Microsoft Weekly: Windows '12' requiring more RAM, Microsoft hacked by Russians, and more

In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at the latest stories from the world of Microsoft published on Neowin between January 14 and 21. Those include rumors about Windows '12' requiring much more RAM than its predecessors, a Microsoft hack that happened in November 2023, right after the company announced major changes in its cybersecurity efforts, fresh Windows 11 preview builds in the Dev and Beta channels, app updates, and plenty of gaming news.

Table of contents:

1. Windows 11 news
2. Windows Insider Program and Preview builds
3. Updates are available
4. A review to check
5. Gaming news
6. A blast from Microsoft's past
7. 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.

This week's Windows 11 section opens with an interesting rumor about Microsoft increasing the RAM baseline for its upcoming big Windows release. Trendforce claims Microsoft "has set the baseline for DRAM on AI PCs at 16GB." There is no information on what exactly that means. Some speculate that 16GB will be a minimum requirement for Windows "12" machines, while others suggest that it is just a recommendation for PCs with advanced AI capabilities powered by the next-gen hardware from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm.

Although we are only a few months away from the launch of Microsoft's next-generation Windows, we still do not know what it looks like nor what features it will bring. The lack of any official announcements tickles enthusiasts' minds, inspiring them to generate neat-looking concepts. Here is one from AR 4789. Their latest creation imagines Windows 12 based on early mockups we saw in late 2022.

Microsoft has updated its official documentation to clarify that Mac users with Apple Silicon-powered computers can officially run Windows 11 using the Parallels Desktop app. The latter has been officially authorized for Windows 11 on Apple M3 Macs, giving you access to most of the operating system's features. The only exception is capabilities that require nested virtualization (a VM inside a VM), such as Windows Busystem for Android, Windows Subsystem for Linux, Windows Sandbox, and VBS.

A new report emerged this week about an actively exploited Microsoft Defender vulnerability that allows bad actors to bypass Windows SmartScreen and steal data on Windows computers. Fortunately, Microsoft patched the security hole a few months ago, so your system is safe if you maintain good software hygiene and do not mess with Windows Update settings beyond what Microsoft allows. As a reminder, turning off Windows updates is never a good idea!

And speaking of vulnerabilities, here is an odd story Microsoft revealed this week. This month, Microsoft discovered that a Russian intelligence group got access to emails from its top executives using vulnerabilities in Microsoft products. Hackers breached in November 2023, but Microsoft could only spot the problem on January 12, 2024.

Finally, Microsoft confirmed that it is working on fixing the 0x80070643 - ERROR_INSTALL_FAILURE message that happens on systems with too small WinRE partitions.

Windows Insider Program

Windows Insiders got a few new builds to try this week:

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.

Let us start with something that will no longer receive updates. The Surface Pro 5 and its LTE variant are no longer supported. On January 14, 2024, the tablet reached its end of life, which means no more firmware and driver updates.

This week, Microsoft unveiled a bunch of Copilot-related announcements. The company is finally ready to launch a subscription service to give users more features for a premium. Copilot Pro is now available for $20 per month, offering customers access to GPT-4 Turbo, Office integration, improved image generation, and more. A future update will also bring the ability to create custom GPTs using simple prompts.

In addition, Microsoft expanded commercial access to Copilot for Microsoft 365 and officially unveiled Copilot apps for iOS and Android.

Microsoft Edge will soon offer you more Copilot integrations. Recent Canary updates received a few extra tools for the built-in screenshot tool, allowing you to capture something on your screen and send that picture to Copilot, extract text using optical character recognition, and more. Check out this article to learn how to try those features (Microsoft is rolling them out gradually).

In addition to that, Microsoft released a weekly update for Edge Dev, giving users a large number of browser crash fixes.

There is an update for the Microsoft Rewards program. The company quietly rolled back some of the recent changes, restoring the previous amounts of points you can earn by completing tasks on the program's home page.

Other notable updates released this week include the following:

• New Windows 11-based virtual machines from Microsoft are out. Version 2401, still powered by Windows 11 version 22H2, is now available for download.
• The Surface Pro 9 with Intel processors received the January 2024 firmware update with camera fixes and Windows Hello improvements.
• Rufus 4.4 is out with fixes for Dev Drives, GRUB 2.12 support, better card reader compatibility, and more.
• App install notifications are now available for all Windows 11 users in the Stable Channel. Microsoft released Microsoft Store version 22312 with the ability to receive notifications when the app has finished downloading a program or game.
• Following the recent Incognito-related lawsuit, Google updated the warning you see when entering the Incognito mode in Google Chrome. The revised version now explicitly says that Incognito does not stop the company from tracking your data.
• OneNote for Windows is getting a new gesture to help you select handwritten text and inking. It is now available in preview for Microsoft 365 Insiders.
• Word Online received more detailed link previews, giving you the ability to check more information about a specific link before clicking it. As for the standalone Word app for Windows, it now features a dedicated Accessibility Assistant that can analyze your document and suggest changes to make your document easier to read.

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• Microsoft renamed another Bing-related product. This time, Bing Image Creator changed to Image Creator from Designer.

And here are the new drivers released this week:

• NVIDIA 546.65 WHQL with support for RTX 4070 SUPER and a few fixes.

Here are the latest additions to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, where the company keeps track of upcoming features for its productivity apps. This week's recap covers a new email sync button for Outlook, a new co-organizer feature for Teams, and a bunch of updates for Microsoft Stream and Forums.

A review to check

Here is the hardware and/or software we reviewed this week.

A new mini PC showed up for a review. The Geekom Mini Air12 is a light and quiet computer for your average PC tasks. Its energy-efficient 6W TDP processor from Intel paired with DDR5 memory will ensure you have enough processing power without sucking too much electricity out of the nearby socket. And the best part is that the computer is only $249. Of course, nothing is perfect, so check out Steven's Geekom Mini Air12 review to learn more.

On the gaming side

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

Xbox Developer_Direct

Microsoft held a special gaming event on January 18, where it unveiled a few games coming soon to PC and Xbox Series X|S. Look out for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle from Bethesda Softworks and MachineGames later this year. It will be set between the Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movies, giving you an opportunity to resolve an archaeological mystery in Egypt, the Himalayas, and more.

Besides a proper AAA title, Bethesda announced a new mobile game for Android and iOS. The Elder Scrolls: Castles will utilize the same successful formula created by Fallout: Shelter in 2015, giving you a chance to build and maintain a castle in the infamous universe.

Hellblade II finally has a release date (Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, to be precise). The game is coming May 21 to Xbox and PC. Obsidian's Avowed is scheduled for this fall (consoles and PCs), and Ara: History Untold, a strategy game developed by Oxide Games and published by Microsoft, lands on PC Game Pass somewhere in the same timeframe.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is delayed again. This time, GSC Game World moved the release date from the first quarter of 2024 to September 5, 2024. In addition to the new release window (this one should be final at last), developers published a brief new trailer showcasing the game's protagonist enjoying the company of fellow stalkers next to a campfire.

Forza Motorsport, Microsoft's ill-fated racing simulator, received a new content update. Update 4 delivers Daytona International Speedway, a bunch of new cars, and fixes.

Starfield will soon get a massive update, which is now available in Beta for PC users. Bethesda claims the release brings over a hundred fixes and adjustments with a focus on quality-of-life improvements and quest patches.

Microsoft announced a new wave of games coming to Xbox and PC Game Pass. The latest additions include Persona 3 Reload, Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, Brotato, and more. Some of the announced games are already available for play.

NVIDIA GeForce NOW, another gaming subscription, also received a bunch of new games, some of which are available for PC Game Pass subscribers. The latest additions include Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, FAR: Changing Tides, Going Under, New Cycle, Exporimal, and more.

Deals and freebies

The Epic Games Store is giving away a minimalistic platformer called LOVE, which looks like something straight from the early days of Atari. You can grab LOVE for free until the next Thursday, when the store is expected to announce another giveaway. Also, check out our Weekend PC Game Deals series, where you will find plenty of discounts from different stores across the internet.

Other gaming news and updates from this week include the following:

• Microsoft finally released a fix for missing Baldur's Gate 3 saves on Xbox Series X|S.
• Mojang released a new free Minecraft DLC in collaboration with BBC. The Planet Earth III expansion lets you play for various animals in different settings and experience what it is like to hunt or be hunted.
• Rare announced Season 11 for Sea of Thieves with fast travel and overhauled voyages. It launches on supported platforms on January 23.
• Ubisoft has prepared a few changes for its Ubisoft+ subscription. It now features a single Premium tier for day-one access to new games and a cheaper variant that allows playing some older titles.

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 blast from Microsoft's past is about a PC MMO called Mythica, which was announced by Microsoft twenty-one years ago, and how it failed to see the light of the day after Microsoft got hit with a lawsuit from Mythic Entertainment. After Developer_Direct 2024, it is interesting to look back at the early days of Microsoft in the gaming market and how the company experimented with various ideas.

Random fact about Microsoft

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

In October 2023, Windows Embedded Compact, formerly Windows CE, reached its end of life. Most users know Windows CE as an operating system for handheld PCs from the late 90s era, such as the HP 300LX or Casio Cassiopeia A-10. But did you know that the platform also powered portable media players long before the original iPod? Windows CE was a lightweight operating system, a good pick for media players with small cases and not-so-powerful hardware. One example of Windows CE-powered media players is the iRiver PMC from 1999.

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