Microsoft Weekly: mergers, bugs, activations keys, TPM requirement bypass, and new builds

In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, the software giant finally acquires Activision-Blizzard, old Windows keys lose their ability to activate Windows 11, Microsoft backtracks controversial OneDrive changes, Patch Tuesday updates come out, Windows issues emerge, and preview builds land in three channels.

Table of contents:

1. Windows 11 news
2. Updates are available
3. Gaming news
4. A blast from Microsoft's past
5. Random fact about Microsoft

Windows 11

Here we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And of course, you may find a word or two about older but still supported versions.

The latest Patch Tuesday updates kick off the Windows 11 section with the following releases:

• KB5031354 for Windows 11 version 22H2 (build 22621.2428) with some Moment 4 changes and new features. The updated File Explorer is not there (expect it later next month), but you can already compare its latest upgrades with what users wanted Microsoft to do.
• KB5031356 for Windows 10 (build 19044.3570 and 19045.3570) with security patches. Windows 10 also received a components service update with a "new user interface (UI) functionality for Windows Update."

Microsoft has also updated the official Windows Health Dashboard website with details about a newly discovered bug. According to the company, BitLocker might incorrectly receive a 65000 error in MDMs. However, the problem does not affect drive encryption, and you can bypass it by changing a few policies. Note that the bug does not affect non-managed devices or systems not using BitLocker encryption.

Windows 10 also has a fair share of troubles. Microsoft has confirmed that some users may experience problems downloading the latest Patch Tuesday updates (KB5031356). Error 8007000D ERROR_INVALID_DATA might prevent you from getting your system to the newest release. Fortunately, there is a relatively quick and easy fix.

It is also worth noting that the original Windows 11 release, version 21H2 from October 2021, is now unsupported. Microsoft no longer provides security patches and bug-fixing updates for the Home and Professional Edition. If your PC runs Windows 11 version 21H2 Home or Professional, it is time to update to a newer version and discover plenty of great changes and new features it contains.

Windows NTLM (NT LAN Manager) is another Windows-related thing Microsoft plans to ditch. The company published a blog post detailing the expansion of Kerberos, its main authentication protocol used by hundreds of millions of users for more than 20 years. Although some businesses and organizations still use NTLM, Microsoft wants to retire the standard because it does not require a local network connection to a Domain Controller, and there is no way to know who the target server is.

Windows 11 is infamous for its strict hardware requirements users try to bypass with various commands and methods. This week, curious minds discovered that adding a short switch to the setup.exe file in the Windows 11 setup directory bypasses the hardware requirements check.

What you can no longer bypass is the requirement to use a genuine Windows 10 or 11 key to activate a clean install of Windows 11. This week, Microsoft confirmed that all Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 keys are now blocked from validating any Windows 11 edition or version. If you missed it, those still using the now-unsupported Windows version can no longer update to Windows 10 for free (existing activations will continue working fine). The one-year offer has finally expired, albeit with a seven-year delay. Better late than never.

Windows Insider Program

Microsoft released the following Windows 11 preview builds for testing this week:

• Dev Channel: 23565 with the new Copilot icon and Windows Spotlight set as the default desktop background.
• Beta Channel: 22635.2483 and 22635.2419 (a two-build week, yay) with some new features added and turned off due to bugs. More importantly, Microsoft has finally ditched the two-build update system and merged Beta builds into one. Now, you can use a special toggle in Windows Update settings to enable all new features the latest Beta update contains. This change will simplify and make the Windows Insider program easier to understand.
• Release Preview: 22621.2500 with Search Highlights changes and minor fixes across the operating system.

On October 1, 2023, the Windows Insider program marked its ninth anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, Microsoft released two weird-looking wallpapers featuring UI elements Windows 11 will most likely never get. You can check out the anniversary wallpaper Microsoft released in 2022 here.

To finish the Windows 11 section, here is an article detailing the top 10 Start menu features and changes Windows 11 users want. This part of the operating system is highly controversial and still sparks heated and hated discussions among users. Especially considering how little change it has received since October 2021.

Updates are available

This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.

The original Surface Duo and its successor, the Surface Duo 2, received the first unofficial Android 14 ROM. It is based on the raw Android Open-Source Project, so do not expect many optimizations or specific features (except for turning off the hinge gap on the Surface Duo 2). Also, there are plenty of bugs and rough surfaces, so keep that in mind before flashing your Surface Duo.

On the official side, the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Go 2 received the October 2023 firmware update. It improves camera performance and resolves security vulnerabilities. Surface Laptop 3 received charging improvements and a fix for the bug causing a stuck Surface logo when booting. Finally, the SQ1 and SQ2 configurations of the Surface Pro X lineup got a patch to resolve disconnecting keyboards. It's time to visit Windows Update if you own one of those Surface PCs.

Following the less-than-positive feedback from users about the recently announced OneDrive changes, Microsoft decided to undo the damage and revoke the controversial feature with counting users' photos multiple times when added to different albums. Here is what Microsoft has said:

On August 31, 2023, we began to communicate an upcoming update to our cloud storage infrastructure that would result in a change in how OneDrive photos and photo albums data is counted against your overall cloud storage quota.

 

This change was scheduled to start rolling out on October 16, 2023. Based on the feedback we received, we have adjusted our approach, we will no longer roll out this update.

 

We will maintain the current photo album experience, as it is today.

Other notable updates released this week include the following:

• Office Insiders can add checkboxes to cells in Excel. According to Microsoft, this was one of the most requested features for Excel, and now you can try it by enrolling your device in the Microsoft 365 Insider program.
• The UUP Media Creator project received a small bug-fixing update to resolve problems with downloading the latest Windows 11 Moment 4 update files.
• Microsoft Edge Dev 119.0.2151.2 with tab grouping and video overlay improvements.
• Rufus 4.3 Beta with Windows in S Mode installation, NTFS enforcing for Linux, and more.
• Microsoft Edge 118 in the Stable Channel as a part of its four-week release schedule. The latest release includes a new Microsoft Edge for Business Banner, an AI upgrade for the Find on Page feature (it sends some bits to Microsoft, so you might want to turn it off), new policies, and security fixes.

Here are the drivers released this week:

• NVIDIA 537.58 WHQL with support for Forza Motorsport, Call of Duty Modern Warfare III Open Beta, and Lords of the Fallen.
• Intel Arc 31.0.1014887 with support for the new Arc A580 GPU and optimizations for Call of Duty Modern Warfare III Open Beta, Total War: PHARAOH, and Lords of the Fallen.
• Intel Wi-Fi 23.0.5 with the initial support for Wi-Fi 7 network cards from Intel.
• AMD Radeon Software 23.10.1 with Assassin's Creed Mirage and Lords of the Fallen support.

Finally, here is Microsoft 365 Roadmap Weekly covering the latest features coming soon to Microsoft's productivity applications, such as Copilot in Office apps, Loop in Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Stream improvements, and more.

On the gaming side

Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts and more.

We may still be far from the leaked Xbox Series X|S refresh, which is scheduled for the second half of 2024, but the company is not sitting and doing nothing regarding hardware announcements. This week, the company unveiled a new Xbox Starter Bundle. It includes the 500GB white Xbox Series S, a wireless controller, and a code for three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The best part? The price is still the same, $299.99, which means the bundle can save you $50 on three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Steal!

Starfield, one of Microsoft's biggest and hottest new IPs, received another update. It introduced an FOV slider and optimizations for those playing the game on Intel's Arc graphics cards. You can find the complete changelog for Starfield version 1.7.36 here.

Following the approval from the UK's CMA, Microsoft finally closed the merger with Activision-Blizzard, which means users now expect the company to add popular ABK titles to its PC and Xbox Game Pass catalogs. Although the publisher ruled out adding Diablo IV and the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III to the service, other games should land in the subscription much earlier than we expected. A newly published report claims gamers can expect "a ton of new games hit Xbox Game Pass the very minute the deal is finished."

Interestingly, the FTC still thinks the deal threatens competition. Therefore, we may hear more interesting stories revolving around the troublesome acquisition in the near future. Conversely, Microsoft may please the regulators by giving developers and customers more choices. Phil Spencer revealed in an interview that the company is open to the idea of launching a "Steam of mobile" app store for iOS and Android. The just-acquired mobile titles like Call of Duty Mobile, Diablo Immortal, and Candy Crush will help Microsoft cement its position in the mobile gaming market and increase its push on competitors.

This week, NVIDIA revealed its plans to increase the price of its GeForce NOW streaming service in Europe and Canada starting November 1. However, the US price will remain unchanged. Get ready to pay NVIDIA more if you use the service in the affected countries. At least it continues getting new games: 22 new titles, including Forza Motorsport, are now playable on NVIDIA's GeForce NOW.

Deals and Freebies

There are no price increases in our Deals and Freebies section. Our Weekend PC Game Deals are here with first-person shooters to try, an entire festival of free demos, and a few big deals on critically acclaimed titles, such as No Man's Sky, SUPERHOT VR, Battlefield 1, Little Nightmares, and more.

The Epic Games Store also gives away Q.U.B.E Ultimate Bundle and Blazing Sails. The offer is valid until the upcoming Thursday.

A blast from Microsoft's past

John Callaham's weekly "Look back" series provides throwbacks into the past, detailing the company's products, partnerships, mishaps, and successes from years ago.

This week's look-back article is about Age of Empires Online and the current fan-run revival. Age of Empires Online was a free-to-play multiplayer real-time strategy game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released in 2011 and shut down in 2014.

Despite its short lifespan, Age of Empires Online had a dedicated fan base. In 2017, a group of fans decided to revive the game under the Project Celeste title. The game is completely free to play and is being run under Microsoft's Game Content Usage Rules but without any involvement or endorsements from Microsoft. You can read more about the project here.

Microsoft Solitaire, another legendary game developed by the software giant, marked its 33rd anniversary. Here is another look-back article detailing how Microsoft released the game in 1990 as a part of Windows 3.0.

Random fact about Microsoft

And here is a randomly selected piece of trivia about the company, Windows, and other Microsoft-made things.

Microsoft was never a big or notable player in the smartwatch market. You may have heard about Microsoft Band (or even owned one), but did you know that the software giant released its first smartwatch long before the category became mainstream? The Timex Datalink 150 was co-developed by Timex and Microsoft as a wearable mini-computer and an alternative to personal digital assistants (PDAs).

Unlike the Apple Watch and its lookalikes, the Timex Datalink required pairing with a Windows 3.1-based PC, not a phone. It could display messages, appointments, and other data synced from your computer. Sadly, despite being a groundbreaking product for its time, the Datalink watch series was not a commercial success. However, NASA certified the Timex Datalink for space missions, resulting in astronauts wearing the device in space.

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