Microsoft

It is only a few days since we learned that Microsoft is working on a great new PowerToys utility called File LockSmith. This particular tool is not quite ready yet but in the meantime we have PowerToys v0.63 to enjoy.

For the v0.63 release cycle, the PowerToys development team says that it is "focused on stability and improvement". While this may not sound overly enticing, the release of PowerToys v0.63 is an important one. In addition to introducing a large number of fixes, this latest update not only makes steps towards eliminating the UAC prompt during installation, but also greatly reduces the size of the installer.

Late last week, Microsoft confirmed the existence of two actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in Exchange Server. Tracked as CVE-2022-41082 and CVE-2022-41040, both security flaws are worrying as they are known to be actively exploited.

While it works on a fix, Microsoft offered up instructions to mitigate the vulnerabilities. But it turns out that it is incredibly easy to bypass, with security experts warning that the method used is too specific, rendering it ineffective.

If you have noticed the appearance of the Spotify app on your computer but you don't recall installing it, you are not alone. There are multiple reports -- or complaints, even -- from users of Windows 10 and Windows 11 that the app has installed itself without permission.

It is certainly not unknown for Microsoft to forcibly install apps on computers, but on previous occasions when apps have been foisted onto people, there has been some sort of announcement or notification. This has not happened this time around, so it is not quite clear what is going on. One thing is undeniable though: people are not happy.

Ahead of the upcoming Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has released a preview version of the KB5017389 update for Windows 11.

KB5017389 is a cumulative update for Windows 11 2022 Update -- or Windows 11 22H2, if you prefer. It is a non-security update, but addresses a lengthy list of issues that have been discovered.

Brace yourself for a new PowerToys utility. Microsoft's developers are busy working away on a new tool called File Locksmith which will be welcomed by anyone who has ever been greeted by a message informing them that a file cannot be deleted because it is being used.

File Locksmith will add a new entry to the context menu in Windows 11 -- "What's using this file?". The tool will then reveal which processes are using the file in question.

Microsoft has issued a security notice about two zero-day vulnerabilities with its own Microsoft Exchange Server. Versions 2013, 2016 and 2019 of the software are affected.

One vulnerability (CVE-2022-41082) allows for remote code execution when an attacker has access to PowerShell; the second (CVE-2022-41040) is a Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability. Both vulnerabilities are being exploited in the wild.

It may only be a little over a week since Microsoft released Windows 11 2022 Update, but the problems it is causing are coming thick and fast.

The most recent issue involves printer drivers, and it has caused the company to place a compatibility block on some people upgrading to the latest version of Windows 11. The good news is that there is a relatively simple workaround in the meantime.

Microsoft has released a rare out-of-band update for Windows 11. Although the KB5019311 update does not include any security fixes, it was deemed important enough to release ahead of the next Patch Tuesday.

In addition to upgrading the Windows 11 servicing stack to build 22621.378, the KB5019311 update also addresses a problem affecting Windows 11 setup.

Since the release of Windows 11 2022 Update last week, there have been various issues cropping up, including serious gaming problems for people with NVIDIA GPUs. This particular problem has now been fixed, but Microsoft has discovered a more serious issue with the first major update for Windows 11, meaning that the rollout of Windows 11 22H2 has been hit with a compatibility hold.

A compatibility issue affecting some Intel systems has forced Microsoft to block the rollout of the Windows 11 2022 Update to some people. It is a problem with echoes of a previous block on the rollout of Windows 11 21H2.

While software-based password managers are incredibly popular these days, it is still terrifyingly common to find that people store passwords on sticky notes attached to their monitor. A slightly more up to date means of recording passwords is to type them into a text document, and this is something Microsoft is seeking to discourage with the latest update to Windows 11.

With Window 11 2022 Update, the company added a new enhanced phishing protection feature of Microsoft Defender Smartscreen. This security feature can, among other things, issue a warning if it detects that you are entering one of your passwords into a document or, for that matter, a potentially insecure website. The feature is not enabled by default, so here's how to bolster your security.

Microsoft has just started to roll out the Windows 11 2022 Update, which fixes a number of annoyances and adds some welcome new features to the fledgling operating system.

The update itself doesn’t take that long to install, but what about if you were installing Windows 11 entirely from scratch? Which version would be faster -- 21H2 or 22H2 (the development name for the 2022 Update)? There can only be one winner…

When we write about updates for Windows, it tends to be for one of two reasons -- sharing news that a new update is available, or giving details of problems that have been found with the latest release. Now we have something a little different.

Microsoft has admitted that it made a mistake with the KB5017383 update for Windows 11, windows 10 and Windows Server a few days ago. It is, however, not necessary something that everyone would notice.

Taking Windows 11 up to build 22621.607, Microsoft has just released the KB5017389 update fixing a huge number of issues that have been uncovered.

For now, the update is only available to Windows Insiders signed up for the Release Preview Channel and running Windows 11 version 22H2. Microsoft has used the update to introduce a range of fixes including addressing Microsoft Store problems, issues with static IP addresses, and solving a problem affecting color modes in Task Manager.

It is mere days since Microsoft started the rollout of Windows 11 2022 Update, but there are already reports of issues from people who have updated. Some owners of systems with NVIDIA GPUs are reporting a serious reduction in gaming performance after installing the update.

Reddit and Microsoft community forums are littered with complaints from gamers who have installed Windows 11 2022 Update and found that framerates in games have been slashed by over 87 percent in some cases. Major drops in CPU usage are also leading to stuttering game performance.

Microsoft continues to show a surprising level of love for Linux, and nowhere is this clearer than in the Windows Subsystem for Linux. With the latest version of the software, the company has worked with Canonical to bring systemd support to WSL for Windows 11.

What does this mean in practice? It means that as of Windows Subsystem for Linux 0.67.6 there is support for Ubuntu's snap installation method. But there is much more to the arrival of system support than this.