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Microsoft is on a roll with updating its app store on Windows 10 and 11. Following the recent release of performance upgrades and improved algorithms, the company announced big changes in how the web version of the Microsoft Store works. Now, every user can download app executables directly from the website using new "installers for web."

Microsoft recently faced a double whammy from two of its former employees. One of them happens to be an ex-Windows UX head who took a slightly sarcastic dig at Microsoft for its introduction of more ads and promos via the Recommended section in the Start menu.
 
The other is also a former Windows engineer who labeled the performance of the Start menu as "comically bad" and wanted to bring the company's attention towards the apparent general 'unfinished' state of Windows 11.

It is always interesting when former Microsoft engineers or managers share their thoughts or stories on subject matters related to the company, mainly Windows. A couple of the most recent such incidents have not exactly been in Microsoft's favour though.

This month we are half a year from the 20th anniversary of Ubuntu, it also coincides with the release of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, but I have to say, it’s not the new shiny distro I would choose to install. Instead I would opt for a specific version of Fedora 40, namely, Fedora Silverblue 40, also out this month.

Some strange things are happening in the worlds of Microsoft, Windows, and Xbox. The PlayStation Store charts are full of Microsoft-owned games, Fallout games that are almost a decade old have skyrocketed in popularity, and Microsoft and OpenAI are reportedly working on an AI project called "Stargate." In context, all of those stories make sense, but if you've only had a chance to glance at the headlines, some of them would seem quite odd. Luckily, we're here to run through the biggest stories of the week and make everything make sense.

In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at even more ads in Windows 11, fresh preview builds, leaked AI PCs, system requirements for the rumored AI Explorer, gaming news, app updates, and many more.

Earlier this month, we covered an interesting trick to bypass the system requirements on Windows 11 PCs. It involves choosing the "IoT Enterprise LTSC" option when selecting the OS during the setup.
 
However, as it turns out, it looks like this bypass trick works for non-LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) as well, as discovered by the same Twitter (now X) user and tech enthusiast, Bob Pony. However, it seems to work only on the latest Windows 11 version, 24H2.

About a year ago, we published a story about WinToys, a neat app for tweaking and optimizing Windows 11 in a safe and easy way. Today, the app received its anniversary update under version 1.3.
 
The latest update delivers several useful features for maintaining your computer.

In March, Microsoft officially announced its plans to launch a new stand-alone version of its Office apps under the branding of Office 2024. Today, the company stated that a public preview of Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 for commercial customers is now available.

Earlier this week, Microsoft released a new Release Preview update for Windows Insiders who are still using Windows 10. Build 19045.4353 does not contain anything all too exciting, but there is one change that might raise a few eyebrows. Microsoft is now testing new banners in the Settings app to make users with local accounts switch to Microsoft Accounts.

The 2024 update for Windows 11, version 24H2, is expected to be unveiled later this year. According to reports, the RTM (release to manufacturing) is going to happen this month itself, and the timing seems to align with another recent development wherein Microsoft released a Windows Insider build for HLK (Hardware Lab Kit) which essentially helps test and verify hardware compatibility.

Back at the start of March, Microsoft released an Edge update that was leading to Out of Memory (OOM) errors even on systems with more than sufficient system RAM. The company was forced to pull the update and later explained that it was a dying Defender feature that was causing the OOM errors.

Microsoft has already released one feature update for Windows 11 this year. However, the "Moment 5" update was rather minor, with a few notable changes and new features. Version 24H2, which will be released in the second half of 2024, will offer users much more.

Intel has a Big Problem... - Paul's Tech News April 14

We have talked about what software every PC should have... but today we are going to talk about what software you should NEVER install... EVER!

Every week we take a close look at the most pirated movies on torrent sites. What are pirates downloading? 'Dune: Part Two' tops the chart, followed by 'Kung Fu Panda 4'. ‘'Sleeping Dogs' 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.

Microsoft has released the latest Windows 10 Release Preview build 19045.4353 for members of that Windows Insider Program channel. The build number is 19045.4353, under KB5036979, It adds support for adding Microsoft Account notifications which will be displayed on the Start menu. It also has a number of bug fixes and improvements.

Last month, we covered an unofficial utility that lets Windows users in-place upgrade from one Windows edition, say Home to Pro, without having to go through a clean installation. The utility is called "Helper-Tool für Windows 10/11 Inplace-Upgrades und Editionswechsel" which translates to "Helper tool for Windows 10/11 inplace upgrades and edition changes". You can read about it in full in our dedicated coverage.

Apple's macOS and iOS both have a dedicated Settings page where you can check your connected phones, tablets, computers, and other devices and, if necessary, remove them from your account. Currently, Windows 11 does not have such a Settings page, but Microsoft is working on fixing that as soon as possible.

In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at Microsoft adding more ads to Windows 11 and Microsoft Edge, Patch Tuesday updates with their fixes, compatibility blocks, and full-screen banners, the Moment 5 Update arriving to all users, old Windows Server builds leaking (they are old after all), some fresh wallpapers, Windows XP celebrating ten years since its final security update, and more.

It has only been a couple of days since an ex-Microsoft veteran engineer had heavily criticized the performance of Windows 11, especially the Start menu. In case you missed the story, a former Microsoft veteran engineer, Andy Young, took to Twitter (now X) to publish his thoughts about the current state of Windows 11.

At the end of last month, we reported on several issues users were facing when trying to install the Windows 11 optional update KB5035942. These issues included BSODs, black screens, and more problems. A major reason for the excitement around this update was the fact that Microsoft was rolling out its Moment 5 feature update to more users.

Microsoft recently pushed the latest Windows 11 Insider build 22635.3495 for Beta channel members and announced that it will be skipping Canary or Dev channels. In the official changelog for build 22635.3495, one of the highlights was that Microsoft will start testing ads in the Windows 11 Start menu with the latest Insider build.

Popular third-party utility BloatyNosy underwent a couple of major transformations recently. First, it received more features to become an AI remover from Windows, and second, it also went through a renaming as many thought the application's name was odd, even though it is quite useful.

Windows 11 is now a monetization path for Microsoft and a billboard for the company's services.