Articles about Windows 11

The Recall feature of Windows 11 has not even launched yet, but it has proved endlessly controversial since it was first announced a few months back. Microsoft says that Recall will help users retrace their steps by taking snapshots of activity every few seconds, providing a way to step back in time and jump to an earlier activity.

Such was the uproar about the security and privacy implications of the feature, Microsoft has already made concessions. The company first pulled the feature from preview builds of Windows 11 to do further work on it, and then announced that it would be opt-in rather than enabled by default. Now it turns out that it will be possible to uninstall it completely.

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While the standard versions of Windows 10 and 11 are designed to be all-encompassing, catering to a broad audience with varying needs, they can often be bogged down by features and services that not everyone needs, like Copilot in Windows 11 for example. Whether you're a professional needing a responsive system or a casual user looking for a smooth experience, the default versions of Windows 10 and 11 might not always offer the peak performance you desire.

Fortunately, there are customized versions of Windows that can help you unlock your PC’s full potential. These builds are designed to speed up your system by stripping away unnecessary features, optimizing resources, and delivering a leaner, faster operating system. Here’s a look at the five best custom Windows 10/11 builds that can help you achieve superior performance.

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Despite Microsoft's ongoing efforts to improve Windows 11 by fixing bugs and introducing new features -- most notably AI integration with Copilot -- many users continue to experience issues and design inconsistencies that detract from the overall experience. No wonder so many people are choosing to stick with Windows 10.

However, there's good news: Rectify11, a third-party solution designed to address Windows 11's many problems, has just been updated to version 3.2, offering a more polished and consistent user experience.

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You are probably familiar with God Mode in Windows. This feature displays all of the admin tools and control options on a single screen, but it’s tucked away, so you need to create a folder and give it a special name to activate it.

There are actually multiple God Modes, and we’ve covered them all, along with how to activate each one, here. However, if you're looking for something even more powerful, you should definitely try Super God Mode.

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Microsoft has a released a preview of next month's update for Windows 11. The release of the KB5041587 update introduces the ability to share content to an Android device from the Windows Share window assuming the handset has been paired with Windows 11.

For some users there are security improvements to the Widgets Board, while everyone is getting updated and improved Voice Access and Narrator features. What the release fails to do, however, is fix the problems users started to face with dual-booting Linux after installing the August security updates.

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If you have been sticking with Windows 10 in order to avoid some of the more irritating aspects of Windows 11, there's some bad news. Just as Microsoft has managed to find seemingly endless ways to lever advertising into Windows 11, even as the operating system is in its death throes the company is doing the same with Windows 10.

Windows 11's Start menu has been home to an increasing number of ads, sometimes in the form of blatant promotions of other Microsoft products and services, sometimes packaged as friendly app "recommendations". In the latest beta build of Windows 10, it is clear that Microsoft is planning to backport this particular annoyance to the older OS.

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Six-hundred-nine 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.

While Windows 10 is slowly reaching its end of servicing, it continues to be the most used version of Windows. Brian listed ten Windows 10 features that Windows 11 lacks.

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When Microsoft first unveiled Windows 11, it was marketed as the next big thing -- a fresh design, new features, and promises of improved performance that had many users buzzing with excitement. The tech world was pretty excited, with many headlines proclaiming it as a game-changer for the Windows ecosystem.

But as the dust has settled, a surprising twist has emerged: Windows 10, the "old" version, is still holding its ground and, in some cases, even outshining its flashy successor. From user feedback to real-world performance, Windows 10 is proving that newer isn't always better. Here are ten reasons why Windows 10 might actually be the smarter choice over Windows 11.

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With the recent release of the latest Canary build of Windows 11, Microsoft has introduced vastly improved options for in the Power & battery section of Settings. Primarily aimed at laptop users, the previously limited options here allowed for a very limited choice between Best Performance, Balanced and Best Power Efficiency which was applied when running on battery or when plugged in.

Now the compay is giving users the option to have different power modes in place for when charging and when unplugged. In this same build, the arbitrary FAT32 size limit has been raised from 32GB to 2TB.

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Six-hundred-eight 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 testing changes that add layout options to the 'All Apps' section of the Start menu of Windows 11. The first groups items, the second displays them in a grid.

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With the Start menu being at the heart of Windows, it is vital that it functions in a way that makes sense to people. Sadly, this has not always been the case.

Over years of development, Microsoft has taken a series of questionable design decision with this iconic part of the operating system, but a change that could prove popular is about to land in Windows 11.

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Windows shortcuts are a quick and convenient way to access your most-used files and applications, but the small arrow overlay on these icons can be aesthetically unappealing to some users. Fortunately, you can easily remove these arrows from your shortcuts, making your desktop and File Explorer look cleaner.

In this article, we'll walk you through two different methods: using the Windows Registry, and using a free third-party tool.

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Six-hundred-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.

Microsoft is working on separating Updates and the Library in Microsoft Store. Available to Insiders at the time of writing, it should help users check for updates quicker.

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As Windows 11 continues to face criticism over its system demands and privacy concerns, many users are exploring alternatives. Linux distributions offer compelling options that not only match but often surpass the Windows experience in performance, customization, and security.

Here are the top three Linux distributions that you should consider when switching from Microsoft Windows 11.

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Smart App Control is just one of various security features Microsoft has built into Windows 11. But while many users place faith in the tool to block malicious apps, Elastic Security Labs warns that it is fundamentally flawed.

The company says that Windows Smart App Control and its predecessor SmartScreen "have several design weaknesses that allow attackers to gain initial access with no security warnings or popups". In an investigatory report, Elastic Security Labs details numerous types of attack that can be used to bypass Windows Smart Control as well as revealing a bug in the handling of .lnk files which can be used to get around security.

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