In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, Windows 10 is back with a new Insider Channel for users to try some unannounced features, Windows is getting an AI-powered profile image editor, Recall is getting privacy improvements to address the backlash, and more Copilot+ PCs are coming soon to satisfy the needs of enterprise customers while offering the benefits of modern ARM-powered computers.
Table of contents:
- Windows 10 and 11 news
- Windows Insider Program
- Updates are available
- Gaming news
- Reviews
- A blast from Microsoft"s past
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.
Windows 11"s market share among gamers continues to grow. According to the latest Valve report, Windows 11 now has a 46.08% market share, which puts the OS just a bit over 4 points from Windows 10. The latter has roughly 50.35%.
The declining market share of Windows 10 and its upcoming end of support seemingly do not bother Microsoft. Moreover, the company even decided to revive the Beta Channel for the OS and start bringing new features. Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that all Windows 10 users can sign up for the Beta Channel, and a new build with unknown features will land soon. If your system supports Windows 11, you will be offered an optional free update to Windows 11 (feel free to dismiss it if you want).
Moving to Windows 11, some big Recall-related things happened this week. Microsoft finally broke its radio silence and published a blog post detailing new security measures for the controversial feature. The updated Recall is now an opt-in feature with a clear explanation and buttons during the initial setup experience. Also, it is now protected with Windows Hello and just-in-time encryption.
There is no need to wait for Recall, though. There is already an open-source app called OpenRecall that promises to do the same stuff but with better transparency and much wider compatibility. It works on existing hardware, so there is no need to buy a fancy new Copilot+ PC with a Qualcomm processor inside. Just make sure you trust the developer before letting the app snapshot everything you do on your computer.
The recently announced Snapdragon X processors may soon end up in more device form factors. During its Computex 2024 session, Qualcomm said that the initial wave of Copilot+ PCs is just the beginning. Soon, you may find Qualcomm"s latest chips in all-in-ones, mini-PCs, and more. A newly emerged report says that the second wave of Copilot+ PCs is coming in August. This time, with a focus on business customers and enterprises.
Microsoft released several new support documents to give Windows 11 users more information about specific features. For example, the company explained what to do if your computer shows the "USB4 device functionality might be limited" error, detailed system requirements for the new AutoSR feature (check out this article to learn how it works and how it can improve your gaming experience), AI-generated workspaces in Edge, and published official guides on how to use passkeys in Windows 11, Enhanced Sign-in Security, and how to switch from a local account to an MSA.
Speaking of documentation, Microsoft has updated release notes for the latest non-security updates to warn users that KB5037853 is not having a good time on ARM-powered Macs. Installing it on a Windows 11 virtual machine running in Parallels Desktop or similar software will result in an 0x800f0845 error. Microsoft is working on resolving the bug in a future update.
Microsoft also released a big update for the Windows Photos app on Windows 11. It is now powered by Windows App SDK, and moving from the Universal Windows Platform made it possible to implement several optimizations, new features, better components, and a lot more. If you want to dive deeper into the process of migrating the Photos app from UWP to WinAppSDK, check out this post.
The list of stripped-off Windows 11 versions has received a new entry. Similar to the famous Tiny11, Nano11 promises to take half the storage of the vanilla Windows 11 while also ditching Windows Defender, Microsoft Edge, and more. Just make sure you trust the maker of this project before putting anything sensitive into a Nano11 installation.
Here is what Microsoft Released this week for testing in the Windows Insider Program:
| Windows 11 | Windows 10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Canary Channel | 26231 with Narrator improvements and a hidden profile picture editor with some neat AI effects. | Not Applicable |
| Dev Channel | 26120.770 (KB5039314) with a few small changes | Not Applicable |
| Beta Channel | 22635.3720 (KB5039312) with File Explorer fixes and more. | Nothing in the Beta Channel for Windows 10 users this week, but a new build is coming soon. |
| Release Preview Channel | Nothing in the Release Preview Channel. | Nothing in the Release Preview Channel. |
If your computer with Windows 11 version 24H2 from the Release Preview is giving you the "Missing entry: PcaWallpaperAppDetect" error, check out this article. Microsoft confirmed the bug and offered a temporary workaround. You can expect a fix in the near future. However, be aware that Microsoft paused the rollout of Windows 11 24H2 in the Release Preview Channel due to unknown reasons. The company plans to resume it in a few weeks.
The Snipping Tool app received a new update this week. Windows Insiders can check out version 11.2405.24.0 with a new feature that auto-saves all your screen recordings.
Finally, here is a comprehensive list of every feature Microsoft deprecated and removed, including NTLM, in the upcoming Windows Server 2025, which is currently available in the Windows Insider program. Speaking of Windows Server, Microsoft is working on a new feature that will let several virtual machines access one GPU.
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.
Although Apple"s Vision Pro VR helmet is not a smash hit as Apple expected, developers still continue to release new apps for this unconventional piece of tech. This week, Microsoft made its OneDrive for iOS app available on the Apple Vision Pro. If you have one, you can now access your cloud files using a native application, albeit it does not look as sexy as other native visionOS apps.
Microsoft also published an interesting blog post about how Surface firmware evolved over 10+ years. What started as a relatively simple task of maintaining custom firmware for just two devices turned into a tedious task of supporting dozens of devices with their unique quirks and features. Check out this article to learn more about that.
Speaking of Surface firmware, the Surface Pro 7+ got some fixes this week, namely for camera performance issues when running out of storage.
Microsoft Edge received seven security patches. Version 125.0.2535.85 was released to close seven high-severity Chromium vulnerabilities and make your browsing experience safer. Besides security fixes, Microsoft Edge is also getting a much-improved screenshot tool that will soon let you capture anything on your screen, annotate it, add shapes, pixelate sensitive parts of screenshots, and more.
While there were no big new features announced this week for Chrome, Google published a post with details on how it managed to make the most popular browser in the world even faster. If you are curious to see how things work under the browser"s hood, check out this article.
Visual Studio, Microsoft"s flagship IDE, is getting better integration with Windows. Microsoft is running an experiment that allows developers to receive Visual Studio security updates via Windows Update. If you are interested in participating, check out this article with all the details on how to turn it on. Microsoft plans to make that feature generally available somewhere in August.
Other notable updates include the following:
- Firefox 130 is coming soon with AI-generated image captions for improved accessibility.
- Surface Laptop Go 2 received a new firmware to resolve a bug with non-working restarts and other issues.
- Microsoft reportedly laid off over 1,000 workers from the Azure for Operators team.
- Parallels Desktop 19.4.0 is out with improved Windows 11 support and additional fixes.
- Offline features are finally coming to the new Outlook app for Windows this month.
- Microsoft Designer now lets you generate stickers using DALL-E.
- Microsoft Teams Preview now lets you move the Presenter toolbar while sharing the screen.
- NanaBox received a new update with TPM 2.0 support for Windows 11-based virtual machines.
- OneNote Insider received a new Eyedropper color tool on Windows.
And here are the newest drivers released this week:
- Nvidia 475.06 non-WHQL with security fixes for systems with Windows 7, 8, and 8.1.
- Nvidia 555.99 WHQL with Pax Dei and Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree support.
It is worth noting that AMD"s upcoming Strix Point processors will not have chipset drivers for Windows 10. Therefore, those CPUs will be Windows 11-only.
On the gaming side
Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts and more.
Kena: Bridget of Spirits is coming to Xbox One and Series X|S consoles on August 15, 2024. It will feature platform-exclusive cosmetic content and all the previous updates the game received on PlayStation and PC.
Some will most likely consider it sacrilege, but it seems that a new Halo remaster is in the works with a PlayStation 5 release in the pipeline. A new report emerged about Microsoft making a new Halo: Combat Evolved remaster, which could be the first Halo game to be released on a rival console.
Xbox Insiders in all available channels received an important system update. It now allows you to manage your gaming subscriptions directly in the console without opening a browser. Just go to Settings > Account > Subscriptions and make the necessary changes.
Nvidia delivered a fresh batch of games for Geforce NOW subscribers. This streaming service now lets you play Street Fighter 6, Autopsy Simulator, Chornobyl Liquidators, Sneak Out, XDefiant, and other games.
New titles are also available for Xbox and PC Game Pass users. They include Octopath Traveler I, The Callisto Protocol, Still Wakes the Deep, and more.
Finally, check out our recap of the Summer Games Fest 2024 with its host of trailers for some upcoming games.
Other gaming stories from this week include the following:
- Baldur"s Gate 3 is getting official mod tools in September 2024.
- Valorant from Riot Games is coming to Xbox and PlayStation 5.
- Civilization VII is coming to PC in 2025.
Deals and Freebies
Now to discounts and freebies, everyone"s favorite part. This week"s Weekend PC Game Deals issue covers a lot of showcase specials, green bundles, and hero freebies. Speaking of freebies, the Epic Game Store is giving away Marvel"s Midnight Suns. Get it while it"s free until next Thursday.
Reviews
Here are the software or hardware we reviewed this week.
Robbie Khan published a review of some rather unconventional tech. He got his hands on the Dockcase Studio, an 8-in-1 USB Type-C hub with a touchscreen display. This novel device is not cheap, but it offers some interesting quirks, good performance, and quality craftsmanship.
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.
Microsoft launched Bing, its ill-fated search engine, on June 3, 2009. his week, the service turned 15, and Microsoft"s CVP for search and AI posted a column on LinkedIn to celebrate the occasion.
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