Vivaldi Technologies is testing a new feature called Command Chains currently in the Vivaldi Browser. Command Chains allow users to chain commands so that all of them are executed when invoked.

 

Sometimes, you may want to perform multiple actions in your browser of choice. A simple example is the opening of two or more websites, or deleting browsing history before closing the browser. While you can perform these one after the other, you may also use Command Chains for that, if you use Vivaldi.

 

Command Chains can be configured under Settings > Quick Commands > Command Chains.

 

You may configure as many as you want, and Vivaldi ships with three test chains that you may analyze to figure out how these work.

 

Click on the plus icon to create a custom chain. Type a descriptive name and start adding commands to it. Vivaldi's quick commands can be used for that. Quick Commands, for those who have never used them, can be executed from the Quick Commands overlay, which you invoke with a tap on the F2-key (or Ctrl-E).

 

 

The command fields support filtering; all you have to do is type part of the name of the command, e.g. open, and select one of the commands. You may also browse the entire listing without typing anything.

 

Additional information may be required depending on the command. If you select "open link in new tab", you need to specify the link that you want the command to open.

 

Click on the plus-icon to add more commands. Options to delay commands are available to delay the execution of the next command (using the sleep command).

 

Once you are done with the chain, select the "test chain" button to run the entire chain and see if it works correctly.

 

Chains can be executed from the quick commands menu. You may also assign keyboard shortcuts or mouse gestures to individual chains to execute them using these two options.

Closing Words

Command chaining is a powerful feature that enables you to run multiple commands quickly. It is a power user feature that needs to be set up before it can be used.

 

Vivaldi users who set up command chains may improve productivity doing so. Besides common tasks such as opening multiple sites or toggling fullscreen mode and reader mode, advanced tasks may be created that perform a dozen or more commands.

 

One of the preset chains opens multiple links, selects some of the opened tabs, stack the selection and tile them.

 

An option to map chains to a button that you can place in the toolbar could be useful as well, but is not available.

 

Command Chains are available in the latest Vivaldi development build. The next stable release will include the feature.

 

The Linux Mint team has announced the release of Linux Mint 20.2 ‘Uma’. Surprisingly, the upgrade path has also been opened up today. In the past, users normally had to wait a week or two before upgrades were allowed from older Mint versions but it looks like the team was confident enough to allow upgrades right away.

 

We already gave a rundown of the features new to Linux Mint 20.2 in June when the beta was made available so head over to that article to see what’s new. Here, we will look at how you can upgrade your Linux Mint 20 or 20.1 system to 20.2.

 

 

The upgrade to Mint 20.2 is quite minor so the likelihood that something will go wrong is really small but there is still the possibility, therefore, you should launch Timeshift from the application menu and follow the instructions to create a system snapshot that you can use to restore your system to an earlier state if it breaks. You also need to disable your screensaver and upgrade any Cinnamon spices you have installed from the System Settings.

 

With those pre-requisite tasks out of the way, head over to the Update Manager and press the refresh button. You’ll then need to install the new version of mintupdate or mint-upgrade-info if you’ve not already done so. After those updates are installed, press Edit in the Update Manager menu bar and press ‘Upgrade to Linux Mint 20.2 Uma’, you will be presented with the release notes, new features, system requirements and a summary before the upgrade proceeds.

 

Although not necessary, the Mint team recommends that you convert your system with usrmerge. This is already done on a clean install of Linux Mint 20.1 and Linux Mint 20.2 but if you need to do it you can convert your system with the following command: apt install usrmerge. You can learn more about usrmerge from the freedesktop.org website.

 

Once the upgrade is complete, you should restart your computer.

 

If you’d like to perform a clean install of Linux Mint 20.2, head over to the Mint downloads page and select the Cinnamon, MATE, or Xfce version. You can refer to the multilingual documentation to learn about writing Linux Mint to a USB stick or burning it to a DVD and installing it on your computer.

 

Microsoft has released an emergency fix for printing issues affecting Zebra and Dymo receipt or label printers caused by changes in the recently released KB5003690, KB5004760, and KB5004945 updates.

 

This week, Microsoft released the out-of-band KB5004760 and KB5004945 security update to fix the actively exploited PrintNightmare vulnerability.

 

After installing the update, Windows users found that they could no longer print to their Zebra and Dymo label and receipt printers connected via USB.

 

As most people reported the issues after installing the out-of-band updates, users assumed that the problem was related to the patch for the PrintNightmare vulnerability.

 

However, Microsoft announced today that the issues are not "not related to CVE-2021-34527 or CVE-2021-1675," and are caused by changes introduced in the June 2021 cumulative update preview.

Fixed using Known Issue Rollback feature

Thursday night, Microsoft released an emergency fix for Windows 10 2004, Windows 10 20H2, and Windows 10 21H1 to resolve these issues.

 

"After installing KB5003690 or later updates (including out of band updates, KB5004760 and KB5004945), you might have issues printing to certain printers. Most affected printers are receipt or label printers that connect via USB," Microsoft stated in a new issue posted to the Windows 10 health dashboard.

 

This fix is being rolled out through Microsoft's Known Issue Rollback (KIR) feature, which distributes fixes for known issues through Windows Update and should reach most people within 24 hours.

 

"This issue is resolved using Known Issue Rollback (KIR). Please note that it might take up to 24 hours for the resolution to propagate automatically to consumer devices and non-managed business devices. Restarting your Windows device might help the resolution apply to your device faster," explains Microsoft.

 

"For enterprise-managed devices that have installed an affected update and encountered this issue, it can be resolved by installing and configuring a special Group Policy. Note Devices need to be restarted after configuring the special Group Policy. For help, please see How to use Group Policy to deploy a Known Issue Rollback. For general information on using Group Policies, see Group Policy Overview."

 

When Microsoft releases new cumulative updates to fix a bug, the new changes may cause other issues in Windows 10. Using diagnostics and telemetry shared by Windows 10 computers, Microsoft can detect when issues arise and determine how wide an impact they have.

 

If the issues are affecting a large population of Windows 10 users, Microsoft will issue a Known Issue Rollback (KIR) through Windows Update that disables the change causing the issues, as shown below.

While these fixes are distributed via Windows Update, they are not delivered as an actual update. Therefore, there is no easy way for Windows 10 users to know when a Known Issue Rollout fix is installed without checking the Registry.

 

To determine if this KIR is installed on your computer, you can open the Registry Editor and check if the following key exists. If it does, then the KIR has been installed on your computer.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\4\1861952651

If you do not see the KIR in the Registry, do not panic. It simply means it has not been pushed down to your computer yet.

 

Microsoft says the rollout is expected to be complete within 24 hours and that restarting the computer may speed up this process.

 

Microsoft is regularly making changes to how they offer Windows to home and enterprise users.

 

Today the Bluetooth SIG revealed all the different names for the SKUs of Windows 11 Microsoft will be offering.

 

 

 

A little more than a week after releasing the first-ever Windows 11 build to Dev channel Insiders, Microsoft is today releasing a new update for the OS, bumping it to build 22000.65 that brings with it a bunch of bug fixes and improvements, along with minor tweaks such as the addition of a search box in the Start menu and the reintroduction of the 'Refresh' option in the desktop's right-click context menu. There isn't anything in the way of new features in today's build, though, those are expected to make it in the coming weeks.

 

Unlike Windows 10 Dev channel builds, Windows 11 updates for Insiders leading up to the general release are expected to be cumulative updates. This is because the OS is mostly completed as for the under-the-hood bits are concerned, meaning that the version of the OS will only be serviced with cumulative updates to build 22000 containing improvements. However, the firm might introduce more UI changes via Feature Experience Packs without impacting the underlying build, thanks to the modularization and componentization of the OS.

 

With that out of the way, here are the changes and improvements that are being made in today's build:

• Start now has a search box to make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
• Taskbar will now show across multiple monitors which can be enabled via Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
• We have updated several system alert dialog boxes such as the alert for when the battery is running low on your laptop or when you change your display settings with the new Windows 11 visual design.
• The ‘Power mode’ settings are now available on the Power & battery page in Settings.
• Right clicking the desktop now directly has a Refresh option without needing to click “Show more options”.
• Right clicking a .ps1 file in File Explorer now directly has a Run with PowerShell options without needing to click “Show more options”.
• Available snap layouts when using smaller PCs in portrait orientation have been optimized for that posture. You can now choose to snap three apps on top of each other, instead of four quadrants.
• Based on the collaboration with the most popular GIF provider in China, weshineapp.com, GIF selections are now available for Windows Insiders in China via the emoji panel (WIN + .). If the location is set as China, then GIF data will appear from weshineapp.com.
• Right-clicking on the volume icon in the taskbar now includes an option to troubleshoot sound problems.

And here is the long list of fixes that are being made, segregated based on the area of improvement. This includes the fix to address the PrintNightmare vulnerability, something that the firm fixed earlier this week on all supported production versions:

• We fixed a remote code execution exploit in the Windows Print Spooler service, known as “PrintNightmare”, as documented in CVE-2021-34527. For more information, see KB5004945.

Taskbar:

• We fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to click the Show Desktop button with your mouse at the very edge of the Taskbar.
• We fixed an issue where the date and time in the Taskbar weren’t reflecting your preferred format.
• We fixed an issue where the preview window might not display the entire window when hovering over Task View on the Taskbar.
• We fixed an issue pressing ESC or clicking the desktop wouldn’t dismiss the window of open app preview thumbnails if you set focus to it after pressing WIN + T.
• We fixed an issue where if you rotate a PC to portrait orientation and back to landscape, it could result in app icons not displaying in the Taskbar despite there being room.

Settings:

• We fixed an issue resulting in Settings failing to launch. If you were impacted in the previous flight, please see here.
• We fixed a noticeable stutter in the animation when closing Quick Settings and Notification Center by clicking on their respective icons in the taskbar.
• We fixed an issue where the Quick Settings and Notification Center windows were missing shadows.
• We fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to launch Quick Settings by setting keyboard focus to it in the taskbar and pressing the Enter key.
• We fixed an issue where Quick Settings wouldn’t render correctly if you removed all settings except volume.
• We fixed an issue that mitigates Focus Assist enabling unexpectedly.
• We fixed an issue with the animation in the touch keyboard when resizing it in Settings.
• We fixed an issue where Sign-in Options in Settings had an unexpected checkbox under Facial Recognition with no text.
• We fixed an issue where the button to disconnect a work or school account in Account Settings wasn’t working.
• We fixed an issue where Lock screen Settings had a toggle with no text.
• We fixed an issue where the title of the Advanced Options page under Windows Update in Settings could be missing.
• We fixed an issue where the “Windows privacy options” at the bottom of Privacy & Security > Search Permissions in Settings wasn’t working.
• We fixed an issue where the Open Navigation button could become overlapped with other text.
• We fixed an issue causing Settings to crash when applying a theme under Contrasts.
• We fixed an issue where parts of Settings were unexpectedly in English for some non-English languages.

File Explorer:

• We fixed an issue resulting in pinning and unpinning apps from Start not working, the command bar in File Explorer disappearing, and the snap layouts unexpectedly not appearing until rebooting your PC.
• We fixed an issue that could result in the elements of File Explorer’s title bar being unreadable due to low contrast.
• We fixed an issue where some of the icons in File Explorer’s context menu could be blurry.
• We fixed an issue where the “see more” menu in File Explorer’s command bar wouldn’t dismiss when you clicked on Options.
• We fixed an issue that could result in not being able to create a new folder on the desktop.

Search:

• We fixed an issue resulting in Search having grey boxes sometimes instead of app icons.
• We fixed an issue that could result in Search dropping the first keystroke when pressing the Windows key and starting to type.
• We fixed an issue where when hovering your mouse over the Search icon on the taskbar, the third recent search would not load and remained blank.
• We fixed an issue where if you searched for Windows Update, it would open Settings but not navigate to the Windows Update settings page.

Widgets:

• We fixed an issue where system text scaling was scaling all widgets proportionally and could result in cropped widgets.
• We fixed an issue where when using screen reader/Narrator in widgets it wasn’t properly announcing content sometimes.
• We fixed an issue where resizing the Money widget could result in the bottom half of it not displaying anything.

Other:

• We fixed a memory leak that was noticeable when using one of the C# printing samples.
• We fixed an issue causing an error in safe mode saying 0xc0000005 – Unexpected parameters.
• We fixed two issues that could cause explorer.exe to start crashing in a loop, when the display language was set to Russian or when multiple input methods enabled.
• We fixed an issue where if you minimize a full screen window and later restore it, there was a chance it could result in a bug check with win32kfull.
• We fixed an issue resulting in some WSL users seeing “The parameter is incorrect” when opening Windows Terminal.
• We fixed an issue causing blurry windows in ALT + Tab.
• We fixed an issue resulting in a flicker in the taskbar when Korean IME users used ALT + Tab.
• We fixed an issue impacting reliability of displaying the UI when using WIN + Space to switch input methods.
• We fixed an issue impacting voice typing reliability.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the “New snip in X seconds” options in Snip & Sketch not working.

As expected, there are also a bunch of known issues that the firm is tracking with the build. Here is the complete list:

• [REMINDER] When upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10 or when installing an update to Windows 11, some features may be deprecated or removed. See details here.

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.
• Dragging an app icon to rearrange it in the Taskbar will result in the app launching or minimizing.

Settings:

• When launching the Settings app, a brief green flash may appear.
• When using Quick Settings to modify Accessibility settings, the settings UI may not save the selected state.

File Explorer:

• The new command bar may not appear when “Open folders in a separate process” is enabled under File Explorer Options > View.
• exe crashes in a loop for Insiders using the Turkish display language when battery charge is at 100%.
• When right clicking the desktop or File Explorer, the resulting context menu and submenus may appear partially off screen.

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.
• When you hover your mouse over the Search icon on the Taskbar, recent searches may not be displayed. To work around the issue, restart your PC.
• Search panel might appear as black and not display any content below the search box.

Widgets:

• Widgets board may appear empty. To work around the issue, you can sign out and then sign back in again.
• Launching links from the widgets board may not invoke apps to the foreground.
• When using the Outlook client with a Microsoft account, Calendar, and To Do changes may not sync to the widgets in real time.
• 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.
• After adding multiple widgets quickly from the widgets settings, some of the widgets may not be visible on the board.

Store:

• The install button might not be functional yet in some limited scenarios.
• Rating and reviews are not available for some apps.
• Windows Security
• Device Security is unexpectedly saying “Standard hardware security not supported” for Insiders with supported hardware.
• “Automatic sample submission” is unexpectedly turned off when you restart your PC.

As with preview builds, Dev channel users running Windows 11 will be able to pull the build via Windows Update. The firm is also encouraging users to check out the Bug Bash quests to help with feedback. The company also notes that it is still looking at all the feedback from the first preview build, so more changes and improvements are to be expected soon.

 

 

Microsoft's recent out-of-band KB5004945 PrintNightmare security updates are preventing Windows users from printing to certain Zebra printers.

 

Last month, a PoC exploit for a new Windows Print Spooler remote code execution and local privilege escalation vulnerability called PrintNightmare was accidentally disclosed on GitHub.

 

Soon after, Microsoft acknowledged that it was actively exploited, and an unofficial 0Patch micropatch was released to temporarily fix the vulnerability.

 

This week, Microsoft released mandatory out-of-band Windows security updates to fix the remote code execution component of the PrintNightmare vulnerability.

 

• Windows 10, version 21H1 (KB5004945)
• Windows 10, version 20H1 (KB5004945)
• Windows 10, version 2004 (KB5004945)
• Windows 10, version 1909 (KB5004946)
• Windows 10, version 1809 and Windows Server 2019 (KB5004947)
• Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server 2016 (KB5004948)
• Windows 10, version 1507 (KB5004950)
• Windows Server 2012 (Monthly Rollup KB5004956 / Security only KB5004960)
• Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 (Monthly Rollup KB5004954 / Security only KB5004958)
• Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (Monthly Rollup KB5004953 / Security only KB5004951)
• Windows Server 2008 SP2 (Monthly Rollup KB5004955 / Security only KB5004959)

 

However, researchers quickly determined that these patches did not fix the vulnerability in all cases.

 

Unfortunately, the patches are also causing printing issues for some Windows users.

Security update causes printing issues

In numerous reports shared on Twitter and Reddit [1, 2, 3, 4], Windows users state that they can no longer print to certain Zebra label printers after installing the update.

 

"We have about 1000 customers using Zebra printers and are getting flooded with calls from them not being able to print. This update is the culprit for sure as rolling it back has things spitting out again instantly," an affected person posted to the Sysadmin subreddit.

 

Soon after, many other Zebra owners confirmed that they too were having issues after installing the update.

 

According to users affected by the bug, it is only affecting printers directly attached to Windows devices via USB. Zebra printers hooked up to a print server are not affected.

 

Windows users also report that only specific Zebra models are affected, with LP 2844, ZT220, ZD410, ZD500, ZD620, ZT230, ZT410, and ZT420 being some of the known models affected by the patch.

 

After uninstalling the security updates, users state that the printers begin to work fine again. As this is a mandatory security update, after some time, Windows will automatically reinstall the update.

 

It is unclear what is causing the issue, but the security update replaces the localspl.dll file with a new modified version. Changes in this DLL may be conflicting with the Zebra printer drivers and preventing printing.

 

For those affected, you can temporarily prevent this update from being installed again, but it is necessary to determine if printing is more important than the risks of the vulnerability.

 

BleepingComputer has reached out to Zebra about this issue but has not heard back at this time.

 

 

 

The developer of the lightweight PDF Reader SumatraPDF has released SumatraPDF  3.3 this week. Sumatra 3.3 is the first release since the release of Sumatra 3.2 in March 2020. The new version is available as a portable and setup version for 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows. The source code is also provided.

 

My first review of Sumatra dates back to 2008. It replaced Adobe Reader on my systems back then as the default PDF viewer. It uses less system resources, loads quickly and is leaner in general. It is also beneficial from a security point of view because of its focus on reading PDF documents.

 

 

SumatraPDF 3.3 a major update. It introduces several new features, changes, as well as bug fixes and other improvements to the application.

 

The new toolbar uses vector icons which scale well with the DPI level that is used. Two new icons to rotate to the left or right are also available on the new toolbar.

 

A right-click on a document displays a context menu. You find the new option to hide all scrollbars there, which you can toggle. The hiding of the scrollbars frees up space for the PDF document and the bookmarks, if displayed.

 

SumatraPDF 3.3 introduces new annotations functionality. You may use the program to add, remove or edit annotations in PDF files.

 

Use the shortcut Shift-F10, or right-click and select Edit Annotations, to open the annotations manager. It lists all annotations.

 

You create a new annotation with a tap on the a key after highlighting text or other elements in a PDF document. You may also use Shift-a to create the new annotation and open the editor to add your comment.

 

SumatraPDF 3.3 supports highlight, underline, strike out and squiggly underline annotations. These are listed in the context menu when you right-click. Free annotations that are "under the cursor" can also be created; the program supports text, free text, stamp and caret annotations of this kind.

 

Check out the tutorial page on the Sumatra website for details.

 

The first iteration of the feature is not feature-complete according to the developer. It lacks support for some annotation types that are supported by other PDF editing apps. You may provide feedback to the developer on the official forum.

 

Other improvements in SumatraPDF 3.3 include an option to change the font size of the bookmarks / favorites tree view, support for jpeg-xr images in xps files, support for newer versions of Ghostscript when opening ps files, and a crash fix.

Closing Words

SumtraPDF is a fine application when it comes to the viewing of PDF documents and some other file formats. The new annotation feature makes it a tad more useful when it comes to editing functionality.

 

Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system will be released later this year and systems that are compatible with the new version of Windows may be upgraded to it free of charge. Administrators have a choice when it comes to the Windows 11 update: keep a device on Windows 10, which is supported until 2025, or update to the new operating system.

 

Microsoft revealed that Windows 11 won't be pushed forcefully to systems running Windows 10 via Windows Update. Administrators need to seek for the update actively using Windows Updates. Whether the process is going to change in the future remains to be seen. Microsoft did tighten the screws back when it released Windows 10 as an optional update. It is possible that Windows 11 will be pushed more aggressively the closer Windows 10's end of service date approaches.

 

The easy way

 

The easiest option, for now at least, is to avoid the "check for updates" button in Settings > Update & Security. If you don't activate the button, Windows 11 won't be offered via Windows Updates.

 

The option may be temporary, but it should work for the foreseeable future.

 

Blocking the Windows 11 update

 

Blocking the update is not as straightforward as blocking feature updates for Windows 10. Up to Windows 10 version 21H1, there is only an option to delay feature update installations. Problem is: if you activate the option using the Group Policy Editor or Windows Registry, you will also block the upcoming Windows 10 version 21H2 update.

 

If you don't mind delaying the installation, which may help avoid any bugs and issues discovered in first couple of months, then this works right now.

 

Using the Group Policy Editor

 

 

The Group Policy Editor is only available in Professional, Education and Enterprise editions of Windows 10.

 

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Type gpedit.msc and load the Group Policy Editor once it is displayed in the search results.
3. Go to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business
4. Double-click on "Select the target feature update version".
5. Set the policy to Enabled.
6. Type 21H1 into the field.
7. Close the Group Policy Editor.

 

Note: You may switch to 21H2 once it is added to the release information page on Microsoft's Docs website. You may also wait a couple of months as Windows 11's release is months away.

 

Using the Registry

 

 

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Type regedit.exe and select the Registry Editor search result.
3. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate.
4. Set the Dword TargetReleaseVersion to 1. If the value does not exist, right-click on Windows Update, and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
5. Set the value of TargetReleaseVersionInfo to 21H1. If the value does not exist, right-click on Windows Update, and select New > String Value.
6. Restart the PC.

 

Again, replace 21H1 with the new version of Windows 10 once it is listed on the Docs website.

 

From Windows 10 version 21H2 onward

 

Microsoft changed the policy in preview versions of its Windows 11 operating system, and it is likely that the updated policy will also be introduced on Windows 10 devices.

 

 

Administrators may specify a Windows version and a feature update version in the updated policy. Using it, you may select Windows 10 as the version and then a feature update version for the operating system, e.g. 21H2.

 

1. Open the Group Policy Editor again (as described above).
2. Go to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage updates offered from Windows Update.
3. Double-click on "Select the target feature update version".
4. Enable the policy.
5. Set the target version of the operating system to Windows 10.
6. Set the target feature update to 21H2 or another.

 

Using the Registry Editor

 

 

1. Open the Registry Editor on the system.
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate.
3. Set TargetReleaseVersion to 1. If the value does not exist, right-click on Windows Update, and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
4. Set ProductVersion to Windows 10. If the value does not exist, right-click on Windows Update, and select New > String Value.
5. Set TargetReleaseVersionInfo to 21H2. If the value does not exist, right-click on Windows Update, and select New > String Value.
6. Restart the PC.

 

 

How to block the Windows 11 update

 

Microsoft released the July 2021 non-security Microsoft Office updates with improvements and fixes for crashes and issues affecting Windows Installer (MSI) editions of Office 2016 products.

 

KB5001980 addresses intermittent crashes when Outlook 2016 reconnects to an Exchange server, as well as some graphics and performance issues in long-running sessions of Outlook.

 

This month's KB5001971 update also enables dBASE files with longer file names to work with the Microsoft Access database management system in Standard, Professional, Professional Plus, Office Home and Student, and Home and Business editions of Office 2016.

 

One week ago, Microsoft resolved issues and updated features for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, Microsoft 365 Apps for business, and the subscription versions of the desktop apps for Project and Visio.

 

The issues addressed in Current Channel updates for Microsoft 365 Apps include Outlook bugs causing performance issues on ARM64 devices and translation options to be disabled for some users.

 

Last month, in the June 2021 Patch Tuesday, Microsoft also patched multiple remote code execution security vulnerabilities impacting the entire Microsoft Office suite, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint.

Some Office non-security updates may need a reboot

The Office July 2021 non-security updates can be manually installed from the Download Center or automatically using the Microsoft Update service.

 

These updates apply to Microsoft Installer (.msi)-based Office products only and do not apply to Office subscription or Office 2016 Click-to-Run editions like Microsoft Office 365 Home.

 

After installing some of this month's Microsoft Office updates, you may also need to reboot your computer for the installation process to complete.

 

If your Office installation starts misbehaving after installing the July Office updates, you can uninstall them using the following steps:

1. Go to Start, enter View Installed Updates in the Search Windows box, and then press Enter.
2. In the list of updates, locate and select the offending update, and then select Uninstall.

The Windows store is finally getting apps people care about 

 

Major hardware manufacturers including Asus, Gigabyte and MSI have published a list of hardware that will be compatible with Windows 11. The list includes pre-built systems as well as motherboards that will support Windows 11 at launch.

 

Last month, Microsoft officially announced the Windows 11 operating system. Along with a visual overhaul, Windows 11 also increased the minimum system requirements and also made it mandatory for systems to support TPM as well as Secure Boot. Apart from that, Microsoft has also published a list of CPUs that will support Windows 11 at launch.

 

Currently, Microsoft is trying to clear the air and other manufacturers are now helping out by publishing a list of hardware that will support Windows 11. To start off, Asus has published two lists- one for their pre-builts, laptops, AiO and the other for their motherboards. Apart from that, the company has also published a handy guide on how to enable TPM on Asus motherboards. Essentially, all the recent motherboards as well as laptops support TPM and will support Windows 11 as well.

 

Gigabyte, on the other hand, has confirmed that all the motherboards including AMD TRX40, 300, Intel X299, C621, C232, C236 and more are TPM 2.0 ready and will pass Windows's verification check. Unfortunately, the company has not published a list of laptops and desktop that will support Windows 11.

 

AsRock has published two different forum posts confirming support for Intel as well as AMD motherboards. Biostar, on the other hand, has shared a list of motherboards that are TPM ready and will support Windows 11 at launch.

 

Lastly, MSI has given a list of desktops as well as AiOs that will support Windows 11 at launch. The company has also published a separate post on Reddit confirming the list of motherboards that officially support Windows 11. Do note that MSI labels TPM as "Security Device Support" in the BIOS so you will need to enable that in order for TPM to work. Unfortunately, there is no mention about MSI laptops.

 

For more information on the topic, you can check out our article on minimum system requirements as well as the list of CPUs that support Windows 11. Apart from the general requirements, Microsoft has also listed out specific feature requirements for Windows 11 including webcams, Bluetooth and Precision Touchpad on all upcoming laptops. Last month, Microsoft also updated the PC Health Check app to show why a device is not ineligible to receive the Windows 11 update. However, the company will allow some manufacturers to bypass the TPM 2.0 requirement and it is also allowing Windows Insiders with unsupported hardware to test Windows 11 Insider Builds. According to a tweet from Windows's Twitter account, Microsoft is planning to roll out Windows 11 to eligible Windows 10 users in 2022.

 

Microsoft’s Windows OS has always been deprived of quality store apps, and while the software giant came up with innovative solutions to convince developers to make apps on the Microsoft Store, developers largely ignored the desktop OS. This might change soon with Microsoft’s new liberal Store policies. We’re hopeful because we’re already starting to see positive results.

 

Canva, a popular graphic design app, has recently made it to the new Microsoft Store in Windows 11. This isn’t a UWP or a web app — this is the classic win32 desktop app that you download from the official site. The arrival of the Canva app in the Microsoft Store was possible because Microsoft recently allowed developers to publish unpackaged win32 apps to the new Store in Windows 11. Not only that, but developers can also use their own CDNs to deliver app updates. All these changes seem to have encouraged Canva to surface on the new Microsoft Store.

One of the features that Microsoft highlighted during the reveal of Windows 11, was the new Microsoft Store.  We are taking a closer look at what's new in the app.

 

 

The Microsoft Store app in Windows 11 has a very different interface compared to its Windows 10 counterpart. The new app uses side-bar based navigation for accessing the various sections; Home, Apps, Gaming, and Entertainment.

 

 

The Apps section sort of replaces the Productivity tab, it displayed featured apps, and best apps in various categories like Productivity, Photo and Video Editing, Creativity, etc. The Collections section remains unchanged.

 

 

The new App listings are perhaps the best improvement in the Windows 11 Store app. App pages now display screenshots, trailers and an expanded description.

 

 

You can also see the user ratings (stars) and reviews, which are similar to Google's Play Store. You can like or dislike, or flag reviews for apps.

 

 

The sections for the Features, What's New, System Requirements can be found if you scroll past the ratings. The permissions section replaces an infamous phrase; This app can "access all your files, peripheral devices, apps, programs and registry", with a more reasonable one "Uses all system resources". The Microsoft Store app in Windows 11 also displays the price range of in-app purchases on the app's listing.

 

 

The Deals tab isn't available anymore, but there is an Apps Specials section in the Apps tab, and likewise the PC Games Special has been moved to the Gaming tab. What's odd here is that the Apps Specials are right at the top of the Apps screen, whereas the PC Games Specials are listed at the bottom of the Gaming page.

 

 

Instead of a search button, there is now a long search bar at the top of the new Microsoft Store app. The Search function has been improved, in addition to searching for apps or games, you can now toggle filters which includes an age rating filter, and a type filter that lets you search for free apps, paid apps, and apps that are on sale.

 

 

Games that are available on Xbox Game Pass now have a more prominent banner.

 

 

The menu button with the user icon now has your username initials on it. The menu has options to manage your account and devices, payment methods, redeem codes or gift cards, and also allows you to access the app settings.

 

 

You can toggle automatic app updates, video autoplay, offline permissions, and purchase sign-in, just like the old store. The only option that's missing in the new Store app is the switch that notifies you when you're redirected to an Xbox app's listing.

 

 

The Live Tiles option still exists in the app, even though the actual feature has been removed in Windows 11. This may seem odd, but I'm guessing that it is a hint that the new Store app could be made available for Windows 10 users.

 

 

Click the Library Tab near the bottom left corner of the window, to manage installed apps, access your purchased apps, etc. This is also the place to Get Updates for all apps. The Library has some filters, to show only Apps, Games, Movies & TV, and Avatars. You may also sort the list by most recent or by name.

 

The Microsoft Store app in Windows 11 offers a much better experience than the Windows 10 app. You no longer have to switch tabs (Overview, System Requirements, Related) to view all the information about an app or game. The app supports Windows 11's built-in themes, aka light mode and dark mode. There is still no right-click menu in the Store app.

 

 

The app isn't without bugs, the featured app banners don't work. The app purchase dates for some apps seems to be incorrect, Candy Crush Saga for example, which was bundled on Windows 10 a long time ago shows up as purchased moments ago. It no longer displays the download size for app installs and updates.

 

I've said this about the centered Start Menu and Taskbar, I'll say it for the new Store app too, it seems to be designed for touchscreen devices, but it works well on regular PCs. Think about it, the persistent side-bar makes it much easier to navigate than before. I don't have a screenshot for this, but there was an option to wishlist apps and games from the store. I could access the wishlist on the day the first build of the Windows 11 Insider Preview Program was released, but both options disappeared later on the same day, perhaps Microsoft jumped the gun on the feature, and we'll see it in a future update.

Microsoft's upcoming Windows 11 operating system will receive one feature update per year and each version will be supported for a longer period.

 

Windows 11 shares many features with Windows 10, but there are also fundamental differences between the two operating system versions.

 

One of the core differences is the switch from releasing two feature updates per year for Windows 10 to releasing a single feature update for Windows 11.

 

 

The feature update for Windows 11 will always be released in the second half of the year, and it will be supported for 24 months on the consumer side and for 36 months on the Enterprise.

 

Compared to Windows 10, Home users and Enterprise customers do get an extra 6 month of support, when compared to the second feature update release of the year.

 

Edition	Servicing timeline (one release per year)
Windows 11 Enterprise Windows 11 Education Windows 11 IoT Enterprise	36 months from release date
Windows 11 Pro Windows 11 Pro Education Windows 11 Pro for Workstations Windows 11 Home	24 months from release date

 

Home editions are the only edition of Windows 11 that don't support the deferral of feature updates. Microsoft notes in its Lifecycle FAQ that these "receive a new version of Windows 11 prior to the end-of-servicing date shown".

 

User feedback and a change to Microsoft's overall update approach were the main drivers for extending the servicing period and the switching to a single feature update per year release schedule.

 

The upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on consumer devices is only available to systems that meet the new hardware requirements. Updates are made available to administrators who check for updates manually. Microsoft did not reveal if it plans to change the upgrade process closer to Windows 10's end of servicing.

 

While updates using Windows Update are out of the question for devices that are not compatible, it may be possible to update these using other means, e.g. direct installations.

 

Enterprise customers will be able to use the same tools and services that are available on Windows 10 when it comes to Windows 11. Tools like Windows Update for Business, Microsoft Endpoint Manager or Windows Autopilot are available for use in these environments.

 

Microsoft will release Windows 10 version 21H2 in the second half of the year. A new Windows 19 LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) edition will be released as well around the time. Windows 11 will also be released in the second half of 2021, likely in October 2021.

Closing Words

Longer support periods and less frequent feature updates make the administration of Windows 11 devices less stressful.

 

Windows 11 preview is now available for Windows Insiders and it will begin rolling out to the mainstream audience later this year.

 

In addition to redesigned Start Menu and rounded corners, Windows 11 also comes with a new File Explorer and Settings app. While File Explorer is getting minor improvements, the Windows Settings app has been completely redesigned with a new layout and additional customization options.

File Explorer

By default, File Explorer is now optimized for tablet users.

 

Windows 11 doesn't come with a dedicated tablet mode, so Microsoft is optimizing the existing interface for both desktop and touch users. These changes include a new context menu that will help users with touchscreen, so they can easily interact with files, select or delete/rename files.

As mentioned, the File Explorer interface is not changing dramatically, but there are several noticeable changes. For example, Microsoft is replacing the Windows 8-era ribbon toolbar with a redesigned top menu called "command bar" allowing you quick access to commonly used actions like share, delete, rename, etc.

 

The ... menu lets you access the advanced configuration options currently available in Windows 10's File Explorer.

In addition to these design improvements, Microsoft is also adding support for CTRL + Left / Right arrow when changing the name of the files. This lets you move the cursor between words in the file name, as well as CTRL + Delete and CTRL + Backspace to delete words at a time, like other apps and tools.

 

If you don't like the new command bar, you can restore the ribbon design by following these steps:

 

• Open Registry Editor.
• In Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
• For "Advanced" folder, create a New->DWORD (32-bit)
• Name it SeparateProcess and change the value to 1.
• Close the editor and reboot.

Windows Settings

Windows 11 Settings app is getting a redesigned layout that looks similar to Control Panel. Like Control Panel, the settings app is now using a new navigation menu on the left side. Microsoft has also added support for breadcrumbs, which should help you easily navigate between different pages of Settings.

 

Windows 11 has redesigned individual settings pages, including the Network connections and Power usage (battery) pages, as shown below.

The battery settings will now display graphs to show the device's battery performance and usage over time.

You can view the device's battery level throughout the day or the last seven days. You can also view the battery performance for each app over the past seven days.