windows 8

Microsoft used BUILD 2012 to drive a single message home: the company is reshaping Windows — from kernel to store to devices — and it will pay developers to come along for the ride. Background / Overview Microsoft staged BUILD 2012 on its Redmond campus in late October 2012 as the company’s big...

Microsoft’s weekly roundup of fresh Windows 8 apps leans heavily on casual gaming this week, but it also highlights a small cluster of productivity and educational tools that show how the Windows Store still served a varied audience—even as Microsoft prepared to shift the platform’s direction...

Windows 8 was not a throwaway experiment — it was an ambitious, uneven attempt to fuse a touchscreen-forward “Metro” experience with a four-decade-old desktop model, and that collision explains why it polarized users so fiercely. Thirteen years later, revisiting Windows 8 shows an OS that did...

An unofficial community backport has breathed new life into a corner of PC gaming many considered all but retired: a December 4, 2025 Steam Client Beta build has been adapted to run on 64‑bit installs of Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.x, giving legacy machines a path to the latest Steam client...

Mozilla has quietly pushed the Firefox 115 Extended Support Release (ESR) safety net forward again: security updates for Firefox 115 on legacy desktops — specifically Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and older macOS builds — will continue through March 2026, with Mozilla planning a formal...

Mozilla has once again pushed the end-of-life deadline for Firefox 115 ESR on legacy desktop platforms: the Extended Support Release that remains the only mainstream Firefox build compatible with Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 will now receive security updates through March 2026, with...

Mozilla’s decision to keep Firefox 115 ESR alive for older machines is the latest twist in a multi-stage, pragmatic approach to supporting users who remain on end-of-life operating systems — the Extended Support Release for Firefox 115 will now be maintained for Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 and...

Microsoft’s long-standing upgrade loophole — where old Windows 7 and 8 product keys could be used to activate newer Windows installations — has officially been closed, and the implications ripple from consumers building DIY PCs to IT managers planning migrations. Microsoft confirmed the move to...

Losing a precious document, photo, or a whole folder of work on a Windows 8 PC is never a small annoyance — it’s a sudden problem that demands clear, confident action and the right tools. For many Windows 8 users the practical question is straightforward: which recovery tools give the best...

LibreOffice 25.8 lands as a decisive modernization push: it drops support for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, moves away from 32‑bit Windows builds, and packs tangible performance and security upgrades — including PDF 2.0 export with modern AES‑256 encryption and a suite of memory and rendering...

A decade ago, the tech world witnessed a turning point as Microsoft unveiled Windows 10, heralding what was touted as “the last version of Windows.” After the controversial detour of Windows 8—with its Metro interface, Start screen, and touch-first ethos—Windows 10 was both a rescue mission and...

Few releases in Microsoft’s multi-decade march through operating system history have sparked as much debate, confusion, and—retrospectively—underrated admiration as Windows 8. When Microsoft launched its bold, famously divisive OS in 2012, it was greeted with a chorus of criticism from long-time...

Backing up and restoring the Windows registry is a vital aspect of system management, yet remains a frequently misunderstood or neglected task—even among power users. As the central hierarchical database for configuration settings and options in Microsoft Windows, the registry underpins almost...

Classic Windows games such as Minesweeper, Spider Solitaire, Hearts, FreeCell, and others evoke a deep nostalgia for many users who grew up playing these simple yet engaging titles during breaks or in idle moments at the office. These games were bundled with Windows operating systems from the...

The transition from Windows 7 to Windows 11 has brought numerous enhancements, yet it has also led to the omission of several beloved classic games that were once staples of the Windows experience. Games like Minesweeper, Solitaire, and Chess Titans have been notably absent in recent Windows...

Windows has long been celebrated not only for its versatility but also for the charming, iconic games that have come bundled with it—Minesweeper, Solitaire, Hearts, FreeCell, and Spider Solitaire, among others. These games weren’t just simple diversions; for many users, they were foundational...

Windows 8 is often the punchline in discussions about Microsoft’s chequered operating system history, its radical design shift sparking a backlash that seemed to overshadow everything else it accomplished. Yet, beneath the tiles and the tainted first impressions, Windows 8 quietly planted the...

Once upon a time, tucked away in the Settings menus of Windows, there was a secret number that determined your worth—not as a person (thank goodness), but as a PC user. This cryptic figure, the Windows Experience Index, became a badge of honor or a badge of shame, depending on which end of the...

Windows 8 was, for many longtime users, an unexpected shock to the system—a radical design shift that left a bitter taste. For those who remember the familiar Start Menu as the gateway to their programs, the abrupt switch to a full-screen, tile-oriented interface felt like a design misfire. In...

Mozilla has announced that it will cease extended support for Firefox on legacy operating systems—including Windows 7, 8, and 8.1—on March 4, 2025. This decision marks the end of an era for users still clinging to older systems and has significant implications for security, compatibility, and...