Microsoft Weekly: updates for Windows Update, smarter Notepad, and more

This week's Microsoft news recap is here with a couple of new Windows 11 preview builds, Windows Update improvements, new features for Notepad, fresh developments about the upcoming Xbox handheld, several reviews, gaming stories, 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.

Microsoft released a bunch of quality updates for Windows 10 and 11 this week. It all started with Windows 11 version 24H2 getting an emergency update with fixes for the Hyper-V platform. That patch arrived with KB5058502.

Next, we have several non-security updates. On May 27, Microsoft dropped KB5058502 for Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2. The update introduced new features for the Settings app, taskbar improvements, Copilot changes, and more. Windows 11 version 24H2 later got KB5058499 with a long list of new features and improvements for HDR, Settings, Copilot, Click to Do, etc. Finally, Windows 10 received KB5058481, a small but important update that brought back some of the features Microsoft removed before for some unknown reason.

Besides releasing new updates, Microsoft acknowledged another issue in Windows 11. KB5058405 might fail to install with recovery error 0xc0000098 in ACPI.sys. However, do not panic—this bug has only been observed on devices running virtual environments, such as Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Virtual Desktop, etc. It does not affect Home and Pro editions.

The software giant also announced a new tool to help business customers leave Windows 10 behind. Windows Backup for Organizations helps companies reset their devices and recover new ones with reduced troubleshooting and minimized downtime. It also makes it easier to transition from Windows 10 to 11. New devices can be deployed faster, with a familiar environment and Windows settings pre-applied.

Microsoft also outlined its plans to rework Windows Update so that it can handle not only system updates but app updates as well. The new tools for this are currently in private preview, and developers can sign up by emailing Microsoft. Finally, the company published new USB-C requirements to improve the standard support in its operating system.

Windows Insider Program

Here is what Microsoft released for Windows Insiders this week:

Microsoft also shipped a quite significant update for Notepad. Windows 11's built-in text editor now supports basic text formatting, allowing you to have headlines, bold, italics, and bullet lists. However, if you want to keep it simple, like in the good old days, you can turn text formatting on in settings.

Updates are available

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

This week, Mozilla released Firefox 139, a major browser update. The release introduced the ability to translate extension pages, preview links with AI-generated key points, new customization options for the new tab page, and more. Later on, Mozilla also pushed Firefox 140 to the Beta Channel and Firefox 139.0.1 with a single fix for systems with Nvidia graphics cards.

In addition to releasing Firefox 139 and 140, Mozilla published a blog post about the recent improvements it had made to the browser's address bar.

Opera also dropped a big announcement, unveiling Opera Neon, the first "AI agentic browser." Neon is designed to "rethink the role of the browser" in the agentic web. Developers claim Neon understands users' intent and turns it into action using AI-powered capabilities. It is not publicly available yet, though.

Finally, Microsoft Edge. Version 137 arrived in the Stable Channel with a few important changes. Picture-in-picture now has more features, but the update also removed quite a lot of existing capabilities that Microsoft is no longer developing. In addition, Microsoft released Edge Game Bar to all Windows 11 users.

This week's Office updates include some improvements for Teams. Now, users can have a chat window when sharing their screen so that they can see messages from other participants and react to them. The chat box stays invisible to viewers, so it does not obstruct the content of your presentation. Also, Microsoft brought anonymous file sharing to Office apps on Android.

By the way, we brought back our weekly Microsoft 365 Roadmap recaps, so check out the latest edition here.

Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting:

• Notion is now available in the Microsoft Store.
• Stardock released Fences 6 with tab support, dynamic coloring, and more.
• Microsoft Authenticator is now showing users how to turn on autofill in Microsoft Edge.

• DirectX Raytracing received a performance boost with Opacity Micromaps in Agility SDK 1.616.

   

Here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week:

• AMD Radeon 25.5.2 with optimizations for F1 25 and more.

Reviews are in

Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week

This week, I checked out the GameSir X5 Lite, an excellent yet affordable gamepad for your mobile device or tablet. At just $34.99, the X5 Lite offers Hall Effect sticks, a lightweight build, lively color, and decent ergonomics. It is not flawless, though, so check out our review here.

Steven Parker reviewed the TerraMaster D9-320, a 9-bay storage with 10 Gbps connection and up to 198TB of space. This NAS offers a premium build, good energy efficiency, and hot-swap capabilities. It is a bit pricey, though.

Robbie Khan published a review of the K2 HE Special Edition, Keychron's new keyboard with magnetic Hall Effect switches, comfortable typing, and high-quality craftsmanship overall.

Also, we now have a review of the Danbei Freedo, a smart Google TV projector that you can take anywhere, thanks to a built-in battery and speakers. It is an interesting device for entertainment, and you can learn more about it here.

On the gaming side

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

Colossal Order has been struggling with new content for Cities: Skylines II so far, and now there is more bad news. The developer revealed that the Bridges & Ports expansion has been delayed again. The expansion is now scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Nvidia has some good news for Steam Deck owners: the GeForce NOW app is now available on Valve's handheld, allowing you to play AAA games on the go. Speaking of games, the service received a fresh batch of supported games, which includes Nice Day for Fishing, Cash Cleaner Simulator, Tokyo Xtreme Racer, The Last Spell, and more.

Speaking of handheld consoles, Microsoft reportedly hit the pause button on Xbox handheld to focus on Windows 11 gaming and improve its current form.

Microsoft has kicked off the first beta of Copilot for Gaming, a new second-screen experience that allows you to ask AI for help when facing a challenging situation in games. It is currently available on mobile devices, but Microsoft is also working on bringing Copilot for Gaming to the Game Bar on Windows.

Finally, Pulasthi Ariyasinghe reviewed Elden Ring Nightreign, a streamlined roguelike with some serious action, impressive bosses, good gameplay, and a surprisingly decent price. It is not a perfect game, but for $39.99, it is a great title for fans of the genre.

Deals and freebies

The Epic Games Store is giving away two games this week: LIMBO and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. More deals are available in this week's Weekend PC Game Deals series.

Other gaming news includes the following:

• EA reportedly canceled Marvel's Black Panther game and shut down the developer.

• The Witcher 3 is getting its final update with mod support on consoles.

• Elden Ring Nightreign sold two million copies, and its first update is coming soon.

   

Source

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