weren’t intended to be tested externally, it’s clear Microsoft is capable of running them inside Windows 11, and the company’s brief statement doesn’t rule out ads appearing in the File Explorer in the future.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has placed ads inside File Explorer, either. The software maker added a large banner ad to the Windows 10 File Explorer in 2017, promoting subscription options for its OneDrive cloud storage service. While the ads can be easily dismissed, they’re still a frustrating experience in an operating system that’s traditionally been ad-free.

Microsoft has been experimenting with ads inside Windows for a decade now. It already places ads on the Windows 10 lock screen and in the Start menu, and there have been plenty instances of annoying pop-up ads in the taskbar, too. Lots of Windows 8’s built-in apps also had ads inside them.

Sadly, Microsoft isn’t alone in advertising its own services in its operating system or apps. Apple spams you with offers for Apple Music, Apple Fitness, and iCloud if you buy a new iPhone, and we’ve even seen full-screen ads for Apple TV Plus if you own Apple’s TV hardware. Google will hound you with pop-up ads until you give in and buy a YouTube Premium subscription.

Microsoft says Windows 11 File Explorer ads were ‘not intended to be published externally’

• New! We displayed up to three high priority toast notifications simultaneously. This feature is for apps that send notifications for calls, reminders, or alarms using Windows notifications in the OS. As a result, up to four toast notifications might appear simultaneously–three high priority notifications and one normal priority notification.
• We fixed an issue that turns off auto-startup for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps after you upgrade the OS.
• We fixed an issue that causes SystemSettings.exe to stop working.
• We fixed an issue that affects searchindexer.exe and prevents Microsoft Outlook’s offline search from returning recent emails.
• We fixed an issue that increases the startup time for Windows. This issue occurs because a UI thread in a networking API stops responding when a 5G wireless wide area network (WWAN) device is slow to wake up.
• We fixed a memory leak in the wmipicmp.dll module that causes a lot of false alarms in the System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) datacenter monitoring system.
• We fixed an issue that incorrectly returns the Execution Policy settings from the registry.
• We fixed an issue in which modern browsers fail to correctly render HTML that is generated by gpresult/h.
• We fixed an issue that causes an “Access denied” exception for a file during a PowerShell test for AppLocker.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Remote Desktop Service (RDS)server to become unstable when the number of signed in users exceeds 100. This prevents you from accessing published applications using RDS on Windows Server 2019.
• We fixed an issue that returns an error message when you browse for a domain or organizational unit (OU). This issue occurs because of improper zeroing out of memory.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Group Policy Management Console to stop working after you close it. The system logs Application Error Event ID 1000 and the error, 0xc0000005 (STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION); the failing module is GPOAdmin.dll.
• We fixed an issue that might cause the Group Policy Service to stop processing telemetry information for Group Policy Registry Preferences.
• We fixed a stop error (0xD1, DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL) in the DirectX kernel component.
• We fixed an issue that might cause Kerberos.dll to stop working within the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). This occurs when LSASS processes simultaneous Service for User (S4U) user-to-user (U2U) requests for the same client user.
• We fixed an issue that affects the Key Distribution Center (KDC) Proxy. The KDC Proxy cannot properly obtain Kerberos tickets for signing in to Key Trust Windows Hello for Business.
• We added support for Microsoft Account (MSA) Pass-through scenarios in Azure Active Directory(AAD) Web Account Manager (WAM).
• We fixed an issue that logs Event ID 37 during certain password change scenarios, including failover cluster name object (CNO) or virtual computer object (VCO) password changes.
• We fixed an issue that prevents the User Account Control (UAC) dialog from correctly showing the application that is requesting elevated privileges.
• We fixed an issue that might cause a Microsoft OneDrive file to lose focus after you rename it and press the Enter key.
• We returned the corresponding Settings page when you search for the word widgets.
• We fixed an issue that prevents Event 4739 from displaying the new values of certain attributes after a policy change.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Move-ADObject command to fail when you move computer accounts across domains. The error message is, “Multiple values were specified for an attribute that can have only one value”.
• We fixed an issue that prevents you from accessing Server Message Block (SMB) shares using an IP Address when SMB hardening is enabled.
• We fixed an issue that causes stop error 0x1E in the SMB Server (srv2.sys).
• We fixed an issue that causes a mismatch between NetBIOS and DNS Active Directory domain names when you create a cluster.

You can find the official press release here.

Windows 11 Beta build 22000.588 (KB5011563) has landed with a long list of fixes

The company says:

Starting today, Windows games can ship with DirectStorage. This public SDK release begins a new era of fast load times and detailed worlds in PC games by allowing developers to more fully utilize the speed of the latest storage devices. In September 2020, we announced DirectStorage would be coming to Windows, and after collecting feedback throughout our developer preview, we are making this API available to all of our partners to ship with their games.

According to Microsoft, DirectStorage can help to greatly reduce the volume of I/O operations on a device's storage using parallelization. This will essentially help to reduce load times among other related benefits.

With the GA of DirectStorage, the company also reiterated on how Windows 11 is the best OS available for gaming as DirectStorage will only be available on it. Here's a part of an earlier blog post the company was referring to:

With DirectStorage, which will only be available with Windows 11, games can quickly load assets to the graphics card without bogging down the CPU. This means you’ll get to experience incredibly detailed game worlds rendered at lightning speeds, without long load times. “DirectStorage Optimized” Windows 11 PCs are configured with the hardware and drivers needed to enable this amazing experience.

If you are a developer, you can find all resources related to DirectStorage here.

Microsoft reinforces Windows 11 as the best for gaming as DirectStorage finally hits PCs

The screenshot shows the upper part of a File Explorer window. Below the address field is an ad for Microsoft Editor, a spelling and grammar checker by Microsoft that is available for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

Write with confidence across documents, emails, and the web with advanced writing suggestions from Microsoft Editor.

It appears that Microsoft is using File Explorer to advertise some of its products. Another user replied stating that Microsoft was suggesting to "check out PowerPoint templates on the official website" in File Explorer.

The new attempt to cross-promote its products in Windows is not the first run at displaying ads in File Explorer. Back in 2017, Microsoft started to advertise its OneDrive service in File Explorer on Windows 10 devices.

The Windows 10 ad in File Explorer advertised an Office 365 subscription that would give users 1 Terabyte of OneDrive storage space plus access to Office apps.

The advertisement was not the first to show up on Windows 10 devices. Users spotted ads in various locations, including the lockscreen, the start menu, the share menu, and the taskbar.

The ads that Microsoft shows to Windows Insiders in File Explorer on Windows 11 have little to do with File Explorer itself. Microsoft Editor is a browser extension and PowerPoint templates are only useful for use in PowerPoint, not in File Explorer.

Windows 11 and 10 systems show ads by default. Microsoft has different names for these, including "sync provider notifications" or "tips and suggestions".

Sync Provider notifications can be turned off in the following way on Windows 11:

1. Open File Explorer..
2. Select Menu > Three-Dots > Options at the top.
3. Switch to the View menu when the Folder Options window opens.
4. Scroll down until you find "show sync provider notifications".
5. Uncheck that box.
6. Click ok.

OnMSFT suggests that users can disable the new File Explorer ad system by turning off tips and suggestions in the Windows 11 Settings.

Here is how that is done:

1. Select Start > Settings.
2. Open System and then Notifications.
3. Scroll all the way down on the page that opens and uncheck "Get tips and suggestions when I use Windows".

This should take care of the File Explorer ads.

The advertisement was spotted in recent Insider builds of Windows 11 only; these are development builds of Windows that are used for testing. It is possible that the ads won't make it into stable versions of Windows, but it is too early to tell.

Another option that users may have is to use a different file manager for Windows. We reviewed a few recently, including NexusFile, Sigma File Manager, and Imperium.

Now You: what is your take on this? (via Deskmodder)

Microsoft is testing File Explorer ads in latest Windows 11 Insider build

Safeguard holds prevent users from upgrading to Windows 11 to protect their systems against potential upgrade issues, in this case, software instability caused by compatibility issues between Windows and VirtualBox.

"Oracle has resolved this issue in VirtualBox 6.1.28 and later. To remove the safeguard hold on your device, you will need to update to VirtualBox 6.1.28 or later," Microsoft explained in a note added to the Windows health dashboard over the weekend.

"Please note, if there are no other safeguards that affect your device, it can take up to 48 hours before the update to Windows 11, version 21H2 is offered."

Redmond applied the update block to all devices running Virtualbox since the day Windows 11 was released following user reports of compatibility issues with Oracle's virtualization software.

Customers who try to update affected systems would receive a "VirtualBox. Your PC requires the latest version of this app. Click Learn More for more information on how to update this app." message even when running the latest release.

Since then, those running VirtualBox on their computers haven't been able to upgrade to the latest Windows version even if they had compatible hardware and software.

Some users might still be affected

"If you do not have VirtualBox installed but are receiving this safeguard hold, you might have an application that is based on VirtualBox or which has bundled VirtualBox within their installation," Microsoft added.

"If you have any applications that use or create VMs or system images, you might need to update or uninstall them to remove this safeguard hold."

While Oracle worked on addressing this issue, Redmond also provided a workaround to enable impacted customers to mitigate the safeguard hold, requiring them to uninstall Hyper-V, Windows Hypervisor, or VirtualBox to receive the Windows 11 upgrade.

The compatibility issues between Oracle VirtualBox and Windows 11 were behind the last safeguard to be removed for Windows 11, version 21H2 after Microsoft addressed other issues with:

• Intel Smart Sound Technology drivers
• Apps using some non-ASCII characters in their registry keys
• Serbian (Latin) language pack might be unexpectedly removed

Microsoft removes Windows 11 update block for VirtualBox users

With the latest update, the company is adding search highlights to Windows 10. This feature will allow the taskbar search box and search home to periodically update with content that will allow you to "discover more, be connected, and stay productive" and will include illustrations as well.

The latest update includes the following improvements and fixes:

• New! We provided the ability to change the color of toast buttons to identify success and critical scenarios more easily for apps that send notifications using Windows notifications in the OS. This feature also makes notifications more visually compact.
• New! We added a new policy that expands an app’s top three notifications by default in the Action Center for apps that send notifications using Windows notifications in the OS. This feature displays multiple notifications that you can interact with simultaneously.
• We fixed an issue that causes searchindexer.exe to stop responding during a dismount operation in the Remote Desktop setup environment.
• We fixed an issue that affects searchindexer.exe and prevents Microsoft Outlook’s offline search from returning recent emails.
• We fixed an issue that might deactivate Windows when you change the National Language Support (NLS) version from 6.3 to 6.2.
• We fixed an issue in which modern browsers fail to correctly render HTML that is generated by gpresult/h.
• We fixed an issue that causes an “Access denied” exception for a file during a PowerShell test for AppLocker.
• We fixed an issue that might cause the Group Policy Service to stop processing telemetry information for Group Policy Registry Preferences.
• We fixed an issue that might prevent a DNS Server query resolution policy from working as expected when you specify a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) and subnet conditions.
• We fixed a heap leak in PacRequestorEnforcement that degrades the performance of a domain controller.
• We fixed an issue that affects the Key Distribution Center (KDC) Proxy. The KDC Proxy cannot properly obtain Kerberos tickets for signing in to Key Trust Windows Hello for Business.
• We added support for Microsoft Account (MSA) Pass-through scenarios in Azure Active Directory (AAD) Web Account Manager (WAM).
• We fixed an issue that logs Event ID 37 during certain password change scenarios, including failover cluster name object (CNO) or virtual computer object (VCO) password changes.
• We fixed an issue that might unintentionally add a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) protector when you use the Silent BitLocker enablement policy.
• We fixed an issue that prevents the User Account Control (UAC) dialog from correctly showing the application that is requesting elevated privileges.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Move-ADObject command to fail when you move computer accounts across domains. The error message is, “Multiple values were specified for an attribute that can have only one value”.
• We fixed an issue that prevents Event 4739 from displaying the new values of certain attributes after a policy change.
• We fixed an issue that prevents Android device users from signing in to some Microsoft applications, such as Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Teams. This issue occurs after rolling over token signing and decrypting certificates, resetting a user’s password, or when an administrator has revoked refresh tokens.
• We fixed an issue that might cause domain joining to fail in environments that use disjoint DNS hostnames.
• We fixed an issue that prevents the Back button of the credentials window, where you sign in, from being visible in high contrast black mode.
• We fixed an issue that prevents you from accessing Server Message Block (SMB) shares using an IP Address when SMB hardening is enabled.
• We fixed an issue that occurs when the Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) values for SMB have not been updated for more recent platforms.
• We fixed an issue that causes stop error 0x1E in the SMB Server (srv2.sys).
• We fixed an issue that causes a mismatch between NetBIOS and DNS Active Directory domain names when you create a cluster.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Network File System (NFS) redirector to stop working (error 0x50) when you convert a text file to a PDF.

To find the original press release, head over to the dedicated webpage here.

Microsoft releases Windows 10 21H2 Build 19044.1618 (KB5011543) with new Search highlights

But things are finally looking to be getting better according to a recent report by Riverbed. In this report dubbed "The State of the Digital Experience Report Q1 2022", the systems of more than 2 million enterprise devices were analyzed to assess their readiness for Windows 11.

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the report finds that still nearly one in five PCs (19.45%), don't feature the minimum 64GB storage requirement. Another one in five devices (20.75%) does not meet the TPM requirements, where half of those (10.04%) will need to be replaced completely due to the lack of TPM 2.0. Hence these machines probably run Ryzen 1000 series or Intel 6th/7th gen and older processors.

Overall, less than one in four (22.29%) workplace computers can be upgraded to Windows 11, and around half of that (12.23%) will need total replacement.

The image below provides the key takeaways of the study:

And the full breakdown of each and every minimum system requirement for Windows 11 are given below:

In case you can't recall the minimum requirements for Windows 11, you can view them here.

Source and images: Riverbed (PDF)

Study finds more work PCs are finally ready to receive the Windows 11 upgrade

Previously called Performance Mode, efficiency mode is available as an option under system and performance in the Edge settings. The main idea behind efficiency mode is not a new one: put tabs that have not been used for a certain amount of time to sleep to free up memory and reduce CPU usage.

You find the performance options under edge://settings/system in Microsoft Edge for Windows, Mac OS and Linux. Users who prefer to use the menu may select Menu > Settings > System and Performance to get there as well.

Efficiency mode may be set to on or off, the default appears to be off in most configurations. Microsoft states on a support page that efficiency mode may be enabled automatically if a mobile device enters battery saver mode on Windows. A blue pulse icon in Microsoft Edge's toolbar indicates that. On Mac OS X devices, efficiency mode activates itself automatically if the power state of the battery reaches 20%. On Linux, efficiency mode is turned off by default.

Once turned on, Edge will put tabs that have been inactive for 5 minutes to sleep to free up system resources. Microsoft notes that the benefits vary as they depend on factors such as the device that is used, the number of tabs that are open and other factors. The feature may be of benefit to mobile devices but also desktop devices, as it may also improve performance.

Efficiency mode is designed to help extend battery life. It minimizes power usage by reducing resource usage (CPU usage) through modifying certain tab activity on tabs you’re not interacting with and putting inactive background tabs to sleep after 5 minutes or less.

Efficiency mode comes with a number of preferences that users may change to customize the feature. In fact, all settings can be modified even if efficiency mode is not enabled.

• Save resources with sleeping tabs -- The feature unloads inactive tabs to free up memory and improve performance.
• Fade sleeping tabs -- All sleeping tabs are displayed faded for better identification-
• Put inactive tabs to sleep after the specified amount of time -- 5 minutes by default and fixed to that period if efficiency mode is enabled. With efficiency mode disabled, other periods may be selected.
• Never put these sites to sleep -- Add sites to the exclusion list to never have them put to sleep by Edge.

Closing Words

Efficiency Mode may improve battery life and performance of devices running Microsoft Edge. Mobile devices on battery and low performance devices may see the biggest improvements with the mode enabled.

Now You: do you configure your browsers to put inactive tabs to sleep?

Improve Microsoft Edge power usage and performance by turning on Efficiency Mode

Microsoft acquired Clipchamp in late 2021. The app has more than 17 million registered users, plus many businesses and companies use Clipchamp for their video-editing needs. In a nutshell, Clipchamp is a progressive web app that can use hardware acceleration for processing and rendering video. It is also available as a standalone program on Windows, Chromebook, and iOS.

Simple, no-frills video editors are not a new concept for Windows users. Windows Movie Maker is one of the most legendary Windows apps Microsoft used to bundle with its operating systems. Unfortunately, in 2017, Microsoft pulled the plug on Windows Movie Maker in favor of the “modern” Microsoft Photos app. The company took a beloved tool and replaced it with crippled and lame software that offers little to no value compared to the good-old Movie Maker. Now it seems that Microsoft is back with offering Windows users a capable inbox video editor. This time, though, you need to pay for it. And pay a lot.

Although Clipchamp is a free app, you need to sign up for a monthly subscription to get all of its capabilities. One may rightfully argue that Microsoft could have made Clipchamp free for Windows 11 users after acquiring the company. A stock Windows 11 app that requires a separate subscription simply looks like a slap in the face.

Please make no mistake; I am not against premium software and subscriptions. After all, developers are also humans, and they have got families to feed. However, Windows 11 is not free. OEMs pay fees to Microsoft for selling Windows devices, and those fees directly increase the price you pay for a computer. Also, the OS is quite expensive to purchase separately for DIY systems. Finally, Microsoft uses many other ways to monetize Windows 11 users with various ads in the OS, Edge, and other software products.

Still, Microsoft is not your friend. This company is here to earn money, and there is a reason why it is one of the wealthiest businesses. The issue with Clipchamp is not the mere fact that Microsoft asks you to pay. The price is what triggers the most.

Clipchamp offers four “tiers” with different capabilities and prices.

The basic tier is available for free, and it generously offers 480p video export. In a world with 4K displays and 8K video recording in smartphones, Microsoft thinks limiting video to pathetic 480p is fine.

Pay Microsoft $9/mo or $72/year (yay, 30% discount) for the Creator plan, and you get 720p video export, unlimited access to cloud storage, and audio stock. Quite a questionable offer considering even YouTube no longer marks 720p as an HD format. True, many users still watch YouTube videos on their smartphones at 720p or even lower, but paying $9 per month for 720p at best is just offensive. And for reference, Microsoft 365, a suite full of professional tools for office work, costs just $7/mo. Does Clipchamp offer more to justify the price?

If you want to export video in FullHD, step up and pay $20/mo or $156/year for the Business plan. Finally, Business Platinum will get you the same 1080p export bundled with unlimited video/image stock and a brand kit. Amazing!

In a vacuum, those prices might have sense. Again, creating and maintaining video editing software is not a simple process. Besides, Clipchamp offers convenient options, such as editing videos in a browser without downloading the app. But the thing is that Clipchamp is not the only video editor you can use. Adobe, for example, offers professional video editing software, Premiere Pro, for $21/mo. Alternatively, you can use free options like DaVinci Resolve or iMovie on macOS or iOS.

Clipchamp may be a better option for an average user who does not want to learn how to use professional-grade software. A simple app with basic edits will be the preferred choice for many, which is the reason why people love Windows Movie Maker so much. But again, it should not be that expensive, especially considering Windows Movie Maker was 100% free, and Clipchamp does not offer that many advanced video editing tools (it is not the most stable piece of software either).

It seems that the best option for Microsoft is to include Clipchamp in the Microsoft 365 subscription. It will increase the value proposition for existing subscribers and draw more people to the service. Besides offering Office apps, Microsoft 365 provides other productivity tools, such as Teams, Microsoft Family, Microsoft Editor, OneDrive, ad-free Outlook, etc. Clipchamp can fit perfectly in there.

Unfortunately, for now, what Microsoft does with Clipchamp and other products (imposing Edge and showing ads in Windows) looks like a user-hostile cash grab. Seven years ago, Microsoft released a solid operating system that placed the foundation for Windows 11 and future releases. Now it seems that Microsoft wants to ruin everything by continuously trying to suck out every dollar from every user.

The newest Windows 11 inbox app is a shameless cash grab

Search highlights changes the Windows Search startpage significantly. Currently, Windows 11 users get a list of top apps to launch directly and quick search links that open web results.

Under the new Windows Search home interface, users get a larger list of recent apps that they opened, and an even larger area with content that is provided by Microsoft. Users who are not signed-in to a work or school account get web content such as trending searches, as well as daily global or regional highlights.

The search box in Start and Search will periodically update with content, including fun illustrations, that help you discover more, be connected, and stay productive. These hints in the search box give you a sneak peek into what to expect in search home.

Search highlights will present notable and interesting moments—like holidays, anniversaries, and other educational moments in time both globally and in your region. You’ll find rich, bold content in search home that highlights what’s special about today.

Users who are signed in with a work or school account returns the organization's files and contacts in Search home.

Search highlights will feature the latest updates from your organization and suggested people, files, and more. Explore files that may be of interest to you or browse through your organization’s people chart. As always, just start typing to find everything related to your organization, right at your fingertips using Search.

Windows administrators may turn off the new search highlights feature under Settings > Privacy & Security > Search Settings > Show search highlights. Organization administrators find additional options in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Microsoft plans to push search highlights to users of its Windows 10 operating system as well in the future.

Closing words

Search highlights, at least the variant for home Windows 11 systems, is the latest effort by Microsoft to bring more web content to its operating systems. How useful is the new experience? Considering that the main function of search is to find content, it appears to fall into the less useful category, even for users who run web searches from Windows' search interface.

While it is possible to disable search highlights, it is usually the case that most users will keep features like it enabled, unless they get too annoying or in the way.

Windows users who want Search to focus on local results find in search highlights another feature that they may want to turn off.

Now You: will you keep search highlights enabled or turn it off?

Microsoft improves Windows 11 search with even more things you may not need

By tapping the downloads icon in the Search bar or the Downloads tab in Search, you can access a full list of your downloads. You can pause and resume downloads and increase the priority of particular downloads so they’re completed first.

Also introduced in this update is a new attachment menu. When sending multiple photos or videos, you can tap ‘… selected’ at the top of the panel to see how the album will look in the chat, you can rearrange or remove items so the album looks better. On iOS, the attachment menu has been brought up to feature parity with Android, the camera option is now integrated into the gallery and a nav bar gives quick access to photos, files, location sharing, and more.

For those of you using Night Mode on an Android device, you’ll notice that the headers have a transparency effect making the app look better while you scroll. A similar transparency effect has been in the iOS version of Telegram since June 2021 and the firm said this is one of the first Android apps to add this type of effect.

On Android and macOS, Telegram has an improved login flow with new, smooth, animations. On Android you’ll be able to see your login digits slide into place and on macOS, there’s a Matrix code fall in the QR Code login screen. You can see each of the animations below:

Android

macOS

The last big change is the introduction of live streaming with other apps. Now, Groups and Channels will be able to connect with tools like OBS Studio and Xsplit Broadcaster so that streamers can create their own professional TV channel right in Telegram. To begin, start a new Video Chat in your group or a Live Stream in your channel and press ‘Start With’ where you can find information for connecting your specialist software. People who want to tune in must also be running the latest Telegram update.

Telegram should update automatically in the coming days but you can check your respective app store to see if you can manually install the update.

Telegram finally adds a download manager so you can keep track

Homer’s release notes:

I've finally got a bootable iso image on the ftp site. The bad news is that you don't get a pretty interactive installer. But if you wanted one of those, you would have gone with RedHat, right?

I'll try to get the docs up for ABS (Arch Build System) which, IMHO, is one of the best advantages of Arch. With ABS, you can easily create new packages, and it's trivial to rebuild existing packages with your own customizations.

And on that note, if you start to use the ABS and build your own packages, I welcome your submissions. My "development team" is working on a contrib area as we speak.

There’s also a bit of aspirational foreshadowing for release 0.2, which can be found here.

The advertised components are interesting. It shipped with Linux kernel 2.4.18 which many of the Linux old-timers (myself included) will remember was right before we started to get nice things like auto-mounting USB drives in kernel 2.6. XFree86 4.2.0 was also in stow, which is what we now call Xorg. If you wanted to build software, you had to use an absolutely ancient gcc toolchain (2.95.3).

Web browsing was covered by the ghost of Netscape Navigator, Mozilla 0.9.9. Heady days, these were!

Missing from this release were the contemporary desktop environments of the day, Gnome and KDE – you’d have to wait for version 0.4 in December that year or build this yourself using ABS (Arch Build System). However, the more things change, the more they stay the same. While the FOSS world is still transitioning to Wayland, Xorg (then XFree86) remains the dominant display server throughout the landscape. While Firefox replaced Mozilla less than a year later, Mozilla software like Firefox and Thunderbird are still defacto packages for most distributions. Lastly, KDE and Gnome are still the preeminent desktop environments all these years later.

Happy birthday Arch!

Source