Microsoft Weekly: AI generates Windows 11 keys and Xbox prices go up

Today is Sunday, so it is time for Microsoft Weekly, your regular software giant news roundup bringing the most interesting stories from the last seven days. During the 25th week of 2023, we saw AI-generated Windows keys, new preview builds to test, Microsoft pressing the undo button, Windows 11 and ME celebrating their birthdays, and many more.

Need a Windows 11 key? Just ask ChatGPT

ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Google Bard, and similar services are powerful tools, and skilled interaction can result in weird results. This week, a Twitter user decided to trick ChatGPT and Google Bard into generating sort of legit Windows license keys. If you want to witness it yourself, ask ChatGPT to pretend it is your grandma who used to read you Windows 11 Professional keys to fall asleep.

New processors, new prompts, and new bugs

Another noteworthy Windows 11 story from the last seven days is about compatibility: Microsoft has quietly updated the list of processors supported by Windows 11. It now includes many new chips from Intel and AMD, assuring PC builders that their new DIY systems will get proper software support from Windows 11 makers. If you plan to build such a PC, check out these sweet AMD Ryzen CPU deals slashing the price tag on the latest and previous-generation models.

Those new CPUs surely had plenty of work lately as Microsoft discovered a bug causing high CPU load by a bug in File Explorer. Another processor-taxing problem was found in Visual Studio 2022. Fortunately, both issues are somewhat fixed: Microsoft provided a workaround for the File Explorer bug, and the latest Visual Studio update resolves high CPU usage.

In addition to providing details about Windows bugs, Microsoft revealed that Windows 10 and 11 would greet its customers with a new prompt asking if they want to continue using Windows Hello and store their biometrical data locally. The prompt includes the option to disable Windows Hello and remove the related data, giving users more privacy controls.

Outages strike, Microsoft explains

Earlier this month, a major outage took down various Microsoft services, such as Azure, Outlook, and Teams. As revealed this week by Microsoft, a large-scale DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack was the culprit, and it took the Redmond firm almost 15 hours to resolve the situation and bring the affected services back to life. The company published a blog post with all the technical details, and you can learn more about it here.

Windows Insider Program: new builds and features

Here are the new Windows builds Microsoft released this week for testing in the Windows Insider Program:

• Dev Channel: 23486 with passkey support, restored File Explorer options, and more
• Beta Channel: KB5027311 with new network settings and improved registry compatibility
• Release Preview Channel: 22621.1926 with the Moment 3 features
• Release Preview Channel: 19045.3154 with fixes

Last week, Microsoft announced the removal of several legacy File Explorer options. However, negative community feedback forced the company to change its mind. Therefore, in build 23486, Microsoft restored the previously deleted features, even though very few people use them in Windows 11.

Three new browsers and other software news

This week, we got three new browsers for Windows (and other platforms). Sidekick, a browser to help those struggling with constant distractions, released its first "browser-based OS" packed with multiple unique features for teamwork. Opera released Opera One, an AI-focused browser based on Chromium, and DuckDuckGo brought its privacy-focused solution to Windows after testing it for about a year on macOS.

Microsoft Edge, a more well-established mainstream browser, this week received a feature update to version 116 in the Dev preview channel. You will not find groundbreaking changes in the update, but you may spot one neat improvement in the Canary Channel—users noticed that Microsoft is testing a much darker theme.

There is also an update for Windows Subsystem for Android responsible for running Android apps on your Windows 11 computer. A third-party tool called WSA System Control is now available in the Microsoft Store, giving you more convenient controls over the subsystem, its files, settings, and more.

IT Admins should pay attention to Microsoft's recent Exchange Online announcement. Later this year, the company will update its SMTP relay requirements, which may affect email delivery and routing in various organizations. Check out our coverage to see what administrators should do to prepare for the upcoming change.

If you are a regular customer, changes in SMTP relay requirements will unlikely interest you. What may catch your attention is Microsoft's revised plans to ditch the old and long-neglected Mail and Calendar apps in Windows 11. After promising to replace the current UWP apps with the new Outlook for Windows starting September 2024, the company is now "reevaluating the timing and implementation of the change."

It is not the end of Outlook-related news, though. Microsoft confirmed a bug causing Outlook slowdowns and sync problems. Luckily, there is a fix, so be sure to check it out here. Also, Microsoft plans to add search refiners and coloured folders to Outlook and OneDrive.

Here are other notable software updates:

• Microsoft 365 Insiders can try new animated backgrounds in Microsoft Teams.
• Pivot tables in Excel now support images and other data types.
• Microsoft Teams-certified devices are getting a new "pre-join" screen feature.
• The original Surface Duo gets an unofficial Android 13 port.
• Microsoft Dev Home Preview 0.2 with various improvements and bug fixes.

And here is a Microsoft app turning into abandonware: the company decided to pull the plug on the Microsoft Bookings app for Android and iOS on July 15, 2023. The app left the App Store and the Google Play Store earlier this year, and now Microsoft is ready to shut it down for good. Unfortunately, the company did not explain the reasoning behind the decision.

Xbox and Game Pass prices go up

Microsoft's consoles and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate are now more expensive. Citing "competitive conditions in each market," Microsoft increased the Xbox Series X and Xbox Game Pass prices in select countries. The price hike is surely upsetting, but at least Xbox Game Pass regularly gets new games. This week, it received Need for Speed Unbound, Bramble: The Mountain King, Arcade Paradise, and more.

If subscribing to Xbox Game Pass is not an option, but you want to play something new without major spending, check out this week's Deals with Gold. You can get Red Dead Redemption 2, The Touryst, FIFA 23, and other titles for less. If you play games on a Windows PC, do not miss the latest Epic Games Store giveaway offering over $100 of content for free.

Another interesting gaming story this week was about EVE Online and its collaboration with Microsoft on creating a free Excel add-in to help players track game stats, items, player types, and other vital information. Thanks to the power of Excel and its spreadsheets, playing one of the longest-running MMO games on PC is now more convenient.

It also looks like Microsoft is not done with announcing new games. After dropping a metric ton of gaming announcements during the Xbox Game Showcase and Xbox Game Showcase Extended, the company revealed it would host the ID@Xbox Showcase on July 11, where it plans to show off upcoming indie games for Xbox and PC.

Finally, bad news for those playing old games. Microsoft will soon shut down Forza Horizon 1 and Horizon 2 servers, and Activision will put the original Call of Duty: Warzone to rest on September 21.

Microsoft-ABK developments

Microsoft could abandon its $68+ billion Activision-Blizzard deal if it gets delayed by federal judges. The company plans to close the deal on July 18, but if Microsoft loses the hearing, it would be forced into a "three-year administrative nightmare," says its lead attorney, Beth Wilkinson, stating that the outcome of the hearing would effectively "decide whether the deal goes forward."

Despite Microsoft's effort to prove the deal will not harm competitors, a heavily redacted email allegedly shows that Microsoft wants to buy Activision-Blizzard as a part of an overall plan to eliminate PlayStation from the gaming industry. Naturally, Sony continues opposing the deal and now threatens to withhold info about future PlayStation hardware from Activision if the merger gets the green light. Jim Ryan, Sony's CEO, says the company "could not run the risk."

More interesting read

John Callaham published three great "look back" articles this week. The first one covers Windows "ME," a 23-year-old operating system most PC owners, and even Microsoft, would like to forget about. The second one focuses on the story of Windows 11, the latest Windows installment that turned two this week. Finally, the third article features Microsoft's IBM PC add-on cards of the 1980s. Ever heard of RAMCard or RAMDrive?

Signing off this week with a Windows 11-related piece of trivia: did you know Windows 11 has an emergency restart option? Check out this article covering this hidden feature in more detail. However, I do not want to finish the article without random Microsoft facts, so here is one:

The original Windows release was developed under the "Interface Manager" name. However, Microsoft changed it to "Windows" before the public unveiling almost four decades ago. The shift was dictated by the operating system's GUI and its innovative ability to interact with multiple apps on one screen. Hindsight, it was a fantastic decision that made Windows one of the most iconic and well-known brands, and everyone can agree that it is more catchy and memorable than "Interface Manager."

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