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Microsoft released its first Canary build 25314 last night, alongside Dev build 23403, which also adds recommended content to the File Explorer. For those unaware, the Canary channel is essentially what the Dev channel was, and as usually is the case with these Insider builds, the new Canary build also has hidden features that Microsoft engineers are working on, alongside the ones announced. Twitter user and Windows detective Albacore has found a dedicated Settings page for USB4 devices inside the new build. The screenshot of the Settings app shows a new "USB4 Hubs and Devices" page inside the USB section. The screenshot below shows the USB4 devices that are connected, which, in this instance, is none as Albacore did not have any USB4 devices. On the previous Dev channel build, the USB page is pretty much like how it is on Windows 10 as well, ie, it shows notifications when USB devices have issues connecting to the system. The new USB4 page is hidden which means it is disabled by default. However, it can be enabled using velocity ID "39305332" (not recommended since these are work-in-progress features and are often quite unstable). You can check out the other hidden features inside Windows 11 via this link. Source: PhantomOcean3 (Twitter) via Albacore (Twitter) Microsoft working to add dedicated, much-improved USB4 Settings page in Windows 11 22H2

Back in November 2022, Microsoft started enabling its upcoming Windows 11 Moment 3 update for the first time. Back then, we found traces of the upcoming feature update in Dev Channel builds. It was also around this same time that Microsoft moved into the Zinc development semester. Internal test IDs revealed that the Redmond giant had begun enabling Moment 3, and even Moment 4, features in the Dev channel. Fast forward three months to February 2023, things have apparently begun progressing into the Beta channel. Around a couple of weeks back, what seem to be internal builds, 23141 and 23145, were spotted. And now it looks like the upcoming Moment 3 update is readying for a rollout to Windows 11 Insiders via the Beta channel some time in the very near future. Yesterday, a new build 22624 (KB5023011) popped up and was spotted by users online in the form of enablement package (EKB5023595). The 2262x build numbers are deployed by Microsoft for the Beta channel and the upcoming Moment 2 feature update uses "22623", and likewise, 22624 is meant to denote Moment 3. Since then, more packages for Moment 3 have surfaced today, inside the latest Beta build. This is also one of the few times that the "moment" reference has been seen inside Windows. In terms of release date, earlier reports had suggested that Windows 11 22H2 Moment 3 could be out in May of this year. Further reports suggest it will be followed by Moment 4 later in the year (Windows 11 version 23H2). In fact, new rumors of 23H2 also made the rounds recently. While the progress is good to see, there of course remain loads of bugs to iron out. One of those might be related to the default NVMe driver on Windows 11, which is causing BSOD and freezing issues for WD SSDs. Source: techosarusrex (Twitter) via Xeno (Twitter) More Windows 11 22H2 Moment 3 enablement packages leak, releasing later in 2023

Microsoft rolled out Patch Tuesday for February this week and it is probably fair to say it has not been smooth sailing for the company. First up, the company confirmed that botched WSUS Server upgrades led to failure of the Windows 11 22H2 Patch Tuesday update delivery, though thankfully the company provided a workaround for the same. Following that, VMware confirmed that Secure Boot was leading to boot failures on vSphere VMs post-installation of Patch Tuesday. And although not totally related, many users across various online forums are reporting about driver update failures when trying to install them via the Windows Update. Such affected users say they are encountering driver update failures with the error code "0x80070103". The issue seems to be affecting Surface devices, though other reports show all sorts of drivers, from Realtek. to Intel, to Dolby, to Dell, and many more, are failing to install, all exhibiting similar symptoms, ie, failing with the 0x80070103 error. The error message essentially says "Install error - 0x80070103" with an option to "Retry" the installation of the failed update. It is believed that [beware! connection not secure] this error is displayed when Windows Update tries to install a previous version or less compatible version of an already installed driver. Intel however recommends fixing the issue using Windows Update Troubleshooter. Via: Barb Bowman (Twitter) Windows 11 22H2 driver updates are failing left and right with 0x80070103 error

About a year ago, Microsoft introduced a new prompt inside Windows 11 system settings that would remind users who were running Windows 11 on unsupported systems. The reminder said "System requirements not met" with a "Learn more" at the end linking to a Microsoft webpage explaining the Windows 11 hardware and software requirements. Soon after this, Microsoft decided to make this far more conspicuous by adding it to the desktop itself. It began with the Dev Channel where a new "System requirements not met" watermark will show on the screen alongside the Windows version and build number. A new report by Deskmodder claims that this watermark has now begun rolling out to build 22621 users as well, which means it is hitting Windows 11 version 22H2, and perhaps more Beta Channel Insiders as well. Around a month after Windows 11 22H2 or the Windows 11 2022 Update went public, Microsoft had quietly updated the supported processors list for Windows 11 22H2. The requirements didn't really change compared to the original Windows 21H2 release as a few newly released chips from AMD and Intel were added. In case you come across the "System requirements not met" watermark on your desktop, you can use this guide to disable it. Microsoft has also published a support document about how to disable the message inside Settings. Windows 11 "System requirements not met" watermark apparently begins haunting 22H2 users now

Microsoft released the final Windows 11 Dev Channel build for Insiders yesterday. The new build, 25267, adds more Taskbar search bar style experiments and has a lot of bug fixes. Speaking of bug fixes, the latest build resolves one of the major issues on Windows 11 22H2 that was causing slowdowns when copying large files over networks. The issue was apparently affecting local files too. And although it was suspected to be related to the SMB initially, it was later found to be much more deep-rooted. Ned Pyle, the Principal Program Manager in the Microsoft Windows Server High Availability and Storage group, has updated the blog post that described the issue. He writes: An updated version of this preview fix is now available in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25267. This version "Fixed an issue where restartable copies of a file (for example using robocopy) with alternate data streams were hanging frequently in the latest Dev Channel builds." Pyle mentions "updated" as Microsoft had already released an initial fix for the bug in a previous Windows build 25252. Of course, this is still in preview and Pyle says that the final fix will be released publicly later in a monthly update. The final fix for Windows 11 22H2 production computer will come in a normal monthly Cumulative Update through Windows Update once validated in Insider builds. You can find Ned Pyle's write-up here. Microsoft releases additional fix for major Windows 11 22H2 file copy kernel bug

Windows 11 22H2, or the "2022 Update," contains many new features (you can find them in our review). In addition, there are quite a few hidden additions and unannounced for regular customers changes. For example, Microsoft recently published a support article detailing education themes in Windows 11 22H2. Like any other Windows theme, education themes in Windows 11 let users quickly personalize their devices using pre-set backgrounds, accent colours, cursors, sounds, etc. Administrators can prepare themes for schools and send them to managed devices. Microsoft has also preloaded a couple of themes with neat space, Surface, and Windows 11-like backgrounds in its operating system. If you want a fresh coat of paint for your computer, here is how to enable hidden themes in Windows 11 22H2. If you are not comfortable modding Windows Registry, you can download wallpapers here. [Refer comment below for links] Gallery: Windows 11 Education Wallpapers How to enable hidden themes in Windows 11 2022 Update? Press Win + R and type regedit. Note that you cannot edit Windows Registry without administrative privileges. Paste the following into the address bar: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device Right-click the device key (folder) and select New > Key. Rename the new key to Education. Select the Education key (folder) and click Edit > New > DWORD (32-bit) value. Rename the new value to EnableEduThemes. Open the EnableEduThemes value and change its value data from 0 to 1. Restart your computer and wait several minutes for Windows 11 to download hidden education themes. Launch the Settings app and go to Personalization > Themes. If a bunch of wallpapers is not your cup of tea, check out the "Moment 2" update features already appearing in the stable version of Windows 11. Also, Windows 11 has a hidden camera privacy indicator you can enable with a similar registry tweak. Windows 11 has several neat hidden themes, here is how to enable them

Earlier today, Microsoft released the latest Windows 11 Insider build to the Beta channel. Although there were no new features in the latest build, it does come with a very very long list of fixes aimed at the Taskbar. There are some other improvements in other areas too. However, almost as soon as the build was out and people started installing the build, our readers started complaining about issues as a result of conflict between the new Windows 11 build and StartAllBack, the popular app used to restore various classic features, including the Taskbar. One of our readers, rmorris003 commented: This update breaks StartAllBack as Windows just stays at a black screen until you disable StartAllBack and then sign back in by using the Task manager then going into Control Panel. Soon others too chimed in and it wasn't long before StartAllBack developers confirmed the issue on Twitter and went public with a new "urgent release" to fix the problem. The release note for the new 3.5.6 urgent release notes that previous StartAllBack versions may not be compatible with 22H2 beta builds: Version 3.5.6 7 Dec 2022 Support for latest Beta builds. Previous versions may break with 22H2 updates! You can download the new update on StartAllBack's official website here. StartAllBack confirms latest Windows 11 22H2 build breaks the Taskbar, issues urgent fix Software Updates: StartAllBack 3.5.6.4569

Microsoft will finally make the Windows 11 update available to anyone running Windows 10 with a version that's 2004 or later. The new operating system is called Sun Valley and is designed to be compatible with the previous versions of Windows 10. If you're not sure if you should make the move, read why this upgrade is worth it. Free One reason Windows 11 is worth upgrading is that ! That's right; Microsoft has made this update free for everyone who owns a PC running any Windows 10 version 2004 or later. So if you've been holding off upgrading because you don't want to pay for something that may not be worth it, now is your chance! Easy to Use In the past, Windows was a complicated and frustrating operating system. It was hard to use and often challenging to get the hang of. With Windows 8 and 10, Microsoft has made a lot of progress. The problem is that these improvements have come at a cost - these operating systems are still difficult to use. With the 2022 Update, Microsoft has finally done something about this problem. They've made Windows 11 as easy to use as Mac OS X. The reason for this change is simple. Microsoft knows that if they want their users to upgrade from Windows 10. They needed to make sure that upgrading wasn't too difficult or awkward for users who weren't already familiar with the new interface design changes. The 2022 Update makes it easier for everyone - even those who have never used a Windows computer! New Look Menu The start menu has been a boring feature of Windows until now. It was just a place to find shortcuts to your most-used programs and files, and it didn't even have any customization options. That's about to change with the 2022 update. The start menu will now be customizable. You'll be able to customize its colours and fonts and add new folders or buttons that open specific apps. It'll also include support for Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant, that can help you with calendar reminders or scheduling meetings. Upgraded Microsoft Edge With the 2022 Update, Microsoft has finally made Edge good enough to use as your primary browser (without worrying about security). You can pin websites and apps to the taskbar and right-click on links to share them easily. With the new "dark mode" feature, you can ensure that your browser doesn't take up all your screen real estate by dimming its background colour until you close it - perfect for watching videos on YouTube or Netflix! New File Explorer One of the biggest changes is the new file explorer interface. This new interface is much easier to use than previous versions of Windows and makes finding files even faster. It also allows users to add folders directly into their taskbar and access them quickly without opening up a different program first. Search Box Another new feature is a unified search box that can be accessed from any screen in Windows, including when using email or instant messaging software like Skype. This feature will allow users to quickly find any information they need without switching between different functions on their computer or smartphone device. It's time to upgrade Overall we believe that the 2022 update is certainly worth the upgrade. Windows 11 brings some exciting new features to the table and furthers Microsoft's vision of a connected PC ecosystem and a seamless experience between devices. The new interface won't be for everyone, but after using it for a few days, you'll find it easy to adapt. Overall, the 2022 update isn't a must-have upgrade, but you'd be missing out if you didn't at least try it out. With the 2022 Update, Windows 11 Is Finally Worth an Upgrade

Yesterday, Microsoft released its latest KB5020044 update (build 22621.900) which resolved gaming-related performance issues on Windows 11 version 22H2. One of our readers says the new update works like a charm as it resolves quite a few of the Battlefield 2042 bugs they faced. The update is far from flawless though as Task Manager has broke once again. It all started when NVIDIA GPU owners began complaining about various issues soon after the 2022 Windows 11 update was released. And the problems persisted despite NVIDIA releasing drivers to fix the bugs. Meanwhile, on the Red team's side, AMD users and reviewers also began reporting about issues on Ryzen 7000 systems. Although AMD said it didn't encounter anything major during its own testing, third-party data suggested otherwise. After much commotion, Microsoft finally acknowledged last month that gaming performance on various systems was indeed affected by the latest version of Windows. Consequently, the upgrade was blocked on affected PCs. Later on, the company published an update stating that the upgrade block was being lifted on a subset of systems with safeguard ID 41990091, though Microsoft persisted with the block with another set of PCs. Now with the issues fixed with the latest update, Microsoft has updated its health dashboard: Resolution: This issue was resolved in KB5020044. The safeguard hold is estimated to be removed in mid-December 2022. Hence, it looks like those whose systems were under the 41766570 safeguard ID will not be offered the Windows 11 22H2 update option just yet, though it should be available by mid-December. Microsoft does not recommend manually updating to KB5020044 in case you are not being offered the update. Microsoft confirms those with gaming issues won't be offered Windows 11 22H2, yet

Microsoft released Windows 11 22H2 build 22621.675 (KB5019509) to the Release Preview channel Insiders yesterday. The new build brought tabbed File Explorer, Taskbar overflow menu, and a few other new things to all Release Preview Channel Insiders. While we already know that these builds are building up to the Windows 11 2022 Moment 1 update, expected to release sometime soon, underlying evidence suggests that the build 22621.675 could actually be the Moment 1 update general availability (GA) release candidate itself. Twitter user and Windows enthusiast PhantomOcean3 was doing what they do best, ie, exploring Windows, when they spotted something indicating that the new Release Preview channel build could be Moment 1. The feature ID "39145991" that enables the Moment 1 features has apparently been set to 15 which implies it cannot be altered with software like ViveTool that is used to enable and disable hidden Windows features. Therefore the features will remain always enabled likely indicating that the build 22621.675 (KB5019509) could indeed be Moment 1. This indicates that the Moment 1 update general release could be close and may even coincide with the Windows 10 22H2 GA which is also lurking somewhere nearby in the shadows if recent leaks are any indication. So while we have already known that the Moment update comes out in October from previous reports, it's good to see more evidence cropping up. References of the future Moment 2 update have also begun surfacing, though it is not expected to hit the public before 2023. Edit: Added Moment 1 update release date information that we missed earlier. Windows 11 22H2 Moment 1 release date could be real close

In today's episode of "What Windows 11 22H2 breaks this time," we have the broken Windows Hello authentication system. According to the latest update from the software giant, users could experience problems with Windows Hello sign-in methods, such as face recognition, fingerprint, or regular PIN. Microsoft says the bug affects customers who have set up Windows Hello before installing the Windows 11 2022 Update (or 22H2). The problem should not bother you if you have enabled Windows Hello after getting to the latest Windows 11 version. Botched Windows Hello does not mean affected customers are fully locked-out of their systems. Windows 11 falls back to Microsoft Account or offline account passwords if Windows Hello is unavailable. Still, Microsoft has applied a compatibility hold to protect customers from the frustrating experience. Affected systems will not get the Windows 11 2022 Update until Microsoft provides a permanent fix. You can bypass the problem by installing KB5017389, the first optional cumulative update for Windows 11 22H2. Microsoft says it will remove the safeguard in mid-October 2022, and you can expect the bugfix to arrive in today's Patch Tuesday update. Broken Windows Hello has joined the ever-growing list of known issues in Microsoft's latest operating system. The company has already confirmed performance downgrades in solid-state drives, broken provisioning, crippled printers, problems with Remote Desktops, and gaming issues caused by the new security features. Therefore, if your computer sees no update and cannot get to Windows 11 22H2 "naturally," you better not force the update and stay on Windows 10 or the initial version of Windows 11. Source: Microsoft Microsoft confirms Windows 11 22H2 breaks Windows Hello

As reports had suggested, Microsoft begun rolling out Windows 11, version 22H2 last month. And as one would expect, it hasn't been a complete smooth sailing. For example, many users reported that the update was failing with an error code "0x800f0806". Interestingly, one of our Neowin members managed to figure out a workaround for the problem. Then there are the usual suspects, like printer problems, where a new printer policy was leading to printers being not detected post the 2022 Update. Another related issue led Microsoft to block the update altogether on affected devices. Following that, Microsoft issued a word of warning to IT admins as it discovered that provisioning is currently broken for Windows 11 22H2. In the meantime, the Redmond firm re-visited another issue which led to massive slow-downs in large file copy speeds when done remotely on a 22H2 system. The company said that around 40% lower speeds were being observed. However, users are reporting even worse performance hits. ivicask, who is a regular on the Microsoft tech community forums, claims they're seeing over a 100% performance hit: I would just want to correct 40% slower statement from Ned, im seeing way over 100% difference on setups like 10gb NICs (5gb/s vs 2gb/s) difference, or on SMB multi channel setups with multiple gigabit NICs. While the issue was initially thought to be affecting the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol mainly, Microsoft's Ned Pyle has now confirmed that their initial suspicion was a bit off. Apparently, the problem exists somewhere else: I can't share too many details yet, but we know exactly where it is getting slower in Kernel, nothing to do with SMB or compression. Regardless, Microsoft has provided a detailed workaround in case you are struggling against this problem: Symptom Workaround Copying large multiple gigabyte (GB) files might take longer than expected to finish on Windows 11, version 22H2. You are more likely to experience this issue copying files to Windows 11, version 22H2 from a network share via Server Message Block (SMB) but local file copy might also be affected. Windows devices used by consumers in their home or small offices are not likely to be affected by this issue. To mitigate this issue, you can use file copy tools that do not use cache manager (buffered I/O). This can be done by using the built-in command-line tools listed below: robocopy \\someserver\someshare c:\somefolder somefile.img /J or xcopy \\someserver\someshare c:\somefolder /J We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release. We will keep you posted. The Windows 11 22H2 file copy performance bug could be far worse than first thought

Last month, Microsoft released its anticipated Windows 11 2022 feature update to the general availability channel. The new release brought with it, among many things, new security features. You can find a list of the changes and improvements made in this dedicated article. Among the changes, Microsoft also updated its vulnerable driver blocklist and its functionality, which will now be enabled by default on Windows 11 22H2 under the following conditions: Now with Windows 11 22H2 is out of the way, the Redmond giant has turned its focus on the Windows 10 22H2 update, which is anticipated to be heading out soon. This has been confirmed via leaked ISO links that were spotted recently. Microsoft has previously suggested that a "scoped" set of features will be coming and it looks like Defender will be one of the aspects of Windows 10 22H2 to receive some of them. According to its driver vulnerability block rules documentation that the company updated today, Microsoft is apparently planning to release an updated driver blocklist on Windows 10 22H2. The document says: The blocklist is updated with each new major release of Windows. We plan to update the current blocklist for non-Windows 11 customers in an upcoming servicing release and will occasionally publish future updates through regular Windows servicing. This means the upcoming 2022 feature update on Windows 10 could be getting the same treatment as Windows 11 did. Also, the October Patch Tuesday is less than a week away and we could also be seeing the updated driver block-list roll out with it, instead of with the 22H2 release. Either way, the two incidents are unlikely to be far off from one another. Just like Windows 11, Windows 10 22H2 could be getting a boost to Defender right at launch

Windows 11 2022 Update has spent about a year in the Windows Insider program, allowing users to report as many bugs as possible for Microsoft to fix before shipping the thing to the general public. Still, some bugs have managed to slip under the radar. The software giant has already confirmed problems with printers, crippled SSDs, and broken provisioning. Now Microsoft is looking into complaints about botched Remote Desktop connections. According to reports from regular customers and IT admins published on Microsoft's forums and other social media, Windows 11 has a hard time connecting to remote desktops after upgrading to version 22H2. Symptoms vary from case to case and include problems with connecting, random disconnections, and freezes. Although Microsoft has not acknowledged the problem, one employee says the company is aware of the issues and is looking into the reports. Meanwhile, affected customers advise rolling back the latest Windows 11 version or disabling UDP connections to bypass the bug. You can do the latter by creating a new fClientDisableUDP DWORD (set value to 1) in the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\Client. Alternatively, enable the Turn Off UDP On Client policy in the Group Policy Editor. Those unhappy with Microsoft's latest operating system can use our guide to uninstall Windows 11 22H2 and go to the previous build. Source: Bleeping Computer Windows 11 22H2 has issues with Remote Desktop, Microsoft investigating

Even though Microsoft started rolling out the Windows 11 2022 Update (version 22H2) last month, many users cannot get their systems to the latest version no matter how hard they mash the "Check for Updates" button. If you are one of those unlucky users stuck on the original Windows 11 version, good news: Microsoft is now ramping up the Windows 11 2022 Update rollout. The software giant has updated its official Windows 11 documentation with a new status message. Microsoft has entered a new rollout phase, meaning more users should get the latest Windows 11 version upon checking for updates in the Settings app. Those not bothering with visiting the Windows Update section will remain on the initial release for a while as Microsoft carefully monitors the rollout to ensure a bug-free experience for everyone. Microsoft has also warned users that computers affected by software/hardware compatibility issues will not get the update until the company has a solution or workaround. As of now, Microsoft blocks the Windows 11 2022 Update on systems with specific printer and Intel SST drivers. There is also a confirmed bug that can cause your SSD to lose up to 40% of its throughput. Those who do not want to wait to receive the latest Windows 11 version via Windows Update can manually update their systems using the official ISO files or the Windows 11 Installation Assistant available on the official website. Do that only if you are 100% sure that your computer is not affected by any of the safeguards placed by Microsoft. The best and safest option is to wait for Microsoft to test its pipes, ensure the update is rolling out smoothly, and deliver the update to your computer "naturally." While you wait, check out our Windows 11 2022 Update review. Microsoft also has an upcoming update for users not amused by Windows 11 with its fancy interfaces, Android apps support, improved accessibility, and other features (and degradations). The company is about to launch Windows 10 22H2, but the update will not introduce any groundbreaking or notable feature changes. Windows 11 22H2 is now available for more users as Microsoft speeds up rollout

Microsoft released its Windows 11 2022 feature update last month. The update is gradually rolling out to users with compatible PCs. System requirements haven't changed since the original 21H2 release last year which means you should receive the update in case you already have a supported PC. And while that is the case, it seems like Microsoft has blocked the update on systems with dynamic disk. The report comes via German outlet Deskmodder wherein one of its forum members noticed the issue when trying to do an in-place upgrade to Windows 11 version 22H2 on a disk set up as dynamic. This was not a problem on the original 21H2 release. On trying to attempt the upgrade, the error message "0x8007001" pops up which generally happen due to disk related issues. The user tried swapping the install.wim files in the 22H2 setup with that of 21H2 and the upgrade process apparently worked out fine. Dynamic disks provide more features than basic disks like the ability to create volumes across multiple disks (spanned and striped), running RAID 5, among others, though it also has its limitations. Microsoft however does not generally recommend dynamic disks anymore. The company instead recommends using its Storage Spaces and hardware RAID controllers for functions historically provided by a dynamic disk setup. This may be a reason as to why 22H2 installs are failing on such a disk. Microsoft says: Dynamic disks have been deprecated from Windows and we don't recommend using them anymore. Instead, we recommend using basic disks or using the newer Storage Spaces technology when you want to pool disks together into larger volumes. If you want to mirror the volume from which Windows boots, you might want to use a hardware RAID controller, such as the one included on many motherboards. In case you are wondering if you have a basic or a dynamic disk, you can check it with the following steps: Go to "Disk Management" by right-clicking the Start button or by running "diskmgmt.msc" in the Win + R (Run) dialog box. Right click on the boot drive (C:) or any other drive, and go to "Properties" Go to the "Hardware" tab in the Properties dialog box Select the boot drive model within the "All disk drives" window A properties dialog box for that drive model opens Go to the "Volumes" tab and click on the "Populate" option. This will reveal if your disk type is "Basic" or "Dynamic". It also shows the partition style, ie, GPT or MBR. Source: Deskmodder Microsoft apparently blocks Windows 11 22H2 upgrades on dynamic disks with 0x8007001 error

Microsoft has confirmed another issue in the recently released Windows 11 2022 Update. Ned Pyle, Principal Program Manager in the Windows Server engineering group, has published a post on the Tech Community forums, warning users about performance degradation when copying large files from a remote computer to a system running the latest version of Windows 11. According to Ned, Windows 11 2022 Update users can experience up to 40% less throughput over SMB when copying large files weighing several gigabytes or more. The bug does not affect the initial release of Windows 11, so those sticking to the previous release will not experience issues with copying from a remote computer. Interestingly, the bug is not exclusive to SMB, which means users might notice performance dips even when copying local files. While Microsoft is busy investigating the problem and figuring out the fix, affected customers can use robocopy or xcopy with the /J parameter to restore the lost performance. Expect to hear from Microsoft about this problem soon. Microsoft recently acknowledged another problem exclusive to the latest Windows 11 release. The company said users with specific printer drivers might lose some features, such as color, two-sided printing, paper size settings, etc. The affected devices will not get the update until Microsoft has a permanent fix. Microsoft confirms performance degradation in Windows 11 22H2 when copying large files

Microsoft began rolling out its Windows 11, version 22H2 feature update last month. In case you missed it, you can read all about 22H2 and what's new in it in these articles here. Now that Windows 11 is out of the way, Microsoft is now preparing to release the 22H2 feature update for Windows 10 as well. First spotted back in June, the Redmond giant confirmed during the Windows 11 2022 update rollout that the one for Windows 10 is also heading out soon. According to the company, we should see the rollout happening in October itself. Naturally, that would mean internally the company is preparing to deploy it to its servers soon and as such, ISO download links have already been spotted. Similar to what happened ahead of the Windows 11 22H2 release, two ISO links for Windows 10 22H2 have been spotted on the TechBench dump website. While one can not download the 2022 update yet since the links aren't live, their presence confirms the general availability (GA) rollout of the 22H2 feature update for Windows 10 is quite close. In the case of Windows 11, the links were added just a few days ahead of the release itself. In terms of what to expect, Microsoft has suggested a "scoped" set of features are coming, though do not expect anything absolutely out of the ordinary. If you can't wait for Microsoft, you can upgrade to Windows 10 22H2 today by following our guide. Source: TechBench dump via techosarusrex (Twitter) Microsoft's Windows 10 22H2 shipment is almost ready as ISO download links are spotted

KB5017389 is the first preview cumulative update for the recently released Windows 11 2022 Update. It does not contain security improvements and fixes, and Microsoft does not require installing it as soon as possible. KB5017389 introduces Widgets notifications, patches for the Microsoft Store, daylight saving time improvements in Chile, and other enhancements. Here are the highlights in Windows 11 22621.608 (KB5017389) Preview: Addresses issues that cause updates to the Microsoft Store to fail. Updates the start date for daylight saving time in Chile. It will start on September 11, 2022 instead of on September 4, 2022. Addresses an issue that affects the font of three Chinese characters. When you format these characters as bold, the width size is wrong. Addresses an issue that forces the IE mode tabs in a session to reload. Addresses an issue that successfully opens a browser window in IE mode to display a PDF file. Later, browsing to another IE mode site within the same window fails. Adds more dynamic Widgets content to your taskbar with notification badging. When you open the Widgets board, a banner appears at the top of the board. It provides more information about what triggered the notification badge. Addresses an issue that affects Dual SIM calling. If you select no SIM on your phone and initiate a call on your device, Dual SIM functionality does not work. Addresses an issue that affects some apps that were not signed by the Microsoft Store. You must reinstall them after you upgrade the OS. And here is the complete changelog: Addresses an issue that affects some apps that were not signed by the Microsoft Store. You must reinstall them after you upgrade the OS. Addresses issues that cause updates to the Microsoft Store to fail. Addresses an issue that stops you from signing in to various Microsoft Office 365 apps. This affects Outlook, Word, Teams, and so on Updates the start date for daylight saving time in Chile. It will start on September 11, 2022 instead of on September 4, 2022. Addresses an issue that affects the Windows Search service. It causes the indexing progress for the service to be slow. Addresses an issue that affects some processors. This issue occurs when you turn on Hyper-V and kernel Direct Memory Access (DMA) protections. Addresses an issue that affects a network’s static IP. The issue causes the configuration of the static IP to be inconsistent. Because of this, NetworkAdapterConfiguration() fails sporadically. Addresses an issue that affects Task Manager. It stops working when you switch between light and dark mode or change the accent color. Addresses an issue that affects the font of three Chinese characters. When you format these characters as bold, the width size is wrong. Addresses an issue that affects graphics drivers that use d3d9on12.dll. Reduces the power that the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol uses on some devices when they are in Sleep mode. Addresses an issue that affects URLs generated by JavaScript: URLs. These URLs do not work as expected when you add them to the Favorites menu in IE mode. Addresses an issue that forces the IE mode tabs in a session to reload. Addresses an issue that affects window.open in IE mode. Addresses an issue that successfully opens a browser window in IE mode to display a PDF file. Later, browsing to another IE mode site within the same window fails. Addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft Japanese input method editor (IME). Text reconversion fails when you use some third-party virtual desktops. Addrsses an issue that might cause an application to stop responding. This might occur when the input queue overflows. Addresses an issue that affects XML Paper Specification (XPS) viewers. This might stop you from opening XPS files in some non-English languages. These include some Japanese and Chinese character encodings. This issue affects XPS and Open XPS (OXPS) files. Addresses an issue that creates a duplicate print queue. Because of this, the original print queue stops working. Addresses an issue that might bypass MSHTML and ActiveX rules for Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). Addresses an issue that affects the Miracast UI. Sometimes it closes too soon when you cast to devices that use the DeviceObjectType:Aep. Adds more dynamic Widgets content to your taskbar with notification badging. When you open the Widgets board, a banner appears at the top of the board. It provides more information about what triggered the notification badge. Addresses an issue that affects the SharedPC account manager. The issue stops it from deleting many accounts during cleanup. Addresses an issue that causes LogonUI.exe to stop working. Because of this, you cannot dismiss the lock screen to view the credentials screen. Addresses an issue that affects Dual SIM calling. If you select no SIM on your phone and initiate a call on your device, Dual SIM functionality does not work. Addresses an issue that affects the FindNextFileNameW() function. It might leak memory. Addresses an issue that affects robocopy. Robocopy fails to set a file to the right modified time when using the /IS option. Addresses an issue that affects cldflt.sys. A stop error occurs when it is used with Microsoft OneDrive. Addresses an issue that affects Roaming User Profiles. After you sign in or sign out, some of your settings are not restored. Addresses an issue that affects the LanmanWorkstation service. It leaks memory when you mount a network drive. You can download KB5017389 from Windows Update or the Windows Update Catalog for manual installation. Microsoft will include the fixes in upcoming Patch Tuesday updates, so there is no need to rush installing this release unless you want a specific fix or feature mentioned in the changelog. Windows 11 2022 Update gets Widgets notifications, Store fixes and other improvements

Microsoft seems to have bad luck when it comes to printing issues and bugs in Windows. Some users report their network printers disappearing after updating to Windows 11 2022 Update, and now Microsoft has confirmed yet another problem. According to a new post in the official Windows 11 Health Dashboard documentation, systems running Windows 11 2022 Update (22H2) may have problems detecting all the features in printers using Microsoft IPP Class Driver or Universal Print Class Driver. If the operating system cannot connect to the printer, it defaults to a standard feature set. Once the connection is back, a bug prevents Windows from accessing specific features. Microsoft says the problem can cripple printers' ability to use color, two-sided or duplex printing, paper size and type settings, resolutions, and so forth. A printer itself is not a fun or the most stable device, so, naturally, users will not be happy to see Windows 11 2022 Update crippling most of its features. Microsoft applied a compatibility hold to help users keep their sanity, meaning affected systems will not get Windows 11 2022 Update until Microsoft has a solution for the problem. Microsoft says the safeguard currently blocks the update on all computers using the Microsoft IPP Class Driver or Universal Print Class Driver. You will not get the Windows 11 2022 Update, even if your printer works fine. The company is working on more accurate targeting and will provide more information in the future. Meanwhile, users can bypass the problem using the official workaround: To mitigate the safeguard and allow your Windows device to upgrade to Windows 11, version 22H2, you can remove any printers using Microsoft IPP Class Driver or Universal Print Class Driver which you have installed. Once you have removed any affected installed printers, you should be able to upgrade to Windows 11, version 22H2. Please note, if there are no other safeguards that affect your device, it can take up to 48 hours before the upgrade to Windows 11 is offered. Restarting your device and checking for updates might help it to offer sooner. If you have an installed printer which only allows default settings, you can mitigate this issue by removing and reinstalling the printer. For instructions, please see Download printer drivers in Windows. The bug affects only client versions of Windows 11 2022 Update (2022), so users of the initial release or Windows 10 should not worry about this problem. Microsoft confirms even more printing issues, blocks update to Windows 11 22H2

For those that follow Windows news pretty regularly, you are probably aware of the PrintNightmare saga. In a nutshell, it was a security vulnerability in the Windows print spooler service. This service handles print jobs and related protocols on servers and client PCs. Printing issues on Windows 11, and sometimes also in Windows 10, haven't stopped there as there have been bugs outside of the PrintNightmare flaw too. And it looks like reports of first such issues have started coming in. Twitter user and IT engineer Thomas Førde found out their network printers had gone missing after updating to the Windows 11 22H2 feature update. When they tried to manually add back the printers, they were greeted with a "0x00000bc4" error code which typically signifies an "operation could not be completed" message. After digging around the issue, Førde discovered the problem that was preventing Windows 11 22H2 from identifying their network printers. Apparently, the printer policy in the 2022 feature update was set wrong by default. The Remote Procedure Call (RPC) connection settings need to be set to "RPC over named pipes" transport protocol for the printers to be identified. While the workaround works in this case, Microsoft cautions against allowing a large number of idle pending calls on the server while using this protocol. By doing so it can create a high demand for kernel memory. Printer issues are back at it on Windows 11 22H2 as well

As reports had suggested, Microsoft released Windows 11 version 22H2 to the general availability channel on September 20. You can read all about the new exciting stuff in these articles here. A few days before that, some users received the 2022 feature update early with new devices. The machines were shipping with build 22621.521 (KB5017321) which was indeed the 22H2 update as confirmed later by Microsoft. However, as can happen, the new update is not without its issues. Previously, we reported about a problem related to updating to this new feature update. The update process is failing for many with the error code "0x800f0806". Luckily, there are a couple of fixes available that we have outlined in this article. For those that managed to update, there were other problems for users who had Nvidia graphics cards in their rigs. There have been reports of unstable framerates and stuttering, and lower than typical CPU usage in games. Nvidia was quick to look into the complaints and confirmed that the issues were an outcome of new graphics debugging tools in Windows 11 22H2 that were accidentally getting triggered. Earlier today, Nvidia released a GeForce Experience (GFE) beta update with version 3.26 that resolves the problems. The company has outlined two ways in which users can update to this version of GFE. It can either be done manually by downloading and installing it from the link below, or by enabling the "experimental features" option inside the GFE app which will allow the installation of beta updates. Issue: Some users may observe lower performance in games or applications after updating to Microsoft Windows 11 2022 Update Solution: Update to the latest NVIDIA GeForce Experience v3.26 BETA by choosing from one of the two methods below: a) Manually download the NVIDIA GeForce Experience v3.26 installer from the URL below. Once downloaded, proceed with the installation. https://us.download.nvidia.com/GFE/GFEClient/3.26.0.131/GeForce_Experience_Beta_v3.26.0.131.exe b) From within the GeForce Experience app, open up “Settings” in GeForce Experience and select “Enable Experimental Features”. Then close GeForce Experience. Wait 30 seconds and then re-open GeForce Experience. The app will automatically update to the latest version. In case you are facing such issues on Windows 11 version 22H2 on your Nvidia-based system, you should proceed with this update to see if your problems are fixed. Source: Nvidia Nvidia releases emergency GeForce Experience update to fix Windows 11 22H2 issues

Windows 11 22H2 was just released, and with it comes a new security feature called Enhanced Phishing Protection that warns users when they enter their Windows password in insecure applications or on websites. Windows login credentials are valuable to threat actors as they allow them to access internal corporate networks for data theft or ransomware attacks. These passwords are commonly acquired through phishing attacks or by users saving their passwords in insecure applications, such as word processors, text editors, and spreadsheets. In some cases, simply typing your password in a phishing login form, and not submitting them, is enough for them to be stolen by threat actors. To combat this behavior, Microsoft introduced a new feature called 'Enhanced Phishing Protection' that warns users when they enter their Windows password on a website or enter it into an insecure application. "SmartScreen identifies and protects against corporate password entry on reported phishing sites or apps connecting to phishing sites, password reuse on any app or site, and passwords typed into Notepad, Wordpad, or Microsoft 365 apps," explains Microsoft Security Product Manager Sinclaire Hamilton. "IT admins can configure for which scenarios end users see warnings through CSP/MDM or Group Policy." This new feature is only available in Windows 11 22H2 at this time, and it is not enabled by default. It also requires you to log into Windows with your Windows password rather than use Windows Hello. So if you use a PIN to log in to Windows, this feature will not work. When enabled, Microsoft will detect when you enter your Windows password and then issue a warning prompting you to remove the password from an insecure file or, if entered on a site, to change your Windows password. Alert when entering Windows passwords in an insecure application How to enable Enhanced Phishing Protection While Windows 11 22H2 has Phishing protection enabled by default, the options to protect your passwords are disabled. To enable these options, go to Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings. Under the Phishing protection section, you will see two new options labeled 'Warn me about password reuse' and 'Warn me about unsafe password storage.' When enabled, the 'Warn me about password reuse' option will cause an alert to be displayed when you enter your Windows password on a website, whether it's a phishing site or a legitimate site. The 'Warn me about unsafe password storage' option will warn you when you type your password into an application like Notepad, Wordpad, and Microsoft Office and then press enter. To protect your passwords, put a checkmark in both options to enable them, as shown in the image below. When you enable each option, Windows 11 will display a UAC prompt, which you should accept. Enabling password protection in Windows 11 22H2 Source: BleepingComputer BleepingComputer created a test account on our Windows 11 22H2 device and entered our password into Notepad to test this feature. As you can see below, once we typed the password and pressed enter, Windows 11 displayed a warning stating, "It's unsafe to store your password in this app," and recommended we remove it from the file. Windows 11 warning when you enter your password in Notepad Source: BleepingComputer We also tested this feature in other applications, such as WordPad, Microsoft Word 2019, Excel 2019, OneNote, and Notepad2. We were not able to test this in Microsoft 365, which Microsoft claims is supported by the feature. While Windows 11 warned us about our password in WordPad and Microsoft Word, it surprisingly did not warn us when typing it into Excel, OneNote, and Notepad2, which should be fixed. This is especially true for Microsoft Excel, as it's known to be used to create password lists. We also tested the password reuse feature by trying to log in to Twitter with our Windows password using Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Once we entered our password, Windows 11 displayed the following alert warning us to change our Windows password. Windows 11 warning about password reuse on a website Source: BleepingComputer However, the Enhanced Phishing Protection feature did not work when testing Mozilla Firefox. Overall, this is an excellent new security feature for Windows users, and it is strongly recommended that you use it to protect yourself from phishing attacks and from saving your passwords in insecure files. However, there is still plenty of room for improvement, with Microsoft needing to expand the security feature to support more browsers and applications. Windows 11 now warns when typing your password in Notepad, websites

Several days ago, Microsoft started rolling out the Windows 11 2022 Update, the first feature update for its operating system. Confusingly, not all features are available right now: Microsoft plans to ship another update next month to enable a bunch of new capabilities, such as tabbed File Explorer, the redesigned "Open With" dialog box, suggested actions, taskbar overflow, and others. If you have a hard time waiting for the sweetest parts of Windows 11 2022 Update, here is the good news: you can enable them right now. Windows enthusiasts discover experimental configurations and hidden features every time Microsoft pushes a new preview build. Often, stable Windows versions get new features disabled by default, just waiting for Microsoft to release an enablement package. That is the case with the Windows 11 2022 Update and its upcoming "moment 1" update. Tabbed File Explorer, new taskbar overflow, and other goodies are already on your computer if it runs the Windows 11 2022 Update or 22H2. All you need to do is enable them using the ViveTool app, as described in one of our numerous how-tos. Here are the ids for each upcoming feature: Suggested Actions: id:34592303 Taskbar Overflow: id:35620393 Redesigned "Open With": id:36302090 Tabbed File Explorer: id:36354489 id:37634385 id:39145991 As usual, remember that the safest option is to wait for Microsoft to ship you the new features via Windows Update. Enabling hidden features using the ViveTool app can sometimes lead to unexpected behaviors, bugs, and unwanted software weirdness. If you are not ready to troubleshoot your system or uninstall Windows in the worst-case scenario, sit back and wait for Microsoft to do the job for you. Will you force-enable the upcoming Windows 11 "moment 1" features? Via: PhantomOcean3 (Twitter) You can already enable new Windows 11 features Microsoft plans to ship next month

As reports had suggested, Microsoft released Windows 11 version 22H2 to the general availability channel on September 20. You can read all about the new exciting stuff in these articles here. A few days before that, some users received the 2022 feature update early with new devices. The machines were shipping with build 22621.521 (KB5017321) which was indeed the 22H2 update as confirmed later by Microsoft. However, like it's usually the case, the new update is not without its issues though. Last night, we reported about a problem related to updating to this new feature update. The update process is failing for many with the error code "0x800f0806". Luckily, there are a couple of fixes available that we have outlined in this article. For those that have managed to update, there are other problems for users who have Nvidia graphics cards in their systems. There are reports of unstable framerates and stuttering, and lower than typical CPU usage in games. Users across Reddit and Microsoft forums have echoed similar sentiments. Reddit user ChoPT says the issues were present in insider builds too. They write: I was having serious performance hitches, both on the desktop and especially in gaming (this completely broke gsync as well). Drops to ~30fps randomly from ~120, in non-graphically intense tests. Screen tearing like crazy. I have a VERY powerful system (12700k, 3080 Ti, DDR5 ram), so it's not a hardware issue, and I tried turning all the new graphics settings off as well, so it wasn't that either. [..] I'm a pretty big gamer, so this is unfortunately a deal-breaker until it can be fixed. But the performance issues on the desktop also just made everything feel a bit sluggish. These same problems were present in the insider build I tried months ago, and I am very disappointed they are still present at release. Rolled back, and all the problems went away. Another user Nahett77 says their CPU usage dropped from around 80% down to just around 5%: I have been experiencing insane stuttering in games. My CPU usage in games have dropped down significantly, in some from 80% to 5%. Just went back to the last update and my in game experience is much better. Fortunately for those experiencing such problems, Nvidia has confirmed that it is looking into the matter. Manuel Guzman, Software QA at the company has requested for more feedback from the affected users on the Reddit thread. In case you are reading the article and are facing similar issues, you can provide feedback to Nvidia using this form. Source: Reddit (1, 2, 3), Microsoft forum via How-To Geek Edit: Updated with quotes from users experiencing the issues for additional context. Windows 11 22H2 apparently causing problems on Nvidia graphics cards