Microsoft Weekly: Redesigned Office icons, new taskbar features for Windows 11, and more

This week's news recap is here with fresh updates for Windows 10 and 11, mysterious folders on drive C, Copilot Vision on Windows 11, big Surface dying, various browser updates, long-requested features for Windows 11, and more.

Quick links:

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

Windows 11 and Windows 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 versions.

April 2025 Patch Tuesday updates are available for Windows 10 and 11. Windows 11 users can download KB5055523 for version 24H2, while KB5055528 is available for those on version 23H2. These updates addressed plenty of bugs and security issues, including a Kerberos bug preventing users from changing passwords. Also, they quietly create a new folder in the root of drive C, which, as Microsoft says, is related to the latest security patches and should not be deleted.

Windows 10, on the other hand, received KB5055518, plus there are new out-of-band updates for Windows 10 and 11.

As we get closer to the end of Windows 10 support (in October 2025), Microsoft is ramping up its efforts to convert users from the outgoing operating system to Windows 11. If you have already pulled the trigger on Windows 11 but now want to go back, Microsoft has a list of tips and tricks that might make you stay. Also, Microsoft posted a detailed guide for admins on how to fix Windows 11/10 feature update issues.

Microsoft expanded the list of deprecated features and APIs in Windows 10 and 11. Microsoft is ditching the Windows UWP Map control and Windows Maps Platform APIs that allow developers to integrate maps into their Windows applications:

The United States Library of Congress now recognizes Windows 95's boot theme and the original Minecraft Volume Alpha as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States."

Windows Insider Program

Here is what Microsoft released for Windows Insiders this week:

In addition to the new Windows 11 preview builds, Microsoft is rolling out two big changes to the Copilot app. One feature enables Copilot to find files on your system and ask you various questions about them. The second feature is Copilot Vision. With it, Copilot can look at your screen and provide additional useful information or answer your questions.

Also, users discovered that the recent Windows 11 preview builds contain references to a feature that lets you show or hide the clock in the notification center. Interestingly, for some reason, Microsoft is removing that feature from Windows 10.

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.

It appears that Microsoft wants to redesign the icons of Office apps once again. Users found that the company is sending out email surveys, asking people to share their thoughts about a new set of icons for Word, Excel, OneDrive, PowerPoint, and other apps. If this comes to fruition, it will be the first redesign in nearly seven years. The last one was in 2018.

Speaking of Office, we have fixes for Excel, Word, Outlook, and other apps freezing in recent updates. However, the classic Outlook experienced a problem due to Microsoft pushing the new Outlook for Windows.

Following the release of PowerToys 0.90, Microsoft released a small bug-fixing update for everyone's favorite set of Windows utilities. Version 0.90.1 landed to resolve issues with PowerToys not installing using winget and various problems with the recently introduced Command Palette.

Mozilla released a small update for Firefox 137. Version 137.0.1 arrived with a few fixes for Windows users. The update patches three bugs: Two of them cause the browser to crash on Windows, while the third messes with the way Firefox treats folder shortcuts.

Microsoft Edge also received its fair share of updates. For one, Microsoft released a new version of Game Assist with UI and UX improvements, plus support for more games. Edge Insiders in the Dev Channel got a new weekly update with fixes and small improvements, and those in the Beta Channel got version 136 with multiple improvements to the settings page. Finally, Microsoft shared details about performance improvements in the latest version.

Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting:

• Microsoft changed its mind about WSUS driver sync via Update Catalog.
• Microsoft revealed what is going to happen to users who are not updating Teams on their systems.
• Microsoft announced "Templates," a new feature coming to Clipchamp for work users.

What is not going to receive new updates soon is the original Surface Hub and the Surface Hub 2S. Their software support is ending in October, alongside the end of support for Windows 10. This week, Microsoft published a new blog post to inform users about the upcoming EOL and offer various options to stay supported.

Reviews are in

Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week

This week, we posted a review of the GameSir X3 Pro, a mobile controller with a rich feature set, Hall Effect sticks, a very effective cooling system, and plenty of bundled accessories. It is a great companion for your mobile device, just not a very good one if you have an iPhone.

On the gaming side

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

Microsoft announced a new Xbox Game Showcase event. It is happening on June 8, 2025. As usual, expect to see a bunch of games that are coming soon to PC and Xbox. Plus, there will be a separate section dedicated to Outer Wilds 2.

Turn 10 Studios released a new Forza Motorsport update. Update 19 arrived ahead of the game's 20th anniversary, and it packs a bunch of Porsche icons, plus various improvements for different aspects of the game. The next one, Update 20, is expected to be a much bigger release, as the game is about to celebrate a major milestone.

Microsoft and the Age development team, Forgotten Empires, announced Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – The Three Kingdoms, which is set to expand on "China’s epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where history and legend collide in a battle for supremacy." The expansion offers three new campaigns that take players to China, offering intertwined stories set during the early medieval period that split into 15 missions.

Bungie is getting ready to dip its toes into the world of extraction shooters. This week, the studio revealed Marathon, a game that is coming to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 on September 23.

Nvidia announced new games for the GeForce NOW cloud streaming gaming service. The latest additions include South of Midnight, Commandos: Origins, The Thalos Principle: Reawakened, Diablo III, Blackrooms: Escape Together, and more. As usual, you need to own these games to play them on GeForce NOW.

Finally, we have a fresh issue of our Weekend PC Game Deals series, where you can find neon bundles, fighting freebies from the Epic Games Store, and more discounts across digital storefronts.

Other gaming news include the following:

• Razer is launching PC Remote Play to let gamers stream PC games to mobile devices

• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle received a new update with fresh abilities, ray tracing upgrades, and more.

   

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