I swapped out Windows 11’s built‑in desktop shell for an open‑source alternative and, for a subset of workflows, the change felt like moving to a different operating system running on top of Windows rather than merely re‑skinning it.
Background / Overview
Windows exposes a surprisingly low‑level...
Microsoft’s renewed push to make Windows a deeply agentic, multimodal platform—paired with ambitious Copilot investments—has quietly rewritten the conditions that once made a Microsoft-branded phone an improbable gamble; taken together, those shifts make the idea of a “new Windows phone” not...
agentic ai
ai interoperability
app ecosystem
carrier partnerships
copilot
copilot platform
developer economics
enterprise mobility
hybrid-execution
local inference
model context protocol
multimodal windows
pocket pc
privacy
windows ai foundry
windows phone revival
windowsshell
Windows 11 hides a surprisingly practical productivity trick behind a single folder name: the so‑called God Mode folder — a Master Control Panel view that gathers hundreds of system settings and administrative tools into one browsable container and can dramatically speed up troubleshooting and...
admin tools
all tasks
automation
bitlocker
clsid
clsid-guid
control panel
device manager
diagnostics
disk management
enterprise it
event viewer
explorer
god mode
group policy
guid
it admin
it pros
legacy applications
master control panel
mdm
namespace
performance monitoring
power options
power users
powershell
productivity
services
settings
shell namespace
shortcuts
system administration
system settings
task scheduler
tech tips
troubleshooting
windows 11
windowsshell
Microsoft is testing a new continuity trick in Windows 11 that lets you pick up certain Android activities on your PC—starting with Spotify—via a taskbar alert that says “Resume from your phone” and a one‑click “Continue on this PC” action. The rollout has begun for Windows Insiders in the Dev...
android-to-windows
appcontext
beta channel
cloud continuity
continuity-sdk
cross-device resume
deep linking
dev channel
enterprise it
handoff
insider preview
kb5064093
link to windows
one-click install
phone link
privacy
project rome
spotify
store integration
taskbar notifications
taskbar toast
windows 11
windows insider
windowsshell
Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5761 (KB5064093) to the Beta Channel for Insiders on Windows 11, version 24H2, continuing a pattern of incremental, tightly staged updates that blend UI polish, targeted bug fixes, and guarded rollouts of AI-driven experiences...
24h2
accessibility
ai features
beta channel
build 26120
click to do
copilot
dark mode
enterprise it
feedback hub
file explorer ai
insider preview
kb5064093
on-device agent
snipping tool
staged rollout
ui polish
windows 11
windowsshellwindows update
A recently disclosed vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-49679, has been found in the Windows Shell component of Microsoft Windows. This flaw arises from a numeric truncation error, which can be exploited by an authorized attacker to elevate their privileges on the affected system...
cve-2025-49679
cybersecurity
data security
malware prevention
microsoft
monitoring
numerical truncation error
privilege escalation
security
security patch
security updates
system integrity
system protection
system security tips
user privileges
vulnerability
windows security
windowsshellwindows vulnerabilities
Windows customization has long been both a playground and battleground for enthusiasts and productivity purists alike. With every iteration of Microsoft’s flagship operating system, the look and feel of the interface become a microcosm for the broader debate between style and substance. Windows...
bloatware free utilities
desktop customization
fluent design
minimalist desktop
multi-monitor
open source customization
performance optimization
privacy
taskbar
taskbar blur effects
taskbar transparency
windows 11 guide
windows customization
windows profile
windowsshellwindowsshell tweaks
windows stability
windows themes
windows tools
windows ui tweaks
Paying for software customization on Windows was once considered an extravagance, reserved for the most ardent power users or enterprises obsessed with workflow optimization. Yet, as Microsoft’s design decisions in Windows 11 have polarized opinion and left many yearning for function and...
dark mode
desktop enhancement
start menu
startallback review
taskbar
windows 11 tweaks
windows customization
windows explorer tweaks
windows modernization
windows optimization
windows productivity
windowsshellwindows stability
windows tips
windows tools
windows ui
The ongoing battle to secure Windows never stops, and the latest entry in this war of attrition is CVE-2025-27729—a use-after-free vulnerability in Windows Shell that allows an unauthorized local attacker to execute code. While many may consider the Windows Shell as merely the graphical...
CVE-2024-43552: Windows Shell Remote Code Execution Vulnerability – What You Need to Know
On October 8, 2024, Microsoft published information regarding a critical security vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-43552. This particular flaw lies within the Windows Shell and carries significant...
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17083 for PC to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring and for those who opted in to Skip Ahead.
What’s new in Build 17083
Font Settings and Fonts in the Microsoft Store
Fonts are an important asset for your visual...
Visual Studio 2017 15.4 introduced the new Windows Application Packaging project to help you modernizing your application by using the new Windows 10 App Deployment Stack.
We talked about it in our previous post: Visual Studio 2017 Update 4 makes it easy to modernize your app and make it store...
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17046 for PC to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring and for those who opted in to Skip Ahead.
What’s new in Build 17046
Microsoft Edge Improvements
Form Fill for Address fields: Microsoft Edge can now save and...
activity history
application settings
build 17046
cortana
emoji improvements
form filling
gaming issues
improvements
insider preview
keyboard updates
known issues
microsoft edge
multilingual support
pc updates
privacy
spacing
touch keyboard
uwp apps
windows 10
windowsshell
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16362 for PC to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring who have opted in to Skip Ahead only. Insiders who joined Skip Ahead will continue to receive builds from the RS_PRERELEASE branch which has transitioned to RS4...
action center
boot experience
build 16362
fast ring
gaming improvements
input improvements
insider preview
microsoft edge
narrator improvements
privacy
security
skip ahead
software bugs
system performance
taskbar
ui issues
update
user experience
windows 10
windowsshell
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16288 for PC to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring only (not Skip Ahead). As we mentioned previously, we are now at the point of the development cycle for the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update where our focus is now on...
action center
applocker
bluetooth
bug fixes
build 15250
build 16288
cortana
devices
fast ring
gaming
input improvements
insider preview
microsoft edge
mobile improvements
multi-factor authentication
stabilization
update
vpn
windows 10
windowsshell
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16273 for PC to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring and Skip Ahead.
Flighting Update for PC
We have some updates for Windows Insiders on how we’ll be releasing new builds going forward for the next couple of...
bahnschrift font
bugs
build 16273
device encryption
emoji support
fall creators update
fast ring
general fixes
improvements
input improvements
insider preview
microsoft edge
mixed reality
my people
settings
skip ahead
update
windows 10
windows 10 s
windowsshell
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today we are excited to release Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16237 for PC to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring!
Upcoming Bug Bash
We’re really excited to do our 2nd (and final) Bug Bash for the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update! The Bug Bash will start at 12am...
action center
bug bash
build 16237
dpi
emoji panel
fast ring
feedback hub
gaming
hyper-v
insider preview
known issues
microsoft edge
my people
notifications
pdf
performance
task manager
touch keyboard
windows 10
windowsshell
When I create a file (or a script creates a file) in the windows command shell, I am unable to edit it from notepad++, ultraedit etc.
I am logged in as Don (which is an administrator account). And files and folders created in windows Explorer have owner 'Don'.
When I launch the Windows...