quality assurance

  1. Balfour Beatty Transforms Construction with Microsoft 365 Copilot for Greater Efficiency

    Here’s a summary of how Microsoft 365 Copilot transformed Balfour Beatty, based on your provided extract: Key Business Gains Reducing Rework: Jon Ozanne, CIO at Balfour Beatty, emphasizes that rework is costly not only in terms of time and money but also introduces health and safety risks. By...
  2. Windows 11 Dev Channel Bug Replaces Startup Sound with Vista Chime

    Here's a quick summary of the situation: In a recent Windows 11 Dev Channel preview build (reported around June 16, 2025), the startup sound was accidentally replaced with the iconic Windows Vista chime. This was a bug, not an intentional change for nostalgia or an Easter egg. Testers and...
  3. How Microsoft Ensured Windows 95 Compatibility: A Unique Approach & Unexpected Lessons

    In the mid-1990s, as Microsoft prepared to launch Windows 95, the company faced a significant challenge: ensuring the new operating system was compatible with the vast array of existing software. To address this, a Microsoft development manager took an unconventional approach. He drove to a...
  4. Windows 11 May Patch Crisis: How Microsoft's Rapid Updates Caused Enterprise System Failures

    When Microsoft released its May Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11, few could have anticipated that a routine exercise in operating system maintenance would leave a subset of enterprise PCs stranded in recovery mode, presenting only a cryptic error and a daunting choice: attempt recovery or...
  5. Microsoft Blocks Windows Canary Builds After Critical Bug Threatening Core Functionality

    Windows enthusiasts who eagerly sign up for the Windows Insider Program’s Canary Channel have long grown accustomed to living on the razor’s edge of Microsoft’s operating system development. The Canary builds are where raw, untested features and system overhauls are pushed first, often with the...
  6. The Future of Software Testing: From Manual to Autonomous with AI-Driven Automation

    The evolution of quality assurance methodologies has become one of the most striking narratives in the ongoing transformation of software development and delivery cycles. With artificial intelligence moving beyond the speculative realm of science fiction to become a disruptive force in modern...
  7. March 2025 Windows 11 Security Update: Key Enhancements and Known Issues

    Windows users have reason to take notice this month as Microsoft’s March 2025 security update for Windows 11 rolls out. Designed for Windows 11 version 24H2, KB5053598 (OS Build 26100.3476) brings a series of security enhancements and quality improvements aimed at fortifying the operating system...
  8. Windows 11 24H2 Update: File Explorer Bugs and Microsoft's Response

    November 5, 2023 The highly anticipated Windows 11 24H2 update, which promised a host of new features and enhancements, has unfortunately been marred by a series of perplexing bugs that are frustrating users across the globe. Among these issues, a particularly troubling glitch in the File...
  9. What’s coming for the Windows Insider Program in 2022

    Building off the Windows 11 momentum Panos shared last week, we want to take a moment and share a little bit on what’s coming for the Windows Insider Program in 2022. It has truly been incredible to see the interest in the program grow since announcing Windows 11 last June. We have more people...
  10. Introducing Windows Insider Channels

    Hey Folks! Today, we’re excited to announce some changes to the way we release new builds to all Windows Insiders. We are transitioning and converting our current ring model, based on the frequency of builds, to a new channel model that pivots on the quality of builds and better supports...
  11. Announcing the new Bug Bounty Program for Office Insider Builds on Windows

    We’ve engineered Office to be secure by design and continually invest in enhancing its security capabilities. In the spirit of maintaining a high security bar in Office, we’re launching the Bug Bounty Program for Office Insider Builds on Windows. The Office Bug Bounty Program complements our...
  12. Behind-the-scenes of the Windows 10 Creators Update Bug Bash

    Hi! My name is Anita George, and I am the leader of the two Bug Bashes for the Windows 10 Creators Update (the one in November 2016 and the one we just finished up in Feb). For this most recent Bug Bash, Windows Insiders completed approximately 108,900 Quests and submitted or upvoted an...
  13. Building Cross-Platform Apps with Apache Cordova and Microsoft Build.vNext | Visual Studio...

    This walkthrough demo will cover setting up a basic Cordova project, setting up a repo in Visual Studio Online, setting up the appropriate environments to handle the targeted platforms for application release, and ensuring quality build results prior to making the definitions live. As there are...
  14. Windows 10 Windows 10 build 9879:Issues with KB3020114?

    It would appear that some Win 10 users are having issues with update KB3020114. Microsoft have posted an official solution on the Windows Insider Hub: ref: Insider Hub found on Windows 10 Tech Preview
  15. Windows 8 Remote Code Execution via SSH, driver installation.

    Hello, I am a QA engineer and my use case of the problem is inability to pass a build validation test: I connect to a Windows 8.1 through SSH connection and start a batch file that automates the installation of the software on Windows 8.1. virtual machine. The thing is: during the installation...
  16. A

    Windows 7 Infopath & Windows 7

    Hello all, We recently upgraded to windows 7 due to Citrix not being supported by XP in the future and ever since we have our Infopath 2007 has been playing up. We are unable to save any of the current templates (though we can submit to email etc) and when trying to amend or change anything in...
  17. Windows Store App Security Updates

    We are committed to adapting our policies as the world evolves and with the new Windows Store, we evaluated how to best release security updates for Windows Store apps. Our goal is to have a quick, transparent and painless security update process. With this in mind, we will deliver high quality...
  18. Windows 8 Drivers you do and don't need

    Instinctively, you may believe that it is necessary to install drivers for your components, once you have Windows 8 up and running. This may not be the case, however, and historically has not been. If your device, whether it be a PCI card, a USB device, or even something connected to a serial...
  19. Windows 8 AMD Catalyst receives Windows 8 certification

    AMD have announced that their driver has received Microsoft certification. Unfortunately it looks like it won't be appearing until later this summer. Reference: AMD Catalyst receives Windows 8 certification | Game Blog Preview Driver: Link Removed
  20. Who Thinks Game Devolopers rely on patches too much?

    Who thinks devolopers of todays game rely on patching and after release expansions way too much. Games are being rushed to met certain release dates and they are filled with bugs they are not taking the time to debug there games and do in-depth beta testing they think put it out we can patch it...