Microsoft’s handheld gambit has quietly moved from concept to something you can try on your own device: a controller‑first, full‑screen “Xbox” experience built into Windows 11 is rolling out as part of the platform’s handheld work, and enthusiasts are already using the new handheld view and...
25h2
ally x
asus
battery life
compact mode
console-like ui
controller-first
fse
full screen experience
game bar
game launcher
handheld compatibility
handheld experience
handheld gaming
handheld mode
handheld shell
handheld ux
hardware tuning
insider builds
memory optimization
oemoem integration
pc gaming
performance gains
performance tradeoffs
rog ally
vivetool
windows 11
windows gaming
windows pc app
windows11
windowsinsider
xbox
xbox ally
xbox mode
Microsoft has confirmed that the original Secure Boot certificates shipped with most Windows PCs are nearing the end of their life, and the transition to new certificates is already underway — a quietly consequential change that affects Windows servicing, OEM firmware, Linux compatibility, and...
Microsoft and OEM partners have quietly closed a months‑long audio outage that left a subset of Windows 11 devices completely silent after upgrading to version 24H2, delivering a vendor‑supplied driver through Windows Update and removing the compatibility safeguard that had blocked affected...
Microsoft’s Secure Boot update FAQ makes clear that a coordinated, multi-step transition is now live: Windows will roll new 2023 signing certificates into UEFI variables and update the Windows boot manager to preserve Secure Boot protection ahead of the 2011 CA expirations, but the rollout...
Microsoft’s latest Insider preview quietly repurposes the Xbox/Guide button into a three‑state system control: a short tap still summons the Game Bar, a long press now opens Task View, and a sustained hold continues to power the controller off — a small UX tweak that signals a deliberate push to...
Windows shipping with System Restore (System Protection) turned off by default is one of those small, baffling defaults that quietly raises the stakes when things go wrong — but it’s also an easy fix that can save hours of troubleshooting and a reinstall. The built‑in System Restore feature...
backups
bitlocker
data protection
disaster recovery
disk space
file history
full disk image
microsoft
oem
onedrive
pc maintenance
recovery media
recovery options
restore points
safe computing
system protection
system restore
windows
windows troubleshooting
windowsre
Microsoft has quietly repurposed the Xbox button on gamepads when used with Windows 11 Insiders: a long press now opens Task View while a short press still launches the Game Bar, and a press-and-hold continues to power down the controller — a small but practical tweak rolling out to Dev and Beta...
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 has lifted a months‑long compatibility hold that prevented a subset of PCs from receiving the Windows 11, version 24H2 feature update after an audio-processing component from Dirac caused devices to lose all sound; the problem was corrected with a vendor-supplied driver distributed...
Microsoft has marked a months‑old audio compatibility problem that blocked a subset of devices from receiving the Windows 11, version 24H2 feature update as resolved, after a vendor driver was published via Windows Update and the compatibility safeguard (safeguard ID 54283088) was removed for...
Microsoft's public posture toward Windows Mobile has quietly shifted from product-led ambition to maintenance-mode realism: the company will keep the platform alive for security patches, enterprise deployments and compatibility with Windows 10's broader ecosystem, but it will no longer...
android
app development
azure ad
cross-platform
enterprise
intune
ios
lumia
maintenance mode
microsoft
mobile strategy
oem
office
office on ipad
satya nadella
security patches
uwp
windows 10 mobile
windows ecosystem
windows mobile
Microsoft’s announcement at Ignite that an enterprise-oriented variant of Windows 10 S will be used as a lower‑cost, locked‑down deployment option for large organizations marks a pragmatic pivot in how the company is packaging security, management and price for frontline and lightweight worker...
cloud-desktop
device-management
ems
enterprise
firstline
intune
it-management
licensing
microsoft-365-f1
oem
s mode
s-mode
security
tco
upgrade-path
windows
windows 10 enterprise in s mode
windows 10 s
windows-10
windows-10-s
Microsoft has quietly published official ISO images for Windows 11, version 25H2 to the Windows Insider Preview downloads area, completing a key piece of release scaffolding for IT teams, OEMs, and enthusiasts even as most devices receive the feature update as a lightweight enablement package...
Microsoft has released the September 2025 cumulative security update for Windows 11, version 24H2 — KB5065426 (OS Build 26100.6584) — a combined Latest Cumulative Update (LCU) and Servicing Stack Update (SSU) that delivers security hardening, targeted bug fixes, AI component updates for Copilot+...
Microsoft appears to be preparing a generational Windows refresh that places artificial intelligence at the center of the user experience, with multiple leak streams and community archives pointing to an AI-first platform (codenames such as Germanium and Hudson Valley) and a modular base...
A U.S. federal judge has ordered Google to open parts of its search infrastructure to rivals and banned a range of exclusive distribution agreements, while stopping short of the dramatic breakups the Department of Justice sought — a ruling that preserves Chrome and Android in Google’s hands but...
Microsoft is pushing PC makers to stop treating USB Type-C as a cosmetic port and to implement the platform-level hooks Windows 11 needs to deliver consistent, useful notifications when Type‑C connections behave unexpectedly. The company’s guidance — now baked into Windows’ hardware requirements...
acpi
billboard descriptors
bios
certification
charging
displayport
displayport alt mode
docking
driver
enterprise it
firmware
hlk
mutt
oemoem guidance
oem guidelines
pd
pd negotiation
pld
port labeling
power delivery
thunderbolt
ucm
ucmcx
ucsi
upc
usb charging
usb notifications
usb power delivery
usb testing tools
usb troubleshooting
usb type-c
usb-c
usb-c diagnostics
usb-c port management
usb4
whcp
windows 11
windows 11 24h2
windows notifications
Microsoft is removing the built‑in Mobile Plans app from Windows and replacing the in‑app storefront with a web‑first flow that uses carrier websites plus the native Settings eSIM provisioning experience, a change that will affect how always‑connected PCs buy and manage cellular data...
activation
carrier portals
carrier websites
data plan
desktop activation
esim
intune
mdm
mobile plans
mvno
oem
privacy
provisioning
retirement
settings
windows
windows settings
Microsoft will retire the long-underused Mobile Plans app from Windows and move plan purchases and eSIM provisioning to carrier websites and the built‑in Windows Settings experience, with the in‑OS app scheduled to stop functioning on February 27, 2026; installed cellular profiles will continue...
Microsoft's latest Windows 11 update brings a long‑awaited fix for muffled Bluetooth headset audio: support for Bluetooth LE Audio's super‑wideband stereo, letting game audio remain high‑fidelity while voice chat or calls run at a much higher sample rate than the old Hands‑Free Profile allowed...