Microsoft is testing Windows 11 Start menu ads to push Microsoft 365 and Microsoft accounts
In the latest Windows 11 Dev build, there is a new Gallery in File Explorer for browsing your photos. This is something that is likely to prove popular, but the same build also include some rather more controversial changes.
In Windows 11 build 23435, Microsoft is tinkering further with the Start menu bringing ads to the heart of the operating system. The company likes to refer to this advertising as "badging", but the latest attempt to promote Windows 365 and Microsoft accounts is more likely to be seen as badgering.
Install the latest Microsoft Edge and get two taskbars in Windows!
For anyone who has made the jump from Windows 10 to Window 11, there is a lot of disappointment with the taskbar -- primarily that it is immovable. But whether you have upgraded to Windows 11 or stuck with Windows 10, there is a way to double the number of taskbars available to you. Sort of.
With the very Canary build of Microsoft Edge, there is a new optional sidebar that can be detached from the browser and pinned to the desktop. So if you feel like getting taskbar double vision, here's what you need to know.
Microsoft adds a new photo gallery to File Explorer in Windows 11
Arriving just in time for the weekend, the latest Windows 11 flight for Insiders in the Dev Channel comes with a new feature which will be appreciated by a lot of users.
Build 23435 introduces Gallery, a new addition to File Explorer, which is designed to make it easier to browse your photo collection.
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-thirty-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 working on integrating a few usability improvements into its Windows 11 operating system. There is a new End Task option when right-clicking on open apps in the Windows taskbar, and a remapped Print Screen key, which will open the Snipping Tool in the future.
Microsoft updates Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 with picture-in-picture support
For anyone looking to run Android apps and game within Windows 11, Windows Subsystem for Android is a fabulous, and free, alternative to the various emulators that are available. In a new update to the compatibility layer, Microsoft has added support for picture-in-picture mode.
P-in-P is only available in apps that explicitly support it -- the update to Windows Subsystem for Android does not add it to other apps -- and it is something that will serve as an aid to multi-tasking.
Microsoft is adding ChatGPT support to PowerToys for AI-powered searches
Having just added a registry editing tool to PowerToys, Microsoft is now working on the practically inevitable -- adding ChatGPT support to the utility collection.
This will not take the form of a dedicated new module, rather it will be a plugin. Specifically PowerToys' AI-driven ChatGPT functionality will come courtesy of a PowerToys Run plugin that is currently in development. It is a move that neatly integrates the power of ChatGPT into Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Microsoft releases KB5025239 update for Windows 11, adding new Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS), security fixes and more
Microsoft has released the cumulative KB5025239 update for Windows 11 22H2, bringing with it not only security and bug fixes, but also general improvements and new features.
Among the highlights are the addition of the new Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) as a Windows inbox feature. This update also adds new notifications about Microsoft account to the Start menu, improves Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and provides easy access to the Bing chat experience in Microsoft Edge via the taskbar.
Microsoft is changing the function of the Print Screen key in Windows 11
Microsoft is not shy about introducing controversial changes to its software, even if feedback forces it to reverse course further down the line. Windows 11 has seen a huge number of modifications, not all of which have proved popular, and a proposed change to the functionality of a key in Windows 11 is likely to be a divisive move.
The key in question the Print Screen (or Prt Scr and numerous other variations) which currently takes a screenshot and copies it to the clipboard. But in the latest builds of Windows 11, pressing the key does something different by default.
Windows 11 Mobile is everything a phone operating system should be
Microsoft made a significant investment in Windows 10 Mobile, including acquiring Nokia to produce its own handsets. Despite the strengths of the tiled mobile operating system, it was unable to compete with the dominant iOS and Android platforms. While Windows 10 became a successful operating system for PCs and tablets, Microsoft was eventually abandon its mobile ambitions
As Windows 11 gradually replaces Windows 10, the question remains whether it would perform better than its predecessor in the mobile space.
Microsoft is making it easier to terminate unresponsive apps in Windows 11 with new End Task option
Use Windows 11 for long enough, and you will almost certainly encounter an app that becomes unresponsive. And when an app freezes, you're likely to find that it misbehaves to the point that it is not possible to close it in the usual way.
When this happens, you may well fire up Task Manager, locate the troublesome app or process in the list and terminate it. But to help optimize this unnecessarily lengthy process, Microsoft is introducing a new End Task option that can be accessed from the Windows 11 taskbar.
Windows 10 vs. Windows 10X vs. Windows 11: A triple comparison
If you’re running a modern version of Windows, you'll either be on Windows 10 or Windows 11. For a while though, Microsoft was working on Windows 10X, a version of the OS designed for modern PCs.
Windows 10X was built from scratch on top of "Windows Core OS" and aimed to do away with legacy features and offer a simplified Windows experience. It was cancelled in 2021, although leaked builds did give us an idea of how it would look and what it would offer.
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-thirty-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's official Store on Windows 11 has a new section for widgets. Follow this link to open the Widgets section. Listed widgets may be installed so that they may be displayed in the Widgets interface.
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Build 23430
As well as a new Windows 11 build for Insiders on the bleeding edge Canary Channel, Microsoft has rolled out a new flight for testers on the Dev Channel.
New features here include a change to how urgent and important notifications are handled when 'do not disturb' is turned on -- users will have the option to click a 'view notification' button.
Microsoft releases experimental Windows 11 Build 25336
Microsoft advises some Windows 10 users of impending automatic update ahead of end of service
Microsoft has issued a reminder to users of certain versions of Windows 10 that their operating system will reach end of serving in mid-June.
The announcement applies to the Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations editions of Windows 10 21H2, and when June 13 rolls around no more monthly security updates will be issued. Microsoft says that in order to ensure protection, users will be automatically updated to a supported version of Windows.
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