You can now give your Linux desktop a Windows 11-style 'Fluent' makeover
Windows 11 is far from perfect -- it’s still very early days for the new operating system after all -- but it sports an attractive, modern aesthetic thanks to the use of Microsoft’s Fluent Design System.
If you like the look of Windows 11, but prefer to use a Linux OS, you can now get the best of both worlds by applying a new 'Fluent' icon set.
Microsoft releases emergency KB5010196 and KB5010215 updates to fix serious remote desktop problems in Windows Server
Microsoft has issued an out-of-band update for Windows Server to address a problem with Remote Desktop that can prevent connections to a server.
There are two different updates available at the moment -- KB5010196 for Windows Server 2019, and KB5010215 for Windows Server 2012 R2 -- and Microsoft says that updates will be released for other affected platforms "in the coming days". As these are emergency, out-of-band updates, they are not currently available from Windows Update, and must instead be installed manually.
Turn the Windows 11 taskbar into a macOS-style dock
Windows 11's centered taskbar isn’t for everyone, and it lacks many of the customization options we’re used to (although Microsoft promises these missing features are on their way).
Thankfully there are some third-party tools which can change the look and behavior of the taskbar.
WSA PacMan is a new way to sideload Android apps in Windows 11
The arrival of Android app support in Windows 11 is something that has been met with mixed reactions. While many are happy to be able to use Windows Subsystem for Android to run apps and games, the fact that only the Amazon Appstore is supported has led to people seeking ways to sideload apps.
We've already seen the release of WSATools for this very purpose, and now there is a new open-source option. WSA PacMan is a delightfully accessible tool that makes it easy to sideload apps without the need to battle with ADB commands.
Microsoft releases fix for email-breaking Y2K22 bug in Exchange FIP-FS
Microsoft Exchange users were hit by a New Year bug that prevented the delivery of emails. The "year 2022" bug in the FIP-FS anti-malware scanner resulted in error messages including "The FIP-FS Scan Process failed initialization. Error: 0x8004005. Error Details: Unspecified Error" and "Error Code: 0x80004005. Error Description: Can't convert "2201010001" to long".
While the bug caused a degree of panic, Microsoft has now released an official fix. Anyone who has encountered the issue can apply the fix manually, or use an automated script to take care of things.
The first big Windows 11 update, Sun Valley 2, should be ready in mere months
Windows 11 may still have that new OS smell wafting off it, but there is still work to be done. We already know that Microsoft is only planning a single feature update each year, and it looks like the first major update for Windows 11 -- codenamed Sun Valley 2 -- could be available for testing in a matter of months.
Windows 11 22H2, as Sun Valley 2 is also known, is said to be scheduled to be completed in May. The update is expected to be finalized some time in the summer, and then be ready for a full release in the fall. But what can we look forward to in this release?
Skype gets zoom (with a little z) support
Do you use Skype? If yes, it is time to get really excited, as there is some legitimately cool news surrounding Microsoft's wildly popular cross-platform communication software. You see, Skype now has zoom support. Please don't misunderstand things, however, as that is zoom with a lowercase z. In other words, Skype is not getting support for the competing Zoom (with an uppercase Z).
Yes, folks, Microsoft has quite literally added the ability to zoom in on Skype screen-shares. In a new blog post, the Windows 11-maker explains, "It has happened to the best of us. You're in a call and someone shares their screen to show you something. Everyone else is nodding along, but you're squinting at your computer screen trying to read the tiny text they are referencing. It's just too small! With Skype's easy zoom in feature, you don't have to miss out."
Microsoft confirms color problem in Windows 11 -- but a fix is weeks away
Windows 11 has a color rendering issue which results in some image editors showing white as yellow or other hues.
Although Microsoft has confirmed the existence of the problem and says that a fix is on the way, details are a little sparse. The problem affects certain HDR displays when using particular image editors, but the company has not revealed what combinations of hardware and software are problematic, or how widespread the issue is.
Microsoft has blocked all default browser workarounds in Windows 10 and Windows 11
When Patch Tuesday rolls around, we can usually expect a series of Windows problems to be fixed (and perhaps to see some new ones introduced), as well as new features added. But Microsoft also uses such updates to take things away -- and this is precisely what has happened with the latest updates for Windows 10 and 11.
Microsoft, quite understandably, would like everyone to use its Edge browser, and has taken endless steps to ensure that it stays the default browser on as many computers as possible. With the latest operating system updates -- specifically the KB5008212 and KB5008215 updates -- the company has implemented a block on workarounds used by the likes of EdgeDeflector and Firefox to force links to open in a browser other than Edge.
Microsoft continues to deliver death by a thousand cuts to the Control Panel in Windows 11
Microsoft has hardly made a secret of the fact that the beloved Control Panel is on its way out. Slowly but surely the company has been moving various options from the Control Panel into the Settings app.
There is, however, a strange sense of limbo to be drawn from the fact that both the Control Panel and Settings exist alongside each other, some options are duplicated in both places. On top of this, -- and despite Microsoft really want people to use Settings -- there are numerous occasions on which the Settings app will dump users unceremoniously back into the Control Panel. But with the latest build of Windows 11, Microsoft's assault on the Control Panel continues, with the death knell sounding ever louder.
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Build 22523, makes ISOs available to download
Microsoft has just begun rolling out what will be the final new Windows 11 Dev Channel build before the holidays.
After blocking Insiders with ARM64 PCs from installing Build 22518 last week, Microsoft is offering this flight to all. The software giant is also making ISOs for it available to download.
Microsoft releases KB5008215 update for Windows 11 to fix SSD performance, installer problems and VPN issues
In what is the last scheduled update for Windows 11 this year, Microsoft released the KB5008215 update. The update takes the operating system up to build 22000.376 and includes numerous security fixes.
Among the changes introduced in this update are new emoji, as well as a fix for an issue that prevented the appearance of File Explorer and desktop shortcut menus. The fixes for SSD performance problems addressed by the previously released KB5007262 are also included.
Microsoft is making Windows Terminal the default command line in Windows 11
Microsoft has announced that Windows Terminal is set to become the "default command line experience" for Windows 11 users next year.
The company had already hinted at this possibility a couple of months ago with the release of a preview build of Terminal. In Windows Terminal Preview 1.12, the option was introduced to set the tool as the default terminal emulator, but now plans have extended so that all Windows 11 users will have Windows Terminal by default.
Update Microsoft Teams to fix 911 call-block problem
A few days ago we reported about a rather worrying issue that meant some Android users were unable to place emergency 911 calls.
The problem was blamed on an "unintended interaction between the Microsoft Teams app and the underlying Android operating system". Microsoft was quick to suggest that the root cause of the issue is more Google's fault than its own but, nonetheless, the company is in the process of rolling out an update to Teams that addresses the problem.
Microsoft's recently released KB5007262 update may fix SSD performance issues in Windows 11
Just a few days ago we reported about an issue with reduced SSD performance in Windows 11. There have been numerous complaints from users about poor write speeds after upgrading from Windows 10, and while Microsoft has not made a big announcement about it, it seems that a fix may already be available.
The reason the company is yet to make a fuss about the availability of a fix is that it is part of an update preview -- something that not everyone will be comfortable installing. But for anyone suffering with poor drive speeds under Windows 11, the recently released KB5007262 update could be the solutiuon.
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