Windows 11

If you have ever wanted to output sound from Windows 11 to more than one set of speakers, you will be aware that it can be tricky. Yes, you can splice together cables, use various adaptors or fiddle with a confusing selection of settings – but it is not a quick and easy task by any means.

But this looks set to change. While some might think that using more than one set of speakers at a time is something of a niche thing, enough Windows 11 users appear to want it for Microsoft to start working on a way to achieve this simply.

The latest long-term support release of Linuxfx, version 11.25.07 “NOBLE,” is now available.

Based on Ubuntu 24.04.2 and styled to look like Windows 11, the update offers a familiar yet open-source experience that skips many of the frustrations commonly associated with Microsoft’s OS.

There are a number of great tools that you can use to improve Windows 10 and 11, but our new favorite is CrapFixer. The free program can remove bloat, ads, AI, unwelcome data collection, and more from the operating system.

Although it was originally created seven years ago it has been completely rewritten for Windows 11 and a new update makes it even better, with its own small, modern Policy Editor.

Microsoft’s development of Copilot continues apace, and the latest update is one that could prove to be divisive. Windows 11 users signed up to the Windows Insider program are being given a new option in Copilot Vision for Windows – namely the ability to share the entire desktop with the AI tool.

Sharing your desktop in this way means that Copilot Vision for Windows will be able to see everything that is on your screen asnduse it in your interactions. While there are many potential uses for this, the controversy caused by screenshotting desktops with the Recall feature of Windows that was so controversial that Microsoft had to withdraw and rebuild it.

SparkyLinux 7.8 is now available to download, bringing a welcome selection of updates to the “Orion Belt” stable release series. Based on Debian 12 “Bookworm,” this latest point release offers a modern Linux experience that’s a strong alternative for users looking to move away from Windows 11.

With Microsoft's OS continuing to introduce clunky AI features, bloat, slow performance and limited user control, SparkyLinux serves as a lighter, faster, and fully customizable alternative. Version 7.8 delivers updated software, improved desktop environments, and superior system performance.

When Microsoft released the KB5062553 update for Windows earlier this month, it addressed a number of issues in the operating system. However, it also caused problems with Azure Virtual Machines.

As such, Microsoft has been forced to publish another emergency patch to fix a problem caused by one of its own software updates. This time around, the out-of-band fix is the KB5064489 update, and it is available for both Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is advising organizations to prepare now for the Windows 11 upgrade ahead of Windows 10 reaching end of support on 14 October 2025, if they haven’t already done so.

The advice highlights the importance of meeting new hardware requirements and securing devices ahead of the deadline.

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27898 to the Canary Channel.

This update introduces features aimed at improving usability and recovery, including taskbar icon scaling, quick machine recovery, and enhancements to accessibility tools like voice access and Narrator.

Microsoft has announced that it is moving away from Jscript in Windows 11 24H2 to make scripting more secure, and boost Windows 11 security overall.

The change sees the company enabling JScript9Legacy by default in the latest version of Windows 11. Despite stressing the important security implications of the change, Microsoft is not changing from Jscript to JScript9Legacy in operating system edition prior to Windows 11 24H2.

Microsoft has released the KB5062553 update for Windows 11 24H2. Billed primarily as a security update for the operating system, it is actually more than that – much more.

As is the case with Microsoft’s monthly security updates, it also includes the non-security improvements, fixes and additions that were previewed last month. One of the key new arrivals here is the new PC-to-PC migration experience which uses the Windows Backup app to ease the process of moving to a new computer.

It took a long time, undoubtedly much longer than Microsoft would have liked, but Windows 11 is now more popular than Windows 10. The most recent version of Microsoft’s desktop operating system is now installed on more desktop computers than its predecessor.  

Is this a cause for celebration at Microsoft HQ? Probably not. While Windows 11 may finally have a larger install base than Windows 10, it took four long years for this landmark to be reached. In the world of software development, that is an age.

It is not long until the next big update for Windows 11 is released. We don’t yet have an exact date for the availability of Windows 11 25H2 (although October looks likely a candidate) but we already know a lot about what to expect from it.

One of the changes that will be welcomed by many users, but business and enterprise users in particular, is the arrival of a new way to remove all unwanted Microsoft apps in one fell swoop. Via Group Policy, the new Remove Default Microsoft Store Packages policy helps to debloat Windows 11 in a flash.

It took Microsoft a long time to embrace widgets, but the company is now doing so wholeheartedly. While smartphone and tablet users – and, indeed, Mac owners – have developed a relationship with widgets, the same cannot be said of Windows 11 users.

But this is something Microsoft wants to change. In a move that will almost certainly prove to be popular and controversial in equal measure, the company is going to the Windows 11 lock screen to recommend widgets you might be interested in.

Today is a big day for fans of popular Windows Amiga emulator, WinUAE. Version 6.0.0 has just been released, delivering the most comprehensive update so far.

Highlights of the new version include a full rewrite of the custom chipset emulation, massively improving accuracy and performance. It also introduces expanded hardware support, better debugging tools, and a wide range of small -- but meaningful -- quality-of-life improvements.

Microsoft has issued a warning about a recent update for Windows 11. The KB5060829 update was released late last month as a non-security preview update, and it has been found to be causing issues.

Available for Windows 11 24H2, the optional KB5060829 update has been causing Windows Firewall With Advanced Security errors to be logged by the operating system. While error message relating to a security feature are likely to result in concern and fear, Microsoft is at pains to reassure users that there is no need to panic.