Articles about Windows 11

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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The Start menu in Windows 11 has proved to be one of many divisive components of the operating system, with many users unhappy about the appearance and lack of customization options. This is now changing.

Early last month, signs that Microsoft was planning to give the Windows 11 Start menu an overhaul were uncovered. Now these changes have been confirmed by Microsoft; the company says that “Start is getting personal”. But what does this mean?

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Artificial intelligence is now all but unavoidable, and Microsoft is taking every opportunity to crowbar more AI features into Windows 11. Copilot+ PCs are a big part of the company’s AI vision and now powerful new AI agents have been unveiled.

Described as being part of a “new generation of Windows experiences”, Microsoft has revealed new agents that use on-device AI to interpret natural language input to help a user find and change system settings. What could possibly go wrong?

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Microsoft is back with two new Surface devices for 2025 -- the 13-inch Surface Laptop and the 12-inch Surface Pro. Both are “Copilot+ PCs,” which essentially means they’re built around Microsoft’s AI. These new portable computers promise better performance, better battery life, and yes, you guessed it -- more Copilot.

The new 13-inch Surface Laptop is a sleek-looking device. Microsoft says it’s thinner and lighter than any Surface Laptop before it. The aluminum chassis comes in Ocean, Violet, and Platinum. There’s also a matching Surface Arc Mouse if you’re really committed to the aesthetic.

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We wrote about Winhance 4 just a matter of days ago, telling you how it can debloat and optimize Windows 10 and 11, and keep it that way.

The tool was originally a PowerShell GUI application, but with version 4 it transformed into a standalone app that can be installed or uninstalled easily. It was also made available in portable form. The app has now been updated to version 5, and it fixes a number of problems and introduces new functionality.

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Static Windows wallpapers can often feel a little, well, uninspiring -- especially if you don’t change them regularly. Sucrose is a free and fully open-source solution that brings a dynamic, customizable approach to desktop backgrounds.

This versatile wallpaper engine allows you to animate and personalize your desktops with interactive wallpapers, and it supports both light and dark themes. Sucrose works across multiple screens and supports a range of resolutions, making it compatible with various display configurations.

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The rollout of Windows 24H2 has been a slow and bumpy road. We’re not far from entering 25H2 and Microsoft has just announced that the Windows 11 2024 Update is now “broadly available”.

The shift to broad availability means that anyone with a compatible system will now be able to download the update, but many people are likely to find that they are automatically upgraded without having to do anything. Despite entering the final stage of rollout and availability, Microsoft says there are still compatibility holds in place that will block access to the upgrade for some users.

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You’ve possibly seen people online try to use ChatGPT to generate valid product keys for paid software, including different versions of Microsoft Windows.

YouTuber Gameboy Hub set out to test how successful ChatGPT is at generating, or sourcing, product keys to activate various versions of Microsoft Windows -- starting from Windows 95 and working up to Windows 7 (from where, in theory, it could be possible to upgrade to Windows 10 and Windows 11).

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Six-hundred-forty-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.

The optional update for Windows 11 brings the controversial Recall AI feature along with it, at least on Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft seems ready to launch it to all Copilot+ PCs next month as part of the cumulative security update.

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With Windows 10’s end of life looming, users are beginning to consider their next steps. In the past, upgrading to the latest Windows release might have been the obvious path, but Windows 11 -- with its tighter hardware requirements, bloat, problematic updates, insistence on a Microsoft account, and an increasing focus on unwanted AI features -- may no longer be the first choice for many.

Thankfully, Windows 11 isn’t the only game in town. Several Linux operating systems have been developed to appeal to Windows users looking to jump ship. AnduinOS is one such distribution, combining the familiarity of Windows 11 with the power of Ubuntu, and it's just been updated to version 1.3.0.

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Powerful new tools are only useful if people know what they can do and how to get them to do those things. For what feels like an eternity, Microsoft has been pushing Copilot as the greatest addition to Windows since... well, since Cortana it probably thinks.

For tech heads who have kept up with the latest news and developments, it’s easy to know what Copilot is, what it is about, and what it can do. But Microsoft realizes that not every Windows user is a tech head and is adding a guided tour to the app.

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The lukewarm reception to Windows 11 is clear from the wave of third-party tools built to fix it. One of the most recent is Crapfixer Rebirth Version, a utility that’s been around for about seven years (although it looks older), which has now been given a full refresh.

Winhance is another tool you’ll definitely be interested in. It can debloat and optimize Windows -- and keep it that way. Although it’s been designed for Windows 11 it works just fine on Windows 10. Winhance was originally a PowerShell GUI application, but version 4 is a standalone app that can be installed or uninstalled easily, and it also comes in a portable version, so there's no reason not to get started with it today.

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It is only too easy to dismiss something that is less than perfect, that does not meet your every need or desire, as crap. It is an accusation that is frequently leveled at Windows 11, and now there is something you can do about it.

The bluntly named Crapfixer does exactly what the name suggests -- fixes those niggling issues, the crap, that makes Windows 11 annoying. It’s not entirely dissimilar to CCleaner, and that’s something the developer points to as a source of inspiration. So let’s take a look at Crapfixer Rebirth Version and see what it can do for you.

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