Microsoft has updated the Universal License Terms for Online Services that apply to Azure to indicate that the service cannot be used to mine cryptocurrency.

The change appears in the Acceptable Use Policy section of the license terms that apply to all Microsoft Online Services, but the ban is not an outright one. While the criteria have not been revealed, it seems that there are circumstances in which the company may be willing to lift the ban on cryptomining.

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With Windows 11, Microsoft changed the way it releases updates for the operating system with its "Moment" updates. So far, there has only been one Moment released, but it was a significant one that saw the addition of tabs in File Explorer and more.

We've already heard rumors that the Moment 2 update is scheduled for release in March next year, but now there are also suggestions that yet another update is due in May. What is not clear, however, it whether this will be Moment 3, or what has been referred to as a Continuous Innovations update.

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Users of Microsoft's cloud storage have a new version of the OneDrive desktop client to install, compete with an updated look and feel.

After a period of testing during which the refreshed app was available to Insiders only, Microsoft has now released the new OneDrive app to everyone. The latest update gives the app a Windows 11-style makeover, including support for light and dark modes.

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Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel have a new Windows 11 Build to play with today, and it’s the last one of the year. The next new builds will begin to arrive in January 2023.

Build 25267 comes with a good selection of improvements and fixes, as well as an improvement to how search looks on the taskbar.

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There are few Patch Tuesdays that are not swiftly followed by the discovery of problems caused by the updates that have been released. This December is no different.

Microsoft has confirmed that after installing the KB5021249 update, some users may experience a range of problems with virtual machines on some Hyper-V hosts.

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Microsoft has released a couple of important cumulative security updates for Windows 10. The KB5021233 and KB5021237 updates are available for Windows 10 versions 1809, 21H1, 21H2 and 22H2.

Because of the security issues addressed by the updates, both are mandatory and will be automatically installed. In addition to security fixes, there are a handful of other notable changes with these updates.

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It is no secret that the uptake of Windows 11 is rather slow. Microsoft may be unlikely to publicly say as much, but the company will no doubt be extremely disappointed at the number of people who have made the leap to the latest version of its operating system.

All this could change in 2023, however. There are many people and businesses who have hung on to Windows 7 or Windows 8, despite the fact that mainstream supported ended back in 2020. But when January 10, 2023 rolls around, Microsoft will no longer even offer paid-for Extended Security Updates. And with the likes of Edge and Chrome no longer supporting the aged OSes, the time really has come to switch to Windows 11.

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Back in October, Microsoft -- possibly inadvertently -- revealed that Windows 11's Snipping Tool screen capture utility was getting a significant update with the addition of a screen recording option.

After the Surface event at which the news was seemingly leaked, there has been no news about the Windows 11 screen recorder. But now Microsoft has made the new capability available to a select group of users, signalling that a wider roll-out could be just around the corner.

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PowerToys gets quite a lot of coverage here on BetaNews, and that's because it's one of the most useful and exciting pieces of software out there. We already know that there are plans for a great new quick launcher utility, and while we wait for development to finish, we have the newly released PowerToys v0.65 update to explore.

Although this update does not include any new utilities, it is still an important upgrade because of the number of tweaks and new features that have been added to individual modules. On top of this,  the entire codebase has been upgraded to work with .NET 7.

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Windows 12 will offer a number of improvements that will make it better than its predecessor, Windows 11. One of the biggest advantages of Windows 12 is that it will offer improved security. Microsoft is introducing multiple new features to better protect user data, such as a new secure kernel, a secure boot process, and a new sandbox security model.

In addition, Windows 12 will offer improved performance, with better memory management and faster start-up times. The new version of Windows will also provide better support for multi-core processors, and it will introduce new graphics APIs such as DirectX 12 and Vulkan, which will provide improved performance in gaming and multimedia applications.

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Some of the most exciting software developments associated with Microsoft are to be found in PowerToys. Here it is possible to see inspired developers innovating as they create new tools for Windows 11 and Windows 10.

There has been a large number of new utilities added over the course of the last year, and there's another exciting one on the way. What's promised is a "quickaccess systemtray launcher", and it will make it easier than ever to launch your most frequently used PowerToys modules.

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The uptake of Windows 11 has been rather slow, almost certainly slower than Microsoft would have hoped. With Windows 10 users sticking doggedly to their slightly aging operating system, the company is seeking way to promote and simplify Windows 11 upgrades -- and with the KB5020683 update, it has done just this.

KB5020683 is an out-of-band update that Microsoft released recently to little fanfare. It has one aim: improving the out-of-box experience (OOBE) so users have the option to upgrade to Windows 11 immediately.

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Windows 11 is a good operating system, for the most part, but it’s not without its problems. It seems every new update Microsoft rolls out these days introduces fresh annoyances. No wonder the vast majority of users are sticking with Windows 10.

Although Windows 11 has only been out for just over a year, talk of its successor, Windows 12, has been bubbling in the background for a few months now and if you were wondering how it might look when released, we have the answer.

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It is the time of the month when Microsoft release preview versions of Windows updates. True to form, the company has released the KB5020044 update for Windows 11 22H2.

As well as fixing various issues, this update also brings new features such as combining Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page, and helpful information for OneDrive users. It also fixes game performance issues which caused Microsoft to block upgrades to Windows 11 2022 Update for some users. And true to form, the update also breaks some things as well as fixing others; in this case, Task Manager.

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Thanksgiving is done and dusted for another year, but Microsoft has something for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel to be thankful for -- a new Windows 11 Build!

Build 25252 comes with a handful of improvements and fixes, but also highlights some new known issues.

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