Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

Windows 11 users complain of taskbar, Start menu, and performance issues with KB5034765 update

Woman exasperated with laptop

If you were waiting for another problematic Windows update to brighten up your week, Microsoft has come up with the goods again.

The KB5034765 update was released for Windows 11 earlier this week and it seems to be causing more than its fair share of issues for a lot of people who have installed it. Microsoft is yet to acknowledge any problems, but users on Reddit have a litany of complaints.

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RIP DTP: Microsoft Publisher support is ending

Microsoft Publisher on laptop

After decades of service, Microsoft Publisher is reaching end of life and will be dropped from Microsoft 365. For fans of the desktop publishing tool, there's still time left on the clock.

And there is more good news. Microsoft says that it is "exploring modern ways to achieve other common Publisher scenarios across applications like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Designer".

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Google thinks ChromeOS Flex could replace Windows 10 or Windows 11 on your PC, or even macOS on your Mac

chromeOS Flex

With the end of support for Windows 10 approaching, and the launch of Windows 11 24H2 not being an option for many people because of hardware compatibility changes, Google is seizing the opportunity to push its own ChromeOS Flex.

ChromeOS Flex is Google's tweaked version of the ChromeOS operating system that can be installed on x86 hardware. The company is pitching its software at businesses and organizations promising that it has "been built with security as a first principle, not an afterthought". The self-promotion is to be found on the Chrome Enterprise blog, but there is nothing to stop home users from replacing Windows or macOS with ChromeOS Flex.

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Microsoft Build 2024 confirmed for May, with 'AI, Copilots, and more' for developers

Microsoft Build 2024

Microsoft has confirmed the dates and location of this year's Build conference for developers. The event will be held from May 21 to 23 in the Seattle Convention Center's Summit building, and it may be a chance for everyone to learn more about not only the future of Windows 11, but also the upcoming Windows 12.

Like last year, Microsoft Build 2024 is an in-person event, although online attendance is also possible. So far, Microsoft is promising "AI, Copilots, and more for Developers" and while there are no firm details of precisely what to expect, it is possible to sign up to be notified when registration opens.

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Microsoft releases KB5034765 update for Windows 11, moving the Copilot button and fixing the Start menu

Copilot

If you've been irritated by the positioning of the Copilot button in Windows 11, the newly released KB5034765 update is for you.

This month’s patch for Windows 11 not only boosts security and fixes numerous bugs, it also sees the button for accessing Microsoft's AI-powered assistant moving. It effectively replaces the "show desktop" button in the taskbar.

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Microsoft is improving the look of gaming with AI Super Resolution in Windows 11 24H2

Super resolution

The latest use Microsoft has found for artificial intelligence is to boost graphics and performance in games in Windows 11. As can be seen in the latest preview builds of the operating system, the company is preparing to unleash an AI-powered feature called “super resolution”.

Also known as AI SR and Auto SR, super resolution can be applied on an app-by-app basis. In order to take advantage of the feature, users will have to have a PC with an AI NPU -- a requirement that is likely to become increasingly common.

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Microsoft warns of data loss risk in Windows 11 for Dev Drive users

Windows 11 logo on a laptop

With the supposedly stable build of Windows 11 being problematic for many people, it is hardly surprising that there are more issues to be found in the Insider builds; it's pretty much a given. But not all problems are equal, and Microsoft has issued a warning about the latest release that could cause users to lose data.

The issue affects Windows 11 build 26052 which is available on both the Dev and Canary channels. Details of the cause of the problem have not been revealed, but Microsoft has released important information for anyone with a Dev Drive.

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How to enable the new taskbar animation effects Microsoft has hidden in Windows 11

Windows 11 taskbar animations

If you're a sucker for a bit of eye-candy, Microsoft has a treat for you in the latest build of Windows 11. While much of the attention was focused on the addition of Linux's sudo command to Windows 11 Build 26052, there was much more to this Insider release.

In this build, Microsoft has added some slick new animation effects and thumbnails to the taskbar. You'd be forgiven for not being aware of this, as the company did not announce it, and also hid the optical treats away. Here's how to uncover the secrets.

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Microsoft quietly fixes Windows 11 Copilot bug that caused desktop icons to move around

Windows 11 tiles

While there has been much excitement and interest in Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant has not been without problems. For some time now, for instance, there has been an issue with desktop icons moving around on systems with multiple monitors.

Now, three months since first acknowledging the problem, Microsoft has announced that the issue has been resolved. Interestingly, the fix was applied without the need for an update to be issued.

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Qualcomm says the 'next version of Windows' will launch in mid-2024... but is it Windows 12?

Purple Windows 12 logo

Confusion surrounds Microsoft's plans for Windows 12, with conflicting rumors suggesting different launch dates. Development is clearly well underway at Microsoft, and Qualcomm has just added strength to idea that Windows 12 could launch later this year.

While we've heard that Microsoft only plans to release the Windows 11 24H2 update this year, holding off releasing Windows 12 until 2025, Qualcomm's suggestion of a mid-2024 launch for Windows 12 is not the first time this release window has been suggested.

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Google confirms retirement of cache links in search -- but they may eventually return in a new form

Google search

Google has decided to retire a useful and much-loved feature of its search engine. The 'cache' option used to appear as a link in a search result, giving the option of accessing a previously cached version of a page, but it was removed recently.

For now, the feature remains accessible using the search format cache:domain, i.e. cache:betanews.com, but this option is going to be killed off too. There are hopes that the option to view cached versions of web pages may be restored, perhaps using the Internet Archive, but this is yet to be set in stone.

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0patch beats Microsoft to the punch and fixes serious EventLogCrasher vulnerability that affects every version of Windows

0patch

Just over a week ago, details emerged of a worrying 0day vulnerability affecting everything from Windows 7 to Windows 11, and Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2022. The EventLogCrasher vulnerability allows a low-privileged attacker to disable Windows logging on all computers in a Windows domain and any local computer, thereby compromising intrusion detection and forensic capabilities.

Microsoft is yet to issue a fix for the problem, and this is concerning given not only the scale of the issue, but also the importance of the logging tool. As it has done before, micropatching firm 0patch has risen to the challenge and released a free patch which can be installed by everyone.

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There is a new PowerToys utility on the way to bring a new File Actions menu to Windows 11

Tiled PowerToys icons

Microsoft's PowerToys collection keeps on going from strength to strength, and there is always great interest in updates as users look forward to exploring what's been added. New releases come fairly swiftly, and today we're given a nice glimpse into the future as one of the developers reveals something currently being worked on.

So what does the crystal ball reveal? There is a new module in the pipeline that will add a new File Actions entry to the Windows 10 and Windows 11 context menu. From here you'll be able to choose from various actions to perform on your selected files, such creating a new folder containing the currently selected file, generating a Checksum, and numerous other options.

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First Windows 12 build spotted on new internal development branch at Microsoft

Purple Windows 12 logo

Windows 11 proved to be a bit of a disappointment for many people, and a lot of Windows 10 users saw no reason to upgrade. This means that there are a large number of users eager for something big and impressive -- and this what it is hoped Windows 12 will be.

Whether you're a Windows 10 hanger-on or a Windows 11 adopter keen for something even newer and shinier, ears are pricked for news about Windows 12. There have been several hints about what the operating system could be like, and even when it might be released, and now there is the first evidence of an increase in pace at Microsoft. The discovery of a new internal development branch at the company suggests that work has acerated on the next version of Windows.

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Microsoft's latest addition to the Windows 11 scrapheap is the WMI command line utility

Rubbish

It may be the longest, slowest death of any deprecated piece of software, but Microsoft is inching closer to the complete killing off of the WMI command line utility.

It is now eight years since Microsoft deprecated the Windows Management Instrumentation Command line (WMIC), but the utility was converted into a Feature on Demand in Windows 11 22H2. However, starting now in Insider builds -- and later in the year for release builds -- WMIC will be disabled by default.

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