If you have installed the recent KB5003214 update for Windows 10, you may well have noticed problems with icon in the taskbar. Microsoft released a preview version of this update last week, and many of the guineapigs who opted to install it have experienced issues.

KB5003214 is due for a full launch later this month on Patch Tuesday, but there are plenty of eager Windows 10 users who install preview updates as soon as they are available. One of the key aims of this update it to bring News and Interests to the taskbar, but there have been numerous reports of problems with taskbar icons

After months of testing and preview builds, Microsoft has finally released Windows Package Manager 1.0.

Also known as Winget, the utility serves as an alternative to the Microsoft Store, giving Windows 10 users a Linux-style package manager for finding, downloading and installing apps from software repositories.

This week is Windows Terminal's second birthday, and to celebrate Microsoft has released a new update that introduces a number of key changes and additions.

One of the biggest changes in Windows Terminal Preview 1.9 is the ability to set it as your default terminal emulator, but there are also changes to Settings -- which has an actual interface now rather than requiring JSON editing. On top of this, there is a new quake mode for easy Terminal access.

Microsoft has released a new update for Windows 10 version 1909, around a week-and-a-half after this edition of the operating system reached end of service.

KB5003212 is a preview version of a cumulative update that's currently available as an optional install ahead of a wider release. Although a non-security patch, this is still a key update that includes a number of important fixes.

Internet Explorer may be a stalwart of the world of web browsers, but it has also been an object of ridicule and derision for pretty much its entire life. Since the emergence of the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, the writing has been on the wall for the browser just about everyone loves to hate, but IE has been lingering for longer than many people would have expected.

But now Microsoft is finally ready to pull the plug. Sort of. The company has announced that "the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10". But what does this mean in practice, and will you be affected?

It's only a week since Microsoft stopped supporting some older versions of Windows 10 -- specifically the Home and Pro editions of Windows 10 versions 1803, 1809 and 1909 -- but it won't be long before the effects are felt.

While Windows 10 version 1809 reaching "end of servicing" means there will be no more official patches and updates from Microsoft, the operating system will not be left completely unsupported. For anyone unwilling or unable to upgrade to a more recent build of Windows 10, micro-patch service 0patch has stepped up to the plate to lend a hand.

Perceived invasions of privacy never go down well, as many software developers have discovered. Microsoft has received quite a backlash in response to telemetry in Windows 10, and the recent announcement that the audio editor Audacity was planning to do the same prompted a fierce reaction from users.

Audacity's new owner, Muse Group, has bowed to pressure from users and privacy advocates, announcing that the planned telemetry collection will no longer be going ahead. The company is blaming "communication mistakes" and public "misunderstanding" for the negative response to its previous data collection announcement.

It is a few weeks since Microsoft released the KB5000842 update for Windows 10, and it wasn't long before the optional patch was linked to problems with game performance. These particular issues have been -- mostly -- resolved, but KB5000842 remains problematic with users of some 5.1 audio setups complaining that it has results in their computers emitting high-pitched noises.

For now, there is no proper fix, but Microsoft is investigating the problem and say that an update will be provided in a future release. In the meantime, the company offers up a workaround.

The release of Windows 10 build 21382 yesterday came as a little bit of a surprise, but a pleasant one.

With this particular release there was not a huge amount for Microsoft to shout about in terms of new features. There are improvements to HDR support, improvements to the Start menu, new icons in Explorer, fonts changes and new options in Device Manager. But Microsoft also used the release to remind users that Windows Terminal is now installed by default.

Earlier this week, Microsoft released the KB5003173 update for Windows 10. With no known issues, coupled with the fact it is a cumulative update rather than something brand new, we posited that it should be an update free from problems; it seems like we may have spoken too soon.

Growing numbers of people are experiencing failed installations with KB5003173 and are seeing an error 0x800f0922. While yet to be confirmed, it appears that the problem is related to the manual removal of the forcibly installed Chromium-based Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft has announced a new Windows 10 Bug Bash for people taking part in the Insider program. The Bug Bash gives the company a chance to gather more information about problems with the operating system, and gives participants the opportunity to earn rewards.

The Bug Bash is available right now and runs until May 17. Microsoft has set up quests to check various elements of Windows 10 including using Desk Management to check storage, and testing the magnifier tool.

Microsoft has announced that its Azure Blockchain Service is to close down this fall. The end date for the complete closure is September 10, but the company has already put a stop on new deployments and signups.

No big announcement has been made about the closure of the service which has been around since 2015 when Microsoft partnered with ConsenSys. The decision leaves existing users with just four months to find an alternative home for their ledgers.

It feels like it has been a while since the last PowerToys update, but today that changes. Microsoft has released PowerToys v0.37.2 bringing a couple of key changes to the suite of utilities for Windows 10.

Anyone hoping to see the appearance of the Video Conference Mute tool will remain disappointed. As this is only a minor version number increase, however, it is not really surprising that there are no major additions.

Anyone running Windows 10 version 2004 or 20H2 has a new cumulative update to install in the form of KB5003173. The update takes Windows build numbers up to 19041.985 and 19042.985.

Cumulative updatse like this are rarely über-exciting, and KB5003173 is no different. Although Microsoft has not introduced any major changes with the update, the release remains an important security update, and it's a good idea to get it installed.

If you have been holding off upgrading Windows 10 because of concerns about problems with updates for the operating system, Microsoft is given hangers-on a very good reason to take the plunge.

The company is holding a fire the feet of people doggedly holding on to older versions of Windows 10. The support lifecycle of another build of the operating system has now come to an end meaning that the oldest supported edition of Windows 10 is now version 2004.