windows-11

  1. Paint Update Adds .paint Projects and Opacity Slider—A Free Photoshop-like Editor

    Microsoft’s latest Paint update reframes the long‑running app as a serious low‑friction image editor by adding an editable project file format and per‑tool opacity controls — features that put Paint squarely in the conversation as a free, entry‑level alternative to Photoshop for everyday tasks...
  2. Xbox Full-Screen Experience on Windows 11 Handhelds with ROG Ally and 25H2

    Microsoft and ASUS have accelerated the handheld-PC arms race by shipping the ROG Xbox Ally family with a purpose-built Xbox full‑screen experience layered on Windows 11 — and, crucially, that same console‑like launcher is already being enabled on many existing Windows handhelds via the Windows...
  3. Valve to End Steam Support for 32-bit Windows on Jan 1, 2026

    Valve will stop supporting 32‑bit versions of Windows for the Steam client on January 1, 2026, a move the company says affects only a vanishing fraction of users but which nevertheless closes a long-running chapter in the 32‑bit to 64‑bit transition for PC gaming. Background / Overview Steam’s...
  4. AI Upgrades in Windows 11 Inbox Apps: Paint, Snipping Tool, Notepad

    Microsoft has quietly begun shipping a coordinated set of updates to three of Windows 11’s oldest built‑in utilities — Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad — turning small, familiar tools into more capable, workflow‑friendly apps and proving once again that Microsoft is using inbox apps as a...
  5. Notepad adds offline AI on Copilot+ PCs: Summarize, Write, Rewrite

    Microsoft has started shipping a Notepad update for Windows 11 that brings true on‑device generative AI — including Summarize, Write, and Rewrite — to Copilot+ PCs, and those capabilities can run entirely offline without a Microsoft account or a paid subscription when executed locally on...
  6. Five Windows 11 Automations That Speed Up Your Day

    I stopped treating my Windows 11 PC like a personal to-do list and let five small automations do the boring, repetitive work — the result felt like a genuine speed boost in my daily flow. Overview Windows 11 is fast when it’s doing the heavy lifting, but it’s the tiny, repeated tasks — opening...
  7. Steam to End Windows 32-bit Support by Jan 2026: What You Need to Know

    Steam will stop supporting Windows 32‑bit installations on January 1, 2026, a move that, if confirmed and implemented as reported, will leave the vanishingly small number of users still running Windows 10 in its 32‑bit form without client updates, security fixes, or official Steam Support help —...
  8. Windows 11 Inbox Apps Get Local AI: Notepad, Paint, Snipping Tool Upgrade

    Microsoft is quietly rolling out another round of practical — and strategically significant — updates to three of Windows 11’s oldest built‑in utilities: Notepad, Paint, and Snipping Tool. Insiders in the Dev and Canary channels can already try a mix of incremental UX improvements and larger...
  9. Windows 10 End of Support 2025: U.S. Commercial Refresh Outpaces Retail Slump

    Microsoft’s announced October 14, 2025 end-of-support for Windows 10 has not triggered the consumer PC buying surge vendors hoped for; instead, recent market data shows the United States is leaning on commercial refreshes while everyday buyers delay purchases amid inflation, tariff uncertainty...
  10. New Outlook for Windows: WebView2, Native Feel, and the OS Default Debate

    Microsoft’s insistence that the “new Outlook” for Windows delivers a native experience has ignited one of the more consequential UX debates in the Windows ecosystem this year: a web-first client shipped as the default, with missing functionality, ads for free users, and a forced migration that...
  11. Notepad Gets On-Device AI with Copilot+ on Windows 11

    Microsoft is rolling out a major Notepad update that finally brings true on-device generative AI to Windows 11 — allowing users of Copilot+ PCs to generate, rewrite, and summarize text locally with no Microsoft 365 subscription or constant internet connection required. Overview Notepad’s AI...
  12. Windows SCOOBE Renewal Prompts: Insider Build Sparks OS-as-Sales Debate

    Microsoft’s latest Insider builds repurpose the SCOOBE (Second‑Chance Out‑of‑Box Experience) screen into a full‑screen, blocking renewal prompt that reminds users a Microsoft 365 subscription “needs attention” — a test that has reignited debates about whether Windows should be used as a sales...
  13. Consumer Reports Urges Microsoft to Extend Windows 10 Security Updates Past 2025

    Consumer watchdog Consumer Reports has formally urged Microsoft to extend free security updates for Windows 10 beyond the company’s announced October 14, 2025 end‑of‑support date, arguing that the current one‑year consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) option and paywall risk leaving hundreds...
  14. Six Fast Windows 11 Search Alternatives: Everything, Fluent, Flow & More

    Windows 11’s built‑in Search is useful — until it isn’t: slow responses for non‑indexed folders, a cluttered home panel, and inconsistent results have driven many users to lightweight launchers and desktop search tools that return answers in milliseconds. This piece examines six of the fastest...
  15. D

    Password Help

    I recently had an Edge Browser Update and a Windows 11 security update about a week ago. I went into password management and was going to do some cleanup, and I was asked to give my Windows password to make changes. No problem, I entered my password, and it said the password was incorrect. So I...
  16. Windows 10 End of Support 2025: 5 Realistic Paths to Stay Secure

    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...
  17. Google's Windows Labs App: Spotlight-Style Search with Lens and AI

    Google’s new experimental desktop app for Windows drops a compact, Spotlight‑style search overlay onto the PC and promises to unite local files, installed apps, Google Drive documents, and the web — all reachable with a quick Alt + Space keystroke — while folding in Google Lens and an optional...
  18. Windows 11 Insider: One-Click Bing Speed Test & Snipping Tool Upgrades

    Microsoft has quietly added a one‑click Internet speed test launcher to Windows 11’s taskbar and quick settings, and it’s arriving alongside continued enhancements to the Snipping Tool (a.k.a. “Scissors”) that push the app from a basic screenshot utility toward a compact image and video capture...
  19. Edge vs Chrome: Microsoft’s Bing ad nudges in Windows 11 explained

    Microsoft has quietly escalated the browser wars by using a prominent Bing advertisement to label Microsoft Edge as the “recommended” browser for Windows 11 users who search for Google Chrome, deploying a full comparison table that highlights Edge-only features such as a built‑in VPN, AI...
  20. Google Labs Windows App: Floating Spotlight Search with Lens & AI

    Google’s experimental Windows app aims to remove the friction of switching windows to look something up — a floating, Spotlight‑like search bar you summon with Alt + Space that can search local files, installed apps, Google Drive, and the web, and that folds in Google Lens and the company’s AI...