Articles about Windows 11

It used to be, people would scoff at the idea of switching to a Linux-based operating system due to a lack of software. While that is still true for some folks -- especially business users -- it is less of a concern these days. Why? Well, so many things are done through the web browser nowadays, lessening dependence on Windows software. For many consumers, just having the Google Chrome browser on, say, Ubuntu, is more than enough to accomplish their wants and needs. Not to mention, there are many quality Linux apps like GIMP and DaVinci Resolve.

But OK, lets say you really want to use a Linux-based operating system, but there's some Windows-only software that you absolutely cannot live without. Thankfully, you may still be able to ditch Windows and upgrade to something like Fedora or Linux Mint. How? Thanks to the excellent Wine! This compatibility layer (don't you dare call it an emulator), can sometimes enable you to run Windows software on Linux. Today, version 7.0 is released.

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The first Patch Tuesday of 2022 was little different to those in preceding months in as much as the updates released by Microsoft caused various problems for lots of Windows users -- quelle surprise!

As a result, the company has been forced to release a series of out-of-band updates for numerous versions of Windows. The updates (KB5010789, KB5010790, KB5010792, KB5010793, KB5010794, KB5010795, KB5010796, KB5010797, KB5010798 and KB5010799) fix problems with virtual machines, VPN connections, Windows Server Domain Controllers and more.

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The Widgets component of Windows 11 was something that seemed like a great idea on paper, but has thus far failed to generate too much excitement. This is at least in part down to the fact that only official Microsoft widgets exist -- but this is going to change.

It is looking very much like Windows 11 is going to be gaining support for third-party widgets, opening up the possibility of a wider range of genuinely useful tools coming to users. There are also hints that a widget store, called the Widget Board, is on the way.

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Four-hundred-seventy-three 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 a new Windows 11 build this week. It includes a redesigned flyout and other improvements.

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With the holidays a distant memory, Microsoft is back to its regular Wednesday release schedule with a new Windows 11 build for Insiders on the Dev Channel.

Build 22533  updates the flyout design for the hardware indicators for brightness, volume, camera privacy, camera on/off and airplane mode, so it now follows Windows 11’s design principles.

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Microsoft has fixed a critical vulnerability which affects several versions of its operating system including Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022.

The security bug is an HTTP vulnerability which is tracked as CVE-2022-21907 and Microsoft warns it is wormable. The company has issued a fix for the flaw and says that users should prioritize installing it to secure their systems.

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Microsoft has released the first cumulative patch of 2022 for Windows 11 in the form of the KB5009566 update.

The patch is a mandatory cumulative update that addresses security problems thanks to the inclusion of January 2022 Patch Tuesday fixes. These address no fewer than six zero-day vulnerabilities, and a total of 97 security issues in all. The KB5009566 update also address a long-standing issue with Windows 11 and takes the operating system up to build 22000.434.

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While still a long way from being the most popular browser on the market, Microsoft Edge continues to be where some of the most interesting developments are to be found. A great example of this can be seen in the latest Canary build of the browser.

In Edge 99, Microsoft has added a new setting that can be configured to use higher refresh rates only when scrolling. This not only means that scrolling looks nicer, but also that the lower refresh rates used the rest of the time will help to reduce power consumption, thereby improving battery life on laptops.

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Four-hundred-seventy-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.

The first big Windows 11 update may come earlier than expected. Microsoft released the first Windows 11 build of the year to the public this week.

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Having taken a break for the holidays, the Windows development team is back in business with the first new Windows 11 Dev Channel build of 2022.

Build 22526 comes with a decent number of fixes, as well as some welcome changes and improvements.

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It has been suggested that Windows 11 shipped as an unfinished product. Microsoft would almost certainly disagree, but it's an idea that is backed up by the fact that bundled apps are being updated -- and not just with minor tweaks, but with major overhauls.

We've already seen a preview version of the redesigned Notepad, and now Microsoft is making this staple app available to more people, complete with a new dark mode option and more. And it doesn't end there. An updated version of Windows Media Player, which replaces Groove Music, is also available to a wider range of users.

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Microsoft has been quite aggressive in pushing its Edge browser, raising the hackles of many Windows users by ignoring default browser settings. The company's approach means that regardless of which web browser is set as default in Windows 10 and Windows 11, certain types of web content will always open in Edge.

The links of EdgeDeflector and similar tools popped up to intercept such links – such as clicking links in the News widget in Windows 11 – and force them to open in the default browser, but Microsoft has been busily trying to block such activity. One tool that continue to work is MSEdgeRedirect, and it has just been updated to make it even more useful.

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The arrival of Android app support in Windows 11 is something that has been met with mixed reactions. While many are happy to be able to use Windows Subsystem for Android to run apps and games, the fact that only the Amazon Appstore is supported has led to people seeking ways to sideload apps.

We've already seen the release of WSATools for this very purpose, and now there is a new open-source option. WSA PacMan is a delightfully accessible tool that makes it easy to sideload apps without the need to battle with ADB commands.

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Windows 11 may still have that new OS smell wafting off it, but there is still work to be done. We already know that Microsoft is only planning a single feature update each year, and it looks like the first major update for Windows 11 -- codenamed Sun Valley 2 -- could be available for testing in a matter of months.

Windows 11 22H2, as Sun Valley 2 is also known, is said to be scheduled to be completed in May. The update is expected to be finalized some time in the summer, and then be ready for a full release in the fall. But what can we look forward to in this release?

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Four-hundred-seventy-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.

Microsoft confirmed a color issue on certain Windows 11 devices this week, which it plans to fix in late January 2022.

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