Articles about Windows 11

The Snipping Tool app has proved itself to be one of the most useful and impressive utilities to be found in Windows 11. Microsoft has slowly worked to create something genuinely impressive; there have been some omissions, however.

One such oversight is the lack of support for creating GIFs, but this is about to change. The option of saving screen recordings as animated GIFs is overdue and extremely welcome.

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Signal has officially had enough, folks. You see, the privacy-first messaging app is going on the offensive, declaring war on Microsoft’s invasive Recall feature by enabling a new “Screen security” setting by default on Windows 11. This move is designed to block Microsoft’s AI-powered screenshot tool from capturing your private chats.

If you aren’t aware, Recall was first unveiled a year ago as part of Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC push. The feature quietly took screenshots of everything happening on your computer, every few seconds, storing them in a searchable timeline. Microsoft claimed it would help users “remember” what they’ve done. Critics called it creepy. Security experts called it dangerous. The backlash was so fierce that Microsoft pulled the feature before launch.

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One of the first things people notice about Windows 11 is its redesigned interface, most obviously, the taskbar and Start menu, which are now centered. It’s a major departure from the classic layout of Windows 10 and earlier, and for long-time users, the change can take some getting used to.

If you’re someone who prefers the familiar feel of earlier versions, particularly Windows 7, there’s now a stylish way to bring that experience back.

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Microsoft, Google, Apple, et al -- they are all at it. There is not a big-name tech firm in existence that is not deeply invested in artificial intelligence, and for end users this means having AI tools dangled in front of them at any given opportunity.

Windows 11 has already seen more than its fair share of AI, and this is not something that shows any signs of changing.

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Everyone likes to feel that they are in control of their computer, but the way the Settings app has been organized can make this hard. Acknowledging this, Microsoft had revealed new Advanced Windows Settings to allow for more configuration options.

The new Advanced section essentially replaces the For Developers section of Settings, but Microsoft says that it is now also aimed at power users. There are many options collected into one place that would otherwise be scattered, hidden or inaccessible.

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Microsoft Build is usually about cutting edge development, but sometimes there are nods to the past. And this is precisely what is happening with the company’s new text editor.

Named -- uninspiringly -- Edit, this text editor is not only open-source, but it is a command line tool. While clearly not something that will be of interest to the majority of Windows 11 users, it is something that has strong developer appeal.

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Well, it finally happened, folks. Microsoft has open-sourced the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), giving developers full access to its code on GitHub! Yes, after nearly a decade of closed development and repeated requests from the community, the company has handed over the keys -- inviting coders to inspect, improve, and contribute to the very core of how Linux runs on Windows.

This isn’t some half-baked gesture, either. Microsoft has released the core WSL package (the components that power WSL 2) under an open source license. This includes command-line tools like wsl.exe, background services, init processes, networking daemons, and the Plan9-based file sharing system. You can now build WSL from source, fork it, or pitch in directly on GitHub.

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There are a number of great tools you can use to improve Windows 10 and 11, including Winhance and BleachBit, both of which have been recently updated.

Crapfixer, which we’ve covered before, is another tool you can use to remove bloat, ads, creepy data collection, and more. It was originally created seven years ago but has been resurrected and completely rewritten for Windows 11. The modern incarnation appeared two weeks ago, and it has now reached the 1.0 milestone, meaning it’s considered stable and safe to use.

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Six-hundred-forty-seven 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.

Support for the consumer editions of Windows 10 ends in October 2025. While home users may extend support by one year by paying Microsoft, they will get three years of security updates for Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10.

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As part of its Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), Trend Micro is holding its first Pwn2Own event in Berlin. The three day event sees security researchers testing and breaching the security of various systems, including Windows 11 and Linux.

With big money on offer, there is a great incentive for researchers to unearth vulnerabilities and show how they can be exploited. And this is precisely what happened with Widows 11; the operating system was pwned multiple times on the first day of the event, and there will be many more attempts made before it is over.

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Loved, loathed, feared, viewed with suspicion -- all valid reactions to the existence of Microsoft's Copilot. The AI-powered assistant has proved hard to avoid thanks to the company's crazed promotion of its latest baby, and now things are being ratcheted up a notch.

Microsoft latest attempt to get people to use the Copilot app is to add a new shortcut to the context menu. Right click on a file in Windows 11 and you'll be presented with an Ask Copilot link so you can subject your documents to artificial intelligence.

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Six-hundred-forty-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.

Windows 11, version 24H2 is now officially available for everyone, according to Microsoft. Some devices may still be blocked from installing the upgrade, as known issues may prevent the installation still.

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Having already started to redesign the Windows 11 Start menu, Microsoft has revealed that there are even more changes afoot. As part of an upgrade to Windows Search, it will soon be possible to find and install apps from the Start menu.

What is happening is that the Microsoft Store is being integrated into the Start menu -- thanks to the fact that it is going to be integrated into Windows Search. The idea is that it reduces friction and makes it quicker and easier to get hold of apps that have not yet been installed.

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Open-source system-cleaning tool BleachBit 5.0 has been released for Windows and Linux users. The tool, which is used to clean up drive space and shred sensitive data, provides a way for users to remove unwanted and unused data from their machines.

Version 5.0 comes with the promise of new and improved cleaners alongside numerous other updates and security fixes.

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Windows 10 is set to reach its end of life later this year, meaning Microsoft will stop providing free security updates and support for the popular operating system. While extended security updates will be available for a fee, most users will need to choose between upgrading to Windows 11 or waiting for the long-rumored Windows 12.

Despite its continuous widespread use, Windows 10’s retirement marks a significant shift, pushing users toward a newer, AI-enhanced Windows experience -- whether they’re ready for it or not.

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