Windows 11 Will Soon Get A Settings Homepage

The new settings homepage gives you quick access to recommended settings, Bluetooth devices, personalization options, and more.

Microsoft is getting closer to releasing a new settings homepage in Windows 11. In an update rolled out to Windows Insiders on the Beta Channel, Microsoft added a homepage with “interactive cards” that let you quickly jump into various settings, such as device personalization, Bluetooth controls, account recovery, and more.

The page will also show recommended settings that change based on your “specific usage patterns,” giving you shortcuts to whatever settings you use the most, such as display, sound, and search permissions.

It looks like Microsoft is also using this new homepage as a way to advertise some of its own services, too. There’s a section that shows how much cloud storage you have in OneDrive, along with two cards dedicated to showing your subscription statuses for Microsoft 365 and Xbox. Microsoft says the menu will have up to seven cards to start, “with more coming soon.” The company first started testing this feature in June.

Another neat feature Microsoft could soon release is the Windows Backup app. First introduced in May, the app lets you back up your PC when getting ready to use a new one. In addition to automatically applying your existing settings to your new PC, it will also carry over any pinned apps on your desktop, Start menu, and taskbar. Microsoft says it won’t automatically install these apps on your new PC, but it will provide shortcuts that either link you to the Microsoft Store or to the developer’s website to reinstall them.

Lastly, Microsoft is pushing a small update to its Dynamic Lighting feature. Once it rolls out to everyone, you’ll be able to use the tool to sync your Windows accent color with your peripherals and PC components as well as set custom colors for your devices.

All of these features come with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22631.2262.

Credit: theverge.com

M2 MacBook Air Runs Windows 11 Faster Than Dell

Apple Bytes: 

Real-world experiments with the new MacBook Air show Apple’s latest can use Parallels 18 to run Windows 11 faster than a Dell XPS Plus.

It’s a tribute to the performance of the Apple M2 processor in the latest Air.

MacBook Air can be a high-performance PC

Windows has the lion’s share of the desktop/laptop market. That means that situations arise where dedicated macOS users need to be able to run Windows. That’s where Parallels comes in. This virtualization software can put Windows on a Mac.

The YouTube channel Max Tech loaded the recently released Parallels 18 onto the 2022 MacBook Air and tested it with Geekbench 5. It scored 1681 on the single-core test and 7260 on the multi-core one.

For comparison, the Dell XPS Plus scored 1182 single-core and 5476 multi-core on the same test while unplugged, losing to the Mac on both test segments. That said, take the Windows PC off its battery and its scores rise to 1548 single-core and 8103 multi-core, so one of its benchmark scores beats the MacBook.

But there’s a drawback for someone planing to use their notebook on the go. When talking about the Dell, Max Tech host Vadim Yuryev said, “The battery life on those machines is not good and those chips take a lot of power.”

This is not an example of an expensive Mac being more powerful than a cheap PC. The MacBook Air configuration in the test costs $1599, while the XPS Plus is $1849.

It’s all about the Apple M2

The 2022 iPad Air in the head-to-head test is one of the first with the Apple M2 processor. Apple says the chip is 18% quicker than its predecessor. Real-world tests show that it’s at least that fast.

The new processor already proved its chops by solidly out scoring other Macs in the Speedometer 2.0 benchmarking app.

Credit: cultofmac.com

Easiest Way To Install Windows 11 On Any PC

This program works very well for computers that are unsupported by Windows 11. I now have it running on two old computers, one is almost 12 years old.

Since many users may have difficulty following all of the steps in the video, I have prepared a step by step instruction sheet that's listed below along with it's PDF.

youtube.com/watch?v=899NmXHK3WE

Directions for Installing Windows 11 on unsupported PCs

Make sure your computer isn't supported in windows 11. It would be real silly to follow this guide if your computer was supported. So go ahead and click on your start menu and find PC health check.

• Install the latest updates on your PC
• Search for and download Mediacreationtool.bat. It is labeled AveYo/Media Creation Tool.bat universal mct wrapper script
• Click on bypass windows 11
• Click on Skip TPM check on dynamic update
• Click on icon on right side of screen that reads “Copy raw content”
• Type Notepad in Windows 10 search box
• Click on Notepad
• Press CTRL and V to paste raw content into Notepad
• Click Save as – Change from TXT to all files. Give file a name such as Win 1 and add the extension .cmd, and save
• Use a browser to search for and open Windows 11 Media Creation Tool
• Scroll down to the second button “Create Media Installation Tool” and download now
• Download iso file
• Click on downloaded file (has exe extension) and follow Windows directions.
• Click on Windows setup
• Click on keep files and settings.
• Note: The screen will show that Windows server is being installed.

Windows11onAnyPC.pdf

Provided by: Alan Marcus

Get Rid of Bloatware With One Command

Windows has always had a bloatware problem (even if Samsung has recently claimed the crown in that department). Bloatware is an umbrella term for apps, services, and programs you don’t need, and never asked for, and Windows comes preinstalled with a boatload of them.

Things improved with the launch of Windows 11, and Microsoft has started cutting the fat off of its installation media. But it’s still an issue, with apps like Skype, 3DBuilder, Asphalt 8, Microsoft News, Feedback Hub, and many more installed (and taking up space on your system) by default.

Removing bloatware helps you in two ways: You’ll recover some storage space and speed up your computer. If you’re using a low-end machine or an older PC, or if you just like the idea of running a lighter OS, this guide can help you take care of the problem with one command.

The traditional way of removing bloatware requires tracking down those unneeded apps and uninstalling them one by one. To some degree, that still works, provided you can find the app listed in Settings > Apps > Apps & Features. To find a bloatware app, click the three-dotted Menu button, and choose the “Uninstall” option. Confirm and follow the process.

But this doesn’t work for the hidden apps, system apps, and background processes Microsoft sneaks into the OS, and that’s where an automated script can be a lifesaver. Developer Sycnex’s Windows10Debloater script works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 and gives you a one-click option for deleting all bloatware, or a customized subset of the bloatware list.

To get started, go to the Start menu, search for “Windows PowerShell,” right-click on the result, and choose “Run as administrator.”

In the PowerShell window, type the command below and press the Enter key. It will automatically download the files from the GitHub repository and create a system restore point, just in case something goes wrong.

iwr -useb https://git.io/debloat|iex

Entering this command will launch a new program, where you’ll see options for disabling Cortana, One Drive, and more.

Click the “Customize Blocklist” button and select the bloatware that you want to remove. Save the file, and then click the “Remove Bloatware with Custom Blocklist” button. The script will run and it will uninstall the selected apps. Once it’s done, restart your PC and you’ll be running a little leaner and, hopefully, a bit more efficiently.

Credit: lifehacker.com

Disabling Some Windows 11 Apps Saves RAM

If you're not using pre-installed Widgets, Teams and Edge, disable them.

Plenty of apps that you install on your computer have a setting that tells them to launch when you initially log in to save you the trouble of launching your most commonly used apps yourself. Leaving this setting on can also allow apps to check for updates or launch more quickly when you start them for the first time. The difference for some of the pre-installed Microsoft apps in Windows 10 and 11 is that they use some of these resources by default, whether you actually use the apps or not.

Developer and IT admin Michael Niehaus drew attention to some of these apps in recent blog posts examining the resource usage of Windows 11's widgets, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Edge in a fresh install of Windows 11 (the Edge observations apply to Windows 10, too).

Both Widgets and Teams spawn a number of Microsoft Edge WebView2 processes in order to work. WebView2 is a way to use Edge and its rendering engine without launching Edge or using its user interface. Collectively, these processes use a few hundred megabytes of memory to work.

The widget-related processes don't start unless you actually click the widgets button, though they remain in the background afterward, even if you're not actively viewing your widgets. But the Teams processes all launch automatically, whether you actually use Teams or not. Uninstalling Teams will prevent this from happening, but Niehaus points out that simply removing the Teams icon from Windows 11's Taskbar in the Taskbar settings is enough to keep these WebView2 processes from launching when you log in.

Microsoft Edge itself includes a feature called Startup Boost that launches Edge in the background when you log in to save you some time when you launch your first Edge window. If you use Edge as your default browser, the setting is worth leaving on since it also only uses a couple hundred megabytes of memory. But if you only use Edge as a downloader for Chrome or Firefox, disabling System Boost in the Edge settings will lighten your computer's load by just a bit.

Credit: arstechnica.com

Intel Drivers Not Allowing Upgrade To Windows 11

Some PC owners will need to upgrade their drivers before upgrading to Windows 11.

Microsoft recently placed a compatibility hold on some PCs to prevent them from upgrading to Windows 11. The move is to prevent potential issues that can arise when using specific Intel Smart Sound Technology (Intel SST) drivers on Windows 11. Affected systems won't see the option to upgrade to Windows 11 until they're running newer Intel SST drivers.

Microsoft outlines the known issue in a recently updated doc.

"Intel and Microsoft have found incompatibility issues with certain versions of drivers for Intel Smart Sound Technology (Intel SST) and Windows 11," reads the doc. "Windows 11 devices with the affected Intel SST driver might receive an error with a blue screen."

"The affected driver will be named Intel Smart Sound Technology (Intel SST) Audio Controller under System Devices in Device Manager and have the file name IntcAudioBus.sys and a file version of 10.29.0.5152 and earlier or 10.30.0.5152 and earlier."

The compatibility hold has been put in place to safeguard the upgrade experience for devices with affected Intel SST drivers.

Microsoft details a workaround for the issue. PC owners can check with their device's manufacturer to see if an updated driver is available and then install it. The issue is resolved by updating Intel SST drivers to version 10.30.00.5714 and later or 10.29.00.5714 and later.

Assuming there aren't any other safeguards affecting your device, you should then be able to upgrade to Windows 11. Note that it can take up to 48 hours to see the option to upgrade after you've installed the latest Intel SST drivers.

Microsoft discourages people from manually upgrading to Windows 11 on affected PCs.

Credit: windowscentral.com

Windows 11 Runs Into Issues With Some Built-in Apps

Many of the built-in apps on Windows 11 won't open on some PCs.

Windows 11 PCs may have an issue opening certain built-in applications. The Snipping Tool, Touch Keyboard, Voice Typing, and Emoji Panel are among the affected apps. The problem is related to an issue with a Microsoft digital certificate that expired on October 31, 2021. Release preview update KB5006746 can mitigate some of the issues. Microsoft is working on a fix for the Snipping tool and other remaining problems. 

Microsoft details the issue:

Starting on November 1, 2021, some users might be unable to open or use certain built-in Windows apps or parts of some built-in apps. This is caused by an issue with a Microsoft digital certificate, which expired October 31, 2021.

The following applications might be affected:

• Snipping Tool
• Accounts page and landing page in the Settings app (S mode only)
• Touch Keyboard, Voice Typing, and Emoji Panel
• Input Method Editor user interface (IME UI)
• Getting started and Tips

Windows 11 preview update KB5006746 mitigates the issue for the following apps:

• Touch Keyboard, Voice Typing and Emoji Panel
• Input Method Editor user interface (IME UI)
• Getting started and Tips

The fixes in the preview update will likely make their way to Windows 11 in the next set of Patch Tuesday updates. 

Credit: windowscentral.com

Malware Is Being Distributed Via Fake Windows 11 Installers

Malware is masquerading as Microsoft's next-gen operating system to infect unsuspecting users' systems.

Malware is being distributed using a fake Windows 11 installer, according to Kaspersky. The security firm says one example malware contained in a file called "86307_windows 11 build 21996.1 x64 + activator.exe" increased its file size to 1.75GB using "one DLL file that contains a lot of useless information" to create the illusion that it was a legitimate Windows 11 installation tool. That illusion extended beyond the size of the executable file, too.

Kaspersky says opening that file invokes a series of installers resembling "an ordinary Windows installation wizard," complete with a license agreement that notes "that it would also install some sponsored software." Which is true, in a sense, except in this case the additional software in question is malware rather than a pre-installed version of a game like Candy Crush.

The installed malware "can be very wide-ranging—from relatively harmless adware, which our solutions classify as not-a-virus, to full-fledged Trojans, password stealers, exploits, and other nasty stuff," the company says. It's not clear if some of these schemes eventually install Windows 11 as well or if they all leave victims with their existing version of Windows instead.

Kaspersky says its security offerings "have already defeated several hundred infection attempts that used similar Windows 11–related schemes." The company advises PC users looking to use Windows 11 ahead of its official release to join the Windows Insider Program—which is currently the only legitimate way to install the operating system—instead of downloading shady files.

Credit: pcmag.com