The Windows 11 sub-reddit has some great suggestions for Microsoft

Like most companies with a digital storefront available to third parties and customers, Microsoft has a robust "App Developer Agreement" in place that governs how developers will make their content available to customers via the Microsoft Store. The company usually updates this document once or twice a year in accordance with the ever-changing tech landscape. It has now published a new version of this agreement which will be applicable towards the end of this month, and it contains some interesting tidbits of information.

The Microsoft App Developer Agreement was updated on June 28, 2021, and will be applicable from July 28, 2021. The agreement is now at version 8.7, an increment from version 8.6 released on July 10, 2020. You can view the 51-page document over here in full if you are so inclined, but for the sake of brevity and your convenience, we have highlighted all of the major changes compared to the previous version below:

• The definition of a "game" has been expanded to include "game-streaming or gaming subscription apps" as well.
• The definition of "Store" has been updated to include services which allow customers to purchase content from Microsoft-operated storefronts.
• There are explicit references of the "Microsoft commerce platform" and "Microsoft commerce engine" for billing systems operated by Microsoft. Sections mentioning billing systems were quite vague previously.
• Microsoft maintains that it does not claim any ownership of apps that you submit to the Store, but you do give it the rights to distribute, host, and reproduce them, among other things. However, moving forward, the company has explicitly highlighted that the latter does not apply to material under free and open-source software (FOSS) licenses. If your app's code is licensed from third-parties or is under a FOSS license, you are solely responsible for ensuring that you comply to the license's terms.
• Developers are now allowed to use secure third-party commerce engines, but only for the distribution of "non-games". Games sold on any device as well as all apps on Xbox still have to use Microsoft's commerce engine. We already know that Microsoft will not take a cut from apps which utilize third-party commerce engines. That said, the company has cautioned that any such platform has to comply with its certification requirements. Furthermore, the Redmond tech giant will not be responsible for collection and remittance of tax if you do not use Microsoft's commerce engine. It will be your responsibility to send customer tax invoices as governed by applicable local laws.
• Microsoft will give developers an 88% revenue cut for games sold through the Microsoft Store on PC following August 1, 2021. This is something we have been aware of since April 2021.
• As always, Microsoft will deduct any refunds and chargebacks from your submissions in the Store, but the terms have now been updated to highlight that you are "solely responsible" when this happens.
• New terms and agreements have been added for Win32 apps and Edge extensions in order to incorporate them into the Microsoft App Developer Agreement.

This is the first time that the Microsoft App Developer Agreement has been updated in almost a year, and as can be seen above, it takes into account many of the company's announcements from its Windows 11 event a few days ago. The changes listed will be effective from July 28, 2021.

Microsoft today announced that it is rolling out a new share menu for users running Canary and Dev builds of Microsoft Edge on the desktop, bringing a design that is akin to what is present on mobile apps. The new Share menu replaces the default. Windows and macOS share option, providing users with quick share targets in the way of app icons and a nifty way to add one’s email address to share webpages with themselves. The native share menu, however, can be accessed by clicking on the “share options” icon.

Currently, the new menu supports a small list of apps that include Outlook, Gmail, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp – which is more than the existing options in the stable version. The firm says that it will be adding support for more apps in the coming weeks. Tapping on any of the app options opens those services in a new tab with the requisite information. There is also the option to copy a link to the webpage, similar to the option present in the native flyout on Windows.

The other interesting and useful option being added especially for those who like to email themselves webpage links is the ‘Email to myself’ feature. Users can save their own email addresses and quickly share links to those addresses right from the browser. Clicking on the saved IDs automatically populates an email with the webpage title in the subject line and the URL in the body. This feature might prove useful for those who do not enable tab or history syncing on their mobile devices or use a different browser on their phones.

Since the feature is just beginning to roll out to Dev and Canary channel builds, not all users will receive it right away. The Redmond firm says that it will be adding a separate flag to Edge Canary in the next few days to force-enable the feature.

Microsoft now requires a computer to have a TPM 2.0 module to install Windows 11. However, new Registry entries have been discovered that allow you to bypass the TPM requirement and minimum memory and secure boot requirements.

With Windows 11, Microsoft added new minimum system requirements that all devices need to have a TPM 2.0 security processor to power some of the operating system's security features.

"The following Windows features require TPM 2.0: Measured Boot, Device Encryption, WD System Guard, Device Health Attestation, Windows Hello/Hello for Business, TPM Platform Crypto Provider Key Storage, SecureBIO, DRTM, vTPM in Hyper-V," Microsoft told BleepingComputer.

For most people running CPUs created in the past 5-6 years, a firmware-based TPM (fTPM) is built into the CPU and can be enabled in the BIOS.

To enable the fTPM, simply boot your computer into the BIOS and enable the Intel Platform Trust Technology (Intel PTT) or the AMD Platform Security Processor, depending on your CPU.

For those who do not have this feature, you may be able to install a discrete TPM 2.0 processor on the motherboard. However, if your processor is old enough that it does not have one built-in fTPM, your motherboard's module will likely be TPM 1.2, which is not compatible with Windows 11.

This requirement is frustrating for users running Windows 10 on older equipment, as now they are being forced to purchase new hardware to install Windows 11.

Furthermore, as Microsoft has stated in documentation that OEMs can get permission to disable the TPM requirement in Windows 11 for their devices, the question becomes: Do you really need a TPM 2.0 processor to use Windows 11?

How to bypass the TPM requirement in Windows 11

If you are attempting to install Windows 11 and receive a message stating, "This PC can't run Windows 11," it is likely that you do not have a TPM 2.0 installed or enabled.

The good news is that Microsoft includes a new 'LabConfig' registry key that allows you to configure settings to bypass the TPM 2.0, the 4GB memory, and Secure Boot requirements.

Based on the name of this registry key, it is likely used by Microsoft or OEMs to set up a "lab" environment to test the Windows 11 on older equipment or when testing new features.

To bypass the TPM 2.0 requirements when installing Windows 11, please follow these steps:

1. Install Windows 11 via an ISO or the Windows 11 Insider Program. While installing Windows 11, if your computer does not meet the hardware requirements, you will see a message stating, "This PC can't run Windows 11."

   

2. When you see the above message, press Shift+F10 on your keyboard at the same time to launch a command prompt.  At this command prompt, type regedit and press enter to launch the Windows Registry Editor.

   

3. When the Registry Editor opens, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup, right-click on the Setup key and select New > Key.
   
   When prompted to name the key, enter LabConfig and press enter.
   
   Now right-click on the LabConfig key and select New > DWORD  (32-bit) value and create a value named BypassTPMCheck, and set its data to 1. Now create the BypassRAMCheck and BypassSecureBootCheck values and set their data to 1 as well, so it looks like the following image.

   

4. Once you configure those three values under the LabConfig key, close the Registry Editor, and then type exit in the Command Prompt followed by enter to close the window.
5. You will now be back at the message stating that the PC can't run Windows 11. Click on the back button in the Windows Setup dialog, as shown below.

   

6. You will now be back at the screen prompting you to select the version of Windows 11 you wish to install. You can now continue with the setup, and the hardware requirements will be bypassed, allowing you to install Windows 11.

   

It is important to note that disabling these features could affect the performance or stability of Windows 11, so be sure to only use them on a virtual machine or test box that are you are ok with working in an unsupported environment.

Furthermore, by disabling the TPM 2.0 requirement, you are effectively reducing the security in Windows 11.

Finally, running Windows 11 on anything less than 4GB will not be an optimal experience and is not recommended.

H/T Albacore

Opera has updated its gaming browser, Opera GX, to add a new feature. The program now has a Light mode that you can enable for the interface.

Unlike most programs, the browser shipped with a Dark mode as the only option. It's not an unusual choice, a lot of gaming computers and accessories have dark colors as the primary,  e.g. ASUS ROG, Lenovo Legion, Alienware to name a few.

To switch to the new mode in Opera GX, click the menu button in the top right corner of the browser and select the Light option, under the Theme Section.

The Light mode changes every possible element of the interface to a brighter shade, including the Address Bar, Tab bar, Main menu, Context Menu, Settings, etc. It does not affect the way web pages appear.

The introduction of the Light mode in Opera GX also brings an auto theme changer. The setting is not enabled when you toggle Light Mode. Selecting the Auto option will force the browser to follow the system's theme automatically, so when Windows is using Light Mode so will the browser, and if the operating system switches to Dark mode, you guessed it, Opera GX will follow suit.

And just like the Dark version, Opera GX's Light mode works with all 12 of the browser's built-in themes, and any custom themes that you may have created. The latest update also adds additional wallpapers for your home page. While there are some nice light backgrounds to choose from, the new collection seems to have more dark wallpapers.

If you don't know how to use these, you will need to toggle the Custom Wallpapers option from the Settings page, which will allow you to pick a wallpaper.

Light Mode has been a much requested feature among Opera GX users since late 2019, it's a bit surprising that it took so long for the company to add the option. Well, I suppose it's better late than never. Light mode is also available in the Opera GX mobile app for Android and iOS devices.

Neither the announcement on Opera's blog, nor the release notes that were published on its forums mention what other changes were included in the new Opera GX update. The about page says that GX is based on Chromium 90.0.4430.212 (same as the previous build), unlike the normal Opera browser which is based on Chromium/91.0.4472.114. That basically confirms it is a few versions behind on security fixes. For reference, the most recent Chromium security patch is from about 3 weeks ago, in version 75.0.3969.285. But there have been three updates to Opera GX browser since then, none of which seem to have patched anything from the Chromium API.

Opera recently fixed the issue that prevented YouTube ads from being blocked in its browsers. Unlike the regular Opera browser, the gaming-centric GX version does not support the new video call popouts and Pinboards.

The Light Theme is available in Opera GX version 76.0.4017.220. I received the update over my previous installation, if you don't have it yet, click the Opera menu button > Update & Recovery to check for it manually. Or, you can download the offline installer from Opera's server, and overwrite your current version.

The Black Screen of Death is here 

Ever wondered how long it takes for a Windows Update to install? Well, you don't have to guess because Windows 11 will give you an estimate.

I enrolled in to the Insider Preview Program to install the first official build that was released yesterday. I have been using it extensively, and noticed an icon appear on the taskbar.

It had a yellow dot on it (a badge) to indicate something's new, the tooltip said that the device needs to be restarted to install Updates. I clicked the icon, and it switched to the Windows Update screen, which had a cool new feature, it had an ETA for the update to be installed. It told me that this update would take 5 minutes to be installed.

But, instead of clicking the Restart Now option, I chose to go the manual route, aka Start > Power button. The Power button had the dot too, and clicking it showed a similar ETA for the Update and Shutdown, & Update and Restart options. That's nice, but is it accurate?

I used a stopwatch to time the installation, and it only took about a minute and ten seconds for the update to install, and boot to the home screen. I think that's very impressive. Sure, the ETA of 5 minutes was wrong. But that's fine, it's probably a maximum (or average) that Microsoft estimates, that the computer needs to install the update.

In case you missed it, during the Windows 11 launch stream, Panos Panay mentioned that Windows updates are 40% smaller to download (compared to Windows 10), and install faster in the new OS. While that may seem trivial for those with high speed networks, it's actually quite important. Windows Updates are infamously slow to download even on fast connections, and often takes ages to complete downloading. The installation process is quite slow as well. It's good to see that Microsoft has improved in this area, though we'll need to see how it performs after millions of users have upgraded to Windows 11.

As for the Windows Update settings in Windows 11, not a lot has changed here. The main options page is a little different compared to Windows 10's. You may pause updates for 1 week, while on the Insider Preview Program. Delivery Optimization, aka Downloads from other PCs, is enabled by default, and you can toggle this from the Advanced Options page.

The ETA for Windows 11 Updates is a welcome addition that will be appreciated by users who want to shut down or restart their computer, without being worried about huge delays. I still wish it had an Update Later option, that can be useful if the laptop's battery is running low, or if you don't have time waiting for the update to finish.

If you haven't taken part in the Insider Preview Program, read our previous article to know how to enroll, and get the Windows 11 Preview from the Developer Channel. Microsoft has confirmed, in a developer video, that the Windows 11 Insider Program's Beta Channel will start next week, and while it may not have as many features as the Developer Build does, the Beta is likely to have lesser bugs too.

Only a couple of days ago, Microsoft released PowerToys 0.41.3 which added a new feature to keep your PC awake, as well as a few fixes and improvements. However, it seems that some bugs have cropped up which deemed it necessary to push out a new release, now at version 0.41.4.

Microsoft notes "This is a patch release to fix issues in v0.41.3 we deemed important for stability based on user feedback. See v0.41.2 for full release notes." The changelog for 0.41.4 can be viewed below.

• #11898 - PowerToys Run crashing when selecting search results
• #11912 - Awake has high CPU usage
• #11955 - PowerToys Run error on Windows Startup
• #11964 - Add "PowerToys" to Awake in systray
• #12031 - FancyZones unable to start correctly
• #12044 - Image resizes to 1x1

PowerToys now boasts nine "toys" which can be seen above, if you updated to 0.41.3 then you should definitely install this update, if not just for the high CPU usage with the new 'Awake' PowerToy. In addition, Microsoft says that the entire v0.41 release cycle is set to include stability updates and optimizations, general bug fixes, accessibility improvements, and supporting the integration of the new community led project, Awake, which allows Power-Users to now keep their computer awake on demand.

If you are using PowerToys, then you can open the app and click on "Check for updates" under the updates section on the General tab. Those who would like to try PowerToys for the first time can grab the version 0.41.4 installer from the app's GitHub page.

Windows 11 comes with a new optional feature called 'TPM Diagnostics' that allows administrators to query the data stored on a device's TPM security processor.

When it comes to Windows 11, Microsoft is placing all its bets on the TPM 2.0 security processor as a requirement for the OS  to power some of its security features.

"PCs of the future need this modern hardware root-of-trust to help protect from both common and sophisticated attacks like ransomware and more sophisticated attacks from nation-states. Requiring the TPM 2.0 elevates the standard for hardware security by requiring that built-in root-of-trust," explains Microsoft in a new blog post.

"TPM 2.0 is a critical building block for providing security with Windows Hello and BitLocker to help customers better protect their identities and data. In addition, for many enterprise customers, TPMs help facilitate Zero Trust security by providing a secure element for attesting to the health of devices."

A TPM is a hardware security processor that is used to securely "protect encryption keys, user credentials, and other sensitive data behind a hardware barrier so that malware and attackers can’t access or tamper with that data."

While this sounds like an important device, many users with older computers that run Windows 10 perfectly are upset as they are now being forced into purchasing new hardware if they want to upgrade to Windows 11.

While Microsoft has received considerable pushback due to this new requirement, a new optional feature shows how serious they are about TPM security processors and their use on Windows 11.

Windows 11 includes a new TPM Diagnostics tool

Microsoft's investment in the use of TPM processors shows in a brand new Windows 11 command-line tool called "TPM Diagnostics" that allows administrators to query a TPM for stored information.

When installed, there will be a new 'tpmdiagnostics.exe' executable located in the C:\Windows\System32 folder that allows you to query various information from your installed TPM.

While Microsoft already includes a Trusted Platform Module Management console (tpm.msc), it only provides a small amount of information and the ability to clear the TPM.

The TPmDiagnostics.exe tool allows access to much more significant information, including Windows Attestation Identity Keys, Endorsement Key certificates, others keys stored in the TPM, boot counters, information about what tasks are running, information about the TPM, and much more.

As I only have Windows 11 install in a virtual machine which does not have TPM capabilities, I tested the program by copying the files to a Windows 10 box that has a TPM 2.0 module installed.

The TpmDiagnostics.exe program only appears to be available to Windows 10 Pro users and should be run from an Elevated Command Prompt, and when executed by itself will list a help file of available commands.

For example, the command TpmDiagnostics.exe GetCapabilities will list the capabilities and settings of the installed TPM processor, as shown below.

In addition to querying stored keys and other information, you can also use the TPM to perform encoding/decoding of Base64, Hexadecimal, and Binary files.

Unless you understand what data is being stored in your TPM, I don't advise messing with it too much to avoid accidentally removing the keys necessary for the operation of your device.

However, the Microsoft Trusted Platform (TPM) documentation and the new TpmDiagnostics.exe tool can provide a wealth of information about the underlying security mechanics of Windows 11.

The complete list of commands available in the tpmdiagnostics.exe tool are:

tpmdiagnostics : A tool for Windows 10 build 22000
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Flags:
	PrintHelp ( /h -h )
	PromptOnExit ( -x /x )
	UseECC ( -ecc /ecc )
	UseAes256 ( -aes256 /aes256 )
	QuietPrint ( -q /q )
	PrintVerbosely ( -v /v )

Use the 'help' command to get more information about a command.
Commands:

TpmInfo:
	GetLockoutInfo
	IsOwned
	PlatformType
	CheckFIPS
	ReadClock
	GetDeviceInformation
	IfxRsaKeygenVulnerability
	GatherLogs [full directory path]
	PssPadding
	IsReadyInformation

TpmTask:
	MaintenanceTaskStatus
	ShowTaskStatus
	IsEULAAccepted
	ProvisionTpm [force clear] [allow PPI prompt]

TpmProvisioning:
	PrepareTPM
	CanUseLockoutPolicyClear
	CanClearByPolicy

AutoProvisioning:
	IsAutoProvisioningEnabled
	EnableAutoProvisioning
	DisableAutoProvisioning [-o]

EK:
	EkInfo
	ekchain
	EkCertStoreRegistry
	GetEkCertFromWeb [-ecc] [cert file]
	GetEkCertFromNVR [-ecc] [cert file]
	GetEkCertFromReg [-ecc] [ output file ]
	GetEk [-ecc] [key file]
	CheckEkCertState
	InstallEkCertFromWeb
	InstallEkCertFromNVR
	InstallEkCertThroughCoreProv
	EKCertificateURL

WindowsAIK:
	InstallWindowsAIK [-skipCert]
	WinAikPersistedInTpm
	UninstallWindowsAIKCert
	GetWindowsAIKCert [cert file]
	IsWindowsAIKInstalledInNCrypt
	EnrollWindowsAIKCert
	GetWindowsAIKPlatformClaim ["fresh"] [output file]

OtherKeys:
	PrintPublicInfo [ srk / aik / ek / handle ] [-asBcryptBlob / -RsaKeyBitsOnly / -RsaSymKeyBitsOnly] [-ecc]
	TestParms [ SYMCIPHER | RSA ] [ algorithm specific arguments ]
	EnumerateKeys

NVStorage:
	EnumNVIndexes
	DefineIndex [index] [size] [attribute flags]
	UndefineIndex [index]
	ReadNVIndexPublic [index]
	WriteNVIndex [index] [data in hex format | -file filename]
	ReadNVIndex [index]
	NVSummary

NVBootCounter:
	CheckBootCounter
	ReadBootCounter [/f]

PCRs:
	PrintPcrs

PhysicalPresence:
	GetPPTransition
	GetPPVersionInfo
	GetPPResponse
	GetPPRequest

TPMCommandsAndResponses:
	CommandCode [hex command code]
	ResponseCode [hex response code]

Tracing:
	EnableDriverTracing
	DisableDriverTracing
	FormatTrace [etl file] [output json file]

DRTM:
	DescribeMle [MLE Binary File]

Misc:
	Help [command name]
	DecodeBase64File [file to decode from base 64]
	EncodeToBase64File [file to encode]
	ReadFileAsHex [file to read]
	ConvertBinToHex [file to read] [file to write to]
	ConvertHexToBin [file to read] [file to write to]
	Hash [hex bytes or raw value to hash]
	GetCapabilities

It’s a new week, which means it’s time for a new Edge build for users in the Dev channel. Today, Edge Dev build 93.0.933.1 is rolling out to users, bringing with it a few new features and the usual set of bug fixes. In addition to this build for desktop users, the firm is officially announcing that all Insider versions of Edge are now available for Android users, with the latest entrant being the Beta version, which has been out for a few weeks. The release of Canary, Dev, and Beta channels for Android comes as part of the effort to unify the browser’s codebase across platforms.

The company recently also opened up TestFlight sign-ups for iOS users. With the release of the latest Insider builds for Android, the browser version across devices will now be identical. However, there is no word on when the stable version based on the unified codebase will be released to all users.

As for today’s build, the changes are minor as the teams head into the holiday weekend in the U.S. The most noteworthy change is that the Tag Groups feature is now being enabled by default, letting users select multiple tabs and group them without having to enable the feature via the hidden flags. Automatic tab grouping, however, still needs to be manually enabled. Additionally, users will be able to send entire groups to a Collection.

Here is the complete list of fixes in today’s build:

• Enabled Tab Groups by default.
• Added the ability to add a Tab Group to a Collection and open the contents of a Collection in a Tab Group.
• Added a management policy to control which Internet Explorer Integration Cloud Site List to use. Note that updates to administrative templates and documentation may not have occurred yet.
• Enabled by default access to hand tracking data in Web XR scenarios.

As usual, the release brings with it a bunch of fixes. Here’s are the fixes that improve the reliability of the browser:

• Fixed a crash when closing a tab.
• Fixed a crash when opening tabs.
• Fixed a crash when closing IE mode tabs.
• Fixed a crash on startup.
• Fixed a crash on Mac when using context menus in Collections.
• Fixed a crash when interacting with autofill popups.
• Fixed a crash when using the Find on Page bar.
• Fixed a crash when sending feedback.
• Fixed a crash when closing the Web Widget.
• Fixed a crash on Windows 7 when using PWAs.

And here are the fixes that address changed behavior:

• Fixed an issue where the new tab page sometimes doesn’t load.
• Fixed an issue on Mac and Linux where Settings goes blank when searching for something.
• Fixed an issue where the Cookies and Site Data page in Settings is blank.
• Fixed an issue where passwords aren’t sorted properly in Settings.
• Fixed an issue where USB device permissions aren’t shown in the Site Information flyout.
• Fixed an issue where Collections don’t sync and are stuck in a “Syncing…” state.
• Fixed an issue where the Site Information dialog is too big.
• Fixed an issue where the Shopping flyout sometimes gets stuck and can’t be closed.
• Fixed an issue where the X to exit a fullscreen video sometimes doesn’t appear when it should.
• Fixed an issue where InPrivate is sometimes available when it shouldn’t be when using Family Safety.
• Fixed an issue where the button to exit Kids Mode doesn’t work.
• Fixed an issue where Price Comparison is triggered for trivial savings amounts.
• Fixed an issue where none of the UI is clickable in PWAs or websites installed as apps.
• Fixed an issue where the browser fails to close when clicking the Close button in the prompt to close all tabs when you close the browser if IE mode tabs are open.
• Fixed an issue where modal dialogs sometimes don’t display correctly when using IE mode tabs.
• Fixed an issue where devices running Windows 10 Pro for Workstations sometimes don’t get management policies applied correctly to them.
• Fixed an issue where improperly set management policies sometimes cause downloads to fail.

There are a bunch of known issues that users running the Dev channel builds must be aware of. Here is the complete list:

• Certain extensions such as the Microsoft Editor extension don’t work on Linux. As soon as they’re installed, they crash and are disabled. We’re currently investigating.
• Users of certain ad blocking extensions may experience playback errors on Youtube. As a workaround, temporarily disabling the extension should allow playback to proceed. See this help article for more details.
• Some users are still running into an issue where all tabs and extensions immediately crash with a STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_HASH error. The most common cause of this error is outdated security or antivirus software from vendors like Symantec, and in those cases, updating that software will fix it.
• Users of the Kaspersky Internet Suite who have the associated extension installed may sometimes see webpages like Gmail fail to load. This failure is due to the main Kaspersky software being out of date, and is thus fixed by making sure the latest version is installed.
• Some users are still seeing favorites get duplicated. This issue should be reduced now that automatic deduplication has been introduced into Insider channels, but we’re still rolling that out in Stable. We’ve also seen duplication happen when running the manual deduplicator on multiple machines before either machine has a chance to fully sync its changes, so make sure to leave plenty of time in between runs of the deduplicator.
• Some users are seeing “wobbling” behavior when scrolling using trackpad gestures or touchscreens, where scrolling in one dimension also causes the page to subtly scroll back and forth in the other. Note that this only affects certain websites and seems to be worse on certain devices. This is most likely related to our ongoing work to bring scrolling back to parity with Edge Legacy’s behavior, so if this behavior is undesirable, you can temporarily turn it off by disabling the edge://flags/#edge-experimental-scrolling flag.

Lastly, the Redmond firm notes that there will not be a Dev channel build next week, likely due to the holidays. As is the case always, today’s build should be automatically downloaded and installed in the background. Alternatively, users can head into the About Microsoft Edge settings to force the browser to check for an update.

Microsoft has released an out of band cumulative update KB5004760 for Windows 10. The new update fixes an issue with PDF files not opening on the web when using Internet Explorer 11 or similar applications that are based on the 64-bit version of WebBrowser Control. Another issue related to PDFs that the update says it fixes is a rendering problem where the PDF file's background would only be displayed in the color gray when using the Adobe Acrobat plug-in. The update also includes certain improvements to the servicing stack.

As usual, a few known issues are present in this cumulative update. They are listed below alongside their possible workarounds:

The update is applicable to all editions of Windows 10 version 1903 and newer. To download the update you can visit Microsoft Update Catalog and search for the update version, or you can simply download it from here. You can find more information on the update on Microsoft's official support page here.

The first Windows 11 preview build was released yesterday, and with it came a variety of bugs that are sure to frustrate testers. Below we have listed the most noticeable issues and how you can fix them.

New issues pop up in every new release of Windows, so it's not surprising that we will find numerous bugs in the early preview builds of Windows 11.

Thankfully, most of the bugs have been pretty easy to fix so far and should get you back up and running playing with Windows 11.

Windows Insiders can't install Windows 11

When Microsoft announced the upcoming preview builds of Windows 11, they promised that existing Windows Insiders in the 'Dev' channel could install the Windows 11 preview build even if they do not meet the minimum system requirements.

Yesterday, when the Windows 11 preview build was released, Windows Insiders reported they could not install the operating system due to missing hardware requirements. 

Even more concerning, users who had modern hardware that met all of the requirements were also unable to install the preview build.

Yesterday afternoon, Microsoft released an update to the Settings app that fixes this issue.

To apply the update, simply reboot your computer, and Windows 10 Insider builds will now be able to upgrade to Windows 11.

"For users who are receiving the following message in your Windows Insider Settings:

 

Your PC does not meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11. Your device may continue to receive Insider Preview builds until Windows 11 is generally available, at which time it is recommended to clean install to Windows 10.

 

We've made an update to Settings to resolve some issues. Please reboot your device to ensure you have the latest update." - Microsoft.

File Explorer shows the old Windows 10 layout

The Windows 11 File Explorer got a redesign with new colorful icons and a streamlined action bar at the top.

Unfortunately, some users, like myself, find that the File Explorer reverts to what I call the 'Classic' skin from Windows 10.

To fix this issue, click on the 'View' menu option, select 'Options,' and when the options dialog opens, click on 'View.'

You will now be shown a list of options you can select. Look for the 'Launch folder windows in a separate process' option and uncheck it, as shown below.

Now press 'Apply,' and File Explorer will restart.

Once it has restarted, you should see the new Windows 11 File Explorer layout.

Start Menu search does not work

For those who quickly open the Start Menu and start typing to perform a search, you may have noticed a bug that causes the Start Menu not to recognize your typing, effectively breaking search in the Start Menu.

Microsoft is aware of this bug and shared that open the Run: dialog and then close it to fix the bug preventing searches from the Start Menu.

When we experience the bug, the easiest fix is to just quickly use the Win+R keyboard combination to open the run dialog and then hitting the escape key to close it.

Your Start Menu search will now work again.

Other known issues

Unfortunately, there are some other noticeable issues that Microsoft is aware of but have not provided a fix as of yet.

Unfortunately, Microsoft is aware of some other noticeable issues but has not provided a fix for them as of yet.

Other noticeable issues include:

• Taskbar will not be shown across multiple monitors but will return in an upcoming build.

• The preview window may not display the entire window when hovering over Task View on the taskbar.

• A small set of Settings legacy pages as well as fit and finish bugs will be addressed in future releases.

• When using Quick Settings to modify Accessibility settings, the settings UI may not save the selected state.

• We’re working on fixing an issue that’s preventing unpinning apps from Start, making the command bar in File Explorer disappear, or hiding snap. To work around these, restart your PC.

• App icons in the Search panel may do not load, and instead, appear as gray squares.

A complete list of known issues can be found in the Windows 11 Build 22000.51 release post.

Microsoft revealed earlier this month that the Microsoft Store in the company's Windows 11 operating system would add support for Win32 applications among other things. The Windows 10 store supports UWP applications only, one reason for it being a ghost town since introduction in Windows 10 in 2015.

Not everything is bad when it comes to the Microsoft Store. Apps that get installed may be updated automatically, just like apps on Android or iOS devices do. The relaxing of Store submission guidelines, the acceptance of Win32 applications, was seen by many as a way to revive the store.

Not all users would use the Store, even if Win32 applications were offered in the Store, but the ability to download virus-tested programs such as Firefox or Adobe Photoshop directly from the Store certainly appeals to some users.

The latest update to the App Developer Agreement puts a damper on the support of Win32 applications in Microsoft's Windows 11 Store.

Special requirements for Win32 applications are listed on page 32 of the agreement under EXHIBIT E: TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR WIN32 APP PACKAGES. Microsoft describes the following requirements when it comes to updates for Win32 applications:

Updates to Apps. Section 3(b) of the Agreement is amended and restated to read as follows: Updates to Apps are not required to be submitted through the Store. End users will not be able to receive updates from the Store. Apps can be updated directly by You via your App that is installed on a Windows Device after download from the Store.

This means, that Win32 applications won't be updated through Microsoft's Store. Developers may publish new versions, but updates won't happen through the Store. Microsoft notes that applications can be updated through in-app updates. Not all Win32 applications support in-application updates.

The only benefit of downloading a Win32 application from Microsoft's Store is that the executable files have been tested for viruses.

Does it mean that some Win32 applications, those without internal update functionality, will become out of date and in the event of security updates, insecure? Has Microsoft a plan to address this? What happens if a developer publishes an update of a win32 application to the Store? Will users be informed about these updates and get options to install the new copy of the application to replace the old? Or do they have to do this manually for each installed application? Lots of questions and no answers at this point.

Closing Words

Updates were one of the key reasons for installing Store versions of Win32 applications. With that gone, there is barely anything left that can be seen as an advantage over downloading programs from developer websites or even third-party download sites.

AMD today has released its new Radeon Software version 21.6.2 display driver. The update is the second driver of this month and the major highlight of this release brings optimization for Doom Eternal that recently gained ray-tracing (RTX) and DLSS features and is available today. The driver also adds several new Vulkan extensions. They are:

• VK_EXT_custom_border_color

  • This extension allows applications to specify a custom border color for when the sampler address mode VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_CLAMP_TO_BORDER is used.

• VK_KHR_shader_subgroup_uniform_control_flow

  • This extension exposes the availability of the SPV_KHR_subgroup_uniform_control_flow SPIR-V extension for shader modules use. The SPIR-V extension provides stronger guarantees that diverged subgroups will reconverge.

•  

  VK_EXT_color_write_enable

  • This extension allows applications to selectively enable and disable writes to output color attachments via a pipeline dynamic state. This has the potential to reduce pipeline counts for increased efficiency.

As usual, the driver brings a few fixes for bugs which are listed below:

• While playing MechWarrior 5™: Mercenaries on DirectX® 11, visual artifacts may be observed on some AMD Radeon graphics products such as Radeon RX 6000 series graphics products.

• An error message – Error 184 – may be received after running the AMD Auto-Detect and Install Updates utility program on Windows® 7 based systems.

• Adobe Substance 3D Painter™ may freeze while running this application on some AMD Radeon graphics products such as Radeon RX 6900.

There are also several issues, both new and some old, that remain unresolved:

• Some users may experience elevated memory usage by AMD User Experience Program. A temporary workaround is to opt-out of the AMD User Experience Program. Learn more from AMD here on how to opt out of the program.

• Resident Evil Village™ may experience an intermittent application hang or TDR on AMD Radeon VII graphics products in the first mission of the game.

• Enhanced Sync may cause a black screen to occur when enabled on some games and system configurations. Any users who may be experiencing issues with Enhanced Sync enabled should disable it as a temporary workaround.

• Connecting two displays with large differences in resolution/refresh rates may cause flickering on Radeon RX Vega series graphics products.

• An Oculus service error may be received on Radeon RX 5000 & 6000 series graphics products which prevents the Oculus Link setup software from running.

• Radeon performance metrics and logging features may intermittently report extremely high and incorrect memory clock values.

• If Ryzen Master is not detected in Adrenalin software after installation, a system restart may be required.

• If Blue or Black screen is observed in mobile systems, temporarily disable Enhanced sign-in

• A driver mismatch error may appear when two versions of Radeon software (Windows Store & AMD Support versions) are installed on your system. As a temporary workaround, launch the Windows Store version of Radeon software.

• A Blue or Black screen may be observed after updating to the latest Radeon Software. A workaround is to disable core isolation.

• AMD is investigating a D3 code that may be seen in some motherboard after updating to the latest Radeon Software.

• Lower than expected performance may be observed on select AMD Athlon™ mobile systems.

The AMD Link for Windows issue still remains:

• Intermittent grey frame corruption might be observed when streaming with HEVC on certain configurations via an Internet connection. A workaround is to use the AVC encoding setting instead.

With its previous release version 21.6.1, AMD dropped support for pre-Windows 10 systems and pre-Polaris graphics cards, and the new 21.6.2 is no exception. So for those with a compatible system who wish to update to this driver, you can find the download link on the official release notes page.

For owners of Nvidia GPUs, a Game Ready GeForce driver for Doom Eternal RTX update was already released last week, which you can find here.