In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at Microsoft"s latest financial report, fresh Windows 11 stats, big updates for Skype (yes, it is still alive), a new PowerToys release, some good and not-so-good gaming news, one new Windows 11 preview build, and more.
Table of contents:
- Q4 2024 results
- Windows 10 and 11 news
- Windows Insider Program
- Updates are available
- Reviews are in
- Gaming news
Q4 2024 results
On July 30, 2024, Microsoft posted results of the Q4 2024 fiscal year. The company generated $64.7 billion in revenue, with a net income totaling $22 billion. You can check out more details that Microsoft revealed during its earnings conference call with investors.
Windows 11 and 10
Here we talk about everything happening around Microsoft"s latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And of course, you may find a word or two about older but still supported versions.
This week"s Windows section kicks off with fresh stats from Statcounter and Valve. According to Statcounter"s July 2024 report, Windows 11 crossed the 30% mark for the first time since its launch three years ago. Valve, on the other hand, reports a slight decrease in Windows 11 users. On Steam, the OS now sits at a little lower than 46%.
Although we are a few days away from the August 2024 Patch Tuesday updates, Microsoft released some additional patches and improvements for its operating system. KB5001716 is out for Windows 10 and 11 to make Windows Update components run better, and KB5040529 is out as an optional update for Windows 11 24H2.
Also, Microsoft restored some of its previously missing official virtual machines, which are also known as Windows Developer Environment. WDE 2407 is now available for VMware users, but the Parallels version is still missing. On the bright side, the timebomb has been prolonged to October 29, 2025, instead of October 9, 2025.
Microsoft quietly confirmed a bunch of known bugs in the latest Windows Server updates. The most important one is probably a bug with the old Remote Desktop protocol, which causes intermittent connection dropouts. While Microsoft is busy fixing the bug, IT admins can apply a temporary workaround to mitigate the problem.
Finally, Microsoft offered a detailed explanation of the root cause of the recent CrowdStrike outage, which still sends ripples across the industry. Although CrowdStrike and Microsoft managed to recover most of the systems that were affected by the no-legendary outage, the story is far from over. Delta Airlines, which suffered big time, is now reportedly planning to file lawsuits against Crowdtrike and Microsoft. Apparently, those $10 Uber Eats gift cards were not enough to remedy the situation.
Here is what Microsoft Released this week for testing in the Windows Insider Program:
| Windows 11 | Windows 10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Canary Channel | Nothing this week | Not Applicable |
| Dev Channel | Nothing this week | Not Applicable |
| Beta Channel | 22635.4005 | Nothing this week |
| Release Preview Channel | Nothing this week | Nothing this week |
Earlier this week, Microsoft quietly updated release notes for the most recent Windows 11 preview builds to notify users that the setting for toggling on or off tray clock seconds now lives in another part of the Settings app. Now, if you want to turn on the tray clock seconds, you should navigate to the Date & Time settings section, not Personalization.
Updates are available
This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.
PowerToys, one of our favorite apps, received a big new update this week. Version 0.83 delivered a revamped Awake module and a metric ton of improvements for other modules. Sadly, there are no new utilities, but Microsoft says it is working on more substantial changes in versions 0.84 and 0.85, so stay tuned for those.
StartAllBack, this time a third-party app for tweaking Windows 11, received a new update with Windows 11 24H2 support. Besides removing the upgrade block, the update improves performance and introduces several new features.
Skype is another Microsoft-made piece of software that got a large update. The most notable change in version 8.125.76.201, which is currently Insider-only, is the complete removal of any ads. Skype is now ad-free across platforms, something that is truly unique in the modern Microsoft world. Besides, there are AI image generation improvements, OneAuth support on iOS, and some bug fixes.
Teams, one more communication service from Microsoft, also received new features. In a blog post, Microsoft outlined new capabilities, such as a new gallery design, better 3D avatars, and improvements for the events feature. In addition, the company is working on merging Teams chats and channels in a new UI.
Microsoft also released several updates for Windows 365, a service that lets you keep a Windows computer accessible in the cloud. It now features improved security and tiers with GPU-enabled hardware acceleration. Later this year, Microsoft will ship a new Windows App.
Not a single week goes by without browser updates. Microsoft had quite a lot this week. In the Stable Channel, Edge users received three security patches and a new feature for Edge for Business. Edge Dev Insiders can try out version 128.0.2739.1, which brought several fixes and one nasty bug that can seriously break your workflow, so you better not use Edge Dev as your main browser. Finally, Edge 128 arrived in the Beta Channel for final testing before heading out to all users in the Stable Channel.
Chrome, the world"s most popular browser, is getting a new layer of protection for cookies and passwords and several AI-powered features, such as Google Lens, Tab Compare for shopping assistance, and text prompts for searching in history.
The next is Arc Browser, a new player on the market. The Browser Company delivered its promise and released Arc on Windows 10. Since Arc is slightly more complicated than, say, Microsoft Edge, it has higher system requirements, such as Windows 10 version 1901 and the BMI2 instruction set. Also, there is no ARM version yet, but that is something developers plan to fix soon.
Creative people who use Adobe"s applications on Copilot+ PCs or other Windows on ARM computers should rejoice as the company released an ARM-native version of Illustrator, one of the most popular apps for editing scalable vector graphics. Before you download it, though, keep in mind that it is in beta, so some bugs may pop out here and there.
Other notable updates include the following:
- The new Outlook app for Windows is now generally available for business users.
- Python in Excel can now run on a local device.
- Windows Package Manager has been updated to version 1.8 with support for Microsoft Store offline distribution.
- Fences 5.8 is out with Windows 11 24H2 support and multiple improvements.
- Outlook on Android and iOS received a new contact editor.
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Windows Admin Center v2 received a new Public Preview update with new features.
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Microsoft revealed new features for the Planner app in Teams, including quick links to plans.
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Microsoft 365 Backup is now generally available for businesses.
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Copilot can now offer suggestions to make better quizzes and surveys in Microsoft Forms.
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Microsoft added new functions for the Commute map feature on the Bing Android app.
And here are the newest drivers released this week:
- Intel 31.0.101.5762 WHQL with Stormgate support and performance improvements.
- Nvidia RTX Enterprise 552.86 and 560.76 with a few fixes and security updates.
- AMD launched a new driver preview with Fluid Motion Frames preview.
This week, Microsoft ended support of the third-generation Surface Laptop. This legendary computer no longer receives firmware and driver updates, so if that is important for you, it"s time to upgrade. However, it is worth noting that the end of support does not mean the end of Windows updates—the operating system has a separate life cycle, so Windows 10 and 11 will continue receiving fixes and new features on the Surface Laptop 3.
As for still-supported devices, a bunch of Surface computers received new firmware updates. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 got fixes for display glitches, and the Intel-based Surface Laptop 4 received audio improvements to prevent disruptions when playing or recording audio.
As usual, this section ends with the latest Microsoft 365 Roadmap Weekly. This time, it focuses on new features that are coming soon to Microsoft Teams.
Reviews are in
Here are hardware and software we reviewed this week.
Robbie Khan reviewed the OXS Thunder Lite, an affordable soundbar with solid sound quality, multiple connectivity options, and a decent price. It is hard to criticize a good-sounding $99 soundbar, but this one still has some negative quirks, so check out the review here.
Another review from Robbie this week was about the UGREEN"s 48,000 mAh 300W power bank. This unconventional power source is a well-made device with premium materials, looks, and features, plus it packs long-life LiFEPO4 batteries that promise up to 3,000 recharge cycles.
On the gaming side
Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts and more.
Gamescom is coming August 12-15, and Microsoft has already confirmed its presence on the show. Moreover, the company published a list of the current and upcoming games that will be showcased in some way. They include Avowed, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Sea of Thieves, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and more.
You may have heard about the original Xbox One consoles not being able to update their software. As it turned out, it was not Microsoft bricking its less-than-successful console. The company resolved the bug with Xbox One consoles" software, and now, systems with the OS versions released before November 2018 can update to the most recent version and access all of Xbox Live features.
Microsoft also shared some info about the long-rumored Xbox mobile game store. It was initially expected in July 2024, but as you can tell, July is no longer with us, and neither is the promised store. A Microsoft spokesperson revealed that "testing has begun for our browser-based mobile store." There is no info on when gamers will be able to try it out, so let"s sit tight and wait.
Another thing that is in the works is a new team for Blizzard IPs. A new report surfaced this week that after revealing big layoffs in its gaming division, Microsoft and Blizzard formed a new team to make smaller AA games from Blizzard"s current IPs.
Microsoft released a new update for Xbox Insiders. It introduced new features for owners of the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller. The highlight of the update was toggle hold, a Sticky Keys-like feature designed to assist users who have trouble holding down multiple keys simultaneously. In addition, Xbox Insiders can try out Discord integration improvements.
Speaking of controllers, check out the new Sky Cipher Special Edition gamepad. It features a transparent blue shell and, for the first time, a new packaging design. It is now available for preorder for $69.99, and shipments begin on August 13.
There was some bad news for gamers eagerly awaiting the release of Obsidian"s RPG Avowed. Microsoft has officially confirmed that the game is delayed to give "backlog some breathing room." In other words, Microsoft has too many games in the pipeline, so it does not want Avowed to clash with different releases.
Riot Games surprised its fans with an unexpected release of Valorant on Xbox Series X|S. It is now available for everyone for free, plus Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers can get all of the game"s agents for free.
On August 2, THQ Nordic held its Digital Showcase, where it announced new games, teasers, gameplay trailers, and fresh details about already confirmed titles. As usual, for events like this, we made an overview of the event, so check it out here.
Nvidia revealed some news for its GeForce NOW customers. In addition to new games, the company revealed that the service will soon drop Windows 7 and 8.1 support. That will happen in November 2024, most likely due to the lack of Chromium support on those operating systems.
Deals and freebies
After conducting a fighting game fest, Valve launched another event celebrating a different genre. This time, fans of tower defense titles can purchase various games with big discounts. The Steam Tower Defense Fest will end on August 5, so hurry up if that is your cup of tea.
As usual, we have a dedicated article where you can find not only the latest freebies but also a metric ton of other deals and special offers. Check out this week"s Weekend PC Game Deals here, which also includes Epic Games Store"s latest giveaway, LumbearJack.
Other gaming stories include the following:
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Mafia: Definitive Edition was confirmed for Xbox and PC Game Pass in August.
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Starborn could be Bethesda"s second expansion for Starfield.
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Double Fine released a final 90-minute chapter to its huge Psychonauts 2 documentary.
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Microsoft is reportedly working with Capcom to get more of its games on Xbox consoles.
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Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions gameplay unveiled, out in September.
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The latest Ara: History Untold Encarta video dev diary takes a look at historical Korea.
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Sins of a Solar Empire II will launch on Steam on August 15 with new features.
Some interesting trivia
This week"s Microsoft Weekly finishes with an interesting story about the Blue Screen of Death, something CrowdStrike victims had to observe quite a lot last month. A Microsoft veteran revealed that there are three different BSODs, and each has its own distinct author.
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