HP Smart for Windows is a straightforward, free app that consolidates basic printer setup, printing, scanning and ink/toner management for HP customers — but the story is more nuanced than the quick guides suggest: HP is transitioning to a new unified "HP app" for broader device support, the...
Windows 11 Insiders are now seeing a new, unexpected entry in the parade of Copilot entry points: a floating “Share with Copilot” button that appears when you hover over an open app on the taskbar and use the window preview. The button launches Copilot Vision against the contents of that window...
Windows 10 will stop receiving free security fixes on October 14, 2025 — and if your PC can’t take the free Windows 11 upgrade, you have five realistic paths forward: enroll in Extended Security Updates (ESU), buy or rent a new Windows 11 PC (including cloud PCs), perform an unsupported upgrade...
22h2
active directory
admin rights
affordability
ai hardware
alternative os
august 2025
avd
azure virtual desktop
backmarket
backup
backup and migration
budget
business continuity
business it
canalys
certifiedmodels
channel management
chromebooks
chromeos
chromeos flex
cloud migration
cloud pc
cloud sync
commercial-refresh
compliance risk
consumer
consumer advocacy
consumer esu
consumer protection
consumer reports
consumer technology
copilot
copilot platform
cpu
cpu upgrade
cybersecurity
cybersecurity risks
data backup best practices
data security
ddr2 ram
demand
deployment strategies
device eligibility
device migration
device upgrade
digital equity
digital inclusion
digital sustainability
diy pc
do nothing
e-waste
e-waste environmental impact
edge webview2
end of life
end of life policy
end of support
endpoint management
endpoint security
enrollment
enterprise
enterprise esu
enterprise it
enterprise security
environmental impact
esearch
esu
esu enrollment
esu program
extended security updates
fedora
firmware
free enrollment
gaming
gaming hardware
gpu
hardware
hardware compatibility
hardware lifecycle
hardware refresh
hardware refresh planning
hardware replacement
hardware requirements
hardware upgrade
hipaa compliance
idaho cybersecurity risk
intune
inventory
inventory risk
it admin
it governance
it leadership
it planning
it risk management
it strategy
jon peddie research
jpr
kaspersky
kb5063709
legacy hardware
licensing
lifecycle
lifecycle policy
linux
linux distributions
linux gaming
ltsb
ltsc
market growth
market outlook
mdm
mfa
micropatches
microsoftmicrosoft 365
microsoft account
microsoft account esu
microsoft azure
microsoft policy
microsoft rewards
microsoftstore
migration
migration and hardware refresh
motherboard upgrade
msp
oem
oem partnerships
onedrive
onedrive backup
os lifecycle
os migration
os upgrade
patch management
pc components
pc health check
pc market
pc shipments
pc upgrade
pci dss
phase rollout
phased rollout
pilot testing
policy privacy debate
prebuilt pc
privacy
privacy tradeoffs
recycling
refurbished
regulatory compliance
retail-slowdown
risk management
sccm
secure boot
security
security compliance
security patch
security risks
security updates
servicing stack
small business
small organizations
smb it
software lifecycle
software support policy
statcounter
steam survey
steamos
stranded pcs
supply chain
support lifecycle
sustainability
switching os
tariff-uncertainty
tariffs
testusb
tpm
tpm 2.0
tpm secure boot
trade-in
trade-in program
ubuntu
uefi secure boot
update policies
upgrade
upgrade options
upgrade path
upgrade planning
vbs
vdi
vendor compatibility
vendor management
version 22h2
virtualization
web apps
windows
windows 10
windows 10 22h2
windows 10 end of life
windows 10 end of support
windows 10 end updates
windows 10 eol
windows 10 esu
windows 10 sunset
windows 11
windows 11 adoption
windows 11 migration
windows 11 readiness
windows 11 requirements
windows 11 upgrade
windows 365
windows 365 cloud pc
windows apps
windows backup
windows compatibility
windows ecosystem
windows end of life
windows endpoints
windows lifecycle
windows market share
windows security
windows update
wsus
zero trust
Windows 11’s Widgets board is an underused but powerful way to surface the information you need without opening full apps — and adding, customizing, or removing widgets is straightforward once you know where to look and what to expect. This guide distills the practical steps for adding and...
Microsoft PC Manager quietly doing the heavy lifting on Windows machines deserves a closer look: it bundles cleanup, process control, storage analysis, and protection tools into a single, lean interface that many users find far more approachable than hunting through Settings and Task Manager...
backup security
cleanup
defender integration
desktop optimization
enterprise
home users
microsoft pc manager
microsoftstore
one-click boost
privacy
regional rollout
startup management
storage
system health
toolbox
windows maintenance
Microsoft has quietly reworked the Xbox app on Windows 11 into a genuine one‑stop hub for PC gaming, and the implications reach well beyond a refreshed launcher: the app now aggregates installed titles from multiple storefronts, lets you launch non‑Microsoft games without opening third‑party...
achievements
age gating
aggregated gaming library
aggregated library
ai assistant
anti-cheat
app
arm prism
battery life
battle.net
beta rollout
cloud continuity
cloud gaming
competitive play
controller
cross device sync
cross-device play
cross-store
drm
drm anti-cheat
epic games
epic games store
galaxy book
game bar
game hub
game pass
gaming
gaming copilot
gog
gog galaxy
handheld gaming
insider
insider program
launcher fragmentation
launcher handoffs
launcher orchestration
metadata gaps
microsoftstore
mini mode
multi-store
multi-store gaming
multi-store launchers
my apps
my library
one-stop launcher
overlay
performance
personalization
play history
privacy
privacy telemetry
regional rollout
resume and jump
rog ally
samsung
screen analysis
screenshot analysis
screenshots
second screen
steam
storefronts
ubisoft connect
voice mode
windows 11
windows 11 gaming
windows game bar
xbox
xbox app
xbox insiders
Microsoft’s attempt to build a safe, centralized app ecosystem for Windows began as an inspired idea and then spent more than a decade bouncing between half-measures, bad product bets, and shifting incentives — but over the last two years Microsoft has quietly rebuilt the plumbing and the...
app marketplace
centralized updates
commerce model
configmgr
developer economics
enterprise it
intune
microsoftstore
msix
open app store principles
pwa
security updates
software distribution
update orchestration
uwp
win32
windows
windows 11
winget
How to associate (and manage) devices for the Movies & TV (Films & TV) app on Windows
A practical, forum-ready guide for WindowsForum.com — what the official docs say, what changed recently, and step‑by‑step workflows and troubleshooting to keep your movie library working across your PCs and...
Microsoft’s official guidance for the Movies & TV app clarifies how device association works, how to view the devices tied to your account, and how to remove a device when you reach capacity — but it also reveals practical limits and policy quirks that every Windows user who buys or downloads...
account management
appx
cross service sync
device association
device limitations
devices
digital rights
dism
download devices
download limit
drm
license management
microsoft account
microsoftstoremicrosoft support
movies & tv
movies anywhere
offline viewing
offlinedownloads
powershell
removal cadence
sfc
store closure
troubleshooting
tv app
uwp
windows
windows apps
windows troubleshooting
xbox
zunevideo
Microsoft’s Xbox app on Windows 11 has quietly evolved from a Game Pass storefront into a genuine, controller-friendly gaming hub capable of listing and launching installed titles from Steam, Epic, GOG, Battle.net and more — and the company is now rolling key pieces of that work out to wider...
aggregated gaming library
aggregated library
anti-cheat
battle.net
cloud continuity
cloud gaming
cloud play history
cloud streaming
console like ux
controller
cross-device gaming
cross-device play
cross-device play history
drm
drm anti-cheat
epic games
epic games store
game pass
gaming
gog
gog galaxy
handheld gaming
home ui
insider
insider preview
insider program
interoperability
jump back in
launcher
launcher consolidation
launcher fragmentation
microsoftstore
multi-store launchers
my apps
my library
pc gaming preview
play history
playnite
privacy
privacy telemetry
steam
storefront aggregation
storefront integration
third-party stores
windows 11
windows 11 gaming
windows handhelds
xbox app
Microsoft’s app-store experiment started with a clear promise — a single, safe place to find and automatically update Windows software — but for more than a decade the reality was a sequence of missteps, confusing platform shifts, and fragmented developer incentives that left most PC users...
Microsoft will begin automatically installing the standalone Microsoft 365 Copilot app onto many Windows devices this fall, pushing a dedicated Copilot entry into the Start menu on eligible machines unless administrators explicitly opt out — a move Microsoft describes as a background...
It still works to let you install Windows using a local account instead of a microsoft account, but the microsoft store, and its related apps, including notepad, photos, and windows terminal, will not work properly, and you can't switch to a microsoft account either.
account switch
app installation
app troubleshooting
local account
microsoft account
microsoftstore
notepad
photos app
sign-in issues
store-not-working
windows 11
windows settings
windows terminal
Microsoft’s next major Windows refresh was no surprise by the time of its official unveiling: after weeks of leaks and rumor traffic, the company revealed a redesigned operating system on June 24 that would become Windows 11 — a visual and strategic reset of Windows intended to modernize the...
Microsoft’s Windows week delivered a heavy mix of stabilization, incremental feature rollouts, and operational housekeeping: official ISOs for Windows 11 version 25H2 are now available to Windows Insiders, Patch Tuesday delivered several quality fixes (including a restored clock in the calendar...
Microsoft’s push to make Xbox the gaming platform that follows players across consoles, PCs, and handhelds is now measurable—and exposed by a practical problem: some of the biggest publishers still aren’t playing ball with Xbox Play Anywhere, and that gap risks turning Microsoft’s cross-device...
anti-cheat
cross buy
cross save
cross-device gaming
cross-platform
dev center
developer economics
game pass
handheld gaming
id@xbox
indie developers
microsoftstore
pc storefronts
publisher adoption
rog ally
steam deck
windows handhelds
xbox ally
xbox app
xbox play anywhere
Microsoft’s latest Microsoft Store update for Windows Insiders quietly widens the gateway between the Store, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and publishers’ app ecosystems—adding Microsoft 365 Copilot Agents to the Store’s AI Hub and making it easier to launch and manage apps that are “provided and...
Microsoft is quietly reshaping how Windows users discover, launch, and update applications by rolling out a Microsoft Store redesign that surfaces downloads and makes it easier to launch apps you already have on your PC—whether they were installed from the Store or from a developer’s site. Early...
app management
automation
cross device sync
desktop apps
developer impact
digital storefronts
downloads pane
enterprise it
external publisher
insider canary
libraries
microsoftstoremicrosoftstore redesign
software distribution
software update
update
user experience
web installer
windows
windows apps
Microsoft's decision to remove the Microsoft Store registration fee for individual developers is a deliberate, high-impact policy shift that lowers the financial barrier to publishing on Windows, replaces credit-card gating with identity verification, and refocuses the Store as an open...
Microsoft's decision to remove the registration fee for individual developers publishing to the Microsoft Store is more than a pricing change — it's a clear signal that the company intends to make the Store a lower-friction, broader distribution channel for independent Windows software creators...
app publishing
commerce
developer tools
developers
discoverability
electron
electron apps
enterprise distribution
external billing
government id
id verification
identity security
indie developers
intune integration
microsoftstore
moderation
msix
msix packaging
non microsoft billing
onboard
onboarding process
partner center
platform economics
privacy
pwa
pwas
store discoverability
uwp
win32
windows
windows apps
zero-fee