Microsoft Weekly: New Windows 11 wallpapers, app updates, and a no-build week

This week's Microsoft Weekly is pretty slim due to the Thanksgiving season in the US, but we still had some interesting stories, a bunch of updates, gaming news, fresh drivers, new wallpapers, and more.

Table of contents:

1. Windows 10 and 11 news
2. Windows Insider Program
3. Updates are available
4. Reviews are in
5. 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.

Windows 10 will be out of support in about ten months, and if you do not plan to update to Windows 11 or pay Microsoft $30 for twelve more years of security updates, you might want to consider several alternatives. Paul Hill published an editorial describing various options users can try to save their computers from the inevitable death of Windows 10.

Another Windows-related thing that is going away is DeX for PC. Samsung announced that this quirky mode will reach its end of support with the release of One UI 7. The company now encourages customers to use the "Link to Windows" feature.

To finish the Windows section, which is pretty slim this week, here are some neat wallpapers pulled from the recently announced Windows 365 Link device. They are yet another take on Windows 11's Stock Bloom wallpaper, and they look quite nice if you ask me.

Windows Insider Program

Sadly, nothing in the Windows Insider Program this week. Microsoft took a Thanksgiving break and announced that no new builds would be available, so expect the next updates in a few days.

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.

A few days ago, a commotion occurred on the Internet when users misinterpreted Microsoft's official documentation. Bold claims were made about Microsoft scrapping user data from Office documents to train its AI. The spread of misinformation forced Microsoft to step ahead and refute claims, stating that it does not siphon user's data for AI training.

Speaking of Office, Microsoft updated Word for the web with improved line numbering. Now, the web-based version of the company's word processor has the same line numbering capabilities as its desktop counterpart.

In addition, Microsoft updated the upcoming Microsoft 365 Companion app with the new File Search Companion "app" that promises to bring quick and easy file search to your taskbar. Even though it is not publicly announced yet, you can try it yourself, assuming you have the right account to sign in.

Microsoft announced major changes to its video offerings, unifying Stream and Clipchamp under the same umbrella. Although the products cater to different markets, Microsoft feels that sticking the Clipchamp brand on top of both is the right decision.

This week, Files received a new update. Version 3.8 arrived with tab improvements, alternate data stream support (you can now add data in addition to viewing it), some new actions like path copy, closing all tabs, and pasting from the clipboard as shortcuts, and archive settings improvements.

If you use Firefox, you are probably already on version 133, which was released this week. If you missed the announcement, check out the complete changelog here. The browser's latest feature update packs Bounce Tracking Protection, tab overview improvements, security fixes, and other changes.

Microsoft Edge also received an update, albeit only for Edge Insiders in the Dev Channel. Version 132.0.2957.11 landed with WebUI2 improvements and fixes for various crashes.

Other notable updates include the following:

• Microsoft released KB5048779 and KB5047131 with setup improvements for Windows 11 version 24H2 and Server 2025.

And here are the newest drivers released this week:

• AMD Software PRO Edition 24.Q4 with fixes for various creative apps.
• AMD 9.3.3.00117 RAID driver with Windows 11 version 24H2 support.

Reviews are in

Here is the hardware we reviewed this week.

Robbie Khan published a review of the CUKTECH 45W, a 20,000 mAh power bank that is fast, versatile, and convenient. For a quite affordable price, you get large capacity, a solid power output, great build quality, and top-notch thermal controls. Just pay attention to certain parts of the build (no anti-slip parts) and the fact that you cannot service the built-in USB-C cable.

On the gaming side

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

While the rest of this Microsoft Weekly is rather thin due to the Thanksgiving season, we still had plenty of gaming news. The original Halo: Combat Evolved, for one, suddenly received a virtual reality mod with full motion controls. However, you can only play it on PC and not from the Halo: Master Chief Collection, which makes it a little tricky to implement.

8BitDo partnered with Microsoft and announced the original Xbox-themed Retro mechanical keyboard and mouse with a green translucent casing that matches the aesthetics of the OG Xbox.

CD Projekt Red revealed some interesting news. In addition to announcing 30 million copies of Cyberpunk 2077 sold (the expansion hit 8 million), the studio confirmed that the next Witcher saga is now in full-scale production.

If you quit Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 after its disastrous launch, here is some good news: the development team has fixed the game's reliability (claimed to be at 99.999% now) and promised to deliver two updates with patches, bug fixes, and stability improvements. Expect one update in the first week of December and another one in the week after.

Those waiting for the next Minecraft update should mark December 3, 2024, in their calendars. Mojang announced that The Garden Awakens will be available next week, bringing a new hostile mob, a new creepy biome, and more.

If you are a fan of Xbox Avatars, here is some bad news for you: Microsoft is shutting down the thing. The Xbox Avatar Editor app will go dark on January 9, 2025, no longer allowing users to create their digital identities. In addition, Microsoft will refund any items purchased between November 1, 2023, and January 9, 2025. However, the old Xbox 360-era Avatar editor will remain available.

Deals and freebies

In addition to this week's Epic Games Store freebie giveaway, which is Brotato, we have a big seasonal sale on Steam. The 2024 Autumn Sale is now in full swing, plus everyone can vote for their favorite games in the next installment of Steam Awards nominations. The sale runs from November 27 through December 4. And by the way, the Winter Sale is also coming soon.

As usual, you can find more deals in our Weekend PC Game Deals series, which we publish every Saturday.

If you do have a decent system to play PC games, you may want to consider Nvidia's GeForce NOW streaming service, which is currently available at a 50% discount during the Black Friday season.

Other gaming stories from this week include the following:

• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 received a new patch to address crashes, bugs, and other issues.
• Paradox Interactive explained why Cities: Skylines 2 still has no console release date.
• 2K decided to remove its launcher from all of its games.
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be MachineGames' longest game to date.
• Microsoft's Xbox store for Android is ready, but Google says it is unsafe for launch.
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora—Secrets of the Spires DLC is out with PS5 Pro support.

Microsoft Weekly image by Mylene2401 on Pixabay

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