The new page has many more options and filters.

It includes both a list view (above) and grid view.

The details page (absent from the current version) offers information such as Permissions, and offers a number of options, including Pinning to Start, Auto-Start on Login, clearing cookies and more.

To Try out the new Apps page enable the Refreshed Edge://apps user experience flag in Edge Canary.

Source: Leo Varela

Microsoft has updated the Edge Apps page with “refreshed experience”

There are several PCs, like those based on AMD's Ryzen 1000 series or 6th/7th gen Intel CPUs, that are capable of enabling TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot but still aren't listed as supported. That's because these older processors lack Mode Based Execution Control (MBEC) and hence exhibit a greater impact on the performance when running Microsoft's Virtualization-based Security (VBS).

UL benchmarks, the creator of popular 3DMark and more, has noted that there can be an impact on the performance, especially related to gaming tasks, due to VBS. It has stated:

In our testing with pre-release builds of Windows 11, a feature called Virtualization-based Security (VBS) causes performance to drop. VBS is enabled by default after a clean install of Windows 11, but not when upgrading from Windows 10. This means the same system can get different benchmark scores depending on how Windows 11 was installed and whether VBS is enabled or not.

The firm has stated that it will later update its benchmarking software to detect VBS on a user's system so comparisons can be made on equal grounds.

In order to test the claims of UL, ComputerBase (CB) and PC Gamer ran some gaming benchmarks and also 3DMark Time Spy. The two publications tested using a different set of hardware and a different suite of games. But while the hardware may not have been the same, both the CPUs are officially supported by Microsoft and they can make use of MBEC. So on paper, the impact from VBS should be low-ish.

The takeaway from the results is that the impact on performance according to PC Gamer's data is much bigger in games despite running them on GPU-limited situations with an RTX 3060 Ti on a 1440p screen. The site reports up to 28% loss in the case of Shadow of the Tomb Raider (SoTR). Meanwhile, CB's numbers show a much lower impact in games overall, including in SoTR. Bizarrely, the Time Spy scores exhibit the opposite pattern.

PC Gamer says it tested using the Beta channel build 22000.194 which is more in line with what we will get as the public version of Windows 11. CB on the other hand measured the impact of VBS on the Dev channel build version 22463 and Microsoft has already clarified that these Dev builds will be significantly different from the one we receive at launch in a few day's time.

So while we aren't sure, this difference may be indicating that VBS isn't really optimized yet to take advantage of the newer CPUs in the release version of Windows 11 (Beta), at least in the case of games. However, there could be other reasons at play here too.

Source: UL benchmarks via CB, PC Gamer

 Microsoft VBS apparently cripples gaming performance in Windows 11 even on supported CPUs

It is recommended to use standard user accounts on Windows 11, as it limits what malicious code can do on the system, as it runs with the same rights as the user account.

The Windows 11 administrator account

The Windows 11 administrator account is disabled by default. Administrative privileges are required to enable it on the device.

You may ask yourself why you would want to enable the Administrator account if you have administrative rights already. One of the main differences between a user's account that is of the administrator group and the Administrator account that is included by default, is that the latter does not receive UAC prompts.

It may also be a handy backup account in case things go wrong, and you have locked yourself out of the system.

How to enable the default Administrator account on Windows 11

The process requires just a few commands, in fact just one command if you are in a hurry, that is executed from an elevated command prompt window.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: launch an elevated command prompt window

Launch an elevated command prompt window, e.g. by opening the Start menu, typing CMD, and selecting "run as administrator" from the context options that Windows 11 displays. You need to confirm an UAC prompt to launch the elevated command prompt window.

Step 2: check the list of user accounts on the system

Run the command net user to display the list of all accounts that are available on the system. Note that the listing does not reveal if accounts are active or disabled.

Step 3: check the status of the Administrator account

Run the command net user Administrator to display information about the Administrator account. Check the "account active" status to find out if the account is active (yes) or not (no).

Step 4: Enable the Windows 11 Administrator account

Run the command net user Administrator /active:yes to enable the Administrator account. Verify that the command executed successfully by running the command from step 3 again.

Tip: to disable the account, run the command net user Administrator /active:no.

Step 5: Change the administrator password

The default administrator account of Windows 11 is not password protected. You may sign in without typing a password. While that is useful in same cases, it is usually better to set a password to protect it.

Run the command net user administrator * and hit the Enter-key. Type the password that you want to set and repeat the password after you have hit the Enter-key. If the passwords match, the new password is set and is required to sign-in to the account.

Note: the password is not displayed when you type.

Enable the Windows 11 Administrator account in Local Users and Groups

Administrators may use the Local Users and Groups administrative interface to manage the built-in Administrator account.

Step 1: Open Local Users and Groups

Open the Start interface, type lusrmgr.msc and hit Enter on the keyboard to load the management interface.

Step 2: Display User accounts

Expand the Users folder displayed on the left to display all accounts that are known on the system.

Step 3: Enable the Windows 11 administrator account

Right-click on the Administrator account in the middle column and select Properties from the context menu. To enable the account, remove the checkmark from "Account is disabled", select apply and then ok to complete the process.

The account is now active.

Step 4: Set a password for the native administrator account

Right-click on Administrator again and select "set password" from the context menu. A warning is displayed, select Proceed to continue.

Type the password twice and select the OK-button to set it.

How to enable the hidden Windows 11 administrator account

Disney Plus has rapidly emerged as the only real challenger to Netflix, offering the exact opposite value proposition of blockbuster movies which are missing from the Netflix platform.

On Windows there is however a problem – while it is possible to stream movies from Disney+ via the browser, on Chromium-based browsers you are only able to stream in 720P, something not even YouTube users will tolerate.

1080P streaming was possible on the old Edge browser, but if you have updated your PC over the last year you should no longer have access to that app.

The solution is a dedicated app, and Microsoft has been teasing that since June this year, with the unveiling of Windows 11.

Now with the launch of the new Surface Laptop Studio, which features a Stage mode perfect for watching movies, Microsoft has once again teased the Disney+ app coming to the Microsoft Store.

Hopefully, the app will not just be a PWA, which would be a waste of the beautiful screen on the device.

via WindowsReport

 Microsoft teases Disney+ app for Windows 11 again

Office 2021 borrows a bit from Microsoft 365 in the way of collaborative features such as real-time co-authoring powered by OneDrive. People who sign-in to Office apps with their Microsoft account will get 5GB of complimentary storage, and will have the option to purchase more. Other features that were previously exclusive to Microsoft 365 but are now coming to Office 2021 include the ability to easily record PowerPoint presentations, as well as the modernization of formulas in Excel.

Another major change from previous releases is that Office 2021 ships with Teams as part of the installed features, rather than Skype for Business, but Teams is treated differently than other Office apps. Unlike the others, it will continue to get updates continuously over time, but you also only get access to the free version of Teams, since the premium version is licensed separately. You can learn more about managing the free version of Teams here. Teams is also integrated at an OS-level with Windows 11.

Microsoft has noted that with Windows 11's release on October 5, Microsoft 365 and Office 2021 apps will be revamped to match the design language of the new OS. The redesign will also be available to those on Windows 10. The company says:

This visual update is modern yet familiar, designed to help you focus on your best work. You’ll notice a neutral color palette, softer window corners, refreshed tabs in the ribbon, and colorful presence indicators so you can easily see who’s working on a document with you. App themes will stay in sync with your Windows light or dark mode by default. Updated apps include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access, Project, Publisher, and Visio. We’ve also intentionally aligned this visual update with the availability of Windows 11 to provide a coherent and seamless experience on a new Windows 11 PC.

It is important to note that Microsoft still recommends its Microsoft 365 subscription plans if you want to take full advantage of what the firm has to offer, but those who would rather pay a one-time fee can purchase Office Home and Student 2021 for $149.99, and Office Home and Business 2021 for $249.99. All these SKUs will be available from retailers and Microsoft's website from October 5, 2021. Microsoft has emphasized that Office 2013 is not supported on Windows 11, so if you are thinking of upgrading to the company's upcoming OS with the aforementioned legacy version of Office, now would be a good time to upgrade to Office 2021 as well.

Microsoft Office 2021 starts at $149.99, offers new experience tailored to Windows 11

We reported a few days ago that Google is working on making Chrome look more native on Windows 11.

 

According to a new patch on the Chromium Gerrit, Google was working on making their menus “Windows 11 style” when the browser is being run on the new operating system.

 

Now a flag for the new menus has shown up in the latest Canary version of the browser, allowing us to take a look at what the company is looking to deliver.

 

 

 

As can be seen from the screenshots, the menus now have rounded corners, deeper drop shadows and are more clearly separated from the origin of the menu, giving them a floating appearance.

Unfortunately, it does not look like Mica transparency support is present yet, though Google may of course add this at a later point.

The flag to enable this is:

Given that it has just shown up in the Canary version of the browser, it will likely be at least 4 weeks before we see the changes in the Stable version.

via Leo Varela

These are the new Windows 11-style menus for Chrome

In its announcement, the Mint team said the upcoming version will have improved themes, for example, the titlebars of applications will be made larger allowing for larger buttons and making them easier to grab and move around. Further, they have been given rounder corners so they look more pleasant.

Another visual change being worked on relates to accent colours in the Mint-Y theme. Right now, the colours can compete for your attention so the latest update removes accents but adds a bit of tint into the Mint-Y grey to better reflect the theme settings you’ve selected. Sliders, checkboxes, radio buttons and the close button will continue to be shown in your selected colour but the rest of the theme looks more neutral.

As for the new website, you can check it out now by heading over there. Unlike the old design, this one adapts to whatever device you’re using, including a smartphone. Ads are no longer shown on the website in an attempt to make it look more professional, however, the project says it noticed an income decline but it’s a sacrifice it’s willing to make. It hopes that in the long term, it can generate income in other ways not to need to reintroduce ads on its homepage.

Linux Mint 20.3 due by Christmas and project's website receives a fresh look

Security, generally, is also of utmost importance to professionals and enterprises, and according to an interesting survey recently that has reportedly been conducted across an estimated 30 million devices from 60,000 organizations, the majority of the PCs can not be upgraded to Windows 11 as they were found lacking in the system requirements criteria. The survey was conducted by Lansweeper and the report published is named "Windows 11 Readiness Audit".

While most of these PCs fulfill the lenient 4GB RAM requirement, the majority (55.6%) don't have a CPU from amongst Microsoft's official supported list. Close to a fifth of the PCs (19.26%) also failed the TPM 2.0 check.

Separate data has also been presented specifically for TPM 2.0 as there is a lot of commotion around it. The data shows that roughly 20% of physical workstations and around 5% of physical servers fail in the TPM department.

This isn't the only Windows 11 survey that has been conducted recently. A sample survey that quizzed over a thousand adult PC users in the U.S. showed that the majority didn't know or didn't care about Windows 11, and most did not wish to upgrade to the next-gen Windows OS either. That said, September AdDuplex numbers show that Microsoft's new OS is inside 1.3% of PCs even though Windows 11 is not out publicly yet.

Source and images: Lansweeper

Huge survey of professional PCs shows majority just aren't ready for Windows 11

It’s now a part of the Clock app

 

 

How to use Focus assist in Windows 11

Earlier this year, Microsoft revamped the Extensions menu in Edge by bringing a dedicated flyout in the toolbar, letting users move extensions’ icons from the toolbar in this flyout. The behavior was similar to the new History, Downloads, and Collections menus that also received a flyout UI. However, one of the drawbacks of the UI was that it brought an all-or-nothing paradigm. Removing the Extensions button placed all the extensions in the toolbar, crowding the toolbar, which was not an ideal solution.

That now seems to be changing, as the latest Edge Canary update adds the ability to hide the Extensions toolbar and the extensions icons completely without spewing all the icons out of the menu right into the toolbar. The update, spotted by Reddit user and Edge-watcher Leopeva64-2, also brings a best of both worlds option where it allows users to display the Extensions button automatically when extensions are turned on, helping declutter the increasingly busy toolbar.

As seen in the screenshots at the top, users can simply right-click on the Extensions button and select the “hide from toolbar” option without affecting the pinned icons or completely remove all icons. Currently, another option to hide the button sits within the ellipsis menu inside the flyout and it is not clear if that option is slated to be removed. Additional options for the button can be spotted in the Appearance settings, which contains the “Show Automatically” feature.

Since this is a minor addition, it might quickly make it to the Dev and Beta channels, before finally being released to the stable channel. With Edge releases now following a condensed release timeline, the wait for newer features to propagate from Canary to other channels is shorter than ever before.

The addition of this option is indeed a welcome one for those that have been asking for the ability to choose to hide the button completely, especially for those who have select extensions and do not need the button on their toolbars.

You can now hide all extensions and the Extensions button from the toolbar in Edge Canary

Stardock announced the upcoming October 7th release of Start11, a program that allows users to customize the Windows Start menu and taskbar. As with previous editions of StartX products, Start11 allows users to restore the Start menu to appear as it does in previous versions of Windows, as well as customize and enhance its functionality.

"We put the first beta out quickly in order to regain some of the lost functionality from the Windows 11 Start menu," said Brad Wardell, Stardock CEO. "For this release, we've added several new Start menu layouts to choose from, restored context menu functionality, enabled repositioning of the taskbar, plus one of our users' favorite features: Fences® integration."

Start11 is designed for Windows 11 and Windows 10 and comes loaded with features intended to make Windows more productive and personal. Start11 supports moving the Start button to the middle or to the left, adjusting the taskbar size, re-ordering quick access shortcut lists, options for adjusting grid spacing, enhanced classic and modern search experiences, and much more.

For users who want to personalize their Start menu, Start11 offers robust customization options ranging from aesthetic to functional. The software enables enhanced Windows 10 and Windows 11 style Start menus, a compact Windows 7 design, optional Windows 11 style for classic menus, and many additional settings that let you configure your personalized Start menu.

"The new UI has been designed to support additional Start menu enhancements," said Wardell. "Start8® and Start10® focused on restoring previous versions of the Start menu. Start11 extends this to support a host of new Start menu ideas such as the concept of pages, minimalism, and features for our enterprise customers."

The Start11 update will release on October 7th. The beta is currently available for $4.99. There is an upgrade option for users of Start8 and Start10. 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

Major update to Start11 on October 7 restores the ability to move Windows 11 taskbar

Fedora Linux has been recognized as a "digital public good" by the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), a strategy group set up by UNICEF to promote sustainable development through open-source solutions that contribute to an equitable world.

The reasons Fedora was recognized include that Fedora:

• promotes best practices and adheres to standards

• creates an innovative platform for hardware, clouds, and containers that enables software developers and community members to build tailored solutions for their users

• is free of charge and comes with permissions to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense and/or sell copies of the software without restrictions other than that the same permissions must be granted to anyone using resulting products

• adheres to privacy and other applicable international and domestic laws

• shares personal information in limited and acknowledged ways

• causes no harm

• follows privacy policy guidelines and makes privacy policy available to partners

DPGA also notes that Fedora is actively used in 483 countries.

To be recognized by DPGA as a "public good", a product or project must use:

• Open-source software

• Open data

• Open-AI models

• Open standards

• Open content

A public good must adhere to privacy laws, other relevant laws and best practices. It must also support and promote the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

DPGA recognition isn't solely for operating systems. Other areas of focus include early grade reading, financial inclusion, health, and climate change adaptation, especially in low- and medium-income countries. DPGA maintaints Communities of Practice, which are groups of experts who support the discovery, assessment and advancement of digital public goods that address critical needs.

Why Fedora?

Open source is not just code that can be shared, but an impetus for innovation and collaboration that spans the globe. In this way, Fedora is following in the footsteps of numerous efforts to create a more equitable world, according to DPGA.

As a long-standing Linux user and advocate, I'm very pleased to see one of the top Linux distributions honored in this way. I'm also happy to learn of the existence of the DPGA and its efforts to promote a more equitable and sustainable world.

For more information on digital public goods and nominees, visit DPGA's registry.

Source

Due to the fact that Google Chrome is used by billions of people all over the globe, the browser is regularly updated with new features and improvements to cater to the ever-changing needs of its user base. Just yesterday, we learned that Chrome is likely getting rounded corners to match the design language of Microsoft's upcoming Windows 11 release. Now, Google has revealed that it will soon start surfacing Drive files when you open a new tab in Chrome.

The company says that rather than showing you files based on recency, the content surfaced will be based on "intelligent suggestions". According to Google, this will save users time and mental effort in finding the file that they need as they will be able to grab it directly from the new user interface provided on a new Chrome tab, as can be seen below:

Google says that this experience will be enabled by default if you haven't customized the New Tab Page interface. If an IT admin has set a custom experience for New Tab Page at an organizational level, this feature will not be enabled by default for those users. IT admins can head to this page to find out how to toggle the setting. Meanwhile, non-organizational users can simply utilize the "Customize Chrome" button in the bottom right corner to enable or disable Google Drive cards.

Intelligent suggestions for Google Drive cards in Chrome have been set to release on a "Gradual rollout" basis, which means that it may take up to 15 days for the feature to become visible to you. We don't have it on our devices yet. It is being rolled out to all personal Google accounts, Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.

Google Chrome will soon show you suggestions for Drive files when you open a new tab

Microsoft has begun rolling out optional updates for the latest Windows 10 versions as part of its C/D release week rollouts. These updates are preview versions of the updates that will eventually roll out to the corresponding Windows 10 versions during the Patch Tuesday update next month. As is always the case, those that choose to install these updates will be served only the additional fixes added to the Patch Tuesday package. However, those that choose to skip today’s update will be offered all these fixes as one.

Today, Windows 10 versions 2004 and newer are receiving optional patch KB5005611. These versions include versions 2004, 20H2, and 21H1. As usual, the packages heading to all these versions are identical as these are built on the same codebase and are served the same updates. The patch bumps up the build numbers to 19041.1266, 19042.1266, and 19043.1266 for versions 2004, 20H2, and 21H1 respectively. The update should also head to users running 21H2 in the Release Preview channel soon, as that version is also going to be delivered in the way of an enablement package to version 21H1.

As for the patch itself, there are a ton of bug fixes and improvements. The highlights include fixes that address Outlook issues, more fixes for the News and Interests flyout, fixes to faulty clock synchronization, and much more. Here are the highlights of the fixes made in today’s patch:

• Updates an issue that causes the system clock to be wrong by one hour after a daylight saving time (DST) change.

• Updates an issue that causes applications, such as Microsoft Outlook, to suddenly stop working during normal use.

• Updates an issue with the Microsoft Outlook Add-in that prevents you from typing a reply.

• Updates an issue that causes blurry News and interests icons when you use certain screen resolutions.

• Updates an issue that causes News and interests to appear when you right-click the taskbar even if you have turned off that feature on your device.

• Updates an issue that might cause distortion in the sound that Cortana and other voice assistants record.

• Updates an issue that causes your device to stop working after you restart it.

• Updates an issue that prevents you from providing input to apps when the taskbar is not at the bottom of the screen.

As usual, the firm has posted a detailed list of all the fixes made in this update, which apply to all three fully supported Windows 10 versions. Here is the complete list:

• Addresses an issue that changes the device’s current UI language. This occurs during an unattended out-of-box experience (OOBE) language pack installation scenario on a desktop.

• Addresses an issue that causes the system time to be incorrect by one hour after a daylight saving time (DST) change.

• Addresses an issue that causes the Server Manager application to disappear after you use it to remove Hyper-V features on Windows Server 2022.

• Addresses an issue with parsing time formats in event logs. This issue occurs when you exclude milliseconds.

• Addresses an issue that causes the DnsCache service to increase the CPU usage to 100% utilization. As a result, the device stops responding.

• Provides administrators the option to reset the zoom to the default for HTML dialogs in Microsoft Edge Internet Explorer mode.

• Addresses an issue with Enterprise Mode Site List redirection from Internet Explorer 11 to Microsoft Edge. In certain circumstances, the redirection opens a site in multiple tabs in Microsoft Edge.

• Addresses an issue with PropertyGet in JScript9.dll.

• Addresses an issue that stops calls to the Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) minidriver for Windows Portable Devices (WPD) devices that you access using WIAMgr.

• Addresses an issue that causes applications, such as Microsoft Outlook, to suddenly stop responding during normal use. This occurs if the application created and removed UI elements on a background thread that is no longer receiving messages.

• Addresses an issue with the Microsoft Outlook Add-in that prevents you from providing input after you select Reply.

• Addresses an issue that fails to keep the NumLock state after a Fast Startup restart.

• Addresses an issue with sharing a screen using Microsoft Teams. Protected content, such as a digital rights management (DRM) email, appears black for the presenter, but appears transparent for everyone else.

• Addresses an issue that might prevent drawing on the screen using Windows Context::UpdateRgnFromRects from working.

• Addresses an issue that always reports the update build revision (UBR) as zero (0) on a device during enrollment to mobile device management (MDM) service.

• Addresses an issue that might cause distortion in the audio that Cortana and other voice assistants capture.

• Removes the limitation of 25 maximum Traffic Selectors in the Windows native Internet Key Exchange (IKE) client and server.

• Addresses an issue that fails to display the smart card PIN dialog when you are connected to a virtual private network (VPN). This issue occurs after upgrading to Windows 10, version 2004.

• Addresses an issue that causes a memory leak in lsass.exe when the pTokenPrivileges buffer is not released.

• Addresses an issue with a non-paged pool (NPP) leak from the UxSF pool tag. This leak occurs when lsass.exe stops processing asynchronous Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI) calls.

• Addresses an issue that prevents the xhunter1.sys driver from loading. As a result, some games cannot run when you enable Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI).

• Addresses an issue that causes Windows to stop working if you deploy a Code Integrity policy without user mode rules.

• Improves the performance of MsSense.exe in environments with User Datagram Protocol (UDP) applications that require high amounts of bandwidth.

• Addresses an input method editor (IME) mode instability in the RemoteApp scenario. You must install this update on the Remote Desktop server and Remote Desktop client.

• Addresses an issue that causes blurry News and interests icons when you use certain screen resolutions.

• Addresses a paged pool memory leak of the registry keys for the Virtual Desktop ID that occurs in explorer.exe.

• Removes a hyperlink that might cause the Input app to stop working when you first enter fuzzy pinyin content.

• Addresses an activation issue for the Input application.

• Addresses an issue that causes LogonUI.exe to stop working because Direct Manipulation fails to start.

• Addresses an issue that causes News and interests to appear in the context menu even when you have disabled it on a device.

• Addresses an issue that causes the configuration for multiple artifact DB support across datacenters to fail for Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) artifacts.

• Addresses an issue that causes the LsaLookupSids() function to fail. This occurs when there are security identifiers (SID) for users that no longer exist in a group that contains cross-domain trusted users.

• Addresses an issue that fails to apply the post_logout_redirect_uri= parameter when you use an External Claims Provider.

• Addresses an issue with a deadlock in the WebDav redirector that occurs when it attempts to read a file from the local TfsStore. As a result, the system stops responding.

• Addresses an issue that causes a stop error after a restart.

• Addresses an issue that causes apps to lose focus when the taskbar is not at the bottom of the screen.

• Implements a Group Policy setting for the following registry value:

• Registry location: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\PointAndPrint

  Value name: RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators

  Value data: 1

  For more information, see KB5005010.

• Adds the ability to configure period or dot (.) delimited IP addresses interchangeably with fully qualified host names in the following Group Policy settings:

  • Package Point and Print - Approved Servers

  • Point and Print Restrictions

Lastly, the firm has listed the known issues, which haven’t changed from the Patch Tuesday updates earlier this month. It will be interesting to see if that changes with the final update next month. Those interested can head to the Update Catalog here to manually download this update.

As mentioned earlier, these fixes will be rolled into the Patch Tuesday updates that will head out to all users on October 12. With Windows 11 slated to roll out starting October 5, it is possible that the next Patch Tuesday update will be the first one for Microsoft’s next-gen OS as well.

Optional Windows 10 updates out for versions 2004 and newer with a ton of fixes

The current version of the Windows 10 (and also Windows 11) volume slider dates back to Windows 8 and is now nearly 10 years old.

The dated slider is designed for touch screen use (like much of Windows and therefore features an overly large design and hangs around on the screen for much too long.

We already know Microsoft is working on a new version after a developer found resources for the new slider in the code of Windows 11 in June this year.

Now Microsoft program manager Brandon LeBlanc has admitted that they are working on a new volume slider for Windows 11.

Given how close we are to the October 5th launch date of Windows 11, it seems likely Microsoft will not be able to include the new look into the RTM version, but presumably, the new look will be completed as the OS matures with updates next year.

Microsoft confirms that they are working on new volume sliders for Windows 11

A close second is the Windows 10 20H2 update with a 36.1% market share. The 20H2 is followed by Windows 10 May 2020 update which is currently running on 14.5% of Windows 10 PCs. Windows 10 1909, on the other hand, claims a decent 4.3% usage share, while Windows 10 1903 claims a market share of 2.1%.

It’s worth noting that the AdDuplex data is based on close to 80,000 PCs running UWP store apps, therefore, it doesn’t paint the whole picture.

Meanwhile, Microsoft will launch the stable version of  Windows 11 for the general public on October 5.

AdDuplex: Windows 11 sees a sizeable uptick in user base ahead of its launch

What’s new in Windows 11 Build 22468:

Changes and Improvements

• When you click a VPN connection in VPN Settings, you can now see some stats about the connection.
• Added an option to turn off showing recent searches when hovering over the Search icon in the Taskbar. The option is under Taskbar behaviors in Taskbar Settings.

Fixes

[Taskbar]

• Mitigated a rare explorer.exe initialization hang related to loading the network icon.

[Search]

• Improved reliability of showing the flyout when hovering over the Search icon in the Taskbar.
• If you navigate to the Search icon in the Taskbar using the keyboard, navigating away will now dismiss the recent searches flyout.
• The options when right clicking recent files displayed when searching for certain apps like Word should work now when you select them.

[File Explorer]

• If you right click files in OneDrive locations in File Explorer, the context menu will no longer unexpectedly dismiss when you hover over entries that open sub-menus, like “Open with.”
• Double clicking a network folder to open it will no longer unexpectedly try to pin it to Quick Access instead of opening it.

[Input]

• Addressed an underlying font issue that was making the right hand of the shruggie kaomoji ¯\_(?)_/¯ not display in the correct position, as well as apostrophes in certain cases.

[Settings]

• Your preferred microphone input format setting (as configured in Sound Settings) should persist upgrade now.
• Addressed an issue where certain drives were unexpectedly not displaying in Defragment and Optimize Drives.

[Other]

• We’ve resolved the issue preventing MDM enrolled PCs from successfully updating to the previous build. These devices are now unblocked from updating to the latest build.
• Fixed an issue that could cause unexpected flickering in certain apps such as Microsoft Edge when using multiple monitors with different refresh rates.
• Mitigated a display related issue that was causing some Insiders to experience an increase in bug checks in recent flights.
• Did some work to address an issue where the Windows Update icon in the Taskbar might display but suddenly disappear when you hovered over it.
• Addressed a rare issue with certain devices after sleep where Wi-Fi would get stuck in an off state and trying to toggle it back on wouldn’t work.
• Mitigated an issue for certain devices that could cause the system to freeze in some scenarios.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the active development branch may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11 after general availability on October 5th.

Known issues

[General]

• Users updating from Builds 22000.xxx, or earlier, to newer Dev Channel builds using the latest Dev Channel ISO, may receive the following warning message:

The build you are trying to install is Flight Signed. To continue installing, enable flight signing.

If you receive this message, press the Enable button, reboot the PC, and retry the update.

• Some users may experience their screen and sleep timeouts being reduced. We’re investigating the potential impact that shorter screen and sleep timeouts could have on energy consumption.

[Start]

• In some cases, you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the Taskbar. If you experience the issue, press WIN + R on the keyboard to launch the Run dialog box, then close it.

[Taskbar]

• The Taskbar will sometimes flicker when switching input methods.
• We’re investigating reports that Notification Center will get in a state in recent builds where it doesn’t launch. If you are impacted by this, restarting explorer.exe may resolve the issue for you.

[Search]

• After clicking the Search icon on the Taskbar, the Search panel may not open. If this occurs, restart the “Windows Explorer” process, and open the search panel again.
• Search panel might appear as black and not display any content below the search box.

[Widgets]

• The widgets board may appear empty. To work around the issue, you can sign out and then sign back in again.
• Widgets may be displayed in the wrong size on external monitors. If you encounter this, you can launch the widgets via touch or WIN + W shortcut on your actual PC display first and then launch on your secondary monitors.

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft releases Windows 11 Preview Build 22468 with two new improvements

Microsoft today announced the release of PowerToys v0.47.0 with stability updates and optimizations, installer updates, general bug fixes, and accessibility improvements. Based on the feedback from the community, Microsoft has added back the ability to activate Shortcut Guide via holding the Win key. Find the full change log of this release below.

PowerToys v0.47.0 change log:

General

• Fixed issue with new updates changing the PowerToys install location.
• Fixed settings with NumberBox elements overlapping the delete button.
• Fixed issue with the bug report tool not generating .zip files.
• Updated the shortcut configuration experience in Settings.
• Fixed inconsistent width of sidebar icons.
• Fixed sidebar UI not scaling for longer text strings in certain localizations.
• Fixed issue with settings not displaying invalid keystroke assignments.
• Added user defined shortcuts when set to the “Welcome to PowerToys” instead of the default shortcuts.

Color Picker

• Accessibility issues addressed.
• Added CIELAB and CIEXYZ color formats.
• Fixed bug where changing RGB values manually doesn’t automatically update the color displayed.

FancyZones

• Fixed regression where restarting computer resets user defined layouts to the default selection.
• Fixed issues with Grid layout editor not showing the “Save” and “Cancel” buttons.
• Fixed accessibility issue where users could not add or merge zones using the keyboard.
• Added a flyout describe the prerequisites for the “Allow zones to span across monitors” option.
• Fixed various crashing bugs.

File Explorer add-ons

• Added PDF Thumbnail Provider for Windows Explorer.

Image Resizer

• Added default values for newly added sizes.
• Fixed regression where spaces in the filename format settings couldn’t be registered.
• Corrected scaling issues with Image Resizer Window.
• Fixed issue where PowerToys crashes when json settings are not formatted properly.

Keyboard Manager

• Fixed crash when adding a shortcut.
• Fixed issue with Re-mappings window not displaying.
• Fixed issue when remapping a shortcut to Alt+Tab breaks the Alt+Tab navigation with arrow keys.

PowerToys Run

• Improvements on subtitle layout for Settings plugin.
• Added path filters for Settings plugin via > key.
• Translation improvements for Settings plugin.
• Added translation support for Settings Plugin.
• Fixed issue with PowerToys Run not being in focus when launched.
• Fixed crash on empty/deleted environment variables when updating variables after a change.
• Corrected Registry Plugin query results.
• Fixed crash in Registry plugin queries.
• Fixed crash when Windows shuts down.
• Added better description in the global results settings for plugins.
• Added a confirmation box before running system commands.
• Added option to use system localization our universal terminology for system commands.

Shortcut Guide

• Re-added the long Win key press to activate utility.

Video Conference Mute

• Fixed an issue with the first hotkey input in the settings being focused when the page loads. Prevents unintentionally shortcut reassignment.

Source: Microsoft

PowerToys v0.47.0 available for download with stability updates and optimizations

Rather than being an obscure teaser, the redesign was seemingly leaked in error since the corresponding video has now been set to private on YouTube. As can be seen in the image, the app is simply called "Media Player", though it's possible that this is just a placeholder. It's currently unclear whether this will be a brand-new app or if it will be a revamp to the existing Movies & TV app present in Windows 10. You'll also notice some media control configurations in the screenshot that are not present in the Movies & TV app, including shuffle and navigation between tracks.

Before you start to get all excited, it is important to note that the existence of the app as a future public-facing interface hasn't been confirmed by Microsoft yet. While it's possible that Media Player launches as a standalone app for Windows 11 or have its features integrated into the existing Movies & TV offering, it's also equally likely that none of this sees the light of day. Based on the screenshot, you can be sure that effort is underway to work on a new media playing experience for Windows 11, but initiatives do get canceled, despite how promising they seem.

Microsoft is working on a redesigned media player experience for Windows 11

Microsoft Paint has been the default image editor on Windows for a long time. Microsoft tried to replace it with Paint 3D, a year after the release of Windows 10, but kept Paint around, and even moved it to the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft published a post on the Windows Insider blog about the new Paint application this week. The company notes that the redesigned app is a "modern spin on the classic app" that "matches the new visual design of Windows 11".

Paint, and not Paint 3D, comes with a "simplified toolbar with updated icon designs, a rounded color palette, and a new set of drop-down menus for tools such as brushes, stroke size, and flip/rotate controls" Microsoft writes.

The redesigned app includes a new text tool, which users may access with a click on the A-button in Paints interface.

The interface of the new Paint application looks like a modern version of the classic Paint application for the most part. Compared to the classic version, most icons are still available in their original location. The main difference are updated designs, the color option icons are rounded now and no longer squared.

Gone is the ribbon interface bar. If you selected the text option in classic Paint, Paint would switch to the Text tab automatically. In the new Paint, options to change the font type, size and other parameters are displayed in a small bar underneath the main toolbar of the application. Paint is still paint for the most part though.

Ultimately, the redesigned Paint app is still Paint, a limited image editor that many users will replace with a program that is more powerful. Free alternatives such as GIMP or Paint.net are available, as well as commercial applications such as Adobe Photoshop.

Microsoft did not reveal if the new Paint application will come to Windows 10 as well, or if it will remain a Windows 11 exclusive.

First look at Windows 11's updated Paint application

New MS Store will be more convenient (and useful) for users and developers.

Epic Games Store, Discord, and Zoom all join Windows 11’s more flexible app store

Today, the performance of Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2) on Windows 11 has been tested against Ubuntu 21.10 and Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. The hardware used in the test rig is the same as the one used last time which consists of:

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
• GeForce RTX 3090
• 16GB RAM (8GB for WSL)
• WD Black SN850 1TB (2x 275GB virtual disk for WSL)
• Windows 11 Build 22454

The benchmark suite consists of various workstation and HPC workloads. It is observed that WSL 2 on Windows 11 for the most part does quite well against Ubuntu in moderately CPU intensive situations. However, it falls behind by quite a bit when the memory and I/O systems come into play or for heavy CPU workloads, as can be seen from the images below:

But all is not bad for WSL 2 on Windows 11 as it even manages to trounce Ubuntu 21.10 and 20.04 LTS by a large margin in the Nginx web server benchmark.

Overall, in a total of 130 tests, Windows 11 WSL 2 is around 6-7% slower than Ubuntu 21.10 and slightly less so against Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. Bear in mind though that the Windows 11 build tested here belongs to the Dev channel and the performance could be different from the public version of Windows that comes out next month.

You can find the full performance review with a lot more tests on Phoronix's site linked below.

Source and images: Phoronix

Source

This latest kernel update is here to address a total of 12 security vulnerabilities affecting the Linux 5.4 LTS kernel in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and Ubuntu 18.04 LTS systems, as well as the Linux 5.11 kernel in Ubuntu 21.04 systems on all supported architectures and platforms.

For all supported Ubuntu releases, the new Linux kernel security updates fix CVE-2021-33624, a security flaw discovered by Ofek Kirzner, Adam Morrison, Benedict Schlueter, and Piotr Krysiuk, which could leading to a side-channel attack, allowing an attacker to expose sensitive information, as well as CVE-2021-3679, a security issue discovered in the tracing subsystem that could allow a privileged attacker to cause a denial of service.

Same goes for CVE-2021-38199, a security vulnerability discovered by Michael Wakabayashi in the NFSv4 client implementation, which could allow an attacker controlling a remote NFS server to cause a denial of service on the client, and CVE-2021-38204, a flaw discovered in the MAX-3421 host USB device driver, which could allow a physically proximate attacker to cause a denial of service (system crash).

Also fixed for all supported Ubuntu systems is CVE-2021-38160, a flaw discovered in the Virtio console implementation, which could allow a local attacker to crash the vulnerable system by causing a denial of service, and CVE-2021-37576, a flaw discovered by Alexey Kardashevskiy in the KVM implementation for PowerPC systems, which could allow an attacker in a guest VM to crash the host OS or execute arbitrary code.

Now, only for Ubuntu 21.04 systems running Linux kenel 5.11, the new Linux kernel security update fixes CVE-2021-38201, a flaw discovered in the Sun RPC implementation that could allow a remote attacker to crash the system by causing a denial of service, as well as CVE-2021-34556 and CVE-2021-35477, two security flaws discovered by Benedict Schlueter and Piotr Krysiuk in the BPF subsystem that did not properly protect the system against Speculatively Store Bypass (SSB) side-channel attacks in some situations, allowing a local attacker to expose sensitive information.

Also for Ubuntu 21.04 systems, the new kernel security update fixes CVE-2021-41073, a flaw discovered by Valentina Palmiotti in the io_uring subsystem, which could allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code, CVE-2021-38205, a flaw discovered in the Xilinx 10/100 Ethernet Lite device driver that could make it easier for an attacker to exploit another vulnerability, and CVE-2021-37159, a flaw discovered in the Option USB High Speed Mobile device driver that could allow a physically proximate attacker to crash the system or execute arbitrary code.

Canonical urges all Ubuntu 21.04, 20.04 LTS, and 18.04 LTS users to update their installations to the new kernel versions (linux-image-generic 5.11.0.37.39 for Ubuntu 21.04, linux-image-generic 5.4.0.88.92 for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, and linux-image-generic 5.4.0-87.98~18.04.1 for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS) as soon as possible.

To update your installations, use the Software Updater utility or run the sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade command in the Terminal app. Don’t forget to reboot your machines after a successful installation of the updates.

Source

Brave 1.30 introduces a new option for devices running Windows 10 or Windows 11, which allows the browser to become the default browser for Microsoft Edge's internal protocol. Searches and internal pages that Microsoft designed using the protocol, microsoft-edge://, will open in Brave if configured correctly.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 users who make a third-party web browser the default system browser, meaning any browser that is not Microsoft Edge, may notice that some requests are still loaded in Edge. Web search results of the Start menu are a prime example; others include help file and support links, or when uninstalled programs spawn a web page.

Third-party programs like Edge Deflector or BrokenURL were developed to bypass the limitation. These programs register as the default protocol handler for the Microsoft Edge protocol and redirect requests to another browser.  Browsers have not used the method up until now to hijack the Edge protocol requests so that they are opened in the browser and not in Edge.

Brave 1.30 changes that. The developers analyzed the Microsoft-Edge protocol and how it is set, and implemented an option in the new version of Brave that gives users the option to make Brave the true default browser on the Windows device.

The feature is not automated, but setup is quick. All you have to do after upgrading to Brave 1.30 -- check brave://settings/help to see the version -- is to launch a request that uses the protocol. A simple option is to click on a web search result in the Start menu. A "choose your browser" prompt is displayed and Brave is one of the options. Check "always use this app" and pick Brave browser from the short list of options.

Configuration in Settings

Alternatively, you may set Brave in the Settings as well. Use Windows-I to open the Settings application, or go to Start > Settings.

On Windows 10:

1. Navigate to Apps > Default Apps > Choose default apps by protocol.
2. Locate "Microsoft-Edge" on the page that opens in the Name column.
3. Left-click on Microsoft Edge in the second column and pick Brave from the "choose an app" list to make it the default for the protocol.

On Windows 11:

1. Navigate to Apps > Default Apps > Choose defaults by link type.
2. Locate "Microsoft-Edge" on the page that opens in the Name column.
3. Left-click on Microsoft Edge in the second column and pick Brave from the "choose an app" list to make it the default for the protocol.

The change takes effect immediately. Run another web search from Start, and you will notice that results open in Brave and no longer in Microsoft Edge. Note that Bing is still used when searches are made and that it includes several parameters. Brave has a thread open on GitHub, and it may address this in a later build of the browser as well.

Brave 1.30 introduces a handful of other features. Users of the browser may enable the new "Index other search engines" option to automatically add search engines that support the OpenSearch spec to Brave. Linux and Mac admins may disable Tor via a new policy, and Brave's content blocker allows first-party requests in the standard (default) setting now. You can check out all

Closing Words

It is probably only a matter of time before other third-party browsers implement similar functionality. There is no good reason, other than pushing Microsoft Edge, to limit a browser protocol on Windows.

Brave 1.30 supports Microsoft Edge's protocol on Windows to become the true default browser on Windows 10 and 11