Adaptive wallpapers could bring the Windows 12 desktop to life
Although Windows 10 is the leading desktop operating system by some way, Microsoft will be praying that Windows 11 starts to gain more users throughout 2023.
While the new OS does have some features that set it apart from its predecessor, most notably a centered taskbar, for many users the differences don’t go for enough, and they’ll be hoping that Windows 12 will step things up significantly.
Leaked: Microsoft is bringing tabs to more apps in Windows 11
Having revolutionized the way we browse the web, tabs made their way to File Explorer in Windows 11. Now, thanks to a premature -- and now-deleted -- tweet, we also know that Microsoft is looking to do the same with other apps.
A Microsoft employee shared a screenshot on Twitter that depicts an updated version of the Notepad app, complete with two open tabs. It is not known if the addition of tabs will come in the next Moment update for Windows 11, but it is something that is undergoing internal testing.
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-twenty-two 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 plans to remove Internet Explorer from Windows 10 devices with an Edge update in February 2023. Official support for Internet Explorer 11 ended in mid-2022.
You should replace Windows 11 with Linux Mint 21.1 on grandma's PC this Christmas
Grandmothers can be great ladies, but let's be honest -- they aren't very good at using computers. It's not their fault though -- they didn't grow up with them. That's why every time you visit grandma for Christmas, she asks you to fix her computer.
If you are sick of removing malware from grandma's PC, there is a simple solution -- install Linux! Yes, by formatting grandma's hard drive and replacing Windows with Linux, she will have the best Christmas ever.
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-twenty-one 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 users may soon use the Widgets feature without a Microsoft Account. Microsoft is testing the change in development versions of the operating system currently.
Microsoft is bringing another big update to Windows 11 in May
With Windows 11, Microsoft changed the way it releases updates for the operating system with its "Moment" updates. So far, there has only been one Moment released, but it was a significant one that saw the addition of tabs in File Explorer and more.
We've already heard rumors that the Moment 2 update is scheduled for release in March next year, but now there are also suggestions that yet another update is due in May. What is not clear, however, it whether this will be Moment 3, or what has been referred to as a Continuous Innovations update.
Microsoft releases updated OneDrive app with a new Windows 11 aesthetic
Users of Microsoft's cloud storage have a new version of the OneDrive desktop client to install, compete with an updated look and feel.
After a period of testing during which the refreshed app was available to Insiders only, Microsoft has now released the new OneDrive app to everyone. The latest update gives the app a Windows 11-style makeover, including support for light and dark modes.
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Build 25267 -- the last test release of 2022
Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel have a new Windows 11 Build to play with today, and it’s the last one of the year. The next new builds will begin to arrive in January 2023.
Build 25267 comes with a good selection of improvements and fixes, as well as an improvement to how search looks on the taskbar.
Windows 11 Build 25262 does away with the sign-in requirement for the widgets board
The December 2022 Bug Bash is well underway for Windows Insiders in both the Dev and Beta Channels.
For insiders in the Dev channel, today also sees the arrival of a new Windows 11 build in time for the weekend. Build 25262 comes with a number of fixes and Microsoft has also dropped the sign-in requirement for the widgets board and made it available for all users.
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-twenty 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 an out-of-band update for Windows 10 this week that improves updating to Windows 11. It prompts users to update to Windows 11 when new major updates are released for the operating system.
Microsoft gives some Windows 11 users early access to the new Snipping Tool screen recorder
Back in October, Microsoft -- possibly inadvertently -- revealed that Windows 11's Snipping Tool screen capture utility was getting a significant update with the addition of a screen recording option.
After the Surface event at which the news was seemingly leaked, there has been no news about the Windows 11 screen recorder. But now Microsoft has made the new capability available to a select group of users, signalling that a wider roll-out could be just around the corner.
CCleaner's new cleaning rules help optimize Windows 11
Piriform has added some new cleaning rules to CCleaner that help to detect and remove surplus files generated by new Windows 11 features including Widgets, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Microsoft News, Windows Defender, OneDrive, File Explorer, and Microsoft Family Safety.
The update also adds more apps to CCleaner’s cleaning list and improves cleaning in Slack.
We wanted to know what features Windows 12 might have to offer, so we asked an AI
Windows 12 will offer a number of improvements that will make it better than its predecessor, Windows 11. One of the biggest advantages of Windows 12 is that it will offer improved security. Microsoft is introducing multiple new features to better protect user data, such as a new secure kernel, a secure boot process, and a new sandbox security model.
In addition, Windows 12 will offer improved performance, with better memory management and faster start-up times. The new version of Windows will also provide better support for multi-core processors, and it will introduce new graphics APIs such as DirectX 12 and Vulkan, which will provide improved performance in gaming and multimedia applications.
Out-of-band KB5020683 update for Windows 10 makes it easier to upgrade to Windows 11 immediately
The uptake of Windows 11 has been rather slow, almost certainly slower than Microsoft would have hoped. With Windows 10 users sticking doggedly to their slightly aging operating system, the company is seeking way to promote and simplify Windows 11 upgrades -- and with the KB5020683 update, it has done just this.
KB5020683 is an out-of-band update that Microsoft released recently to little fanfare. It has one aim: improving the out-of-box experience (OOBE) so users have the option to upgrade to Windows 11 immediately.
Forget buggy Windows 11, Windows 12 is the operating system we want
Windows 11 is a good operating system, for the most part, but it’s not without its problems. It seems every new update Microsoft rolls out these days introduces fresh annoyances. No wonder the vast majority of users are sticking with Windows 10.
Although Windows 11 has only been out for just over a year, talk of its successor, Windows 12, has been bubbling in the background for a few months now and if you were wondering how it might look when released, we have the answer.
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