Microsoft Weekly: new Start menu layout, deprecated features and apps, and more

In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at a new and now-working layout for the Start menu in Windows 11, Paint 3D going six feet under, a new deprecated feature in Windows 11, fresh Windows 11 preview builds, some gaming news, important changes in Nvidia drivers for users with old hardware, app updates, and more.

Table of contents:

1. Windows 10 and 11 news
2. Windows Insider Program
3. Updates are available
4. Gaming news

Windows 11 and 10

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 August 2024 Patch Tuesday updates are not out yet (expect them next week), but Microsoft released a new Windows 11 24H2 recovery update under KB5041979 and KB5041178 setup update.

Speaking of updates, a new discovery was made over this weekend. Security researchers demonstrated a way to undo security updates to exploit already-patched vulnerabilities. Microsoft is already aware of the problem, and it is working on a way to resolve it.

Microsoft has deprecated PostScript Type 1 fonts in Windows. The company plans to remove them in future updates following the end of support from Adobe. In the updated list of deprecated features in Windows client versions, Microsoft recommends developers test how the removal of those fonts will affect their applications.

Another thing that is coming to an end is Windows 11 versions 21H2 and 22H2. Microsoft issued another reminder that those two operating systems will soon be out of support. Now, you have less than 60 days to upgrade to something more recent.

We are not done with soon-to-be-dead Microsoft products. As it turned out, Paint 3D is also about to go six feet under. Users noticed that the app is now showing a notification about the upcoming end of life on November 4. But the real question is, do you even remember Paint 3D?

Just like Windows 11 reached its all-time high in July 2024, Microsoft Edge is also breaking its previous records. Statcounter's latest data revealed that Microsoft's browser now has 13.74% of the desktop browser market. It is still a far cry from Google Chrome, which had a share of 64.72% in July, but progress is progress, no matter how slow it is.

Finally, here is an interesting project that lets you transform Windows 11 into Windows 10 with one click. Why would someone want to do that instead of just installing Windows 10 is an open question, but there you go:

Windows Insider Program

Here is what Microsoft Released this week for testing in the Windows Insider Program:

In addition to new builds, Microsoft released a big update for the Microsoft Store. The August 2024 update brings proper changelogs for app updates, a new section, search improvements, reworked badges, in-app event widgets, and more.

Also, the latest Windows 11 Beta build features a working version of the recently spotted "Categories" view. However, the feature is not public yet, so getting it to work requires some tinkering with a third-party modding tool.

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 revamped Sticky Notes app is now available to everyone, but not everyone is happy about that. The app suffers from poor performance, and you cannot remove it without uninstalling OneNote or the entire Office suite. Besides, it is still in preview, so it is a bit odd to see it in the Stable Channel.

Clipchamp, another Microsoft-owned web-based application, received a set of new features, such as image background removal and noise suppression.

Files, one of our favorite apps, received a new feature update. Version 3.6 is now available in the Microsoft Store with a bunch of improvements, such as a horizontal layout for the Dual Pane view, per-folder backgrounds, a new action menu, and more.

Speaking of favorite apps, if you know some, you can now nominate them for the 2024 Microsoft Store App Awards. The nominations are open until September 15, and the winners will be announced in October. Submissions are accepted for developers and regular users.

Microsoft's latest Surface devices are coming to business customers. Business-focused models of the Surface Laptop 7 and the Surface Pro 11 5G are now up available for preorder in the Microsoft Store. By the way, if you already have a Copilot+ PC, you can now install Adobe's Premiere Pro video editing software. Although it is not an ARM native yet, Adobe has made it possible to run it through emulation.

Microsoft has released a new preview update for Teams, where the main change is the ability to hide the Discover feed, a stream of new posts from various channels. Microsoft 365 Insiders can check that update right now, and it should not take too long to arrive in the Stable Channel.

Microsoft 365 Insiders also have access to a new feature in Word. Those with compatible touchscreen devices can draw perfect shapes with the Draw and Hold option. In a nutshell, it lets you make a poor drawing of a certain form and hold it for a couple of seconds for the app to straighten the lines.

Firefox received a big new update this week. Version 129.0 hit the Release channel on August 6, offering users new features for Reader View, tab previews, security improvements, and other changes.

There were no major updates for Microsoft Edge, but the browser still received some notable improvements. In the Stable Channel, Edge received several security fixes. In the Dev Channel, Microsoft updated it to version 129 with improvements for Gamer Mode and Browser Essentials.

Other notable updates include the following:

• Proton VPN now supports the Stealth Protocol on Windows to disguise VPN traffic.
• Proton Pass received Windows Hello support for biometric authentication.
• Microsoft released official guides about some parts of the new Outlook app for Windows.

• Microsoft made security a Core Priority and part of employee performance reviews.

• A bunch of the canceled Midori OS project videos leaked this week.

• Microsoft is investing $25 million in open-source database startup Neon.

   

And here are the newest drivers and firmware updates released this week:

• Surface Pro X SQ2 received Surface Pro Flex Keyboard support and more.
• Nvidia 560.81 WHQL with fixes for high CPU usage and Farming Simulator crashes.

Another important driver-related story from this week is about Nvidia R555+ drivers causing blue screens of death on certain computers. If you have a PC with, say, a Core 2 Duo processor and a still-supported Nvidia card, like GTX 750 Ti, stay away from R555+ drivers because they will cause your computer to loop into blue screens of death. You may also want to adjust Windows Update settings to prevent Windows 10 from automatically updating the GPU driver.

Besides, Nvidia released a new version of its recently introduced Nvidia App for Windows 10 and 11. In the latest beta version, the program received a new section for display customization, RTX Video enhancements, and various small tweaks based on user feedback.

Also, MSI, ASUS, and other manufacturers started rolling out new Intel microcode to address issues with Intel's 13 and 14-generation processors. To safeguard your chips, install the update as soon as possible since the damage due to crashing is irreversible, even with the extended warranty from Intel.

Finally, here is this week's Microsoft 365 Roadmap Weekly, a series where we track new features coming soon to Microsoft's productivity apps, such as Clipchamp, Outlook, Microsoft Viva, and more.

On the gaming side

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

Microsoft announced a bunch of new games for Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers. The latest additions include Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Creatures of Ava, and Mafia: Definitive Edition. However, some games will also leave the service on August 15, so check them out here.

Over the week, Activision unveiled details about the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 zombie mode, such as two maps, fighting with up to three friends, unlocking new locations, buying weapons, and fighting off dozens of zombies.

Half-Life 3 confirmed? Yep, it is time to make that joke again. But this time, it may actually make sense as data miners uncovered traces of what is believed to be the much-anticipated sequel to Half-Life 2 from many years ago. Of course, not much is known at this point, so take that information with a fair share of skepticism.

Deals and freebies:

Now to that part where you spend money on the games you will never play. This week's Weekend PC Game Deals features plenty of discounts on various topics. If you do not want to pay, here are the latest Epic Games Store freebies: the Store is giving away CYGNI: All Guns Blazing and DNF Duel.

Check out other gaming stories from this week:

• Warhammer 40K Space Marine II PC hardware specs are out.

• The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria lands on Xbox Series X|S and Steam in August.

• Fallout: London authors are working on a hotfix and a "huge" patch to resolve issues.

• QuakeCon 2024 News: Doom Eternal PC mod support, Doom Anthology release, and more.

• God of War Ragnarök receives official PC system requirements ahead of the September launch.

   

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