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Microsoft's comparisons pit a range of years-old laptop processors against various modern counterparts.

This week's news recap is here, and it is full of interesting and important stories. We have Windows 11 version 25H2 announcement, free extended security updates for Windows 10, redesigned BSOD, non-security updates with new features, and more.

Microsoft is finishing this week with a now typical build duo for the Dev and Beta Channel users. For Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel, Microsoft is rolling out build 26200.5670; for those in the Beta Channel, Microsoft prepared build 26120.4520. Both updates have nearly identical changelogs with a new 1Password passkey integration, bug fixes, and more.

Microsoft released Dev and Beta builds for Windows 11 today, and while the updates contain nearly identical change logs, one interesting observation is confirmation that Dev Channel users will be seeing Windows 11, version 25H2 in Settings > System > About and winver moving forward. Even though we had heard some whispers about it before, this is the first time that Microsoft has officially confirmed this next feature update to Windows 11.

Experts say Veo 3 makes it very easy to make fake videos that can spread false news.

In both Tehran and Tel Aviv, residents have faced heightened anxiety in recent days as the threat of missile strikes looms over their communities. Alongside the very real concerns for physical safety, there is growing alarm over the role of misinformation, particularly content generated by artificial intelligence, in shaping public perception.
 
GeoConfirmed, an online verification platform, has reported an increase in AI-generated misinformation, including fabricated videos of air strikes that never occurred, both in Iran and Israel.
 
This follows a similar wave of manipulated footage that circulated during recent protests in Los Angeles, which were sparked by a rise in immigration raids in the second-most populous city in the United States.

A small Linux distribution created by a Microsoft employee drew quite a bit of attention in recent months with its attempts to ease users into Linux by looking just like Windows. This week, AnduinOS was upgraded to a new batch of point releases, including 1.3.3, 1.2.6, and 1.1.6.

End-of-support date isn’t changing, but extra year will be functionally free.

Firefox 140 is out now for the stable channel. After a period in testing, several features from the beta released in May made their way to the stable channel, bringing some much-needed quality-of-life improvements. The main highlights are a new Tab Unload feature and the ability to add a custom search engine.

The end of Windows 10 support is quickly approaching, which means users are facing a tough choice: leave Windows 10 behind and update to Windows 11 or stay and either accept the risk of using unsupported software or enroll in the extended security update program. If you plan to go with the latter option, Microsoft has some important details and good news for you.

Bring back (some of) the Windows 10 desktop UI on Windows 11 with these tweaks and tools.
If Windows 10 has been your favorite version so far, but you had to move to Windows 11, you're not alone, and you should know that many users share that feeling.
 
In this how-to guide, I'll outline two ways to customize your desktop to resemble the Windows 10 experience on Windows 11.
 
Warning: These instructions involve making system changes. As such, it's important that you create a before proceeding in case something breaks and you need to roll back to a good working state.

Support for all sorts of devices has always been a strong feature of the Windows operating system. Driver support is baked into the operating system and most devices will work out of the box after installation. Yes, it does make sense to install some drivers manually, as you may be getting better features, better performance, or other benefits out of that.

Every week we take a close look at the most pirated movies on torrent sites. What are pirates downloading? 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' tops the chart, followed by 'Sinners'. 'The Amateur' completes the top three.
 
The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only.
 
Downloading content without permission is copyright infringement. These torrent download statistics are only meant to provide further insight into piracy trends. All data are gathered from public resources.

This week's news recap is here, delivering you a roundup of the most important Microsoft stories, including a bunch of odd stuff and bugs in Windows, OneDrive horror stories, ramblings about the Start menu, a couple of new Windows 11 preview builds, important news from AMD, and a lot more.

Windows 10 is still more responsive than Windows 11 (not as Windows 8 was, though). Even when running on a virtual machine, Windows 10 is snappier, and overall, it feels "lighter" than its successor. Animations in Windows 11 feel heavy and a bit wonky even on my pretty capable PC with a Radeon RX 7800 XT and a 144Hz display. While coming back to Windows 10 is not an option, I found a simple solution that not everyone is aware of.

Microsoft's new Windows 11 Release Preview build gives us a good look at what to expect for next month's feature drop.

Windows 11 is getting a redesigned Start menu. This is a big deal for the soon-to-be-four-year-old operating system and its highly controversial design bits. After years of slow to no progress in the Start menu area, Microsoft is finally delivering a much better variant with many new features and plenty of feedback addressed.

Windows Migration will let you transfer data and settings from an older PC to a new one.

Back in March earlier this year, a new redesigned Microsoft Account sign-in was released with the intention to make it "more modern, simple, and secure." Microsoft also probably hopes that the revamp will help win some hearts since many dislike the Microsoft Account (MSA) quite a bit as they are forced to use the service during Windows 11 installation.

Rufus, perhaps the most popular bootable USB media creation utility, has received a significant update with version 4.8. That's because there is a major shift toward faster and more efficient processing of Windows installation media by switching to wimlib for all Windows Imaging (WIM) handlings. The Rufus author says that the change has led to a significant improvement in speed when opening Windows ISOs, and this should be great for such users who tend to work with Windows installation files fairly regularly.

Microsoft is ending support for its Windows 10 operating system in October 2025. This deadline has not changed and while part of the Windows 10 userbase can migrate to Windows 11 more or less effortlessly, millions of devices can't.

Google may block you from watching YouTube videos if you have an ad blocker installed on your Windows PC or mobile device.

Google is seemingly ramping up its campaign against ad blockers on YouTube. Over the past few years, it's become increasingly annoying to watch content on the social video sharing platform, as many videos are rife with multiple unskippable ads.

Every week we take a close look at the most pirated movies on torrent sites. What are pirates downloading? 'The Amateur' tops the chart, followed by 'Sinners'. 'The Accountant 2' completes the top three.
 
The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only.
 
Downloading content without permission is copyright infringement. These torrent download statistics are only meant to provide further insight into piracy trends. All data are gathered from public resources.

Windows 11 turns four later this year, but some of the features that Microsoft removed during the transition remain missing to this day. However, the company is slowly but steadily restoring some of the most requested bits and pieces.

Windows 11 launched way back in October 2021, and I reviewed it at that time, assigning it a verdict of 6.5/10, noting that it's a decent operating system but it prioritizes aesthetics over actual functionality.

This week's news recap is here. Fresh Windows 11 preview builds with the redesigned Start menu and Windows Vista flashbacks, the long-anticipated Xbox handheld, Patch Tuesday updates, gaming news, and more.