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Earlier this month, we talked about the launch of Microsoft's first web browser, Internet Explorer 1.0, back in 1995. It was a pretty bare-bones browser, but Microsoft quickly updated it with a 2.0 version later that year, followed by 3.0 in 1996, 4.0 in 1997, and 5.0 in 1999.
 
On August 24, 2001, 22 years ago this week, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 was released, a couple of months before the company's next consumer OS, Windows XP, was launched. The browser, which we will refer to as IE6 from now on, quickly dominated the market with a share as high as 90 percent at one point in 2004.

Mozilla plans to release Firefox 117 Stable on Tuesday. The next stable version of the web browser includes the long-awaited native translate integration, which does not require server connections and works online and offline.
 
While Firefox Translations is still a work in progress, which becomes apparent when looking at the supported languages, it is a major milestone for users of the browser, as it moves one step closer to feature parity with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and other web browsers.

In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at Windows 10 annoying Chrome users with Bing ads, a stand-off between the updated File Explorer, WinRAR, and NanaZIP, new Windows 11 builds, blue screens of death with the UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR code, new AI-powered features for Windows 11, gaming news, and Windows 95's 28th birthday.

Microsoft plans to release a big feature update for Windows 11 later this year. Version 23H2 is expected to introduce many quality-of-life improvements and new capabilities, including a File Explorer redesign. Although there are concerns about performance and bugs, in this article, I want to focus on the positive side and look closely at one of the best new features the redesigned File Explorer will introduce: native RAR, TAR, 7Z, and other file compression format support.

Both graphics cards will be based on the Navi 32 GPU. The release date is going to be in early September. AMD claims that the 7800 XT is faster than the Nvidia RTX 4070 and the RX 7700 XT is faster than the Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti.

Earlier this week, Microsoft released the latest optional non-security updates for Windows 10 and 11. These updates usually pack various bug fixes and several new capabilities to try before the public rollout. The August 2023 C-update for Windows 11 is no exception, but the only new feature it brings only a mother could love.
 
Those willing to install the August 2023 non-optional updates on their computers with Windows 11 will receive a new search-related feature: the operating system can now invoke Windows Search without you clicking the search box on the taskbar. Like Microsoft Edge and its controversial Bing button, hovering the cursor over the taskbar "search box gleam" is now all it takes to open the search flyout. Did you accidentally place your cursor on the wrong part of the taskbar? Too bad, here is Windows Search.

These days, the release of a new PC operating system, or indeed most any PC software product, is handled almost exclusively online. We just download the update on our systems, and then complain about any bugs that might show up on Reddit. However, a few decades ago, we actually went into stores to buy software.
 
That was certainly the case for Windows 95, which launched 28 years ago on August 24, 1995. It may be hard to believe now, but back then, the debut of this successor to Windows 3.1 was more than just the release of an OS. It was a true media event, similar to the launch of a big-budget video game or movie release today.

Windows 10 and 11 are not the most compact operating systems—minimum hardware requirements demand at least 20GB of free disk space, which make modern Windows versions harder to run on less capable devices. This is where projects like tiny10 and tiny11 save the day, bringing you lightweight and debloated operating systems without sacrificing compatibility or key features. The latest tiny10 release, version 23H2, is now available for download with numerous improvements over the previous editions.

Windows and Edge customers are no strangers to ads, banners, and constant prompts to change the default browser or search engine, reset app defaults, or enable telemetry data—just to name a few. And even though customers are constantly asking Microsoft to relax and take one step back, there is simply no end to the company's effort to enforce its products on frustrated users.
 
According to a growing list of reports (and our observations on local machines), Microsoft's latest attempt to increase its user base is to spam Chrome users with Windows ads begging to set Bing as the default search engine.

Microsoft has released today its non-security update or C release for Windows 10. The update under KB5029331 fixes multiple major bugs including ones related to Group Policy, high CPU usage, BitLocker, virtual print queues, and more. It also adds new features like Microsoft Account (MSA) notification badging, among others.

One of the main arguments brought forth for the switching to the WebExtensions system for browser extensions was that it made cross-browser extensions easier. Firefox users may now reap the benefits of this promise, as Mozilla has implemented functionality in the browser to import extensions from other browsers.
 
The feature, which is in testing at the moment, can be enabled by all users of the latest stable version of Firefox.

By Susan Bradley (AKA The Patch Lady]

August can be a weird month where patching is concerned.

I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level, but with caution. I usually hope to give time near the end of the month for patches to be applied, by lowering the level to 4 and sometimes 5. This time, I’m wishy-washy. Caution is the order of the day, so I’m lowering the level to just 3.

Every week we take a close look at the most pirated movies on torrent sites. What are pirates downloading? 'Elemental' tops the chart, followed by 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'. ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' completes the top three.
 
The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only.
 
These torrent download statistics are only meant to provide further insight into the piracy trends. All data are gathered from public resources.

Op-ed: PC makers used to need to bring their own add-on bloatware—no longer.

In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at new Windows 11 preview builds and their features, app updates, lots of gaming news, an upcoming Surface hardware event in New York, and blasts from Microsoft's past.

You can catch up on all the news from the week right here.

Confirmation of a Surface event, the maker of ChatGPT reportedly marching toward bankruptcy, and a $5.4 billion Intel deal falling through are just some of the news stories that hit the headlines this week.

With so much going on, it's easy to miss a few pieces. Don't worry, our weekly news roundup is here with all of the biggest stories from throughout the week in one convenient place.

Microsoft released Windows 11 with a slew of intriguing new features and enhancements, making it an alluring operating system for users across the globe. You will need to use the correct software to take advantage of all the improvements while contributing to your productivity and efficiency.
 
These are the top Windows 11 apps available right now. We’ve covered everything from productivity and entertainment tools to customization apps.

A high-severity vulnerability has been fixed in WinRAR, the popular file archiver utility for Windows used by millions, that can execute commands on a computer simply by opening an archive.
 
The flaw is tracked as CVE-2023-40477 and could give remote attackers arbitrary code execution on the target system after a specially crafted RAR file is opened.

Google Chrome is a popular and feature-rich web browser that undergoes frequent updates to enhance security and performance. However, these updates can occasionally lead to compatibility problems with certain websites, extensions, or even your operating system.
 
Downgrading your Chrome version can help restore stability and resolve such issues.

What started as criticism over errors in recent YouTube videos has escalated into allegations of sexual harassment, prompting the company to hire an outside investigator.

Linus Sebastian’s Linus Media Group YouTube empire is currently in crisis, with accusations of theft, lapses in ethics, and most recently, allegations of sexual harassment. The company has currently paused all production to improve its review processes, and CEO Terren Tong tells The Verge an outside investigator will be hired to examine the harassment allegations.

Anonfiles, a popular service for sharing files anonymously, has shut down after saying it can no longer deal with the overwhelming abuse by its users.
 
Anonfiles is an anonymous file-sharing site that allows people to share files anonymously without their activity being logged.
 
However, it soon became one of the most popular file-sharing services used by threat actors to share samples of stolen data, stolen credentials, and copyrighted material.

Every week we take a close look at the most pirated movies on torrent sites. What are pirates downloading? 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' tops the chart, followed by 'No Hard Feelings'. ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' completes the top three.
 
The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only.
 
These torrent download statistics are only meant to provide further insight into the piracy trends.
All data are gathered from public resources.

In this episode of Microsoft Weekly we look at a surprising new feature for Windows 10 in the latest preview update, Intel making seriously head-scratching changes in its GPU drivers, August 2023 Patch Tuesday updates, changes for the Microsoft Store, gaming news, and more.

We saw plenty of news this week from the worlds of Windows, Xbox, and PC gaming, and you can catch up right here.

We're ramping up in the world of Windows and Xbox news. The slower days of summer in the northern hemisphere are almost entirely behind us, paving the way for product announcements and back-to-school season. This week Microsoft released a preview of Windows 365 Switch and made changes to the trial for Xbox Game Pass. The company also cut Windows 11 support for 44 CPUs.

In May 2023, when Windows 11 build 23466 was released in the Dev Channel, Microsoft announced a new app for backing up settings, files, apps, and other things on your computer. Some thought the Windows Backup app would be exclusive to the upcoming Windows 11 23H2 update, but as it turned out, Microsoft also wants Windows 10 users to have access to the new backup experience.
 
This week, Microsoft released build 19045.3391 for testing in the Release Preview Channel. After installing the update, users discovered an announced change: the new Windows Backup app. You can run the program from the Start menu to back up folders, apps, credentials, and settings in your OneDrive.