In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at fresh rumors about the upcoming AI Explorer for Windows 11, updates for the old File Explorer, Start menu improvements in the latest Windows Insider builds, Microsoft’s new financial report, Edge updates, app updates, and more More.
Table of Contents:
- Windows 10 and 11 news
- Windows Insider Program
- Updates are available
- Gaming news
- reviews
- Great deals to check out
- A blast from Microsoft’s past
This Microsoft Weekly begins with Microsoft’s latest financial report. On April 26, the company announced its earnings and disclosed revenues of $61.9 billion and a net profit of $21.9 billion. Most of the company’s divisions reported double-digit growth.
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 might find a word or two about older but still supported versions.
The April 2024 non-security updates for Windows 10 and 11 are now available. Windows 10 has been accepted KB5036979, and Windows 11 received KB5036980.
These non-security updates contain one thing that will likely annoy many Windows 11 users: the company is now filling the Start menu with app ads. Fortunately, you can turn them off. This short guide provides additional insights on the subject. Also, Windows 11 should soon be clearer about ads in all its parts.
On the bride side, Windows 10 updates are now significantly smaller in size. Microsoft implemented some of the methods of Windows 11 in its previous generation operating systems, which resulted in a noticeable reduction of hundreds of megabytes.
This week, NTDEV, the maker of Tiny11, released a new version of Tiny11 Builder, a script that uses official Microsoft tools to disable any build or edition of Windows 11. Now you can create your own Tiny11 without the risk of using modified Windows images.
Microsoft has announced some big changes to the Microsoft Store website. Now, users can download app executables directly from the website with fewer clicks. Microsoft says the new system is faster, allows installing apps on systems without the Microsoft Store, and downloading multiple apps side by side.
If you recently purchased Windows 11 and are now wondering if it qualifies as “AI-enabled,” Dell has the answers you need. The company published a support page with detailed explanations of what makes a Windows computer “powered by artificial intelligence”.
The upcoming Surface Pro 10 is said to be such an “AI-enabled” computer. We’re less than a month away from the public announcement, and benchmark leaks are already spoiling the show. A test on Geekbnch revealed a Surface Pro 10 configuration with a Snapdragon X Plus chip and 16GB of RAM.
Shortly thereafter, Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon X Plus, a new and more affordable SKU in its upcoming lineup. It features 10 Cryo cores running at up to 4.3GHz and a GPU capable of delivering up to 3.8TFLOPs. However, it’s not Everything Qualcomm has A new report has surfaced that the company plans to release more variants, including 80-core server processors.
All Snapdragon processors should enable the new AI Explorer, which will be available in Windows 11 later this year. Just a month before the official announcement, a new report has revealed more details about the feature.
Windows Insider Program
Here’s what Microsoft released this week for testing in the Windows Insider program:
| Windows 11 | Windows 10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Canary Channel | – | Not applicable |
| The development channel | 26100.268 without anything | Not applicable |
| Beta channel |
22635.3566 with improvements to the taskbar and more |
Not applicable |
| Release preview channel | – | – |
Besides the two changes documented in build 22635.3566, the latest beta brought updates to the new “All Apps” start menu layout and the ability to duplicate tabs in File Explorer. You might not get the new AI Explorer on your old computer, but at least you’ll get some quality-of-life improvements for the classic File Explorer, which is nice.
To finish the Windows section, here is a handy guide explaining how to reinstall Windows 11 without losing your data using only Windows Update.
Updates are available
This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) that provide new features, security fixes, improvements, fixes, and more from Microsoft and third parties.
But that’s not all. Edge 124 received a much-needed update, bringing back the recently (apparently accidentally) released Copilot app on the Windows Server SKU. Version 124.0.2478.67 also introduced warnings about insecure HTTP downloads and a new feature for IT administrators.
Firefox received a minor update under version 125.0.2 to resolve download issues introduced in versions 125.0 and 125.0.1 due to hardened security measures. Mozilla says developers are working to fix the issue and plan to re-release security improvements in future updates.
Vivaldi Technologies has released a major update for its browser, joining the ranks of browsers that offer memory-saving tab hibernation. Version 6.7 is now available for download.
Surface Pro X (Wi-Fi) and the second generation Surface Studio have received new firmware updates with stability and security improvements. Also, Surface Pro 9 (Intel), Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop 5, and Surface Laptop 4 (AMD) received playback and recording improvements. Get these updates on Windows Update if you have one of those Surface PCs.
Remember the saga of the Windows Print Spooler security issues? As it turns out, a group of Russian hackers is actively exploiting an old security vulnerability to access networks around the world and steal information.
We’ve had some interesting stories from Microsoft about AI this week. The company unveiled Phi-3, the latest and smallest AI model for smartphones. Available in three versions, it offers between 7 and 14 billion parameters while consuming far fewer resources than traditional LLMs.
With the growing popularity of AI services, questions of security and ethics have become more apparent. This week, Microsoft and Google announced new commitments to child safety, and Microsoft expanded its private preview of Content Integrity tools to combat deep counterfeiting.
Other notable updates include the following:
And here are the newest drivers published this week:
Finally, here’s this week’s roundup of the latest additions to the Microsoft 365 roadmap. These include Designer for Word, additional AI features for Teams, Copilot in other apps, and more.
On the gaming side
Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts and more.
Star Wars Jedi: Survival Available now in the EA Play catalog, which means Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing the game without paying anything extra.
Microsoft and Meta are working on a limited-edition “Xbox-inspired” Quest VR headset. The story emerged after Meta announced that third-party VR headset makers can now license its Horizon OS.
On April 30th, 343 Industries will release a new “Actions” update for Aura: Infinity. The update will bring a new in-game store (don’t worry, there will be no microtransactions), weapon balance changes, changes to various game modes, and more.
Forza Horizon 5 Received a free new content update. “Apex AllStars” is now available on Xbox and PC, and brings new exclusive GT cars, some long-requested EventLab accessories and more. In addition, gamers can purchase a new DLC car pack consisting of seven different GT cars.
Minecraft Also got a new content update. Version 1.20.5 is now available on all supported platforms, and brings an armadillo, eight wolf variations, new armor, and other changes. In addition, Mojang released a number of improvements for Realms Plus, allowing players to enjoy greater render distance, feeds in their realms, and more.
Bethesda has finally released the long-awaited next-gen Fallout 4 Update on PC and consoles. It includes two new performance modes on consoles, ultra-wide and ultra-wide display support on PC, and official Steam Deck verification. Additionally, the game is now available from the Epic Games Store.
Nvidia GeForce NOW has received more Blizzard games, such as Diablo II: Resurrected, Diablo III, and more. Also, there is now support for Dead Island 2, Phantom Fury, Metaball, and more.
On the hardware side, gamers in eligible countries can participate in Microsoft’s latest sweepstakes. This time, the company is offering a chance to win an Xbox Series X console and a custom controller inspired by Marvel Animation’s X-Men 97.
Finally, Microsoft issued an initial notice for Xbox users, reminding them to back up old game captures before it starts deleting them in May 2024.
Specials and freebies
The Epic game store offers two games: industry and LISA: Final Edition. You can add them to your library for $0 until next Thursday. For more deals, head over to this week’s article on PC gaming weekend deals, featuring Earth discounts, automation packs, DRM-free fall out, and more.
Other gaming stories from this week include the following:
Reviews found
Below are the software and hardware reviews published this week.
Stephen Parker reviewed the Acemagic F2A mini PC, one of the first with an Intel Core Ultra processor and Wi-Fi 7 support. This relatively inexpensive PC offers the latest hardware, fast storage and memory, and easy upgradeability.
Great deals to check out
Every week we cover many deals on various hardware and software. The following discounts are still available, so check them out. You might find something you want or need.
Accessories:
Computers and components:
Phones and accessories:
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