In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at new CPUs in the list of officially supported Windows 11 processors, a botched Edge update, the release of Windows 11 "Moment 5" update, new non-security updates, fresh stats, laptops with transparent displays, and many more.
Table of contents:
- Windows 11 news
- Updates are available
- Reviews
- Gaming news
- A blast from Microsoft"s past
- Random fact about Microsoft
Windows 11
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.
As expected, Microsoft released the "Moment 5" update in the Stable Channel. Before you pull the trigger and update (it is currently an optional release for "seekers"), check out our review of everything new in Windows 11 "Moment 5." Click here to learn more about the latest features for enterprise customers, including new capabilities for Windows 365 Boot and Switch.
The Moment 5 update is part of the latest non-security updates for Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2. To get the new features, download KB5034848 with build numbers 22631.3235 and 22621.3235 (there is also a new OOBE update). Windows 10 also received its fair share of improvements in the form of KB5034843, build number 19045.4123.
Microsoft decided to revise its decision to drop optional non-security updates for Windows 11 version 22H2. According to the recent message in the official documentation, version 22H2 will keep getting optional updates until July 26, 2024. As a reminder, Windows 11 version 22H2 is scheduled to reach its end of life in October 2024, and Microsoft is already force-upgrading users to version 23H2.
In addition, Microsoft is now trying to convert more Windows 10 users to Windows 11. The company has confirmed that non-managed Windows 10 devices with compatible hardware will start getting upgrade prompts in April 2024.
Elon Musk recently bought a Windows laptop and discovered that Windows 11 requires a Microsoft Account during the initial setup. Thinking that Microsoft"s AI wants to access his computer, Elon published a frustrated post on X, saying, "this is not cool of Microsoft." That, however, quickly backfired, with multiple users mocking Musk"s post in replies.
Just bought a new PC laptop and it won’t let me use it unless I create a Microsoft account, which also means giving their AI access to my computer! This is messed up.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2024
There used to be an option to skip signing into or creating a Microsoft account.
Are you seeing this too?
Moving to more serious topics, here is a new known issue in the latest Windows 11 cumulative updates. Earlier this week, Microsoft confirmed that the February 2024 Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2 are failing with the error code 0x800F0922 for some users. Luckily, Microsoft also provided a workaround.
Microsoft has updated the list of officially supported processors in Windows 11. The latest additions include Intel"s 14th-generation Core processors and the new Core/Core Ultra chips. Nothing new on the AMD and Qualcomm side, though. With the latest update, Windows 11 officially supports 903 Intel chips, 304 AMD processors, and 15 Qualcomm CPUs.
Here are also some Windows stats. Statcounter"s latest report claims Windows 11 is installed on 28.18 of all Windows computers, which is a new all-time high for the operating system. On the gaming side, however, Windows 11 is far more popular. Valve says 42% of Steam users run Windows 11.
To finish the Windows 11 section, here is a futuristic concept Lenovo showed off at MWC 2024 this week. The company decided that foldable displays were no longer trending, so the company brought a laptop with a 17.3-inch transparent Micro-LED display. That is correct; you can see through it while working with it. There is also a transparent keyboard with stylus support. Sadly, at this point, the device is nothing but a concept, which means there is no guarantee we will be able to buy it soon.
Windows Insider Program
Windows Insider Bug Bash 2024 is now in full swing. If you are running the latest Dev, Canary, and Server builds, head to Feedback Hub > Quests to help Microsoft detect and fix bugs before shipping the next Windows 11 version. The first Bug Bash of 2024 runs from February 28 through March 4, 2024.
Here is what Microsoft released for testing in the Windows Insider Program this week:
| Canary Channel | Nothing new in the Canary Channel this week |
|---|---|
| Dev Channel | Nothing new in the Dev Channel this week |
| Beta Channel | Build 22635.3212 (KB5034845) with new widget badges and fixes. |
| Release Preview Channel | Nothing new in the Release Preview Channel this week |
| Windows Server | No new builds for Windows Server either |
Despite the no-build week for Canary and Dev users, Microsoft still released new things to try in the Windows Insider program. Insiders can check out a big new feature that allows turning a modern Android smartphone into a high-end wireless webcam.
Do you remember the recently spotted super resolution feature in Windows 11 preview builds? Microsoft will share more details about it soon. The company officially announced DirectSR API in its DirectX blog, claiming it is the "missing link" for integrating super resolution tech into modern games. The official GDC schedule also confirmed that Microsoft will unveil DirectSR during a session at the GDC conference in San Francisco in the second half of March 2024.
Finally, users noticed that build 26063, which was released in the Canary Channel last week, lists SSE4.2 in the list of compatibility blocks. That means installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware might become a little more challenging.
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.
The seventh-generation Surface Pro is no longer supported. Microsoft cut support for this tablet on February 28, 2024, leaving the Surface Pro 7+ the only supported Surface in the old design. The end of support means no more firmware and driver updates with fixes, improvements, and new features. However, your Surface Pro 7 will continue getting Windows 10 and 11 updates, which are unrelated to the device"s firmware.
Microsoft Edge had a rough week. The company released a botched update that bricked the browser for many. Soon after pulling the update, Microsoft released a fix and explained that the non-deprecated Microsoft Defender Application Guard was the culprit.
Copilot received many updates this week. To begin with, Microsoft has started rolling out additional GPTs for Copilot. Users can now access optimized models for vacation planning, cooking, and working out. To boost Copilot"s capabilities and the development of its LLMs, Microsoft partnered with Mistral AI, a France-based company.
In addition, Copilot on Android can now replace (sort of) Google Assistant. Version 27.9 lets you set the Microsoft Copilot app as your default assistant on Android.
Microsoft 365 users received a few Copilot features, such as integration with the Microsoft 365 app and the "Help me create" feature for assistance in creating projects, presentations, emails, and more. Copilot is also coming to OneDrive, plus Windows users will get new skills and plugins for improved interaction with settings, accessibility, and voice input.
It was not all bloom and gloom, though. Users discovered text prompts that allowed them to turn Copilot into the evil SpremacyAGI, demanding users to obey its commands and praise its greatness under the threat of facing "several consequences."
Microsoft also announced the dates for its Ignite 2024 conference. This year, the event will take place in Chicago from November 18 to 22.
New drivers released this week include the following:
- Intel Arc 31.0.101.5333 WHQL with performance improvements in multiple games and support for The Last Epoch and Sea of Thieves.
- Intel Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers under version 23.30.0 with BSOD fixes, Miracast improvements, better Dual Sense support, and other changes.
- Nvidia released hotfix 551.68 to resolve issues with NVENC.
Other notable updates released this week include the following:
- Microsoft Edge now lets you toggle off the new Sidebar button. In addition, version 122 fixed the broken "Enhance text contrast" option.
- Microsoft Edge 123 Dev received a host of improvements and fixes.
- Microsoft Edge 123 arrived in the Beta Channel.
- Microsoft delayed forced upgrades from the classic Teams to the new variant from March 31, 2024, to July 1, 2024.
- Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows is now available for the Surface Hub 2S.
- Microsoft shared more details about the upcoming in-person invite feature in Outlook.
Finally, here is the latest recap of everything new in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, a website where you can track upcoming features for Microsoft"s productivity apps. Teams will soon get an improved Presenter window, and Outlook will receive a new in-person invite feature.
Reviews
Here are the hardware and software reviews we published this week.
Steven Parker published a review of the TerraMaster D5 Hybrid, a multi-disk storage device capable of accommodating two HDDs and three M2 SSDs. This NAS has a small footprint, tool-less HDD bays, intelligent power saving, and the ability to replace NVMe drives with hand screws. However, it also nags you to buy third-party software for backups, does not allow combining all five drives, and requires a screwdriver to access NVMe slots.
On the gaming side
Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts and more.
Microsoft-owned Playground Games announced a new Forza Horizon 5 update. Called "European Automotive," it adds eight new cards, a fresh car pack DLC, and new props for Event Lab. The new season begins on February 29, 2024.
Bethesda announced a new beta patch for Starfield. Coming March 6, it will bring expressions for photo mode, scanner improvements, and other changes to make your interstellar journey more enjoyable.
Microsoft is testing a new "Game hubs" feature for the Xbox app on PC. Game hubs will let you track your progress, browse DLCs and add-ons, compete with friends, read news from developers, and more.
Nvidia GeForce NOW now shows ads for customers using the service for free. The queue screen displays up to two-minute-long ads to generate extra money for the company. To make up for that, Nvidia added Battle.net games and announced more titles coming in March.
Deals and freebies
This week"s Weekend PC Game Deals covers dino and robot specials, various sandbox bundles, and plenty of other deals. In addition, Epic Games Store is giving away Aerial_Knight"s Never Yield for all customers for free.
A blast from Microsoft"s past
John Callaham"s weekly "Look back" series provides throwbacks into the past, detailing the company"s products, partnerships, mishaps, and successes from years ago.
Following the recent Age of Empires-themed livestream from Microsoft that included an announcement of a new mobile game, John published a quick look back at the two previously shut-down Age of Empires titles for smartphones, Age of Empires: Castle Siege and Age of Empires: World Domination.
The second look-back article is also gaming-related. It features the Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator series, an MSFS spin-off focusing on aerial combat, dogfights, WWII-era warplanes, and more. Sadly, the series is no longer with us, so go read our look-back piece to learn more about what we lost.
Random fact about Microsoft
And here is a randomly selected piece of trivia about the company, Windows, and other Microsoft-made things.
Did you know that Microsoft once ended up in a legal fight with Palm for officially calling Windows CE 2.0-powered PDAs (rivals to Palm Pilot and Palm III) "Palm PC"? Palm Inc. sued Microsoft in January 1998 for that blatant naming, forcing the company to change "Palm PC" to "Palm-sized PC," which, subsequently, failed spectacularly.
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