Microsoft kicks off 2024 by releasing KB5034123 update for Windows 11 adding new lock screen options, security fixes and more
Microsoft has released its first batch of cumulative security updates of 2024, including the KB5034123 update for Windows 11. While the security fixes are a good reason for installing this particular update, there are plenty of other enticements too.
The KB5034123 update addresses various non-security issues including Wi-Fi connectivity problems and a bug that caused Windows to shut down. The update also ushers in new lock screen options thanks to the addition of a "richer weather experience" complete with dynamic, interactive weather updates.
Microsoft has completely killed off WordPad in Windows 11... and more apps will follow
It is a few months since Microsoft announced plans to ditch WordPad. Back in September the company revealed that the cut-down word processor would no longer be updated and would be removed from the operating system completely in a future release.
This day has now arrived, with Microsoft chopping WordPad from the latest Canary build of Windows 11. And the removal is irreversible -- the company stresses that "WordPad will not be reinstallable".
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-seventy-six in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
Future Windows PC keyboards may have a dedicated Copilot key. First keyboards with a key will become available in late February. A tap on the key launches Copilot. It is unclear if additional shortcuts will be supported.
Microsoft's 'Copilot Key' for Windows 11 devices -- a misstep in keyboard evolution or a privacy nightmare?
In a bold yet questionable move, Microsoft has introduced the “Copilot Key” for Windows 11 PCs, marking the first significant change to the PC keyboard in nearly 30 years. This development, part of Microsoft's ambitious AI integration plan, aims to make AI a seamless part of every Windows user's experience. However, this innovation raises significant concerns about its actual utility and potential drawbacks.
Firstly, the addition of the Copilot key seems to overlook the fundamental principle of simplicity in design. Keyboards have evolved over decades to become efficient input devices. Adding another key risks cluttering the keyboard layout, potentially leading to confusion and inefficiency, especially for users who rely on muscle memory for typing and shortcuts.
Run Windows 11 on a crappy PC with the ultra-lightweight tiny11 core for ARM64
We've written about tiny11 on numerous occasions, and we're constantly impressed by what has been achieved in whittling Windows 11 to a bare minimum. Now the even lighter weight tiny11 core for ARM64 has been updated after months of radio silence; it is now based on Windows 11 23H2.
tiny11 core is seriously stripped back, meaning its hardware requirements are absolutely minimal. But it is also so bare bones that it’s not really recommended for daily use – it is designed not as a replacement for tiny 11, but as a "quick-and-dirty testbed or development platform".
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-seventy-five in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
The next, and maybe final Moment update for Windows 11 could land in February. It may introduce the long-awaited options to remove Edge, Bing Search and other components in the European Economic Area.
Microsoft edges nearer to simplifying Windows 11 repairs with 'Fix Problems using Windows Update' feature
A few months have passed since we first heard about Microsoft's plans to simplify the process of reinstalling Windows 11. Once a lengthy and potentially nightmarish task that could involve the loss of files and settings, the reinstallation of Windows 11 is in line for a serious revamp.
A new option called 'Fix Problems using Windows Update' is in the pipeline. We have already seen it referenced in Dev builds of Windows 11, but now it has progressed up the line to the beta channel, signifying that a wider launch is imminent.
Windows 11 Moment 5 could land in February with the option to remove Microsoft Edge
If you're waiting for the next big update to Windows 11, you likely won't have to wait much longer. The update, also known as Moment 5 or February 2024 Moment, may not be as significant as previous updates in terms of new features, but it will still introduce some important changes.
Key among the changes is the ability to uninstall Microsoft Edge -- something large swathes of users have been begging for since Windows 11 emerged. Many of the changes and additions to be introduced with the update are to ensure Windows 11 complies with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Union, and this (coupled with the name of the update) is why we can be near-certain about the release date.
ASRock beta firmware makes its motherboards the first to support Windows 11 Dynamic Lighting RGB controls
For anyone who is a fan of the bright and shiny, they can kit out their PC with a range of RGB lighting. Controlling RGB mice, keyboard and other device has long meant battling with a bewildering selection of third-party software, and this is something Microsoft aimed to simplify with the introduction of Dynamic Lighting in Windows 11.
The feature has been available since the release of Windows 11 23H2, and now ASRock has launched new beta firmware that adds Dynamic Lighting support to its motherboards.
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-seventy-four in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
Microsoft released a troubleshooting tool to fix a printing issue that identified non-HP printers as HP printers. The tool corrects the issue when run.
Experts say the end of Windows 10 support could turn 240 million PCs into e-waste
The upcoming end of Windows 10 support may lead to hundreds of millions of devices becoming obsolete, potentially contributing significantly to electronic waste. The industry predicts that the end of Windows 10 support in 2024 will affect customers' refresh plans, with one in three devices expected to be replaced in the next two years.
Despite the growing capabilities of partners to refurbish and resell PCs, devices not supported by Windows 11 will not be viable for reuse, exacerbating the industry's e-waste problem.
If you have Wi-Fi issues in Windows 11, you're not alone; Microsoft pulls problematic update
A number of Windows 11 users are reporting Wi-Fi connectivity issues after installing the December 2023 Patch Tuesday update. The KB5033375 cumulative update was released for Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2, and the release was followed by complaints from users unable to connect to networks.
Microsoft has acknowledged the issue in relation to not only KB5033375, but also the earlier KB5032288 preview update. There is good news in that home users appear to be unaffected, but things are less rosy for enterprise and education users.
Microsoft announces deprecation of Defender Application Guard for Edge and legacy console mode
Microsoft has been killing off -- or at least warning of the impending death of -- a number of features of Windows recently. The likes of Steps Recorder and speech recognition are among those to have been ditched, replaced with Snipping Tool and voice access respectively.
The latest additions to the list of deprecated features are Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Edge and legacy console mode. The former affects Microsoft Edge for Business, while the latter is being converted into an optional feature that won't be part of a default installation.
Windows 11 users can now create their own custom voice commands
For some people, controlling a computer with their voice is a necessity, for others it is simply another means of input to supplement the mouse and keyboard. Microsoft has supported voice control of Windows for quite some time, and the company is working on some major updates to the "voice access" feature that will be available to everyone soon.
In the most recent beta build of Windows 11, voice access has a huge number of new and improved features including support for multiple displays. But perhaps the most exciting addition is the new voice shortcuts features which makes it possible to create custom commands to trigger actions.
Microsoft releases Printer Metadata Troubleshooter Tool (KB5034510) to fix HP printer weirdness
Last month, users of Windows 10 and Windows 11 started complaining about an odd problem that saw printers being renamed and the HP Smart app being forcibly installed. It took Microsoft a little while to acknowledge the issue, but ultimately the company conceded that the fault did not lie with HP.
But what those affected by the weird bug have been waiting for is a fix; this is now available in the form of KB5034510: Microsoft Printer Metadata Troubleshooter Tool - December 2023. Microsoft says that the tool will restore any previously downloaded model information and icons and will "remove HP LaserJet M101-M106 model information, icons, and application associations" as well as uninstalling the HP Smart app for anyone without an HP printer.
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