The most popular operating system in the world, Microsoft’s Windows is the software that powers hundreds of millions of PCs. Introduced back in November 1985, Windows has changed and evolved over time to grow as gaming, design, development, and productivity needs have shifted. Whether XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, or, most recently, Windows 11, Microsoft’s OS is one of the most important pieces of software ever made.
The US Library of Congress has added the Windows 95 boot sound to its National Recording Registry (NRR). That means the sound is now part of a list of recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Minecraft’s Volume Alpha has also been added to the NRR.
A Windows Insider build deep diver found a reference for a “full screen experience” startup mode in Windows 11. As noted by Windows Central, the reference implies that multiple gaming interfaces will likely be selectable. Could it all point toward the next-gen Windows handheld gaming experience change Microsoft has been talking about?
[windowscentral.com]
The new button opens up a panel where you can quickly access emoji and GIFs, similar to what you can already do with the Win + . keyboard shortcut.
Microsoft is also testing the ability to trim screen recordings with the Snipping Tool. The changes are rolling out now to the Beta Channel in Preview Build 22635.5015.
9to5Mac spotted a Hackintosh Reddit community post in which user OceanDepth95028 showed off what they say is a near-total replacement of the 2013 Windows phone with the guts of a 3rd-gen iPhone SE.
They even preserved the iPhone’s Touch ID button (now on the back) and Lightning port (subbed for the Lumai’s Micro USB).
The ad encourages you to “recruit your squad” with a free trial of PC Game Pass that you can share with friends. Microsoft says the ad will only appear if you’re signed into your Microsoft account and “meet the required eligibility criteria,” similar to the other Game Pass ad it tested last year. It’s rolling out now to the Dev and Beta Channels in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3281.
Two zero-day holes being fixed on this Patch Tuesday could potentially allow attackers to delete your files and gain unmitigated system-level privileges, Bleeping Computer reports, so update ASAP.
In lighter news, the KB5051987 update continues rolling out a feature that improves taskbar previews. Plus, a new system tray icon will appear when using apps that support Windows Studio Effects on computers with a neural processing unit, like new Copilot Plus PCs.
With rumors of Nvidia entering the CPU market, 2025 might be an even bigger year for Microsoft’s Arm efforts.
Update your systems ASAP, as Bleeping Computer points out that today’s Patch Tuesday updates include one for a zero-day flaw already exploited by attackers.
CVE-2024-49138 - Microsoft Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver contains a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that allows a local attacker to escalate privileges.
[msrc.microsoft.com]
