Notepad has gained a lot of features in the past few years, and while option like tabs, auto-save, spell check have been welcomed by users, some features have been viewed as bloat. In July 2025, the Redmond company added support for Markdown syntax formatting in the text editor app.

Now, it is bringing support for Tables. Microsoft says that a new option to add Tables is available on the formatting toolbar, it's the grid icon, users can click on it to view a grid and select the number of rows and columns. E.g. The screenshot below shows a 3 by 2 table. That's similar to how you insert Tables in Microsoft Word.

(Image courtesy: Microsoft)

But, you can also add tables using Markdown syntax. Users will be able to edit the table to add or remove rows and columns from the Table menu, or simply by right-clicking on the table.

Microsoft says it is improving the AI features in Notepad, i.e. Write, Rewrite and Summarize with streaming result responses.

Prior to this update, the text editor waited to generate the full response and then displayed it to the user. The new streaming AI results will appear as the text is generated, so you can preview it or interact with it.

(Image courtesy: Microsoft)

The results are generated locally, but only for the Rewrite feature, and this is limited to Copilot+ PCs. You know what that means, Write and Summarize don't generate the content locally on Copilot+ PCs, and none of the three features work offline on non-Copilot+ computers. Speaking of which, users will need to sign in to their Microsoft account to use Write, Rewrite, and Summarize in Notepad. This likely has to do with rate limits, and the Copilot credits allocated to the account.

Tables and Streaming AI results are available in Notepad version?11.2510.6.0 for Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels.

What is Microsoft doing? I remember when Notepad used to be a plain text editor. WordPad died for this.

Source

The list of potential issues caused by the bug includes problems with File Explorer, the Setting apps, the Start menu, the Taskbar and more besides. While it is good that Microsoft has now confirmed that it is aware of the issues that have been affecting people for so long, the company is yet to come up with a proper fix – only a workaround.

In a support document about the KB5072911 update, Microsoft says: “After provisioning a PC with a Windows 11, version 24H2 monthly cumulative update released on or after July 2025 (KB5062553), various apps such as StartMenuExperiencehost, Search, SystemSettings, Taskbar or Explorer might experience difficulties”.

The company says that the problems can occur the first a time a user logs on after a cumulative update was applied, or when any user logs on to a non-persistent OS installation such as a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) or equivalent as application packages must be installed each logon in such scenarios.

Microsoft shares a very long list of common symptoms that may be experienced by users:

These issues typically occur after updates to built-in dependency packages hosting XAML components, such as the following: 

•         MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy
•         Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe
•         MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core_cw5n1h2txyewy

Shell components 

These shell components may fail and report an on-screen error or silently fail to execute such as the following: 

•         Explorer.exe
•         shelhost.exe
•         StartMenuExperienceHost
•         Application crashes when initializing the XAML views
•         Explorer running but no taskbar window.
•         other XAML island views fail to initialize.
•         ImmersiveShell

Other symptoms

Other symptoms include but are not limited to the following: 

•         Explorer crashes
•         The Start menu fails to launch, often displaying a critical error message
•         System Settings. Start > Settings > System silently fails to launch
•         ShellHost.exe crashes
•         Application crashes when initializing XAML views
•         Explorer running but no taskbar window
•         other XAML island views fail to initialize

Microsoft has determined the cause of the problems, even though it has not yet been able to provide a fix. The company explains that all of the application in the list “have dependency on XAML packages that are not registering in time after installing the update”.

For anyone affected by the problem, the company has a manual workaround:

Manual registration of the missing packages 

Register the missing packages in the user session and restart SiHost to allow Immersive Shell and related components to pick them up. To do this, run the following commands to register each of the missing packages:

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode 

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode 

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode 

Run this sample PowerShell script on non-persistent OS installations

For non-persistent environments, a logon script approach remains the best option. Create a batch file wrapper to execute synchronously before Explorer launches.

Note This approach ensures the script runs synchronously, effectively blocking explorer.exe from launching prematurely until the required packages are fully provisioned.

@echo off
REM Register MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS 

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode" 

REM Register Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS 

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode" 

REM Register MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core 

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode" 

Source

(Image credit: Zorin OS)

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Posted Tuesday 25 November 2025 at 5:14 pm AEST (my time).

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Nielse Laute, a Program Manager at Microsoft working on stuff like PowerToys and the Windows Developer Platform, posted on their X a screenshot of the upcoming monitor utility. Not much is known about this one at this point, but it appears that the tool will let you tweak multiple monitor settings, something that traditionally required using the monitor's built-in OSD menu. Some manufacturers offer dedicated apps for managing certain settings, but they often are not very user-friendly. Apps like TwinkleTray fix that by providing universal monitor control applications, and PowerToys is now getting similar capabilities.

The post on X has a screenshot attached, showing sliders for various settings like brightness, contrast, and volume for built-in speakers. A proposed pull request on GitHub also shows additional tweaks like color temperature and more.

Microsoft is not saying when the "Power Monitor" module (as proposed on GitHub) will make it to the general public.

Meanwhile, if you need an app for controlling brightness and other features of your monitor, you can check free apps like TwinkleTray (available for free in the Microsoft Store) or DisplayBuddy (available for $8.99 in the Microsoft Store with a free trial). Note that apps like these may not be compatible with every monitor, so your experience could vary depending on your display.

In addition to monitor controls, PowerToys may soon get a new webcam utility that can help you look better during calls by placing a ring of light on your monitor.

You can download PowerToys from the Microsoft Store or GitHub.

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Posted Tuesday 25 November 2025 at 3:59 am AEST (my time).

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Windows 11's Notepad app has new features in the works, and not everyone is happy about them. Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channel on Windows 11 can now test two new features for Notepad.

Microsoft announced the additions recently in a blog post.

Lightweight formatting in Notepad is being expanded to support tables. Those with access to the experimental features can insert tables into a document to structure notes.

Notepad supports adding tables through a formatting toolbar or by using Markdown syntax.

The addition of tables is a continuation of Microsoft's work to add formatting to Notepad. Back in May, the tech giant added support for bold and italics, hyperlinks, lists, and headings.

More controversially, Notepad has also gained new capabilities. The app now supports streaming responses when using the Write, Rewrite, and Summarize tools. This makes responses appear more quickly.

Normally speeding up a feature is a welcome change, but online feedback suggests that improved speed fails to counteract the fact that many do not want AI in Notepad at all.

Microsoft is making some changes to the File Explorer in Windows 11 that will make it less cluttered and launch faster. The latest Dev preview builds of Windows 11 include File Explorer preloading “to help improve File Explorer launch performance,” and changes to the context menu to reduce the amount of space less commonly used actions take up.

The preloading of File Explorer should hopefully mean Microsoft’s file and folder management tool launches faster on systems where performance is constrained. On modern PCs it’s nearly instant, but I’ve certainly witnessed it load slower on less powerful devices like Windows handhelds and tablets.

You’ll be able to disable the File Explorer preloading so it’s not always running in the background. After all, most PCs will not need to preload File Explorer. It’s similar to the work Microsoft did with its Office apps earlier this year, to improve the startup speed of Word with a scheduled task that runs silently when you boot your PC to make Office apps open quickly.

The File Explorer context menu looks a lot cleaner now. Image: Microsoft

The File Explorer context menu changes will be welcome ones across fast and sluggish PCs. Microsoft is reducing the clutter in the context menu by moving actions that are rarely used into sub menus. There’s a new manage file flyout that includes compressing files into a ZIP, copy as a path, set as desktop background, and rotate right or left.

Cloud file options have also been moved into a separate cloud provider flyout, where you’ll also find Send to My Phone. The changes mean the context menu looks a lot cleaner now, and it should be easier to find frequently used actions.

All of these changes are being tested in the latest Dev preview builds of Windows 11, so they should roll out to all Windows 11 users in early 2026.

Source

While issues like this can cause annoying delays to the final version, Torvalds said the release is still on track for a final release this coming weekend. He believes that the kernel is in good shape due to rc7 being a smaller set of changes than rc6. However, he did mention that if there are any issues this week, then the final version could potentially be delayed.

This week, Torvalds noted that rc7 looked "mostly normal" with the usual driver updates, architecture fixes, core networking, and tooling and documentation. However, he did note that there is a SELinux patch that stands out due to a variable renaming. This was triggered by a bug fix for a bug that due to confusion over naming.

The changes in this release are mostly normal and fall into several typical categories. The update brings driver updates for GPU and networking components, architecture fixes for LoongArch, MIPS, and ARM64, updates to the networking stack, miscellaneous updates to development tools and documentation, and numerous one-off patches addressing specific isolated bugs.

If nothing goes wonky this week, we should see Linux 6.18 arrive on November 30. There will then be a two-week merge window to add new features, and then release candidates will be released for Linux 6.19 for several weeks. Notably, 6.19 will take longer to arrive due to the kernel maintainer summit taking place during the cycle. This will likely delay it a week or two.

Linux 6.18, once released, will be available in different Linux distributions at different times. For distributions like Arch Linux and Fedora, the wait will be quite short. If you're on Debian, Ubuntu, or Linux Mint, then the wait will be longer.

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Posted Monday 24 November 2025 at 6:15 pm AEST (my time).

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On November 20, 1985, Windows 1.0 shipped for the first time, marking the beginning of a Windows era that reshaped personal computing. Today, on November 20, 2025, Microsoft is celebrating 40 years of the operating system and using this milestone to reflect on one of the company's most enduring features, the Start menu.

Introduced with the release of Windows 95, the Start menu rapidly became a defining interface element. Over each successive release, the software giant has refined how users launch apps, access settings, and organize workflows.

However, the Start menu available on Windows 10 is arguably (by far) the best approach, as it combines modern ideas with a hint of classic elements and the best selection of customization options.

Thirty years is a long time for any feature to be around, so let's look at how the Start menu has evolved over the years.

Windows 95: The birth of the Start menu

On August 24, 1995, Microsoft introduced the Start menu as a central hub for accessing programs, documents, and system settings with the launch of Windows 95.

This innovation replaced the "Program Manager," offering a more intuitive and organized user experience.

In contrast, the "Program Manager" was technically something we can refer to today as a folder containing a list of items with sub-containers to access the different programs, with no real organization.

Right now, the feature is in the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build (26220.7271) so it’s only available if you’re registered as a Windows Insider.

“Point-in-time restore is a new recovery system in Windows 11 and Windows 10 that uses Volume Shadow Copy Service to capture complete system states at fixed intervals. A restore point is a block-level shadow copy of the entire MainOS volume that contains the operating system files, installed programs, settings, account data, and local user files. Because the restore point includes everything on the OS volume, it can return the PC to the exact state it was in when the copy was taken,” Windows Latest reports.

This new feature differs from System Restore, which has long been available. System Restore is only for system files, registry settings, drivers and so on, but Point-in-time Restore covers everything, including a user’s data.

It’s designed to allow users to roll back without the need for backup software. It works for up to the last 72 hours, though you can also choose shorter periods for how long the data is restored, which is handy if you want to save storage space. 

“If a user selects point-in-time restore when Windows boots into the recovery environment, the user will get an option to select the restore point they want. Since these restore points contain the entire system state, the restore process rewrites all blocks that changed since the last copy,” Windows Latest says, and this also differs from System Restore because of its focus on protected system areas.

It's worth noting that the new feature will only be turned on by default if your PC disk size is 200GB or more. If you have less storage space, you’ll need to turn it on.

Additionally, though data that exists at the restore point is saved, “If you create or edit a document after the restore point, it will not survive. Since Microsoft doesn’t show when the restore points store data, it will be difficult to know if important data will be part of a restore point,” Windows Latest points out.

When this feature is on general release it could prove very useful. 

Source

The issue primarily affects environments using Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and devices undergoing their first user logon.

Reports indicate that essential shell components, including the Start Menu, Taskbar, and System Settings, are failing to initialize correctly, leaving users with a severely degraded or unusable desktop experience.

The disruption stems from the operating system’s inability to register specific dependency packages in time during the logon process. This behavior is particularly acute in non-persistent OS installations where application packages must be provisioned fresh for each user session.

Administrators managing virtual environments have reported that users are frequently greeted with empty taskbars, unresponsive Start buttons, or immediate crashes of the explorer.exe process upon signing in.

The problem is not limited to VDI; standard physical workstations can also exhibit these symptoms during the initial user profile creation immediately following the update application.

The root cause has been identified as a race condition involving XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language) components. These components are critical for rendering the modern Windows UI.

When the update is applied, the dependent packages required by the shell do not register before the shell attempts to load them. This results in silent failures or explicit error messages from processes such as StartMenuExperienceHost.exe and ShellHost.exe.

The following table details the specific components and packages involved in this failure:

Workaround and Mitigation Strategies

Microsoft is actively developing a permanent resolution for this regression. In the interim, IT administrators and affected users can restore functionality by manually registering the missing packages. For persistent installs, these commands must be run within the user session, followed by a restart of the SiHost process.

Manual Registration Commands:

powershellAdd-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode

For VDI and non-persistent environments where this issue recurs at every logon, a synchronous logon script is the recommended solution. This script ensures that explorer.exe is blocked from launching until the necessary XAML packages are fully provisioned, preventing the race condition.

VDI Logon Script Wrapper:

text@echo off
REM Register MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS
powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode"

REM Register Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS
powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode"

REM Register MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core
powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode"

Administrators are advised to test these scripts in a staging environment before broad deployment to production VDI pools.

Source

On Windows 11, it's no secret that Microsoft is integrating AI everywhere, including in File Explorer, with additions such as "Ask Copilot" and "Semantic Indexing." However, since that isn't enough, Microsoft also added AI actions to the context menu. If the feature isn't for you, I'll outline the steps to control it.

In File Explorer, "AI actions" is a menu that gives you access to features depending on the file type. These features are not part of the file manager. Instead, they are pointers to perform AI tasks within other applications, such as Microsoft 365 apps, Photos, or Paint.

Whether you're embracing or pushing back on AI, Windows 11 lets you manage these actions in File Explorer via Settings, so no Registry tweaks are required.

In this how-to guide, I'll outline the steps to show or hide AI actions in File Explorer regardless of whether you have a traditional or Copilot+ PC.

How to enable AI actions in File Explorer

To enable File Explorer AI actions, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click the Actions page.

All of this is to say that while I like Windows 10, I don't think that Windows 11 is awful either. I think it's a solid operating system with a few flaws, especially with regards to how Microsoft prioritizes fixes.

One of the major gripes I've had with Windows 11 so far is that File Explorer is really slow. It's essentially broken in terms of launch performance, which is unfortunate considering how it's a core functionality that deserves way more attention from Microsoft given its plethora of use-cases. It worked pretty much flawlessly on my Windows 10 machine, but it's horrendously slow after I upgraded to Windows 11 on my supported PC. That is why I think that going into the specs of my machine is irrelevant, because my experience across the same machine warrants a direct comparison.

When I launch File Explorer from the Taskbar (where I usually keep my most-used items), the window opens up almost immediately, but then it takes over a second for the UI to load, keeping a blank screen with the text "Working on it..." in the interim. This happens regardless of how frequently I launch File Explorer or how underutilized my device's resources are. See the screenshot below to see what I mean:

While this doesn't completely break the tool for me, it definitely breaks my productivity flow, as it's a bit annoying to wait over a second for a core OS component that basically offers access to your entire filesystem to load. It's even more ludicrous that this issue wasn't present in Windows 10, but for whatever reason, it's consistent in Windows 11. Don't fix what is not broken, Microsoft.

The good thing is that Microsoft has finally acknowledged this issue and is implementing a workaround to fix it. In its latest Windows 11 Insider build 26220.7271, the Redmond tech giant has announced that it is testing an implementation where it will preload File Explorer in memory by default so that it launches much faster. This is a backend change that should essentially be invisible to customers outside of a performance boost, but there is a configuration available that allows you to turn off this behavior. It's unlikely that customers will opt to do this unless they are highly constrained on PC resources.

All in all, I'm very excited that Microsoft has finally decided to fix this issue, even if it's in a bit of a roundabout way. What did it change in File Explorer between Windows 10 and Windows 11 that would have caused this performance degradation? We may never know, but it's at least heartening to see Microsoft responding to major pain-points for consumers.

A week ago, Microsoft's Windows chief did acknowledge that the company is aware that there is a lot to fix in Windows still, despite the firm's emphasis on pivoting Windows to an 'agentic OS' in the future. Although a performance boost for File Explorer doesn't fix everything that wrong with Windows 11, it's at least a step in the right direction.

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Posted Sunday 23 November 2025 at 3:39 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of October): 5,009

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Here is what is new:

Introducing the Xbox full-screen experience for PC

Alongside today’s general availability of the Xbox full-screen experience (FSE) on more Windows handhelds, today’s preview to Windows Insiders also expands availability of FSE to additional Windows 11 PC form factors.

Designed with console-style navigation in mind, the Xbox full-screen experience delivers a clean, distraction-free interface for controller-first gaming. Pair a controller to your PC for smooth task switching and a streamlined gaming experience on your desktop, laptop, or tablet.

How to enter Xbox full-screen experience:

You can access Xbox full-screen experience from Task View, Game Bar settings, or use Win + F11 hotkey to toggle FSE.

The Xbox full-screen experience begins as a gradual rollout to Windows Insiders on the Dev & Beta Channels, who are also registered Xbox Insiders. We expect to expand this later to all Insiders on Dev & Beta without requiring Xbox program registration. If you want to be among the first to try out these new features on your PC, join the Xbox Insiders Program and opt into the PC gaming preview thru the Xbox Insiders Hub.

Point-in-time restore for Windows

We’re excited to introduce point-in-time restore for Windows, now available to Insiders in the Beta and Dev Channels! This flexible recovery feature empowers you to quickly roll your device back to a previous state—helping minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting when disruptions strike. Whether you’re dealing with a widespread outage or a one-off issue, point-in-time restore helps recover your system (including apps, settings, and user files) to get you back to productivity faster. For more details, check out our documentation.

Introducing Fluid Dictation in Voice Typing

Following the introduction of Fluid dictation for voice access users, we’re also now introducing it for voice typing users on NPU devices. Fluid dictation makes voice-based dictation smoother and smarter by automatically correcting grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you speak, reducing the need for manual editing. Powered by on-device small language models (SLMs), it ensures fast and private processing.

To use it, set focus to a text field and launch voice typing by pressing the Windows key plus H and complete setup if you’re a first-time user. Fluid Dictation is enabled by default—you can check or toggle it via the settings flyout—so all you need to do is start talking!

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Seamlessly resume more apps from your Android phone to your PC]

Following the ability to resume Spotify tracks from your phone onto your PC, we’re excited to share that:

• Vivo Android phone users can also now continue their browsing activity from Vivo Browser on their phone, onto their default browser on their PC.
• Honor, Huawei, Oppo, Samsung and vivo Android phone users can also now continue online files opened on the M365 Copilot app from your phone onto your PC. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files will open in the respective app on your PC if you have it installed, or if you don’t, they’ll open in the default browser on your PC. Note – offline files (stored locally on the phone) are not currently supported.

[Click to Do]

• We’re testing and refining the Click-to-Do top bar to determine the best experience for future updates. Functionality will vary by device and market.

[File Explorer]

• We’re making a few refinements to the context menu aimed at reducing the space taken by less commonly used actions, while keeping them easy to access. We’ve also updated the ordering of actions to group similar tasks. This includes:
• We’ve moved Compress to ZIP file, Copy as Path, Set as Desktop Background, and Rotate Right, and Rotate Left into a new Manage file flyout.
• We’ve moved cloud provider options, like Always Keep on this Device and Free Up Space, into their relevant cloud provider flyout.
• We’ve moved Send to My Phone next to the cloud provider options.
• We’ve moved Open Folder Location to be next to Open and Open with.

Note, the name Manage file may change in a future Insider update. If you have feedback, please file it in the Feedback Hub under Desktop Environment > Right-Click Context Menu

• We’re exploring preloading File Explorer in the background to help improve File Explorer launch performance. This shouldn’t be visible to you, outside of File Explorer, hopefully launching faster when you need to use it. If you have the chance, if needed, there is an option you can uncheck to disable this called “Enable window preloading for faster launch times” in File Explorer’s Folder Options, under View. Looking forward to your feedback! If you do encounter any issues, please file them in the Feedback Hub under Files Folders and Online Storage > File Explorer Performance, or Files Folders and Online Storage > File Explorer.

[Microsoft Store]

• Based on user feedback, we have added support for uninstalling Store-managed apps from the Store’s library page. Simply find an installed app in your library, click the three-dot menu, and click uninstall. Please let us know what you think!

Windows Insiders across all channels running Microsoft Store version 22510.1401.x.x and higher will see this improvement.

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Taskbar and System Tray]

• Fixed an issue that could cause the taskbar to hang after receiving certain notifications.
• Fixed an issue where the battery icon in the taskbar might unexpectedly show its own backplate when hovering over the icon in the system tray (instead of combined with wi-fi and volume).

[Internet]

• Made some underlying improvements to help address an issue that could lead to not having internet after resuming from disconnected standby. Please don’t hesitate to file feedback under Network and Internet in the Feedback Hub if you continue experiencing issues.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where if you opened the Recycle bin and had “Empty recycle bin” visible in the command bar, it might stay showing after you navigated away.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where Settings might crash when navigating to Privacy & Security > Camera, Location, or Microphone.

[Display and Graphics]

• Fixed an issue where recently certain games might show a message saying “Unsupported graphics card detected”, although a supported graphics card was being used.

[Task Manager]

• If you’re using Die or CAMM memory form factor, Task Manager will now show that in Performance under Memory > Form Factor, instead of a blank.

[.NET Framework and Visual Studio]

• The issue causing Insiders with ARM64 PCs to potentially observe crashes with Visual Studio or applications that depend on .NET Framework should be resolved if you have installed the latest .NET Framework update.

And here is the list of known bugs:

[Xbox full-screen experience for PC]

• [NEW] The virtual keyboard is not shown for controller users on devices without a touch screen. Please use the physical keyboard as a workaround for now.
• [NEW] Some apps may behave unexpectedly when using FSE, particularly those that expect to be locked to a given size or launch additional windows.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• We’re investigating an issue which is causing the Start menu to not open for some Insiders on click, although it will open if you press the Windows key. It’s believed this issue may also potentially impact the notification center (which you can open with WIN + N).
• We’re investigating an issue where, for some Insiders, apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.

[File Explorer]

• Scrollbar and footer are missing and showing a white block instead when text is scaled in the dark mode version of the copy dialog.
• [NEW] We’re investigating an issue where File Explorer has started showing a white flash when navigating between pages after the previous flight.

[Bluetooth]

• [NEW] We’re investigating an issue causing Bluetooth device battery level to not show for some Insiders.

You can find the announcement blog post here.

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Posted Saturday 22 November 2025 at 4:13 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of October): 5,009

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Microsoft has announced that it's testing out a new change on Windows 11 that will automatically preload File Explorer in the background in an attempt to speed up the app when users launch it.

Announced as part of the latest Windows 11 preview build, the company says it's "exploring preloading File Explorer in the background to help improve File Explorer launch performance. This shouldn’t be visible to you, outside of File Explorer hopefully launching faster when you need to use it."

Many find opening File Explorer on Windows 11 to take a bit too long when opening from cold. Often, you'll find the app takes a second or more to load the interface before you can begin clicking on files or folders. This change should help alleviate this pause, showing the interface immediately after the window opens.

Microsoft says the feature is optional, and you can turn it off if you don't want File Explorer taking up RAM in the background. "If you have the change, if needed, there is an option you can uncheck to disable this called “Enable window preloading for faster launch times” in File Explorer’s Folder Options, under View."

We are expanding lightweight formatting in Notepad with support for tables! You can now easily insert tables in your document to help structure your notes. To get started, look for the new Table option in the formatting toolbar or by adding them using Markdown syntax directly. Once inserted, you can perform quick edits to add or remove rows and columns in the right-click context menu or from the Table menu in the toolbar.

Tables in Notepad joined existing editing tools, which include basic formatting and AI-powered experiences. Speaking of which, Microsoft says the latest Notepad update introduces streaming responses so that you can get your results quicker:

We are also improving the experience for Write, Rewrite, and Summarize with streaming result responses. Results will start to appear quicker without the need to wait for the full response, providing a preview sooner that you can interact with.

Note, however, that streaming for Rewrite is currently supported only on Copilot+ PCs with the results generated on-device. Also, AI-powered text tools in Notepad require signing in with a Microsoft account.

Notepad version 11.2510.6.0 with table support and improved AI features is now rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary Channels. Expect the update to hit other Windows Insider Channels in a few weeks before it makes it to the general public outside the Insider program.

Source

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Posted Saturday 22 November 2025 at 4:09 pm AEST (my time).

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As sentences go, “Apple Intelligence now works in Apple Shortcuts” isn't the most likely to inspire a lot of people to click a link. And that's too bad: This change, one of the more overlooked new features in macOS 26, means you can use Apple's on-board AI to do all kinds of things while designing shortcuts.

Look, I get it: Apple Intelligence makes AI a feature, not a product, and features are generally less interesting to read about than full-blown products. And Apple Shortcuts—which lets you create one simple automation to execute multiple tasks—is one of those features that's easy to overlook. But it can save you a lot of time, if you own a device that supports the AI engine and you're willing to put in a bit of effort to automate tasks you do often.

I, for example, set up my daily journal with Shortcuts, creating a fresh journal entry that pulls in things like the weather, a quote, and a general structure. I use this shortcut just about every day, and it makes my life better.

Adding a large language model to Shortcuts means it's easier to build automations that can simplify your life. Here's how:

How This Works

Head to Apple Shortcuts, create a new shortcut, and you'll see “Apple Intelligence” as one of the listed applications that's supported. There are a few Actions related to text, allowing you to do things like proofread, summarize, and make a list from text. You also get the ability to create an image, if you want.

For my money, though, the most useful Action offered is “Use Model,” mostly because of how open-ended it is. With this you can choose between three models—the totally offline and private model running on your device, a server offered by Apple using the same models, or even ChatGPT (no subscription or API key necessary).

You can write any prompt you want, allowing you to manipulate text in all kinds of useful ways. I, for example, wanted to be able to quickly copy the details of an event invitation from a text message or email, then add it to my calendar. I created a new shortcut that grabs the current text from the clipboard. I added a bunch of Use Model steps that use the original text and output things like an event title, the start time for the event, and the location. Then I set the shortcut to create an event using these details.

It all took some fine-tuning, sure, but it now works well enough that I can add events to my calendar much more quickly than ever before. And I made a similar shortcut for adding items to Reminders, which I use as my primary to-do list.

Neither of these are perfect—they get things wrong, which I'm sure I could prevent with more fine-tuning. But they work well enough, and they let me review entries before adding them to my calendar. This has already saved me a bit of time in day-to-day life.

I'm sure you can think of some similar task you can automate. My point isn't to say that you should use this exact shortcut—it's to say that you can build a shortcut that works exactly the way you want it. The AI means you can grab details from text that's not necessarily structured in a clean way and output those details exactly where needed.

I've mentioned in multiple articles over the past few weeks that I don't think the chatbot will ultimately be the primary way most of us actually use AI in the coming years. Apple's Shortcuts, which empowers the user to build things using the technology, is the version of this technology I would like to see catch on—a feature that makes existing tools a little bit better.

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Posted Saturday 22 November 2025 at 4:27 am AEST (my time).

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According to Windows Latest, a new feature called “Ask Microsoft 365 Copilot” is currently being planned for a future release.

Ask Microsoft 365 Copilot will appear in the Home tab of File Explorer as a new option when you hover over individual files.

This option will apparently be better optimized for Office files, offering better results overall. All users will be able to access this feature regardless of chip type (Intel, AMD, Snapdragon).

On top of that, Copilot+ PCs will also gain a new AI feature called “Universal Writing Assistant” that appears as a pop-up when interacting with text fields on web pages. The assistant will be able to proofread, correct errors, and even rewrite entire chunks of text.

The new features are currently being tested, so expect them to be launched after the end of the year.

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To that end, the company has been getting roasted on social media whenever it tries to promote Copilot to a wider audience. The most recent example of this comes from the Microsoft Edge Dev (@MSEdgeDev) account on X, which promoted Copilot Mode in Edge for Business:

The response, as usual, has been overwhelmingly negative. The post has almost 1,000 replies and almost all of them are criticizing Microsoft for the decision. Examples of responses quoted verbatim include:

• Are these people in the room with us right now?
• No, you heard wrong. Literally no one asked for all this AI. In fact everyone wants to know how to remove it.
• READ YOUR REPLIES AND STOP DOING THIS. *Everyone disliked that meme from Fallout inserted*
• I love Edge, I've been using it since day one, but please stop pushing this AI bullshit into everything.
• If that is what you heard, you need to leave your echo chamber.
• No you didn't. No one asked for this... just read the comments 😕

It's brutal, to say the least. But it's nothing new at this point. In the past week alone, Microsoft's Windows chief received a lot of backlash for suggesting that the OS will become agentic soon. The response prompted him to acknowledge that the firm has a lot to still fix in Windows. It also received criticism for a now-deleted post on X, which showed Copilot being practically useless in an advert. It's clear that Microsoft needs to figure out a new strategy if it wants to win over more customers with Copilot. AI's integration into our daily lives is becoming an inevitable reality soon, but the Redmond tech giant is struggling to gauge and properly address the sentiment of the market.

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Posted Friday 21 November 2025 at 12:55 pm AEST (my time).

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And now the company has rolled out that update to everyone as an optional cumulative update or the monthly non-security preview also called the C-release. The update, released as build 22631.6276, fixes an annoying File Explorer bug and more. The full changelog is given below:

Highlights

This non-security update includes quality improvements.

Improvements

Here are the features and improvements that are part of the Normal rollout drop:

• [Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA)] Fixed: This update brings profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• [File Explorer] Fixed: This update addresses an issue where File Explorer sometimes didn’t respond to mouse clicks until you closed and reopened it.
• [File Management] Fixed: This update addresses an issue with extracting .tar files when file or folder names contain more than 34 commonly used Chinese characters.
• [Group Policy and Configuration] Fixed: This update addresses an issue where the HideRecommendedSection policy didn’t work in Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session environments, such as Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). Even when configured using Group Policy or Configuration Service Provider (CSP), recommendations still appeared in AVD sessions.

You can find the support article here on Microsoft's site.

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Posted Friday 21 November 2025 at 12:53 pm AEST (my time).

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An entry added to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap today indicates that a Microsoft 365 Copilot extension for Chrome is currently in the works. This will integrate Copilot Search and Copilot Chat directly inside Chrome, allowing users to leverage various functionalities such as summarization of webpages and search results that are grounded within your Microsoft 365 data.

Roadmap ID 530577 reads:

"The Microsoft 365 Copilot browser extension for Chrome brings Copilot Chat and Search directly into the browser, enabling users to ask questions, summarize webpages, and search enterprise content without switching tabs. This improves productivity, reduces context switching, and provides secure, compliant in-browser AI assistance for Microsoft 365 users."

It is worth noting that the use-cases above refer to enterprise environments, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the consumer version of the AI assistant landing on Chrome eventually too. There is still some time until Microsoft 365 Copilot arrives, as the rollout start date is listed as February 2026.

Keep in mind too that Copilot is already deeply integrated with Microsoft Edge. In fact, at its Ignite 2025 conference a couple of days ago, Microsoft touted Edge as the world's first secure AI browser for businesses. This is thanks to Copilot Mode and other AI features that you can read more about here. It also took a shot at the competition without naming anyone explicitly, noting that its competitors sacrifice security in order to boost productivity.

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Posted Friday 21 November 2025 at 12:51 pm AEST (my time).

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Meanwhile on the Windows side, it has probably been worse. The tech giant got blamed by Nvidia today as the latest Patch Tuesday is leading to performance issues in games. The GPU maker has released an emergency hotfix driver to resolve the problems.

This comes hot on the heels of the massive backlash that the company's Windows boss recently faced due to the evolution of the operating system into an agentic OS as unveiled earlier this week.

On the positive side though, following all that backlash, Microsoft acknowledged Windows has issues, and as if on cue, the company in a new support article has admitted that there are problems on almost every major Windows 11 core feature. The issues are related to XAML and this impacts all the Shell components like the Start Menu, Taskbar, Explorer, and Windows Settings.

Interestingly, while Microsoft is only acknowledging the issue in November 2025, this has been a problem since the July 2025 Patch Tuesday update (KB5062553), so that is four months. Also since Windows 11 25H2 shares the same codebase as version 24H2, the newest Windows 11 feature update is also impacted.

In the support article Microsoft explains:

"After provisioning a PC with a Windows 11, version 24H2 monthly cumulative update released on or after July 2025 (KB5062553), various apps such as StartMenuExperiencehost, Search, SystemSettings, Taskbar or Explorer might experience difficulties.

This will occur for the following:

• First time user logon after a cumulative update was applied.
• All user logons to a non-persistent OS installation such as a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) or equivalent as application packages must be installed each logon in such scenarios."

If you are wondering, provisioning essentially is the way admins configure devices as they deploy various settings and policies on a client PC.

The company further adds that Windows' XAML component and package updates for MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy, Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe, and MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core_cw5n1h2txyewy, are what have been triggering some of the observed problems.

Speaking of observed problems, Microsoft notes that the following dependent Shell components and related services may fail and report an on-screen error or silently fail to execute, such as the following:

•     Explorer.exe crash
•     shelhost.exe crash
•     StartMenuExperienceHost
•     System Settings silently fails to launch
•     Application crashes when initializing the XAML views
•     Explorer running but no taskbar window.
•     other XAML island views fail to initialize.
•     ImmersiveShell

Microsoft says that it is working on a fix but, for now, has provided a couple of workarounds to deal with the issue. First, Microsoft says that restarting the Shell Infrastructure host (SIHost.exe) service will help restore the missing Immersive Shell packages. This can be done with the following commands:

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode

Second, a PowerShell logon script has been shared that essentially blocks Explorer from launching prematurely until the required packages are fully provisioned. The batch script for that is given below:

@echo off
REM Register MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode"

REM Register Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode"

REM Register MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path 'C:

\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml' -DisableDevelopmentMode"

You can find the support article here under KB5072911 on Microsoft's official website.

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Bug 259356, created in September 2004, outlined how Firefox was not following XDG Base Directory specifications, which directs application developers to put configuration, data, and cache files in subdirectories already created in the user's home directory. These directories are ones you might already know, like ~/.config and ~/.cache, and they're integrated in Linux as environment variables. Instead of doing that, Firefox would, on installation, create its own ~/.mozilla directory organized Mozilla's own way.

You can see this yourself if you run the ls command in your home directory while showing hidden files with the -a flag:

ls -a

You can see Mozilla's directory listed right alongside XDG's standard ~/.config directory already being used by other applications that do follow XDG Base Directory specifications.

This lack of standardization means finding and editing Firefox files is its own skill. In contrast, exploring the files for the multitude of other applications that use the XDG standard takes just one lesson in directory structure, and you can find them using variables like $XDG_CONFIG_HOME. It also keeps your home directory clutter-free, as you have fewer hidden application folders in view, while software assets are still there in standard directories when you need them.

This bug fix will arrive with Firefox 147, which I anticipate to arrive in January 2026. As someone who uses Firefox on Linux computers daily, I'll be looking for it to it. I'm glad to see Mozilla making its software more organizationally efficient for us Tux fans.

Still, I can't help but notice Mozilla is throwing us this bone at the same time Firefox is getting annoying, invasive AI tools. The Firefox web browser appeals to folks using Linux because they tend to be privacy-conscious, and Firefox has a less problematic history of data collection and bloat than the likes of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. I, of course, appreciate a home directory that's a little less cluttered, but I think Mozilla has bigger issues with Firefox it needs to address if it wants to stay within Linux users' good graces.

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Windows is celebrating its 40th anniversary today. On November 20, 1985, Microsoft released Windows 1.0, a graphical user interface that ran on top of Microsoft DOS. 40 years later, it's a platform that powers over 1.4 billion devices across the globe and is the desktop platform when you think of the "PC."

Popular versions like Windows 95, Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 10 have remained in people's hearts and cemented themselves in pop culture forever. These are the versions of Windows people will reference as "the good old days" when it comes to Windows. The children of the 90s and 00s who grew up with Windows will always remember it fondly.

Of course, that doesn't mean Windows hasn't been without controversy in its time on the market. Everything from anti-trust lawsuits over default apps to buggy platform releases and questionable user experience changes, but the platform has stood the test of time, which is why it's still the default choice for many.

Earlier today, on top of the GeForce driver 581.80, Nvidia has now released a hotfix driver. The AI giant (ahem!) has confirmed performance issues in several games and the company has put the blame on the latest October 2025 Windows 11 Patch Tuesday update from Microsoft. The KB5066835 update for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2 is said to be the culprit. The company writes:

"GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 581.94 is based on our latest Game Ready Driver 581.80. This Hotfix addresses the following:

• Lower performance may be observed in some games after updating to Windows 11 October 2025 KB5066835"

Nvidia does not specify which exact games are impacted by this but it is probably safe to assume that includes Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and there can be some other popular titles included too like Battlefield 6. We also checked on Microsoft's known issues list for Windows on the Health Dashboard website but Redmond does not say anything about this.

A user says: "Tested on Blops7, BF6, and Arc Raiders tonight. Seems a lot smoother." Others on the thread are also wondering about other titles and their respective issues, but nothing as of yet has been provided.

In order to download the new hotfix GeForce driver version 581.94, head over to this page on Nvidia's official website. Please note that this hotfix driver is a beta as it is an emergency release. If you are not encountering any gaming issues in the titles you play, it is better to wait for the WHQL driver release later.

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Posted Friday 21 November 2025 at 3:57 am AEST (my time).

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While Microsoft is not saying who is currently at the helm or what plans it has for the Windows Insider Program going forward, the company at least has a redesigned website. Quietly and without any announcements, Microsoft released a new website with modernized looks, more information about the nooks and crannies, and AI. Of course, there is AI.

The new website features Microsoft's latest design language with colorful backgrounds, gradients, and icons. It has plenty of quick links that let you register in the program, discover its variants (Windows Insider for Business and Windows Server Insider), browse documentation, access downloads, and get an overview of available channels.

Speaking of channels, the website has a clear explanation of what to expect from each channel and who they are made for. Additionally, there are quick links to release notes for the latest build in each channel. Handy!

The website also says that building Windows 11 was "a massive undertaking," and the company "couldn't have done it without Windows Insiders":

The energy and enthusiasm of Windows Insiders have helped create a new Windows 11 experience that brings you closer to what you love, empowering productivity and inspiring creativity.

This part is particularly ironic, given how oblivious Microsoft seems to be to a lot of direct feedback about certain features and the overall push against the overuse of AI, which is currently a major stumbling block for many enthusiasts who are the target audience for programs like this. Speaking of AI, at the bottom of the page, there is an AI-powered chatbot, which you can use to ask questions about the program. Sadly, the dummy still does not know that Amanda Langowski is no longer the head of the program.

Microsoft has a lot of issues with user trust these days, and the fate of the Windows Insider Program remains unknown. But hey, at least there is now a new website, which you can check out here.

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Posted Thursday 20 November 2025 at 12:01 pm AEST (my time).

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