While many people will never have run into this issue, it’s apparently quite common, with reports going on for decades, but increasing more recently. DistroWatch apparently gets reports about different Linux distributions from different anti-virus applications, suggesting it's a widespread issue.

Luckily, it’s highly unlikely that Windows-specific malware is accidentally packaged into a Linux ISO, as Linux developers usually use Linux machines exclusively to create the ISOs. The most likely cause is that the anti-virus scanner is detecting the ISO as an archive file containing executable code.

The code can change the disk layout, install a boot loader, and run kernel-level code, all things that are required by a Linux installer. However, these things can look dangerous to a malware scanner, causing them to flag the ISOs.

The vast majority of these warnings are false positives says DistroWatch. If you ever get a notification about an ISO being malware, you should definitely do some further investigating. It’s recommended that you test the ISO with another malware scanner to see if the finding is confirmed. If the second scanner detects malware, then you should report it directly to a distribution’s developers. If you’re still concerned there are plenty of other Linux distributions to try.

DistroWatch said that reporting an issue to it is “not helpful” because it does not actually host the ISO files, it only links to them at their source. DistroWatch also doesn’t have any special access to project developers to bring the matter to their attention. For this reason, it’s best to report the issue directly to developers.

With Windows 10 expiring next month, users planning to switch to Linux will be able to use multiple scanners to check an ISO if any of their downloads flag up as malware.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Monday 1 September 2025 at 5:45 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of August): 4,048

RIP Matrix

New features:

• Pointer crosshair: A useful PowerToys tool is returning to Windows 11. Canary users can enable mouse crosshair for improved accessibility to better see the cursor's position on the screen.

  

• File Explorer improvements: These include a new activity pane for devices with a work or school account and a bunch of new buttons on the Home page for quicker actions.

  

   

• Better SCOOBE: The so-called second-chance out-of-the-box experience (SCOOBE) is getting much-needed improvements.
• Notepad is getting improved context menus that look similar to Windows 11's stock menus. Windows 11 itself is also getting tidier context menus with better-looking icons.

  

• Improved dark mode: Microsoft is finally adding dark mode to various UI surfaces, such as multiple file dialogs, progress bars, and more.
• Recall, Click to Do, and other AI features are finally available to Canary users.
• Copilot app: This one has received a new home page with more actions and the ability to find files on your system using natural language.
• New keyboard shortcuts, better cross-device experiences, improved Settings app, and more.

Removed features:

• Windows 11 SE is dead: Microsoft's low-end Windows 11 edition for low-cost PCs is going six feet under. Microsoft confirmed that version 24H2 is the final update for Windows 11 SE, and it will be out of support in just one year.
• Windows 11 version 23H2 support is ending soon. Microsoft issued a warning that you should consider upgrading to a newer version to keep getting updates.
• Microsoft is removing PowerShell 2.0 from Windows 11 version 24H2 and newer. If you have scripts that rely on PowerShell 2.0, check out Microsoft's official guidance.
• No more manual app updates: Microsoft removed the ability to disable automatic app updates in the Microsoft Store. From now on, you can only pause them for a few weeks.

Other developments:

• Windows 11 version 25H2 is now available in the Release Preview Channel.
• Microsoft is open-sourcing Windows 11's UI framework, and it has already shared details about the first phase of this complex process.
• Microsoft is changing how desktop shortcuts work in the upcoming Windows 11 version 25H2.

  

   

• Microsoft launched a new Windows 365 Reserve service, which gives companies backup PCs in the cloud when their local devices go down.
• A senior Microsoft official revealed details about what could be the next Windows version. Windows 12 with tons of AI confirmed?
• Windows 11 is now automatically installing quality updates during the initial setup (OOBE) for certain users.
• Microsoft promises to improve Bluetooth audio in Windows 11 and force manufacturers to use proper notifications for USB-C.

Bugs:

• SSD-breaking bugs in August 2025 updates: A new report emerged about the latest security updates for Windows 11 breaking users' SSDs. However, Microsoft and other companies deny the report and claim that the August 2025 Patch Tuesday update has nothing to do with it.
• Microsoft finally fixed that annoying Event Viewer bug it told you to ignore.

Optional Updates:

Finally, Windows 10 and 11 have a bunch of optional updates that you can install. Windows 11 version 23H2 has KB5064080 with the Windows Backup for Organizations app and various fixes. Windows 11 version 24H2 received KB5064081 with redesigned Windows Hello, improved Task Manager, and more. Finally, Windows 10 has KB5063842, one of its final non-security updates.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Monday 1 September 2025 at 12:45 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of August): 4,048

RIP Matrix

For a brief moment, I thought I had lost access to one of the most powerful extensions I use in Microsoft Edge. This evening when I sat down at my desk, I was met with more ads than usual. Much to my surprise, uBlock Origin has completely stopped working within Microsoft Edge.

Clicking on the uBlock Origin extension icon did nothing and I was unable to block any content on any website. The folks over in the Microsoft Edge subreddit figured out what was going on and gathered together some information.

According to the uBlock Origin author, "gorhill," on GitHub, a mistake was made that required the author to unlist uBlock Origin briefly:

"I messed up yesterday, I uploaded uBO Lite using uBO extension id (I was re-working the upload script to make everything easier).

I can't find a roll back function in the store dashboard, so for now I unlisted the extension. I tried to replace with 1.65.0, but it won't let me, I think it's because the store refuses new MV2 extension, and the new upload is seen as a MV3-to-MV2 extension. I can't find quick way to resolve this, so I had to unlist the extension.

I figured one day I would mess up big by mistake, well yesterday was that day."

The issue has since been resolved and uBlock Origin is back in the Microsoft Store.

On Windows 11, Microsoft makes monthly System updates mandatory to patch security vulnerabilities, improve system performance, and deliver new features. However, it's not uncommon for updates to also cause unwanted problems.

For instance, when the company made available the August 2025 Security Update (KB5063878), soon after the release, a significant number of users began reporting storage issues on Windows 11 version 24H2. In this particular case, users explained that writing a large amount of data would cause a Solid State Drive (SSD) or Hard Disk Drive (HDD) to disappear.

Restarting the computer might recover the drive, but it could also cause data corruption and data loss. As part of the same Patch Tuesday update, the company had to quickly release an Out-of-band (OOB) update for versions 23H2 and 22H2 to address a critical bug causing problems with the reset and recovery features.

Historically, typing an em dash on Windows required pressing Alt + 0151, which is not a convenient method, especially if you are on a laptop. While you can make things easier with stuff like Keyboard Manager in PowerToys, most users would prefer a simpler method to insert these symbols. At long last, Microsoft is addressing this.

Starting with builds 26200.5761 (Windows 11 version 25H2 in the Dev Channel) and 26120.5770 (Beta Channel), you can enter an en dash by pressing Win + Minus and an em dash by pressing Win + Shift + Minus. Here is how Microsoft describes the change in the release notes for the latest builds:

We’re adding a new keyboard shortcut to make it easier for you to insert an En dash (–) or Em dash (—) while typing anywhere in Windows. Going forward, pressing WIN + Minus (-) will insert En dash, and WIN + Shift + Minus (-) will insert Em dash. Note – if you have Magnifier running, WIN + Minus (-) will still zoom out Magnifier, rather than inserting an En dash.

Other changes in the latest Windows 11 Dev and Beta builds include a new cross-device experience for Android users, Click to Do improvements, a set of redesigned battery icons, the ability to pin apps to the Share UI, and more. Additionally, Microsoft released Windows 11 version 25H2 to users in the Release Preview channel, signaling the imminent release for the general public.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Sunday 31 August 2025 at 6:52 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

Flyoobe 1.6 packs major enhancements to views. The main Home / Start view has been revamped to highlight the four core views of the tool. In addition, the Install Only OOBE view that was introduced in version 1.5 has received significant upgrades, including full-text search, one-click actions, badges, and optimizations for clean installs and repairs. Additionally, the Experience OOBE view's core functionality has also been enhanced. Overall, all the views have netted visual refinements to make them more consistent.

On the app installation front, which is the primary focus of Flyoobe, we have a smarter bloat remover, which can uninstall unnecessary apps more reliably. The app installer also includes new options that you can choose to install during OOBE.

Finally, in terms of performance, the app now starts up faster by a few milliseconds and consumes less RAM, too. The developer has also fixed minor bugs here and there, which should result in a more polished experience.

In terms of what's next, the developer has begun prepping for the unification of the Flyby11 and Flyoobe projects in a single codebase. This process will start in a few weeks. Meanwhile, those interested in staying on the bleeding edge of Flyoobe should try out the Nightly Dev build in this direct download link here.

If you're eager to try out stable builds of Flyoobe, you can do so from our dedicated Software stories section here, but do keep in mind that any software that customizes the internal default functionality of Windows carries its own set of risks, so only install Flyoobe if you trust the developer and accept those risks.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Sunday 31 August 2025 at 6:50 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

About 22 years ago, on February 6, 2003, KDE user Dan Allen submitted a feature request that would become something of a legend. He wanted a way to "freeze" items in the Klipper clipboard so they would not get pushed out of the history, and argued that this would let him keep important text snippets handy without setting a massive history size.

After decades of discussion and countless duplicate bug reports, well, here we are. The Plasma clipboard, in the upcoming 6.5 release, will finally let you mark entries as favorites. Starred items are protected from being automatically cleared from the history.

The team also added other features, including support for letting you configure touch rings on drawing tablets, which are now configurable. Discover can also now install hardware drivers directly from your operating system's repositories.

Moving on to Plasma 6.5, KRunner has added fuzzy matching for applications, so that when you search for something, your typos are less of an issue. You can also now find global shortcuts directly from the search bar.

Discover has improved its error messages to be more understandable, and you can now write a review for an application that has none.

On the technical side, the compositor has implemented support for "overlay panes" on single-monitor setups, a change that could significantly reduce GPU power usage for full-screen applications.

This feature is currently disabled for NVIDIA users due to driver issues. In Frameworks 6.18, the team fixed a crash that occurred when dragging files from Dolphin to the desktop on systems with certain mount types. If you were experiencing crashes when configuring the weather widget or when quitting System Settings with certain pages open, that has been fixed in Plasma 6.5.

The next bug fix release for Plasma 6.4, version 6.4.5, is set to land next month with some important fixes, including one for a bug that could cause the text of a sticky note on a panel to be lost forever if the panel was cloned and then deleted. Now, the underlying data files are sent to the trash instead of being immediately deleted.

The team says the annotation feature in the screenshot tool, Spectacle, has been extracted into its own reusable library. This will allow other applications to use its annotation capabilities in the future, though the integration work is still in progress.

You can find out more in this KDE blog post.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Sunday 31 August 2025 at 6:49 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

First up is the Microsoft Graph Command Line Interface (CLI), which allows developers and IT personnel to interact with Graph APIs through terminal commands. This is being retired in favor of "modern" experiences in PowerShell. The company has highlighted numerous reasons behind this deprecation, including limited extensibility, a narrower ecosystem, and developers preferring other tools with overlapping but deeper functionalities.

As such, Microsoft feels that there is more value in improving the Graph experience in PowerShell because of broad API coverage, better automation workflows, alignment with Microsoft's longer servicing commitments, and improved documentation.

The other tool on the chopping block is the Microsoft Graph Toolkit (MGT), which was initially designed to simplify the developer experience when building web applications through helpers and reusable web components. It also reduced the complexity associated with authentication and data binding processes. However, Microsoft has highlighted similar reasons for the retirement of MGT as Graph CLI, but interestingly, it has recommended no direct modern replacement for all components. On the UI side, it has encouraged developers to leverage Fluent UI Web Components and Microsoft Graph SDKs, and the latter for authentication mechanisms too.

The deprecation phase for both Graph CLI and Graph Toolkit will kick off on September 1, 2025, while full retirement will be complete on August 28, 2026. During this period, Microsoft will release no new features, security updates, or actively maintain or support the open-source repositories either. You can find out more details in Microsoft's blog posts for Microsoft Graph CLI and Microsoft Graph Toolkit here and here, respectively.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Sunday 31 August 2025 at 6:48 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

LibreOffice 25.8.1 does not feature a lengthy change log but the improvements are still worth highlighting. Almost 100 bugs and regressions have been patched from the version 25.8 release, which should improve the overall user experience. In addition, the optional NoteBookBar interface shouldn't crash anymore, which should again enhance stability.

But perhaps the most important update in this version is improved interoperability with Microsoft Office file formats like DOCX, PPTX, and XLSX. Apparently, users were experiencing bugs when opening and handling these files, but this experience should be much improved now.

Managing Office formats has always been a pain point for both The Document Foundation and its customers. In the past, the company has called out Microsoft for intentionally using unnecessarily complex file formats to ensure use lock-in.

For those unaware, LibreOffice leverages the OpenDocument Format (ODF) to structure XML schemas since it is meant to be an open standard that no single entity can control while the Redmond tech giant uses Office Open XML (OOXML), which enables it to add its own enhancements that may break compatibility with ODF-based applications like LibreOffice. A couple of weeks ago, The Document Foundation released a free ODF migration guide for the public to combat Microsoft's alleged vendor lock-in strategies.

If you're an ardent LibreOffice supporter or a Microsoft Office customer who just wants to try out what else is available on the market, do check out the latest version of LibreOffice through our dedicated Software stories section here.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Sunday 31 August 2025 at 6:47 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

While I find Gemini to be very good for my needs, one issue I’ve run into on the Android app is that it can get pretty laggy. I am not talking about the lag from long conversations, I am referring to the lag you experience when just navigating to gems and trying to start a conversation, or if things are really getting bad, just interacting with the main Gemini chat. It’s not always an issue, but much of the time it is. I have figured out the main source of this lagging and I want to show you what I did to resolve the issue.

The first thing I tried was disabling the Gemini Apps activity which saves all your chat history. I didn’t delete the history, just disabled activity and instantly I saw everything speed up. Actually though, this is overkill, there’s no need to stop chat history being saved. By disabling the Gemini Apps activity, the apps that Gemini can invoke got disabled. This got me thinking, maybe I can just disable the apps individually. Lo and behold, this suffices, so you can keep your chat history, and you can probably enable a few apps if you really need them, but the fewer you have, the faster the whole experience is.

Disabling the apps in Gemini is super straight forward, all you need to do is open the Gemini app on Android, press on your profile picture in the upper right, and then press Apps. Here you can toggle the different apps that you want to allow. I’ve switched them all off because I find them super annoying, but if you need any of them, just leave the ones you need enabled.

From my testing, this method doesn’t seem to prevent Gemini getting a bit slower for longer messages, but disabling the apps in Gemini will still help the app to feel faster. If you’re getting bothered by slower answers the longer your chat goes on, you should just start a new chat to put the spring back into Gemini’s step.

Let us know in the comments if this has helped you. I have not had the opportunity to try Gemini on iOS and don’t know if it slows down like it does on Android, if it does, try disabling the Gemini apps there too, if they are available, and it may help with the experience.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Sunday 31 August 2025 at 6:45 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

In an update on the Windows Release Health dashboard, Microsoft has announced that it has resolved this bug through the KB5064081 non-security update released for Windows 11, version 24H2 devices yesterday. The fix is being made available to all commercial devices who have Windows updates managed by Microsoft, along with consumer SKUs (Home and Pro), which will automatically receive the update.

That said, Microsoft has noted that it may take up to four weeks for this update to propagate, after which all future security and non-security updates will contain this patch by default. Meanwhile, customers who have Windows updates configured to be managed by IT department rather than Microsoft will also receive the update next month.

It is important to note that this bug in particular only impacted Windows 11, version 24H2 devices. Although the accompanying error message indicated that the "Microsoft Pluton Cryptographic Provider provider was not loaded because initialization failed", this was a false positive and no processes were actually impacted. This is one of the reasons why Microsoft initially requested customers to ignore this error.

Microsoft is still tracking another open bug related to OBS NDI streaming performance issues across various versions of Windows. Although the company has shared a workaround for now, the expectation is that it will share a concrete patch later once its investigation is complete. There are no concrete timelines known for the delivery of this fix though, but we'll let you know when it lands.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Saturday 30 August 2025 at 5:50 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

USB Type-C ports may fail to show notifications due to several manufacturing problems from the OEM's side while building the PC. For example, Windows uses ACPI descriptors to identify USB Type-C ports and their functionalities, so if this markup is absent for a port, notifications will not work. Similarly, if a Type-C port has been accidentally mislabeled as Type-A, the user will experience the wrong alerts or other unexpected behavior. In the same vein, if a physically accessible and visible port has been marked as "internal", notifications will be suppressed too.

In order to work around these problems, Microsoft has recommended OEMs to audit ACPI descriptors for all USB ports, validate the notification behavior across supported configurations, coordinate with Microsoft's Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) to ensure that new platforms meet testing requirements, and thoroughly document any exceptions to normal or expected behavior. Compatibility can be ensured through the Windows Hardware Lab Kit (HLK), the implementation of the _UPC (USB Port Capabilities) and _PLD (Physical Location of Device) ACPI descriptors, and testing under various diverse scenarios and configurations.

Microsoft has acknowledged that some OEMs may even want to disable data transfer over USB Type-C connections in untrusted environments. They should ensure that any such policies only apply to external ports and do not interface with other critical components like the touchpad and the keyboard. Redmond has even encouraged offering user-facing toggles for data transfer disablement to customers. You can find out more details in the blog post here.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Saturday 30 August 2025 at 5:49 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

Over on its Windows Release Health dashboard, Microsoft has notified users of an out-of-band update for the .NET Framework which resolves the issue. This fix is not available through Windows Update, and customers will have to grab it manually through the Microsoft Update Catalog. The update would then need to be imported into Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager.

Dedicated links for specific updates and their installation instructions are listed below:

• Windows Server 2022
  • .NET Framework 4.8 KB5011258
• Windows Server 2019
  • .NET Framework 4.8 KB5011257
  • .NET Framework 4.7.2 KB5011259
• Windows Server 2016
  • .NET Framework 4.8 KB5011264
  • .NET Framework 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1 or 4.7.2 KB5011329
• Windows Server 2012 R2
  • .NET Framework 4.8 KB5011266
  • .NET Framework 4.6, 4.6.1, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1 or 4.7.2 KB5011263
  • .NET Framework 4.5.2 KB5011261
• Windows Server 2012
  • .NET Framework 4.8 KB5011265
  • .NET Framework 4.6, 4.6.1, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1 or 4.7.2 KB5011262
  • .NET Framework 4.5.2 KB5011260

Microsoft hasn't disclosed why it took so long to fix this issue, but it's encouraging to see the out-of-band patch being rolled out to older versions of Windows Server going back to Server 2012. Windows 2025 and client versions of Windows are completely unaffected by this bug though. If you're a developer who has been plagued by this issue for the past three years and hasn't been able to figure out a workaround, you should probably jump on these patches as soon as possible.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Saturday 30 August 2025 at 5:48 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

Microsoft's fifth major iteration of Windows 11 is nearing its release to the general public—the Windows Insider team announced today that Windows 11 25H2 was being put into its Release Preview Channel, the final stop for most updates before they become available to everyone. That's around two months after the first Windows builds with the 25H2 label were released to the other preview channels.

Putting a new yearly Windows update in the Release Preview channel is analogous to the "release to manufacturing" (RTM) phase of years past, back when updates shipped on physical media that needed to be manufactured. Build numbers for this version of Windows start with 26200, rather than 24H2's 26100.

The 25H2 update doesn't do a lot in and of itself, other than reset the clock for Microsoft's security updates (each yearly release gets two years of security patches). Microsoft says that last year's 24H2 update and this year's 25H2 update "use a shared servicing branch," which mostly means that there aren't big under-the-hood differences between the two. Installing the 25H2 update on a PC may enable some features on your 24H2 PC that had already been installed but had been disabled by default.

Microsoft says that installing the 25H2 update removes PowerShell 2.0 and the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line tool (both previously deprecated), and that it allows IT administrators to automatically remove some preinstalled Windows apps from the Microsoft Store via Group Policy. But Microsoft hasn't said much about major, user-facing new features that are unique to the 25H2 update. The 23H2 update from two years ago was a similarly quiet add-on for Windows 11 22H2.

For anyone who wants to be able to start with a fresh install of Windows 11 25H2, Microsoft says ISO files for creating install media will be available starting next week. Even if you're not in the Windows Insider program, this build of Windows ought to get regular updates and will eventually converge with whatever version of the update is released more widely later on.

Microsoft usually starts rolling these updates out to the public in or around October. Typically, they go out in phases, being offered to a small number of PCs at first and then expanding as Microsoft monitors for major show-stopping problems. They're usually offered to everyone via Windows Update and installed automatically a few weeks or months later.

Microsoft also released new Insider Preview channels to the less-stable and more experimental Canary, Dev, and Beta channels today. They're all pretty light on marquee features: The "Click to Do" AI screen analyzer thing can now offer to make an Excel spreadsheet out of tables on websites or documents; some features were added for people who use Braille in Windows; and the Windows Share window will now let you look for apps to share a file to. The builds also fix (and add!) a handful of bugs.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Saturday 30 August 2025 at 12:53 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

This month's non-security update for Windows 11 version 24H2 delivers plenty of new features and changes. They include a new home page for Recall on supported devices, a redesigned Windows Hello experience, more modernized Settings bits, improved Task Manager with a more accurate CPU workload indication, Windows Widgets improvements, and more.

Here is what is rolling out gradually:

• [Recall] New! Recall opens to a personalized homepage that puts your recent activity and top-used apps and websites front and center, making it easy to pick up where you left off. After turning on snapshot collection, the homepage highlights key productivity features like Recent Snapshots, which show the latest snapshots to help you quickly resume tasks, and Top Apps and Websites, which display the three apps and websites you’ve used most in the past 24 hours. You can set filters in Settings to control which apps and websites are saved in snapshots. A new navigation bar on the leftmost side of the screen provides quick access to Home, Timeline, Feedback, and Settings.
• [Click to Do] New! When you launch Click to Do for the first time, you'll see a quick interactive tutorial. It shows how to complete tasks faster by demonstrating actions on both text and images—such as summarizing large blocks of text or removing image backgrounds. To revisit the tutorial later, select More options > Start tutorial.
• [General] New! When an app requests access to location, camera, microphone, or other device capabilities, Windows shows a redesigned system dialog box. To emphasize the privacy prompt, the screen dims slightly, and the prompt appears at the center of the screen.
• [Taskbar]
  • New! The larger clock with seconds is now back in the notification center, displayed above the date and calendar. To turn this option on, go to Settings > Time & language > Date & time, and turn on Show time in the Notification Center.
  • Fixed: If you accidentally click and drag your mouse across the taskbar preview thumbnail, the preview might stop working.
• [Search on the Taskbar]
  • New! When you use Search from the Windows taskbar, a new grid view will help you more quickly and accurately identify the desired image within your search.
  • New! Search on the taskbar now provides clearer status information. If your search results are incomplete while your PC is organizing files in the background, Windows shows a notice with a link to check progress. You can dismiss the notice when you're done. There is also a status for files and folders, so you can easily tell whether they’re available online (cloud) or stored on your device.
• [Lock screen] New! More widget options and support for lock screen widget personalization (previously referred to as “Weather and more”) are rolling out. After initial launch with Windows Insiders in the European Economic Area (EEA), these updates are expanding to all regions. You can add, remove, and rearrange lock screen widgets such as Weather, Watchlist, Sports, Traffic, and more. Any widget that supports the small sizing option can be added. To customize your lock screen widgets, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
• [File Explorer]
  • New! Dividers now separate top-level icons in the File Explorer context menu.
  • New! When you're signed in with a work or school account (Entra ID), File Explorer will display people icons in the Activity column and the Recommended section at the top of File Explorer Home. Hover over or select a person's icon to open their Microsoft 365 Live Persona Card, which shows who they are and how they're connected to the file.
  • Fixed: If you try to use the unblock open in Properties for a file, it still shows as blocked when you open Properties the next time.
• [Windows Hello]
  • New! As part of the enhanced passkey features released in September 2023, you’ll see a redesigned Windows Hello interface. These modernized visual updates support fast, clear communication that appear across multiple authentication flows, including the Windows sign-in screen, passkey, Recall, the Microsoft Store, and more.
    
    The Windows security credential experience for passkey offers a cleaner, more intuitive interface designed to support fast, secure sign-in. You can now easily switch between authentication options such as passkeys or connected devices.
  • Fixed: Windows Hello might recognize your face on the login screen, however it would still fail and then prompt you to enter your pin. If you continue experiencing issues, you might need to go to the Facial Recognition section under Settings > Accounts >Sign-in options and select Improve recognition.
  • Improved: Fingerprint login after standby is now more robust.
• [Settings]
  • New!  Windows activation and expiration prompts match the Windows 11 design and appear as system notifications when action is required. There also have been improvements to messaging under Settings > System > Activation.
  • New! You can go to Settings > Privacy & security > Text and Image Generation to see which third-party apps have recently used generative AI models provided by Windows. You can also choose which apps are permitted to use them—putting you in charge of your device’s AI experience.
  • New! As part of the Copilot+ PC experience, the agent in Settings helps you quickly find and change settings. Initially available on Snapdragon®-powered Copilot+ PCs, agent in Settings now supports AMD- and Intel™-powered Copilot+ PCs. It currently works only when your primary display language is set to English.
  • Fixed: Settings might crash if you attempt to add a security key under Settings > Account > Sign-in options.
• [Task Manager] New! Task Manager now uses standard metrics to show CPU workload consistently across all pages, aligning with industry standards and third-party tools. If you prefer the previous view, you can enable a new optional column called CPU Utility in the Details tab to display the earlier CPU usage value shown on the Processes page.
• [Widgets]
  • New! Multiple dashboards are now available in your Widgets Board. This gives you more space for your favorite widgets and helps you stay informed with a feed that connects you to current events. A new navigation bar on the left side makes it easy to switch between your widget’s dashboard and other views like the Discover feed. After initial launch in the EEA, these updates are expanding to all regions.
  • New! A new visual experience is available for the Discover feed on the Widgets Board. The layout is more organized, personalized, and engaging. Copilot-curated stories are now included, offering a well-rounded view of each topic with summaries, videos, and images from trusted MSN premium publishers. To customize your feed, go to Widgets > Discover dashboard > Personalization settings.
• [Windows Backup for Organizations] New! Windows Backup for Organizations is now generally available! Experience seamless device transitions with enterprise-grade backup and restore. Whether you're refreshing your organization’s devices, upgrading to Windows 11, or deploying AI-powered PCs, this solution helps sustain productivity with minimal disruption, ensuring business continuity and organizational resilience.
• [PowerShell 2.0] Starting in August 2025, Windows 11, version 24H2, will no longer include Windows PowerShell 2.0. This legacy component was introduced in Windows 7 and officially deprecated in 2017. Most users won’t be affected, as newer versions such as PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7.x remain available and supported. If you use older scripts or tools that depend on PowerShell 2.0, update them to avoid compatibility issues.
• [Live captions] Fixed: Changing the opacity of live captions in Settings > Accessibility > Captions > Caption Style, has no effect.
• [Input]
  • Fixed: Attempting to type Chinese with an IME after copying something with CTRL + C can result in the first character not displaying.
  • Fixed: An underlying issue related to textinputframework.dll could result in certain apps like Sticky Notes and Notepad crashing.
• [dbgcore.dll] Fixed: An underlying issue with dbgcore.dll could result in certain apps, including explorer.exe, crashing.
• [Kerberos] Fixed: There might be an underlying crash in Kerberos when attempting to access a cloud file share.
• [Login] Improved: Addressed some underlying cases which could lead to you seeing a blank white screen, or a screen saying, "just a moment", for a few minutes when logging into your PC.
• [Miracast] Fixed: An issue where, on certain devices, audio would initially play but stop a few seconds after casting to a TV.
• [Audio] Improved: Addressed an underlying audio service stops responding which could impact the ability to play audio in certain cases.

And here are the changes that are available right here and right now:

• [Device management] Fixed: This update addresses an issue that prevented some system recovery features from working properly due to a temporary file sharing conflict. This affected certain device management tools and disrupted key functions on some devices.
• [File system] Fixed: An issue in Resilient File System (ReFS) where using backup apps with large files could sometimes exhaust system memory.
• [Input]
  • Fixed: This update addresses an issue with the Chinese (Simplified) Input Method Editor (IME) where some extended characters appear as empty boxes.
  • Fixed This update addresses an issue that prevents typing on the touch keyboard when using the Microsoft Changjie, Microsoft Bopomofo, or Microsoft Japanese Input Method Editors (IMEs). The issue occurs after switching to a previous version of the IME.
• [Performance] Fixed: This update addresses an issue that slows application installation on ARM64 devices. Some installers might take longer to complete.

You can download KB5064081 in Settings > Windows Update or by using this link to the Microsoft Update Catalog. The update is optional, so feel free to skip it if you want.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Saturday 30 August 2025 at 12:52 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

• [General]
  • This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.
• [Windowing]
  • Fixed an issue causing an increase in DWM crashes in the previous build (which could lead to you seeing a black flash).
• [Other]
  • Fixed an issue in the last few builds where if you launched cmd non-elevated from the Run dialog, it might open in Windows Console Host rather than Windows Terminal even if Windows Terminal was your default terminal app.
  • Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to certain UWP apps crashing when scrolling in the previous build.

The list of known bugs includes the following:

• [General]
  • We’re investigating reports that Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files is getting stuck when scanning files. We are also investigating previous Windows Installations also not showing.
• [File Explorer]
  • In dark mode, the red color used for a low space drive in This PC may be unexpectedly light colored in this build. Some of the other colors may also be incorrect, including that black is used for space remaining instead of a more visible color.
• [Reset & Recovery]
  • [NEW] The “Reset this PC” option Settings > System > Recovery will not work on this build. This issue will be fixed in the next Canary Channel flight. Should you need to reset your PC, you can roll back to the previous build and do a PC reset then.

You can find the official announcement here.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Saturday 30 August 2025 at 12:44 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

Aside from that, Microsoft has also acknowledged audio issues on the Dev and Beta channel builds. There are many more changes and improvements which you can find in the full changelog below starting with the Copilot+ PC exclusive features:

New Microsoft 365 text action in Click to Do

We are beginning to roll out a new text action in Click to Do!

Convert to table with Excel: Click to Do now recognizes tables so you can work smarter and faster with information you encounter everyday – whether it’s a table you see shared over Teams in a meeting, a school calendar from a photo, or any other document with an embedded table. With tables in Click to Do, you can now highlight any simple table and immediately send to Excel, copy or share it – all without retyping a single cell.

See a table in any application and you can press Win + Click to invoke Click to Do, or Win + Q or right swipe and tap to select the table. Once selected, you’ll see the actions you can take like Convert to table with Excel. Just click, capture and continue.

This is an early preview of this action in Click to Do and table detection may sometimes not work correctly. However, table detection quality will improve over time in subsequent flights to the Dev and Beta Channels.

Tables in Click to Do are rolling out to Windows Insiders on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, with support for AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs coming soon. You’ll need the latest Microsoft Excel application installed on your PC to see Convert to table with Excel and a Microsoft 365 Subscription. This change is not yet rolling out to Windows Insiders in the EEA (European Economic Area).

View Microsoft 365 Profile Cards: Rather than opening Microsoft Outlook or Teams or anywhere to look up someone’s profile, get straight to their info about them thanks to the integration of Live Persona Cards for from Microsoft 365 in Click to Do. See how to contact them or past collaborations without leaving your flow. This new action is available on emails seen in Click to Do. Press Win + Click right on an email and, if it’s part of your work or school’s organization, the profile card is displayed.

You must be signed in to your PC with a work or school account (Entra ID) and have a Microsoft 365 subscription. This change is not yet rolling out to Windows Insiders in the EEA (European Economic Area).

You can learn more about using Click to Do here.

Next, we have the new features gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*:

Get on-screen Braille and text output with Braille viewer

We are adding a new feature in Narrator called Braille viewer that allows you to see on-screen textual and Braille representation of the output shown on a refreshable Braille display. This is a helpful tool for sighted teachers, AT trainers, developers, and testers who do not read Braille or who have limited to no access to a Braille display.

Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) can use Braille viewer to help improve student’s Braille skills or follow along in classroom as the teachers can visually see the textual and Braille representation on the screen while the student reads it on their connected Braille display.

To open Braille viewer, start Narrator using Win + Ctrl + Enter and press Narrator key + Alt + B. A new floating window opens – contents of this window are updated as you continue to use Narrator. The number of Braille cells shown on the viewer depends on the size of your refreshable Braille display. If an 80-cell display is connected, the viewer shows 80 cells. If no display is connected, the viewer shows 40 cells by default. You could also change the display size and position of the viewer using settings menu on the viewer.

NOTE: For Braille viewer to work, make sure Narrator is set up to give Braille output. To download and install Braille package, navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Use a Braille display with Narrator.

Also here are the Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*:

[Windows Share]

• You can find apps installed on your PC or apps available in the Microsoft Store directly within the Windows share window using “Find Apps” under the “Share using” section.

[Other]

• The Windows OS version of Direct3D 12 has been updated to match the Agility SDK 1.616.1 package contents.

Also here are the fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*:

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed an issue where clicking the date and time on a secondary monitor might open the flyout on your primary monitor.
• Fixed an issue where if you minimized an app and switched back and forth between desktops, you might end up seeing a duplicate preview thumbnail when hovering over the app in the taskbar.

[Windowing]

• Fixed an issue which was causing explorer.exe to crash when using ALT + Tab for some Insiders in the previous flight.

[Display]

• Fixed an issue where the setting to enable HDR under Settings > System > Display might turn off after you turned it on, blocking you from enabling it.

[Audio]

• Fixed an issue which could result in audio not working a few seconds after casting to a TV.

[Other]

• Fixed an issue which was causing the drivers for certain smart cards to not work in recent flights (showing error 31).
• Fixed a typo in the diskusage help list (diskusage /?).
• Fixed an issue where if you had to enter a PIN for your device to cast from Quick Settings, pressing Enter wouldn’t confirm the PIN.
• Fixed an issue where the tooltip for the “Abort if insufficient memory” setting in Task Manager’s advanced section of settings wasn’t correct.

Finally we have the known issues:

[File Explorer]

• For some users, the Shared section in File Explorer Home may be visible even if there is no content to display.

[Settings]

• We’re investigating reports that Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files is getting stuck when scanning files. We are also investigating previous Windows Installations also not showing.

[Audio]

• [NEW] Some Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels are experiencing an issue where audio stops working and Device Manager shows one or more devices with a yellow exclamation mark, including “ACPI Audio Compositor” and others. Selecting Properties on these devices will show “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing.” If you are impacted by this issue, you can follow these instructions to get back into a working state:
  • Right-click on the device with a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager and select “Update driver”.
  • Choose “Browse my computer for drivers” and then “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer”.
  • Select the driver from the list with the most recent date and click “Next”. If you are presented with a list of common hardware types instead of one or more specific drivers, this device is not related to this issue.
  • This device should be repaired and no longer show a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager. If it continues to show a yellow exclamation mark, the yellow exclamation mark is not related to this issue.
  • Repeat these steps for each device with a yellow exclamation mark.

[Xbox Controllers]

• Some Insiders are experiencing an issue where using their Xbox Controller via Bluetooth is causing their PC to bugcheck. Here is how to resolve the issue. Open Device Manager by searching for it via the search box on your taskbar. Once Device Manager is open, click on “View” and then “Devices by Driver”. Find the driver named “oemXXX.inf (XboxGameControllerDriver.inf)” where the “XXX” will be a specific number on your PC. Right-click on that driver and click “Uninstall”.

You can find the official blog post for Dev build and Beta build here (Dev, Beta) on Microsoft's official website.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Saturday 30 August 2025 at 12:41 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

Starting off with the management front, SharePoint agents will be available in the Microsoft 365 admin center agent inventory from September, which will make it easy to discover, govern, and manage them. Right now, admins can monitor Copilot Search adoption trends within their organization and retire ownerless agents through the same admin center.

Other capabilities available this month include a request and approval flow for Frontier and agents in Microsoft 365. Additionally, Purview Insider Risk Management (IRM) can now be leveraged to detect sensitive prompts that users are triggering on Copilot surfaces, allowing admins to implement better guardrails.

On the consumer-facing front, customers will be able to utilize SharePoint agents in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app and the Teams app store from next month. For now, they can try GPT-5 in Copilot Chat, and a new Tools menu in the same service that contains dedicated AI agents like Researcher and Analyst.

Other enhancements include:

• When using Copilot Chat in Outlook or in Microsoft 365 Copilot, the AI assistant can reference attachments in emails
• PowerPoint decks can be created quickly with Copilot
• Analyze and edit images in Copilot Chat right now, with a dedicated visual editor coming next month
• Users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license can generate images on the web, macOS, and Windows. Mobile support is coming in October.
• Microsoft Edge for Business customers can now utilize summarization features in Copilot Chat
• Custom dictionaries now available for Copilot in Teams

You can find out more details about all of the above in the dedicated blog post here.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Saturday 30 August 2025 at 12:40 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

Microsoft posted a new update on the Admin Portal, stating the following:

After thorough investigation, Microsoft has found no connection between the August 2025 Windows security update and the types of hard drive failures reported on social media. As always, we continue to monitor feedback after the release of every Windows update, and will investigate any future reports.

Interestingly, Microsoft is not the only one claiming that the reported issues have nothing to do with the update. Phison, a popular maker of SSD controllers, recently said that its comprehensive checks found no problems with the August 2025 security updates and various SSDs:

Phison dedicated over 4,500 cumulative testing hours to the drives reported as potentially impacted and conducted more than 2,200 test cycles. We were unable to reproduce the reported issue, and no partners or customers have reported that the issue affected their drives at this time.

It is clear that the problem is far from being resolved, and we will hear more updates on it. Meanwhile, if you have already installed the August 2025 update, it is recommended to take it easy with your drive and avoid heavy files. If you have not installed the update yet, you can pause Windows Update and wait for Microsoft to release more information on the issue.

While the company is busy investigating the SSD problem, a bunch of other issues wait for their resolution. For example, Microsoft recently confirmed problems with NDI streaming performance after installing the August 2025 update.

Via Bleeping Computer

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Saturday 30 August 2025 at 3:10 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

But not everyone is a fan of this direction. Take Procreate, for example. Last year, the digital art app's CEO, James Cuda, said, "I f---ing hate generative AI" and promised that generative AI won't be coming to the app. Ever.

Like it or not, generative AI is coming to browsers thanks to companies like Opera, Google, The Browser Company with its new Dia project, Microsoft, Mozilla, and more. But Vivaldi is pushing back. The company is taking a stand against the AI browsing trend, with the clear message: "keep browsing human".

In a company blog post, Jon von Tetzchner, co-founder and CEO of Vivaldi, claimed that browsing is an "active" experience. He argued that AI browsers turn the joy of "exploring" into "inactive spectatorship".

The promise of AI browsers is to automate tasks that some might find boring, like making a dinner reservation or creating a shopping list. Tetzchner specifically called out Google for pushing Gemini into Chrome and Microsoft Edge with its recently introduced "Copilot Mode".

Copilot Mode completely overhauls the browser with a redesigned new tab page and a Copilot composer that combines chat, web search, and navigation. According to Tetzchner, there are risks with this model, since users will rely on an intermediary to parse knowledge for them. That raises questions about who controls that info and how that company monetizes it.

As for AI-generated summaries, Tetzchner referenced this Pew Research study that claims that users do not click traditional search results as often when an AI overview is present.

If you are experiencing "AI fatigue," Vivaldi promises that it would never do so much as add an LLM chatbot, webpage summarization, or an AI form filler, at least until better methods are developed.

We're taking a stand, choosing humans over hype, and we will not turn the joy of exploring into inactive spectatorship. Without exploration, the web becomes far less interesting. Our curiosity loses oxygen and the diversity of the web dies.

Despite the negatives of generative AI, such as misinformation and the potential for prompt injection as seen with AI browsers like Comet, Vivaldi does point out that not all AI is bad because "the field of machine learning in general remains an exciting one and may lead to features that are actually useful."

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Friday 29 August 2025 at 12:44 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

In its latest update to the Google Workspace Status Dashboard, the company said that a fix was "undergoing automated testing," and that once it's done, the engineers will validate it and make it available to everyone. The problem is limited to devices running the affected ChromeOS version 16328.55.0 or Chrome browser version 139.0.7258.137.

This specific build causes authentication failures with Single Sign-On, a system millions rely on to access learning tools. The bug also breaks 2-Step Verification for some.

In the meantime, there are two options for system administrators to get their users working again. The first is to do what some admins have done already and roll the operating system back to M138. To do that, you have to follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Google Admin console with an administrator account.
2. Navigate to Menu > Devices > Chrome > Settings > Device settings.
3. Select the organizational unit for the devices you want to roll back.
4. Go to Device update settings and click Auto-update settings.
5. Set "Allow devices to automatically update OS version" to "Allow updates".
6. For "Target version", select the ChromeOS version you want.
7. For "Roll back to target version", choose "Roll back OS".
8. Click "Roll back OS" and then save the changes.

The second option is to change a policy setting. Admins can modify the LoginAuthenticationBehavior setting to use "Authentication via the default GAIA flow". This basically tells ChromeOS to use Google's standard web-based login process instead of the integrated one that is currently broken. Google says to expect the next update on the situation by Thursday, 2025-08-28 17:30 US/Pacific.

Via: Bleeping Computer

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Friday 29 August 2025 at 12:42 pm AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

Microsoft Word now saves files to the cloud automatically. AutoSave has been around for a while, but until recently it was an opt-in feature. Now, anything you create in Word will be saved to the cloud by default.

The change rolls out with Word Version 2509 (Build 19221.20000) or later.

When AutoSave is enabled, Word will save a document to the cloud right away. The name of that document will be based on the date. You can then change that file name or the location where the file is saved through "Save" within Word (also accessible through Ctrl + S shortcut).

That setup could result in several files with similar names if you are not careful, but it also prevents files from getting lost if you forget to save or your PC crashes.

Microsoft lists the following advantages to saving items to the cloud in a Tech Community post:

• Increased security and compliance: Files saved in the cloud are automatically protected by your company’s security rules and labeling, so you don’t have to take extra steps to keep them safe and compliant.
• Never lose your progress: You don’t have to worry about losing your work – creation in the cloud means your document is automatically saved for you as you go.
• Flexible file control and storage: You’re in charge of your files – you can choose what they’re named, decide where they’re saved, and organize them your way. Store them in OneDrive, SharePoint, or other locations to keep everything just where you want it.
• Access from anywhere: Files you create in Word for Windows are instantly available on your Android or iOS device, or in a web browser. When you make changes on one device, they sync everywhere.
• Easy collaboration: It’s easy to work with others – just share your cloud file to start collaborating right away, add comments, and make changes together. AutoSave keeps your work updated in real time.
• Copilot and Agent support: From the moment you create a file, you can use Copilot and Agent features right away. This lets you get AI-powered help whenever you need it as you create or update your documents (NOTE: A Copilot Chat or Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required).

All of my Word documents are saved to the cloud. I've used AutoSave for years, and it has always served me well.

I jump between several devices, including two different PCs, a tablet, and my smartphone. I also frequently share files to collaborate.

On the chat and collaboration front, there are new filters in the search experience allowing you to quickly narrow down exactly what you need rather than scrolling through long lists of results. In the same vein, you can also search more efficiently using SQL-like commands and keywords. Keyboard shortcuts can be customized, messages can be saved and later expanded to the full view, and you can react to messages with multiple emoji rather than just using a single one to express your reaction.

There are lots of improvements in meetings, webinars, and town halls too. Teams Premium users can create and customize meeting templates for more productivity, manage what attendees see when they join town halls, and manage immersive 3D events. In addition, Teams admins can now upload custom dictionaries for their tenants, organizers can send one-way messages to attendees in the lobby through the chat, and all Teams users can configure their display names to custom nicknames or their role.

Moreover, the following devices are now Teams-certified:

• EPOS IMPACT 100 MS Stereo and Mono USB-C+A headsets
• Logitech Rally Board 65 + Tap for Teams Rooms on Android (wired)
• Yealink MeetingBar A50 with Touch Panel CTP25
• Logitech Entry Level MeetUp 2 for Teams Rooms on Windows

Also, admins have access to more logs for screensharing. That's not all, though. There are many other improvements available for frontline worker solutions, Teams Phone, and Teams Rooms. You can find out more information about these changes in the detailed change log here.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Friday 29 August 2025 at 5:40 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

Other than that, the latest Nvidia driver offers only two fixes:

• Marvel's Avengers - The Definitive Edition: Game crashes to the desktop on startup.
• Certain monitors may display a random flicker when hot-plugged over HDMI.

The list of known bugs also includes only two things:

• Adobe Premiere Pro: Some system configurations can freeze during export using hardware encoding.
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth: Light flickering after driver update on some system configurations.

Today's driver follows the one Nvidia released earlier this month. Two weeks ago, the manufacturer pushed version 580.97 with DLSS 4 support for Grand Theft Auto V and Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, and version 581.08 with global DLSS Override support and multiple game fixes.

Nvidia 581.15 WHQL is available on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 systems equipped with one of the following graphics cards:

You can download driver 581.15 WHQL from the official Nvidia website or the Nvidia app. Release notes are available here (PDF).

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Friday 29 August 2025 at 5:36 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix

According to multiple threads open on GitHub and Hacker News forums, GitHub has become severely slow on the default Apple Safari browser installed on Macs. According to the original poster on GitHub, when they try to open a pull request (PR) with more than a thousand lines of code or over a thousand lines of code changes, the browser takes a long time to render the code.

This peaks to the point that the browser displays blank spaces as you are scrolling up and down, the Activity Monitor shows the relevant rendering process at 100% utilization, and even search functionality doesn't work correctly. According to the report, even switching between different views takes several seconds.

The original poster has been experiencing this behavior for the past few months on a fairly beefy Mac configuration, which is the 16-inch MacBook Pro with a 16-core Apple M4 Max and 48GB of RAM. They also claim that GitHub works completely fine in Chrome on the same Mac.

Others on the GitHub thread have echoed the same sentiments, with former Distinguished Microsoft Engineer Miguel de Icaza highlighting that this page with roughly 3,000 lines of code takes around 10 seconds to load on the generally available version of Safari and 5 seconds to render on a preview version of Safari. That said, it seems like the problem is not reliably reproducible looking at the ongoing debates over on Hacker News forums.

In our own testing on a modest Windows laptop with a 10th-gen Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, the same page loaded within a couple of seconds on Chrome and Microsoft Edge and was fairly smooth during page up and down operations too. Meanwhile, the similarly modest 13-inch Mac M1 PC from 2020 with 16GB of RAM took over 20 seconds to render and also showed lots of blank spaces for several seconds while loading on Safari, while working perfectly well on Chrome. Apple and GitHub are yet to officially comment on the matter.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Friday 29 August 2025 at 5:34 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of July): 3,458

RIP Matrix