Articles about Windows 10

Having released the experimental PowerToys v0.28 earlier this week complete with the video conference mute feature, Microsoft has now released an update to the stable version of its Windows 10 utility collection.

We were not expecting to see an update to PowerToys v0.27 just yet, but Microsoft has produced one out of the blue. The company says it deemed the release "important" as it addresses a number of issues.

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With the recent release of PowerToys v0.27, Microsoft managed to both excite and disappoint users. While there was a lot to explore and enjoy in that build, the newly released PowerToys v0.28 is even more impressive.

What is there to look forward to? Well, the arrival of the lauded video conference mute feature is something that people have been waiting for for a while... and now it's finally here.

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Four-hundred-and-fifteen in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store in the past seven days.

New features could soon be introduced independently of feature updates on Windows 10. Microsoft plans to use the Windows Feature Experience Pack to deliver (smaller) feature updates to Windows 10 devices that install just like any other update.

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Microsoft is experimenting with a new Feature Experience Pack which will make it easier to add great new features to Windows 10 in the future.

It is still working on feature updates though, and today it rolls a new FE_RELEASE build to Insiders on the Dev Channel.

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The launch of Apple's new range of Macs with its own M1 chips was met with excitement -- and benchmarks showed great performance even from base models. There was just one problem for some people: an inability to run Windows.

For anyone used to running Windows alongside macOS -- and, for that matter, Linus Torvalds and his desire to run Linux on an M1 MacBook Air -- there's good news. A team of developers have been able to get both Windows 10 and Linux running on Apple silicon.

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When you install a feature update for Windows 10 -- the likes of Windows 10 October 2020 Update (20H2), for instance -- Microsoft does not give you very long to change your mind and uninstall it. If you decide you don't like the changes introduced by a feature update, you have just 10 days to easily remove it without having to go down the route of using a backup.

It might not just be the fact that you don't like changes that have been made to the way Windows 10 works. There have been numerous updates to the operating system that have been problematic and buggy, but Microsoft still only gives you 10 short days to go back to your previous version of Windows 10. But there is a way to get yourself more time to play with.

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Normally when Microsoft adds new features to Windows 10, it does so using the twice-yearly Feature Updates -- such as Windows 10 May 2020 Update and Windows 10 October 2020 Update (20H2). But this is changing.

We have seen references to Windows Feature Experience Pack updates in preview builds of Windows 10, and now Microsoft is starting to test out the feature. Using the new method of delivering updates, the company is bringing some interesting new features and options to the operating system.

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Microsoft has been gradually developing PowerToys for Windows 10, and the collection of tools is growing. While still in its relative infancy -- we're a long way from version 1.0! -- there are already some PowerToys that are proving firm favorites.

One of the most popular is FanzyZones. It offers a great way to quickly organize a large number of open programs and windows into preset layouts... and it's about to get even better.

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Having already embraced Linux with WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux), Microsoft looks set to do the same with Android. The company is said to be working on a project which will make it possible to run Android apps in Windows 10.

The arrival of a new subsystem in Windows 10 is something that will be welcomed by Android fans looking to enjoy mobile apps on the desktop. While Microsoft is yet to confirm its plans, Project Latte could see the light of day as soon as late 2021.

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Four-hundred-and-fourteen in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store in the past seven days.

As always, if I've missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email.

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I'm a big fan of Linux-based operating systems, and I try to convert people whenever I can. No, Linux isn't right for everyone, and Windows 10 isn't a bad operating system, but many computer users are better served by a Linux distro such as Ubuntu. After all, many people live in the web browser these days, so they don't need the bloat of Windows. Not to mention, Linux is arguably more secure.

Of course, there are always people that fight me on the benefits of Linux, and two pieces of software often enter the conversation -- Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop. Thankfully, I have some great ammunition in those arguments -- LibreOffice and GNU Image Manipulation Program (aka GIMP). True, both of those programs are also available on Windows and not Linux-only, but still, they make Linux a viable Windows alternative for many.

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Windows 10 was not a surprise, nor was the fact that support was ending for Windows 7. Both home and Enterprise users were well informed of Windows 7's impending doom and given ample time to upgrade or buy new machines. Guess what happened? Smart people left Windows 7 before support ended while stupid people did not.

Look, I hate name-calling, but anyone still on Windows 7 is, in fact, stupid. OK, I suppose they could instead be lazy or indifferent, but ultimately, it is stupid behavior to run an unsupported operating system -- especially for a business. And that's why it is very disappointing to learn Google is extending Chrome support for Windows 7.

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Four-hundred-and-thirteen in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store in the past seven days.

Microsoft won't release preview updates for its Windows operating system in December because of "minimal operations during the holidays and the upcoming Western new year".

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Although Insiders in the Dev Channel do occasionally get to try out upcoming features in Windows 10, more often than not the new builds Microsoft rolls out focus on fixing problems and tweaking settings.

That’s certainly been the case with the previous two flights, and today’s new release, Build 20262 (FE_RELEASE) is no different.

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Microsoft has announced that it will not be releasing any preview releases in December as the company winds down for the end of the year.

The Windows maker cites the "minimal operations during the holidays and the upcoming Western new year" as the reason for scaling things back. Microsoft adds that things will return to normal in January.

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