Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge: Adobe PDF integration silently postponed

Microsoft announced the migration of the Microsoft Edge built-in PDF reader to Adobe PDF technology last year. The change would allow Edge users to view PDF documents using Adobe's engine.

Microsoft and Adobe promised back then that this would improve things by providing "a unique experience" with "higher fidelity for more accurate colors and graphics, improved performance" and even stronger security and better accessibility.

By Martin Brinkmann -
Windows 11 logo on a laptop

KB5035853 update is slowing down Windows 11 and causing other problems for users

It is a rare month in which Microsoft releases an update for Windows that doesn't cause problems, and March sees the company maintaining this habit. The KB5035853 update released last week was supposed to fix a number of issues, including a persistent 0x800F0922 error, but it seems to have introduced problems of its own.

The KB5035853 update is a security update so it is being automatically installed for the majority of Windows 11 users, and this means that the issues associated with it are hitting a lot of people. Among the problems users are experiencing are BSoDs, slow boot times and reduced system performance.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
Win-12

Windows 12 'first look' will make you want the future OS right now

Microsoft is preparing to discontinue support for Windows 10 in the near future, giving users the option to either upgrade to Windows 11 or wait for the anticipated successor, Windows 12.

We’re not expecting to see the arrival of the next-gen operating system this year -- Microsoft is focused on adding more AI functionality to Windows 11 at the moment -- but we do have an idea of what Windows 12 could look like.

By Wayne Williams -
threads

Best Windows apps this week

Five-hundred-and-eighty-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.

Microsoft is rolling out improved versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 to users in the European Economic Area. These give users more customization options, such as the ability to remove Microsoft Edge or Bing Web Search entirely from the operating system.

By Martin Brinkmann -
Unified Microsoft Teams app

Microsoft is finally unifying Teams chaos into a single app

A major frustration for users of Microsoft Teams has been the need to use different versions of the app for different accounts. It has not been possible, for instance, to use a personal account and a work account in the same app. But this is changing.

With the release of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26080 to the Canary and Dev Channels, Microsoft has announced that a preview version of a unified Teams app is to be made available very soon. A single Teams app will be able to handle multiple accounts, including different types of account, and it will be possible to easily switch between them.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
Windows 11 on convertible laptop

Microsoft releases KB5035853 security update for Windows 11 fixing 0x800F0922 error and more

Microsoft has released a new security update for Windows 11. KB5035853 is a mandatory update which not only addresses security issues, but also introduces changes to make Windows 11 compliant with new DMA legislation in Europe.

On top of this, the update fixes the 0x800F0922 error which many people started to experience back in February. The KB5035853 update also features various other changes and additions such as the arrival of support for the USB 80Gbps standard.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
Embossed Windows 10 logo

Microsoft is ending updates for Windows 10 21H2 and wants enterprise and education users to consider Windows 11

In three short months, Microsoft is ending support for various editions of Windows 10 21H2. This means that not only will there be no more new features or bug fixes, there will also be no more security updates released for the operating system.

Running any version of Windows that is not in receipt of security updates is a bad idea, but as this latest announcement includes numerous Enterprise and Education versions of Windows 10, the impact could be huge.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
Microsoft building

Microsoft is rolling out new versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 to Europe

March 6 was an important day in the European Union as it marked the date on which the Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into force. The new legislation places numerous requirements on "gatekeepers" (defined as "large digital platforms providing so called core platform services"), and this has already seen Apple roll out a different version of iOS to the EU than to the rest of the world.

The DMA affects a lot of tech firms, including the likes of Google and Microsoft. With the new legislation having come into force, Microsoft has implemented compliance measures, and this includes rolling out DMA compliant versions of Windows 10 and 11 to users in the EU. The company has started this process and has explained what changes and differences this includes.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
remo

Best Windows apps this week

Five-hundred-and-eighty-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.

Microsoft announced that it is retiring the Windows Subsystem for Android next year. The company did not reveal why it made the decision. Rumors suggest that it did not generate the revenue that Microsoft hoped it would to become sustainable.

By Martin Brinkmann -
Windows 10 and Windows 11 logos

Microsoft releases KB5001716 update for Windows 10 to give Windows Update a new UI... and to push users towards Windows 11

Microsoft has released a new update for Windows 10 users in the form of KB5001716. While the company is promoting this as an update that refreshes the UI for Windows Update, there is rather more to it than that.

The release notes point out that after installing this update "you may see a notification informing you that your device is currently running a version of Windows that has reached the end of its support lifecycle ". In other words, expect Windows 11 upgrade nags. Oh, and if the slightly predictable underhand tactics were not enough, the installation of the KB5001716 update is proving problematic for some users, with numerous instances of 0x80070643 errors.

Windows 11 logo on a laptop

Microsoft is killing off Windows Subsystem for Android

If you are a Windows 11 user who fell in love with Windows Subsystem for Android, Microsoft has just delivered some bad news. The company is ending support for WSA.

Unlike Windows Subsystem for Linux, Windows Subsystem for Android failed to generate the mass appeal Microsoft was probably hoping for. This is likely partly because of the fact that while WSA makes it possible to run Android apps and games in Windows 11, it is limited to apps available via the Amazon App Store. The clock is now ticking for Windows Subsystem for Android

Copilot

Microsoft is giving click-free access to Copilot in Windows 11

It is no secret that Microsoft has jumped wholeheartedly onto the AI bandwagon, and its Copilot assistant is an important part of this.

Copilot is still in preview, but it has already undergone major work since it first appeared, and now Microsoft is trying to encourage people to use it by making it even easier to access. If clicking a mouse button has been standing between you and a fix of AI-powered assistance, you'll be pleased to hear that click-free access is rolling out to Windows 11 users.

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Best Windows apps this week

Five-hundred-and-eighty-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 will show Windows 11 upgrade prompts to more Windows 10 devices. After pushing another round of prompts to home users, it is now pushing them to domain-joined devices that are not managed.

By Martin Brinkmann -
Windows 11 blocks

Microsoft brings USB 80Gbps support to Windows 11, plus important fixes and mobile changes, with KB5034848 update

Microsoft has released the preview version of the KB5034848 update for Windows 11. One of the biggest changes introduced by this non-security update is the addition of support for the USB 80Gbps standard, but there is much more too.

There are also numerous changes and additions relating to mobile devices, not least of which is the ability to use the Snipping Tool in Windows 11 to edit recent photos and screenshots on Android devices. The KB5034848 update also addresses a number of issues with the operating system.

Windows 11 logo on a laptop

Microsoft announces a cornucopia of Windows 11 improvements, including AI audio and photo tools, widget enhancement and more

Windows 11 users have a host of new features to look forward to, as well an enhancements to existing components. Everything from AI-powered Generative Erase and Silence removal through voice shortcut improvements to new sharing options, there few areas of the operating system that are not getting attention.

The rollouts start today and continue over the coming month, and users can also expect a new widgets experience, better Snap suggestions for screen organization and more. Today's announcement also sees Microsoft unifying the Windows Update for Business deployment service with Autopatch into a single update management solution.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
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