Microsoft

Last week, shortly after confirming its existence, Microsoft rolled out the first preview build of its new, forthcoming operating system, Windows 11.

Today, the software giant releases Windows 11 Build 22000.65 to those Insiders in the Dev Channel and it comes with a long list of changes and improvements, as well as plenty of fixes. As you might expect, there are lots of known issues to be aware of too.

It has been a while since Microsoft held a Bug Bash to discover problems with Windows and gather feedback about features. In fact, the last one was back in May.

But with the impending launch of Windows 11, it is perhaps not surprising that it is Bug Bash time again. Over the next week, Insiders using Windows 11 preview builds are invited to take part in quests and earn themselves an exclusive badge in return for helping out.

If you have installed Windows 11 as part of the Insider program, or if you've obtained the OS through other channels, there's a chance that you may not be blown away by what you see.

But -- thankfully -- Windows 11 is not yet finished. There are kinks to be ironed out, things to be tweaked and, Microsoft promises, "much more to come".

The recently revealed PrintNightmare vulnerability has been something of a farcical episode after details of the Windows security flaw were mistakenly revealed. Microsoft suggested a workaround but, as it broke printing, it was less than ideal.

Micropatching experts at 0patch released a free fix until Microsoft then released an official patch. The next chapter in the saga should surprise no one: Microsoft's patch has a problem. It doesn't really fix the security issue, leaving systems vulnerable.

When Windows 11 is released, there will be millions of people scrambling to upgrade. There will undoubtedly be a huge number of people moving to the latest version of Windows, but there will be some who regret the upgrade and decide they preferred Windows 10.

No problem, you might think. A quick uninstall is all it will take to return to the fuzzy, warm comfort of Windows 10. And this is true... but there's a time limit if you’re looking for the easy route out.

Microsoft's announcements about Windows 11 have raised as many questions as they answered, primarily around the issue of system requirements. While the operating system is due for launch later this year, it is not expected to roll out as an upgrade for users of older versions of Windows until some time in 2022.

In the meantime, however, hardware manufacturers are busy preparing for the launch, as well as preparing their customers for what will be involved. Lenovo is among the companies sharing helpful details, and this includes the fact that Windows 7 users will need to perform a clean installation of Windows 11 rather than an in-place upgrade.

We may not have an exact release date for Windows 10 21H2 -- and interest may be focused on Windows 11 at the moment -- but details about what we can expect from the update are starting to creep out.

When the Windows 10 October 2021 Update rolls out in a few months' time, it introduces a number of new features that will be of interest to anyone who is sticking with Windows 10 rather than jumping to Windows 11 -- whether through choice or necessity. Information about just what there is to look forward to has been spotted on Microsoft's own support pages.

Microsoft has released a series of out of-band security patches for the PrintNightmare bug that was recently exposed. The remote code execution vulnerability exits in the Windows Print Spooler; it affects all versions of Windows, and the company is even offering patches for the unsupported Windows 7.

Previously, Microsoft had only been able to suggest workarounds to mitigate against the security problems, so it was left to 0patch to help out with a free bug-fix. But now patches are available for this serious security issue (CVE-2021-34527) that leaves systems at risk of attack.

If you have been following news recently, you can't have missed the fact that there is confusion and annoyance about the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. As well as making some relatively recent processor effectively obsolete, the latest version of Windows's need for TPM 2.0 is standing in the way of many potential upgrades.

For system builders concerned about the compatibility of their hardware, ASUS has updated its support documents to provide details information about which of its motherboard are compatible with Windows 11.

As excitement builds around the launch of Windows 11, eager computer users are scrambling to use utilities such as WhyNotWin11 and Win11SysCheck to see if their system is compatible and up to the job.

The biggest stumbling block is the requirement for TPM 2.0, and while Microsoft has indicated that some OEMs will -- with approval -- be able to bypass the need for TPM support. While this is not an option that will be available to the average user, it is possible to edit the registry to make it possible to install Windows 11 on a computer that does not have TPM 2.0.

Microsoft has issued a warning to users of PowerShell 7.0 and 7.1 to update their software to protect against a .NET Core remote code execution vulnerability.

Tracked as CVE-2021-26701, the vulnerability is described as critical and could affect Windows, macOS and Linux. The security issue has been known about for a little while, but Microsoft is only now urging users to install updates to ensure that they are protected.

Micropatching specialist 0patch has stepped into help out with a fix for the PrintNightmare vulnerability that was recently accidentally leaked by security researchers.

While Microsoft has acknowledged that there is a security flaw in Windows Print Spooler that could lead to remotely compromised systems, the company has only offered workarounds rather than a patch. And so 0patch -- no stranger to helping out in such situations -- has stepped up to the plate and issued free micropatches of its own.

When security researchers inadvertently published technical details of a remote execution vulnerability in Windows Print Spooler thinking (wrongly) that it had been patched, there was concern about the implications.

And rightly so. Microsoft has confirmed people's worst fears, saying that the PrintNightmare security flaw is already being exploited. There is a little good news, however. The company also suggests some workarounds that can be used to protect systems until a patch is produced.

As if the arrival of an entirely new utility was not enough, Microsoft developers have now released yet another build of PowerToys.

In addition to making important changes to the new Awake tool, PowerToys v0.41.4 is the third release from the PowerToys team in less than a week. It also addresses a number of other key problems and includes a handful of changes.

The Blue Screen of Death is iconic among Windows users -- although not necessarily in a good way. Indicative of something having gone terribly wrong, a BSoD (as it is often called) is not something you particularly want to see when you're using your computer.

And with the arrival of Windows 11, the Blue Screen of Death may indeed be no more. But before you get too excited, this is not quite the good news you're hoping for. Sadly, Microsoft has not found a way to stop Windows crashing.