Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

If you were hoping to get around Windows 11’s TPM 2.0 requirement by running the operating system in a virtual machine, you're out of luck. People attempting to update to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.194 in a virtual machine will have noticed a message warning them that "this PC does not currently meet Windows 11 system requirements".

More specifically, the message goes on to explain that "the PC must support TPM 2.0". But, as have been the case on more than one occasion with Windows 11 system requirements, confusion abound thanks to Microsoft's mixed messaging.

Microsoft recently started the process of giving PowerToys a Windows 11 makeover ahead of the launch of the operating system next month.

Now the company has released the latest version of the essential collection of utilities to the Windows 11 Microsoft Store. This means that PowerToys is now likely to gain a much bigger following as until now it has only been available to download from GitHub.

As computer users prepare for the launch of Windows 11 next month, so are hardware manufacturers. We are starting to see growing numbers of Windows 11 drivers being released, and the latest company to do so is AMD.

The company has released Windows 11 drivers for Ryzen processors and Radeon graphics. In addition to Windows 11 support, the new software also brings a new auto overclocking feature for some graphics cards and processors.

Regardless of whether you're upgrading to Windows 11 from an older version, or if the latest version of Microsoft's operating system is your first foray into the world of Windows, there is a lot to learn.

To help with this, Microsoft has a Tips app that is filled with Windows 11 tips to not only help you get started, but also to learn about the new features. There is now a new version of the app with over 100 new tips in addition to a revamped acrylic look, and the company also says that Windows 11 will show you tips as you use it.

Having already given commercial users the option of adopting passwordless sign-in, Microsoft is doing the same for consumers. Starting today, users have the option of removing the password from their Microsoft account and choosing different methods of authentication.

The move means that is now possible to access the likes of OneDrive, Outlook and other Microsoft services without the need to remember or enter a password. But this does not mean having to compromise on security.

With another Patch Tuesday rolling around, Microsoft has released a pair of new updates for Windows 10 -- KB5005565 and KB5005566.

Serving the same purpose, KB5005566 is available for Windows 10 version 1909, and KB5005565 is available for Windows 10 versions 2004, 20H2 and 21H1. These cumulative updates include security fixes, so they are important to install, but they also address non-security bugs including one affecting PowerShell.

We've just written about Microsoft giving its PowerToys utilities a Windows 11 makeover. While a new coat of paint is all well and good, what people really want is new tools to play with -- and with the newly released PowerToys Experimental v0.46.0, this is precisely what Microsoft has delivered.

This latest release sees the addition of the much-touted Video Conference Mute tool which provides global audio and video controls for video calling apps that make use of cameras and microphones. The release also fixes a variety of issues with the collection of utilities.

One of the complaints people have about Windows 11 is just how difficult Microsoft has made it to change the default web browser. The process is slightly easier in Windows 10, but it is still far from intuitive for the average user.

This is, of course, because Microsoft really does not want people to move away from Edge -- but, having free will and personal preferences -- changing the default web browser is precisely what many people want to do. Eager to offer people an alternative (specifically its own browser), Mozilla has successfully reverse engineered the system Microsoft had put in place, making it possible to switch to Firefox in just one click.

With Windows 11 comes a new look, a new visual language. It is central to the operating system and the way it feels, and software developers are preparing to embrace this new aesthetic in their products.

Not surprisingly, Microsoft has embarked on a mission to update the look of many of its products and services to match that of Windows 11, and one area in which this can be seen is in PowerToys. There have already been some changes introduced to the collection of utilities, and now the team behind the much-loved Windows enhancement suite has given a glimpse of further updates to comes.

Security researchers from a collection of US and international universities have revealed details of Spook.js, a worrying transient execution side channel attack that can be used to bypass Chrome's Strict Site Isolation.

Rolled out by Google in response to the Spectre security flaw, Strict Site Isolation is supposed to prevent unauthorized data theft. But the researchers found that malicious JavaScript code can be used to grab data -- such as passwords -- from other tabs. The attack has been found to affect Intel processors and Apple devices with M1 chips; AMD chips are also thought to be at risk, but this is yet to be fully demonstrated.

It can hardly have escaped your attention that Windows 11 is just around the corner. If you have been following the news about the latest version of Microsoft's operating system, you'll be only too aware of the confusion surrounding hardware requirements, the need for TPM 2.0 in particular.

But while PC owners have been busy checking to see whether their system makes the grade or if its time to invest in a new computer, many Mac users have been wondering about the possibility of running Windows 11 on Apple hardware. Now Microsoft has spoken out about Windows 11 on M1 chips, and the news is less than ideal.

Dark modes have been steadily spreading their inky way across apps, websites and operating systems for a couple of years now. Like many companies, Google is no stranger to dark mode, and now a more shadowy look is rolling out to users of the desktop version of its flagship Search service.

We got a preview of Google Search dark mode earlier this year, and now the option is gradually being made available to anyone who prefers a gloomier look. If you count yourself in this number, here's how to enable dark mode for Google Search.

There is often criticism leveled at Microsoft, frequently unjustified. But when it comes to explaining the system requirements for Windows 11, the company did an appalling job and thoroughly deserves the condemnation and vitriol the poor communications caused -- particularly when it comes to the requirement for TPM 2.0.

Now, with just weeks until Windows 11 starts to roll out, Microsoft has decided it is time to be a little more helpful. In a support document, the company explains in approachable language what TPM 2.0 is. But more importantly, the document also reveals how to check whether your computer has TPM 2.0 and how to enable it.

With less a month to go until the rollout of Windows 11 gets underway, Microsoft has launched a new ad campaign to promote the operating system.

The publicity kicks off with a 60-second video ad that showcases how Windows 11 "brings you closer to what you love". Featuring Halo's Master Chief and music by Odessa featuring Tim Myers, the ad is a stunning preview of what's to come from the immersive experience Windows 11 offers.

Windows 11 is just around the corner, and the question on everyone's lips (apart from, of course, "is my computer able to run it?") is "how fast is it compared to Windows 10?". There has been a lot of attention focused on the aesthetic side of Windows 11, but performance is what matters the most to a large proportion of users.

If you are a Windows Insider, you may have tried out the Dev or Beta builds to find out for yourself, but now Microsoft has shared a video that explains to everyone that Windows 11 is faster -- or at least feels it.